Brain Function and Measurement

Brain Function and Measurement

This class given by Prof . Takao , His lesson is more difficult , some knowledge about medical , but thanks for his lecture and the interesting experiment .

Brain like a tofu have four parts: spinal cord / hindbrain / midbrain / forebrain . 

the brain`s basic building is neurons , they link with each others , create neuron passways .

brain keeps us : breath / eat / walk / talk . plan / solve problems / experience of emotions . store memorys / communicate with others . 

brain driving thought / feeling / action .

Brain`s structure :

1. brainstem contain four parts : medulla oblangate / pons / midbrain , the basic function : breathing / circulation / digestion .
2. cerebellum`s function : body control / motion memory .
3. thalamus`s function : sorts data . ( hypothalamus : homeostasis . posterior : pituitary )
4. cerebrum : integration .

these regions operate one connected network to keeps this alive and reach their goals .

information comes up to brain by sensory nerves and the motor nerves going down .

cerebral cortex : 

1. frontal : motor cortex
2. parietal : the most important is somatosensory cortex .
3. occipital : vision 
4. temporal : smell and hearing 

sleep and dream :
Sleep : a periodic , natural , reversible and near total loss of consciousness . recuperation / growth / mental function .
Electroencephalogram (EEG) is an electrical activity generated from neurons in human and animal brains .
Averaged EEG recording shows sensory components of cortical activity :

two type of sleep :

1. Non-REM sleep , brain tend to sleep and become unconscious .
2.  REM sleep , people ten to see dream and be conscious , but are paralyzed in body muscles ( rapid eye movement and low muscle tone are observed in this period ) .

 four stages of sleep :

1. REM and NREM-1 : Adrenal Glands-release cortisol (wake) & Pineal Gland-release melatonin (sleepy)
2. NREM-2 : Hypnagogic sensations 
3. NREM-3 : Sleep spinelles .

REM sleep triggers neural activity , and dreams are accidental side-effects .

MODULE 1 : 'Walk , Bike , Boat'

Walk , Bike , Boat

This is the second class , the module is " walk , bike, boat " , so we will experience learning environment . 

At the morning , I can`t stop a bus during the half hour beside the bus stop , until now , I don`t know what`s the reason , when I arrived the Wutthakat station , It`s already 9:14 , thank you all .
The trip is walk from BTS Wutthakat to school named Wat Mai Yai Nui , then travel by boat to Bangmod cannal , at last take bike to Bangmod campus .

I was given the nature of Thailand's so beautiful scenery and simple folk attract and impress.

• Temples / Piers / Houses / Boats / Bridges / Delicious foods 
• River / Blue sky / Flowers / Trees / Bamboo / Vines
• People / kids / birds / Fish / Dogs / Cat 

1. Thailand has a very rich water resources
2. Plant diversity make Thailand so beautiful
3. People know how to enjoy life , love life in Thailand

At last ,this trip help me improve my skills of self-motivated and autonomous , As I like the environment very much , I suggest we work together to protect the beautiful environment , Reduce the use of plastic bags and increase the number of waste recycled . 

Information Processing Model

Information Processing Model 

1. Decision making within an information-processing framework to the representation of stage-based approach / ecological approach and cognitive ergonomics . 
2. Ecological approach tends to be more specifically applied to human interaction with physical systems and environments ; Cognitive engineering is relevant to the design of almost any system about which human operator can acquire knowledge , and computer systems .
3. A certain number of mental processes involved in selecting , interpreting ,retaining , or responding to information may be implemented , and it is understanding the vulnerabilities of these processes and capitalizing , provide an important key to effective human factors of system design . 
   
4. Stimuli or events are sensed and attended and that information received by our sensory system is perceived , that is , provided with some meaningful interpretation based on memory of past experience . that which is perceived may be responded to directly , through a process of action selection and execution . Alternatively , it may be stored temporarily in working memory , a system that may also be involved in thinking about or transforming information that was not sensed and perceived but was generated internally .Working memory is of limited capacity and heavily demanding of attention in its operation but closely related to our large-capacity long-term memory , a system that stores vast amounts of information about the world , including both facts and procedures ,and retains that information without attention but not always fully available for retrieval . actions generally produce feedback which is then sensed to complete the closed-loop cycle .

                                      

At last , we have a role-playing activities : a dog find a man ride bike and start to chase ( event or stimuli ), the man find the dog ( Senses ) , he think he can`t bit by the dog ( perception ) , so he decide to ride the bicycle faster ( response selection ) , he think if  I ride faster ,but the dog run faster , should I change my way ( working memory ) , he choose a road with few cars ( long-term memory ) , after the decision , he start to ride on that road ( response execution ) , at last , he got rid of the dog ( feedback ) . 

