Skill Learning and Skill Transfer Mediated by Cooperative Haptic Interaction.

Internet of Things (IoT) based voice interaction system, as a new artificial intelligence application, provides a new human–computer interaction mode. The more intelligent and efficient communication approach poses greater challenges to the semantic understanding module in the system. Facing with the complex and diverse interactive scenarios in practical applications, the academia and the industry urgently need more powerful Natural Language Understanding (NLU) methods as support. Intent Detection and Slot Filling joint task, as one of the core sub-tasks in NLU, has been widely used in different human–computer interaction scenarios. In the current era of deep learning, the joint task of Intent Detection and Slot Filling has also changed from previous rule-based methods to deep learning-based methods. It is an important problem to explore how to realize the models of these tasks to be refined and targeted designed, and to make the Intent Detection task better serve the improvement of precision of Slot Filling task by connecting the before and after tasks. It has great significance for building a more humanized IoT voice interaction system. In this study, we designed two joint models to realize Intent Detection and Slot Filling joint task. For the Intent Detection type task, one is based on BiGRU-Att-CapsuleNet (hybrid-based model) and the other is based on the RCNN model. Both methods use the BiGRU-CRF model for the Slot Filling type task. The hybrid-based model can enhance the semantic capture capability of a single model. And by combining specialized models built independently for each task to achieve a complete joint task, it can be better to achieve optimal performance on each task. This study also carried out detailed comparative experiments of tasks and joint tasks on multiple datasets. Experiments show that the joint models have achieved competitive results in 7 typical datasets included in multiple scenarios in English and Chinese compared with other models.

Physical interaction between man and machines is increasing the interest of the research as well as the industrial community. It is known that physical coupling between active persons can be beneficial and increase the performance of the dyad compared to an individual. However, the factors that may result in performance benefits are still poorly understood. The aim of this work is to investigate how the different initial skill levels of the interacting partners influence the learning of a stabilization task. Twelve subjects, divided in two groups, trained in couples in a joint stabilization task. In the first group the couples were composed of two naive, while in the second a naive was trained together with an expert. Results show that training with an expert results in the greatest performance in the joint task. However, this benefit is not transferred to the individual when performing the same task bimanually.

Motor skill acquisition inherently depends on the way one practices the motor task. The amount of motor task variability during practice has been shown to foster transfer of the learned skill to other similar motor tasks. In addition, variability in a learning schedule, in which a task and its variations are interweaved during practice, has been shown to help the transfer of learning in motor skill acquisition. However, there is little evidence on how motor task variations and variability schedules during practice act on the acquisition of complex motor skills such as music performance, in which a performer learns both the right movements (motor skill) and the right time to perform them (timing skill). This study investigated the impact of rate (tempo) variability and the schedule of tempo change during practice on timing and motor skill acquisition. Complete novices, with no musical training, practiced a simple musical sequence on a piano keyboard at different rates. Each novice was assigned to one of four learning conditions designed to manipulate the amount of tempo variability across trials (large or small tempo set) and the schedule of tempo change (randomized or non-randomized order) during practice. At test, the novices performed the same musical sequence at a familiar tempo and at novel tempi (testing tempo transfer), as well as two novel (but related) sequences at a familiar tempo (testing spatial transfer). We found that practice conditions had little effect on learning and transfer performance of timing skill. Interestingly, practice conditions influenced motor skill learning (reduction of movement variability): lower temporal variability during practice facilitated transfer to new tempi and new sequences; non-randomized learning schedule improved transfer to new tempi and new sequences. Tempo (rate) and the sequence difficulty (spatial manipulation) affected performance variability in both timing and movement. These findings suggest that there is a dissociable effect of practice variability on learning complex skills that involve both motor and timing constraints.

