We develop a hybrid, real-time solar forecasting computational model to construct prediction intervals (PIs) of one-minute averaged direct normal irradiance for four intra-hour forecasting horizons: five, ten, fifteen, and 20 min. This hybrid model, which integrates sky imaging techniques, support vector machine and artificial neural network sub-models, is developed using one year of co-located...

Visual robot navigation in outdoor environments would benefit from an illumination-independent representation of images. We explore how such a representation, comprising a black skyline of objects in front of a white sky, can be obtained from dual-channel spectral contrast measures. Light from sky and natural objects under different conditions of illumination was analyzed by five spectral chann...

Various spherical radiative transfer (SRT) computer codes that model ultraviolet (UV) sky intensities incident at the Earth’s surface are compared for clear-sky (Rayleigh scattering and ozone absorption) and hazy-sky (stratospheric volcanic aerosol, Rayleigh scattering, and ozone absorption) atmospheric conditions. Calculated sky intensities using Dave vector (pseudospherical), Dave scalar (pse...

We describe the flattening of scientific CCD imaging data using a dome flat field system. The system uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to illuminate a carefully constructed dome flat field screen. LEDs have several advantages over more traditional illumination sources: they are available in a wide range of output wavelengths, are inexpensive, have a very long source lifetime, and are straightfo...

Results of the first comprehensive light pollution survey in Hong Kong are presented. The night-sky brightness was measured and monitored around the city using a portable light-sensing device called the Sky Quality Meter over a 15-month period beginning in March 2008. A total of 1,957 data sets were taken at 199 distinct locations, including urban and rural sites covering all 18 Administrative ...

Some of non-manual signals (NMS’s) are considered to be functioning as grammatical markers in JSL. To describe NMS’s of Japanese Sign Language (JSL), we have developed a notational system that we named sIGNDEX Ver.2. We code NMS’s which appear in 100 elicited utterances with this system. We analyze the data thus coded and find frequency of each NMS. Our analysis makes it clear what NMS’s are fr...

This proposal seeks to utilize analytics on student demographics and grade records in combination with data on their performance in the GenEd NMS class G131 “Oceans and Our Global Environment” to assess how performance in the class and its range of assignments may be related to specific student characteristics. The project is structured to examine such connections by testing six specific hypoth...

Over the last four years, Nepal’s political ‘transition’ has dominated public debate on social, cultural and political issues in the new republic. However, although the term ‘transition’ has been applied loosely when referring to many elements of political and social change which have occurred in the wake of the Jana Andolan II and the end of the People’s War, what exactly does this transition ...