Open Studio : Introduction

Social and Cultural Studies

This is my first class of open studio , I never have class like this have so many interactions and collaborations ; even though with a huge transition from engineering to art , I want to say I love it . And for the classmates ,  I was in a absolutely different mode of education completed undergraduate studies in China , but all of you are so kindly and friendly . I wish we can be friends forever . 

1.For the first game , from the recognition of what I perceived , Not only the Characteristics but also the User that I can get some comprehension . Information processing lies at the heart of human performance .

2. For the second , with my collaborator , communication and understanding are the most important method between each other , when I get the information , predicting and modeling from the human-system interaction .but some decision-making biases resulting in human error .

3. For the third ,when I get some task , the first step is use brain function to understanding the task, then learning to find the interface , at last the mental workload make the decision of context of use . with the cooperation to solve the problem .

4.For the last game , signal detection theory : when I get attention and perception the information , I should memory and cognition ,then select the action , at last perform the multiple-task .

(THANKS FOR YOUR PICTURE)

In total , not only professors but also classmates ,I am so lucky I meet all of you . For the homework and class , if I do the wrong way , please help me point out , because I never have experience how to do the work like this , thank you .

Introduction to Cognition and Information Processing

Introduction to Cognition and Information Processing

1.Introduction

Information processing is the most importance to human performance, which include: 1.high level intellectual function (comprehension /visual perception / attention) 2.executive function (planning / self monitoring / problem solving) that happened in brain .It`s from perception of environment to acting on that environment.

Human performance include : workload memory (interface/task/context of use) and environment . humans interact :human operator perceive the information transform to different forms , take action (feedback) to operator in order to assessing the environment . transformations carry on between information and human ,but it should take some time ,sometimes human make error .

Traditional open-loop representation from cognitive psychology ; closed-loop system , following the tradition of engineering feedback models .

Cognition include : recognition / interpretation / judgement/ reasoning .

Computer is similar to human`s faction with brain and behavior . computer`s function : 1.Input ( keyboard/voice recognition ) like human`s sense ; 2.computer program in processor unit ( hard disk/memory ) like human`s memory ; 3. output ( displays/voice feedback/sound alert) like human`s speaking ; after the processing , then the information feedback loop to the input .we should understanding nature / time demands / errors to predicting and modeling human-system interaction .

Processes and transformations related to : attention/perception/memory and cognition/attention selection/multiple task performance

2.Three approaches to information processing

Information was conceived as passing through a finite number of discrete stage : 1. experimental manipulations 2. converging evidence from brain physiology .

History  1936 (invention)---1940(information processing framework )---1969(fitting the task to the man)---1997(artificial intelligence).

Different task and environmental factors influence information-processing psychology then make distinction to human factors 

Decision-making biases on perception/diagnosis/action selection/stage , maybe make some errors .

Ecological approach : human behavior interaction natural environment , mimicked by the direct-manipulation interfaces.

My question : I can`t understand Ecological approach clearly.

1. perception 2. information processing model 3. learning 4. mental workload 5. signal detection theory 6. brain function 7. decision making 8. human error .

Aircraft with a cockpit including a viewing surface for piloting which is at least partially virtual

http://www.google.com/patents/US20140180508

ABSTRCT:
The invention concerns an aircraft including a cockpit comprising a viewing surface for piloting giving at least one pilot a view of an outside scene comprising the environment of the aircraft extending forward of the aircraft. At least part of said viewing surface for piloting is free of any glazed surface and is formed by display means for a digital image representing at least part of an outside scene comprising the environment of the aircraft extending forward of the aircraft.
DESCRIPTION:

Question : In order to change conventional aircraft more perfect , there are some problem to solve : 1.  numerous radii of curvature 2. numerous structural reinforcements 3. optical distortion 4. cabin reduces 5. limiting financial profits 

Solution : New technology providing an aircraft having a new cockpit of which the impact on the mass and on the aerodynamics of the aircraft is significantly reduced. in addition directed to increasing safety, in particular by improving the pilot's perception and awareness of the outside scene forward of the aircraft. viewing surface for piloting is free of any glazed surface and is formed by display and outside scene comprising the environment of the aircraft extending forward and outside scene as viewed by the pilot is a virtual reconstitution of the real environment . 

    means: 1. a screen and associated means for projection (including back-projection)

               2. a device with lasers for forming a holographic image.

               3. The digital image of the outside scene may be an image projected onto a screen or take on the form of a hologram or any other form.

advantage : 1.glazed surfaces is reduced and made lighter 2. simplifies the manufacture and improve aerodynamic performance 3. reduce fuel consumption, improve operating income and increase safety.
My question : The technology to collect large amounts of information, how to deal with brain？