Humans critically depend on permanent verbal and nonverbal interaction - for aligning their mental states, for synchronizing their intentions and goals, and also for performing joint tasks, such as carrying a heavy object together, manipulating of objects in a common workspace, or handing over components and building or assembling larger structures in teams. Typically, physical interaction is initiated by a short joint planning dialog and then further accompanied by a stream of verbal utterances. For obtaining a smooth interaction flow in a given situation, humans typically use all their communication modalities and senses, and this often happens even unconsciously. As we move toward the introduction of robotic co-workers that serve humans - some of them will be humanoids; others will be of a different shape - humans will expect them to be integrated into the execution of the task at hand, just as well as if a human co-worker was involved. Such a flawless replacement will only be possible if these robots provide a number of basic action primitives, for example, handover from human to robot and vice versa. The robots must also recognize and anticipate the intention of the human by analyzing and understanding the scene as far as necessary for jointly working on the task. Most importantly, the robotic co-worker must be able to carry on a verbal and nonverbal dialog with the human partner, in parallel with and relating to the physical interaction process. In this chapter, we give an overview of the ingredients of an integrated physical interaction scenario. This includes methods to plan activities, to produce safe and human-interpretable motion, to interact through multimodal communication, to schedule actions for a joint task, and to align and synchronize the interaction by understanding human intentions. We summarize the state of the art in physical human-humanoid interaction systems and conclude by presenting three humanoid systems as case studies.

It has been postulated that when people engage in joint actions they form internal representations not only of their part of the joint task but of their co-actors' parts of the task as well. However, empirical evidence for this claim is scarce. By means of high-density electroencephalography, this study investigated whether one represents and simulates the action of an interaction partner when planning to perform a joint action. The results showed that joint action planning compared with individual action planning resulted in amplitude modulations of the frontal P3a and parietal P3b event-related potentials, which are associated with stimulus classification, updating of representations, and decision-making. Moreover, there was evidence for anticipatory motor simulation of the partner's action in the amplitude and peak latency of the late, motor part of the Contingent Negative Variation, which was correlated with joint action performance. Our results provide evidence that when people engage in joint tasks, they represent in advance each other's actions in order to facilitate coordination.

Nowadays, especially with the developments in the automotive industry, it has become a highly popular topic for radar and communication systems to operate on the same platform and perform joint tasks to increase situational awareness. Sharing the hardware of the radar and communication systems and using a joint waveform for both functions eliminate interference problems between the systems, increasing the effectiveness of the joint task. In studies where radar signals are utilised for communication functions, continuous wave frequency modulation or intra‐pulse frequency modulation is generally employed to transmit communication signals. There are a few studies in the literature on joint radar and communication waveforms using phase modulation. In these studies, phase modulation is not employed directly for both functions. As a contribution to the literature, this study evaluates the usage of joint radar and communications waveforms, such as Barker sequences and Zadoff–Chu sequences as opposed to linear frequency modulation. We compare these waveforms terms of range‐speed detection and symbol error rate.

Capacoteric development of students is a crucial aspect in their education, having a significant impact on their health and quality of life. This analysis aims to explore the importance of developing motor skills of students and the ways in which education, sport and recreational activities can influence this development. Physical education classes are an essential component in the development of students' motor skills. They give students the opportunity to improve their agility, endurance and motor coordination. Through physical education, students learn not only to develop their motor skills, but also to appreciate the importance of physical activity for a healthy life. Tourism is a means of harmonious development of students, through recreational activities and useful social activities aimed at ensuring a multilateral education from the point of view: physical, moral, etc. Thus, the basic principle of physical education lessons that follow the use of tourism. within the lessons is the development of the students' individual capacities, the maintenance of their emotional and health status. As is known, since the beginning of life, the human being grows, develops, matures, evolves under the influence of biological, psychological and social factors that act on him transversally and longitudinally. These factors can be favorable, when they stimulate the entire evolution, and unfavorable or relatively favorable, when they determine limited or even restrictive structures for shaping human characteristics. The evaluation of these conditions, of the motor qualities, is done in relation to the concrete context in which the student is, but also in relation to the methods of reception and structuring of the particularities that define him. In the conditions of today's society, we are witnessing an obvious progress of contemporary civilization, and the informational explosion triggers a series of changes and evolutions in secondary education, which in the 21st century is experiencing a continuous transformation and development in terms of content, methodology and didactic strategies. The purpose of the research is to analyze the development of students' motor capacities, in the discipline of pedestrian tourism, in the context of the implementation of the new physical education curriculum in the Republic of Moldova. Research methods. To achieve the goal and achieve the objectives, the following research methods were proposed and established as: analysis and synthesis, scientific research and documentation. Results and discussion. The development of motor capacities are characteristics of the body that offer the individual the possibility of performing various motor acts, related to both his daily and sports activities. In the education process, finding and using the most effective methods and means to ensure the development of these capacities occupies an important place in the specialist teacher's concerns. Pedestrian tourism is a form of sports tourism that represents a tourist march along a certain route. It involves the free choice of several routes, representing a great advantage for those practicing this test. The essential technical elements of this form of tourism are: the technique of pedestrian tourism, which represents a complex of procedures and means used effectively for the solution of tourist objectives (eg: the technique of crossing obstacles, the technique of organizing the tourist bivouac, the technique of orientation in the terrain, techniques of granting the first aid and transporting the injured) and the tactic of pedestrian tourism - is intended to ensure a necessary balance for the students' body between travel and rest. The development of students' motor capacities, in the discipline of Pedestrian Tourism, in the context of the implementation of the new Physical Education curriculum in the Republic of Moldova, pedagogically capitalizes in the Curriculum, a valuable potential for the formation and development of students' personality in the unit of socio-psycho-motor plans. The formative values of the discipline are varied and valuable: the harmonious and healthy development of the body; enhancing, maintaining or restoring motor qualities and health; dynamization of mental processes, including volitional and affective ones; increasing resilience; stimulation of intellectual activity; the development of moral qualities, such as: team spirit, fair competition, entrepreneurial spirit, courage and selflessness, responsibility, discipline and self-control, patriotic spirit, etc. The development of motor skills in students is an essential process for a healthy childhood and for their preparation for adult life. Through physical education, sports and recreational activities, students not only improve their motor skills, but also acquire values and habits beneficial for life. Promoting these issues in schools and communities is vitally important for the healthy future of young generations. Tourism activities can play a significant role in the development of motor skills in students, providing them with unique opportunities to improve their physical skills, but also to learn essential aspects such as teamwork, problem solving and adaptability. This analysis focuses on how tourism activities contribute to the development of motor skills in students and their formation as well-balanced individuals. Conclusion: Tourism activities provide a fascinating panorama of how students can develop motor skills and reach the maximum potential of their physical abilities. By exploring natural environments, tackling challenges and building resilience, students not only improve their motor skills, but also gain confidence in their own abilities. Promoting these activities in education can contribute to the formation of healthy adults, aware of the environment and able to cope in various situations. Therefore, the development of motor skills through tourism activities represents a valuable investment in the future of our students.

Motivation and learning skill are essential and mustbe owned by students to be successful in learning. But, the fact that are students with lack of learning motivation and learning skill. The aims from this research are: (1) to describing student’s learning motivation and learning skill which high achieving and underachieving, (2) to analyze student’s learning motivation and learning skill differences who high achieving and underachieving. This research using quantitative approach with comparative description type. This research conducted on students in VII and VIII grades at MTsN Salido Pesisir Selatan regency in 2013-2014 school year, with 258 students population, and 158 students as research sample using propotional random sampling techniques. Instrument for this research is questionnaire. Data analyzing for this research using descriptive statistic techniques and t-test using SPSS 16.00. Data analyzing revealed that (1) learning motivation students who is high achieving stand at high category, (2) learning motivation students who is underachieving stand at average category, (3) learning skill students who is high achieving stand at good category, (4) learning skill students who is underachieving stand at enough category, (5) there is a difference of learning motivation between students with high achieving and underachieving, (6) there is a difference of learning skill between students with high achieving and underachieving. The implication from this research to guidance and counseling is forming guidance counseling treatment programme that concern to students with underachieving in order to reach good learning result. .

Purpose This paper aims to solve the problem of the inability to apply learning methods for robot motion skills based on dynamic movement primitives (DMPs) in tasks with explicit environmental constraints, while ensuring the reliability of the robot system. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose a novel DMP that takes into account environmental constraints to enhance the generality of the robot motion skill learning method. First, based on the real-time state of the robot and environmental constraints, the task space is divided into different regions and different control strategies are used in each region. Second, to ensure the effectiveness of the generalized skills (trajectories), the control barrier function is extended to DMP to enforce constraint conditions. Finally, a skill modeling and learning algorithm flow is proposed that takes into account environmental constraints within DMPs. Findings By designing numerical simulation and prototype demonstration experiments to study skill learning and generalization under constrained environments. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of generating motion skills that satisfy environmental constraints. It ensures that robots remain in a safe position throughout the execution of generation skills, thereby avoiding any adverse impact on the surrounding environment. Originality/value This paper explores further applications of generalized motion skill learning methods on robots, enhancing the efficiency of robot operations in constrained environments, particularly in non-point-constrained environments. The improved methods are applicable to different types of robots.

Motor control theories propose that the same motor plans can be employed by different effectors (e.g., the hand and arm). Skills learned with one effector can therefore "transfer" to others, which has potential applications in clinical situations. However, evidence from adaptation suggests this effect is not reciprocal; learning can be generalized from proximal to distal effectors (e.g., arm to hand), but not from distal to proximal effectors (e.g., hand to arm). We propose that skill learning may not follow the same pattern, because it relies on multiple learning processes beyond error detection and correction. Participants learned a skill task involving the production of isometric forces. We assessed their ability to perform the task with the hand and arm. One group then trained to perform the task using only their hand, whereas a second group trained using only their arm. In a final assessment, we found that participants who trained with either effector improved their skill in performing the task with both their hand and arm. There was no change in a control group that did not train between assessments, indicating that gains were related to the training, not the multiple assessments. These results indicate that in contrast to adaptation, motor skills can generalize from both proximal to distal effectors and from distal to proximal effectors. We propose this is due to differences in the processes underlying skill acquisition as compared with adaptation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Prior research indicates that motor learning transfers from proximal to distal effectors, but not vice versa. However, this work focused on adapting existing behavior; we questioned whether different results would occur during learning of new motor skills. We found that the benefits of training on a skill task with either the hand or arm transferred across both effectors. This highlights important differences between adaptation and skill learning, and may allow therapeutic benefits for patients with impairments in specific effectors.

Background: The escalating prevalence of pediatric obesity and the concomitant decline in physical activity levels have underscored the imperative to rigorously assess motor competencies in the younger demographic. The Athletic Skill Track (AST) and Development Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) are pivotal instruments in this context. However, normative benchmarks for these tools, particularly within the Pakistani pediatric milieu, remain inadequately delineated. Objective: This investigation aimed to establish preliminary normative benchmarks for AST and DCDQ among a cohort of children aged 4 to 12 years in Lahore, Pakistan. A secondary objective involved delineating gender disparities in test performance and elucidating the correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and test outcomes. Methods: Adopting a cross-sectional study framework, data were collated from an urban-based private school in Lahore, utilizing convenience sampling methods. The participant pool comprised 500 healthy children within the 4-12 age bracket. The research protocol encompassed anthropometric measurements and subsequent administration of AST and DCDQ. Data analysis was executed utilizing SPSS software, version 28.0. Results: The study unveiled a marked gender-based disparity in AST performance, with boys manifesting superior rapidity across all AST tracks (AST 1: Mean=21.84, SD=4.99; AST 2: Mean=22.66, SD=5.083; AST 3: Mean=20.23, SD=4.76). An age-progressive enhancement in test performance was evident, as reflected in the linear decrement in completion times for AST-1 and AST-2 with advancing age. This trend, however, exhibited deviations from extant literature in specific cohorts, particularly in nine-year-old participants. In the realm of DCDQ outcomes, a significant positive correlation with age was observed, suggesting developmental advancements in coordination skills. The gender analysis revealed that boys outperformed girls in DCDQ assessments (Boys: Mean=60.17, SD=5.87; Girls: Mean=57.45, SD=7.09). Conclusion: The present study enriches the extant body of knowledge by providing essential normative data for AST and DCDQ within a Pakistani pediatric population. It underscores notable gender and age-related variances in motor skills and coordination, offering critical insights for the formulation of targeted interventions and early detection strategies in motor skill development.

Dance learning has a role in the development of motor skills, because the basic substance in dance learning is motion, and motion is the main element in the development of motor skills. Dance learning needs to be taught at the elementary school level because it has benefits for the growth and development of students, one of which is to hone motor skills. The aims of this study were (1) to find out the learning of dance, cultural arts and crafts for fourth grade students of MI Darul Ulum Merkawang? (2) To know the development of motor skills of fourth grade students of MI Darul Ulum Merkawang? (3) To determine the role of learning the art of dance, cultural arts and crafts in developing the motor skills of fourth grade students at MI Darul Ulum Merkawang?. This study uses a qualitative approach with descriptive analysis of the data that has been collected through interviews and observations. The results of the analysis show that students' motor skills can be developed by dancing, both gross motor skills and fine motor skills. There are factors that influence dance learning in developing motor skills, including human resources, infrastructure, environmental conditions, students' physical conditions, gender, motivation, and talents.

Visual demonstrations have long been regarded as a critical instructional method for children’s motor skill and social-emotional development. Despite their widespread importance, skill demonstrations have often been characterized by a failure to consider age related differences in children’s cognitive and physical abilities. Similarly, the potential psychological effects of modeling on children’s behaviors in the physical domain have rarely been discussed. Thus the purpose of this paper is to review theoretical and research perspectives from the motor behavior and psychology literatures about developmental and psychological factors associated with children’s modeling of motor skills. Specifically, this paper will emphasize (a) how children perceive characteristics of a visual demonstration, (b) how they translate perceptions to actions that attempt to match the skill demonstration, and (c) how observational learning can be used to enhance self-confidence and motivation in youth. Practical implications for maximizing motor skill and psychosocial development in children are addressed in each section of the paper.

ABSTRACTHuman motor skill acquisition is improved by performance feedback and coupling such feedback with extrinsic reward (such as money) can enhance skill learning. However, the neurophysiology underlying such behavioral effect is unclear. To bridge this gap, we assessed the effects of reward on multiple forms of motor plasticity during skill learning. Sixty-five healthy participants divided in three groups performed a pinch-grip skill task with sensory feedback only, sensory and reinforcement feedback or both feedback coupled with an extrinsic monetary reward during skill training. To probe motor plasticity, we applied transcranial magnetic stimulation on the left primary motor cortex at rest before, during and after training in the three groups. We evaluated the amplitude and variability of corticospinal output, GABA-ergic short-intracortical inhibition and use-dependent plasticity before training and at two time points during and after training. At the behavioral level, monetary reward accelerated skill learning. In parallel, corticospinal output became less variable early on during training in the presence of extrinsic reward. Interestingly, this effect was particularly pronounced for participants who were more sensitive to reward, as evaluated in an independent questionnaire. Other measures of motor excitability remained comparable across groups. These findings highlight that a mechanism underlying the benefit of reward on motor skill learning is the fine tuning of early-training resting-state corticospinal variability.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSkill acquisition is enhanced in the presence of reward. Despite its potential clinical relevance for motor rehabilitation, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Specifically, whether reward affects the plasticity of motor cortex in the context of skill learning is unclear. We show that reward reduces the variability of corticospinal output at an early stage during training and that this effect correlates with individual sensitivity to reward. Our results suggest that a key mechanism underlying the beneficial effect of reward on motor skill learning may be an increase in the stability of motor output in response to training during early stages of skill learning.

When learning a new skill through an unknown environment, should we practice alone, or together with another beginner, or learn from the expert? It is normally helpful to have an expert guiding through unknown environmental dynamics. The guidance from the expert is fundamentally based on mutual interactions. From the perspective of the beginner, one needs to face dual unknown dynamics of the environment and motor coordination of the expert. In a cooperative visuo-haptic motor task, we asked novice participants to bring a virtual mass onto the specified target location under an unknown external force field. The task was completed by an individual or with an expert or another novice. In addition to evaluation of the motor performance, we evaluated the adaptability of the novice participants to a new partner while attempting to achieve a common goal together. The experiment was set in five phases; baseline for skill transfer and adaptability, learning and evaluation for adaptability and skill transfer respectively. The performance of the participants was characterized by using the time to target, effort index, and length of the trajectory. Experimental results suggested that (1) peer-to-peer interactions among paired beginners enhanced the motor learning most, (2) individuals practicing on their own (learning as a single) showed better motor learning than practicing under the expert's guidance, and (3) regarding the adaptability, peer-to-peer interactions induced higher adaptability to a new partner than the novice-to-expert interactions while attempting to achieve a common goal together. Thus, we conclude that the peer-to-peer interactions under a collaborative task can realize the best motor learning of the motor skills through the new environmental dynamics, and adaptability to others in order to achieve a goal together. We suggest that the peer-to-peer learning can induce both adaptability to others and learning of motor skills through the unknown environmental dynamics under mutual interactions. On the other hand, during the peer-to-peer interactions, the novice can learn how to coordinate motion with his/her partner (even though one is a new partner), and thus, is able to learn the motor skills through new environmental dynamics.