http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12253/228 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:20:16 GMT 2026-04-20T20:20:16Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12253/534 Title: Criador e Criatura: o papel das tecnologias da informação e comunicação no novo contexto das tecnologias emergentes Authors: Alves, Artur Matos Abstract: This text will try to address the following issue: what is the role of the new ICTs in the context created by emerging technologies? The purpose of this questioning is to understand the relevance of ICTs in contemporary technological experience, in the general framework of science, technology and society studies that might be able to coherently integrate new knowledge about perception, representation and cognition. A secondary, albeit important, question presents itself, related to the clash of new perspectives of creation of hybrid systems between traditions and theoretical approaches about technique and technologies, very much present in scientific speculation and futurology: how can this evolution be understood from philosophy of technology’s viewpoint? And how does it express itself in past and present techno-utopias? Is there continuity or a fundamental break between past and present technological forms and techno-utopian formulations? These questions are related to the existing technological environment, but also with the changes that loom as a possible future or fictional image: will new technologies be able to rebuild society and political systems, under the overarching categories of generalized rationality and post humanism? Can human beings and society be administered by highly efficient artificial systems, such as those present in science fiction? Assuming that the crisis, or at least the specter of a crisis of political and social institutions, is felt as fact, what promises or risks are present in the development of emergent technologies? And what is ICT’s role in this process? Therefore, this text suggests a comprehensive view of communication and information technologies that includes its role as a mirror and driver of human ambitions for humanity and society. Given the complex interlocking of this questioning, it will be developed through a previous study of its diverse genealogy, regarding the scientific and technical knowledge embodied in ICTs and NBIC (nano-bio-info-cognitive sciences and technologies), the concepts of interaction and communication and the perspectives of philosophy of communication about these changes. This study is undertaken through the analysis of possible repercussions and new political and social questionings that may be brought to fruition by the emergence of these phenomena. The solution to this crisis might be, in democratic contexts, a convivial view of technologies – and especially ICTs – the effects of which would be an enlargement of the discussion about these. This praxis is favorable to the construction or institution of a mature relationship between individual and ICTs (and, potentially, other technologies), but also to a new understanding of the public role of ICTs and emergent technologies (NBIC technologies). In this regard, it is particularly important an ethical and philosophical landscape of the effects of the colonization of human beings by NBIC technologies and the reduction – or enframing – of the natural and social world to technicity’s determinations. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12253/534 2009-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12253/293 Title: CHUB : um modelo cartográfico para a visualização e análise do corpo humano Authors: Carvalho, Elizabeth, Simão Abstract: Visualization is the realistic or abstract visual representation of a dataset that is generated by computer models or resulting from physical measurements of the real world. Visualization is fundamental to help people understand data and complexes processes and can be categorized according its goals (scientific or information). The correct data model and characterization are essential to the right choice of the visualization techniques and the production of useful visualizations. The great challenge lies in how to determine that the results are showed to the final users at the same time in a coherent, useful and simple way. The cartographic model concept was developed by Dana Tomlin in 1983 with the Map Analysis Package2 [Sendra2000]. A cartographic model can be seen as a collection of maps that are registered in a cartographic database, where each map is a “variable” that can be mathematically operated. These operations may involve primitives such as points or areas of different maps, for example, in a sequential order to interpret and solve spatial problems. In this context, the sequence of operations is similar to the algebraic solution of a group of equations. The creation of automatic tools for human’s body data analysis and visualization is a field in expansion and of great interest. However these tools are very valuable, they suffer from a common limitation that is imposed by their basis architectural model. In general, they rarely represent in a suitable way biological, morphological and/or biomedical data spatial interdependency. These models treat data in an almost total focused and independent way. The human body systems and organs work as a complex machine, where each part depends strongly on the others. This dependency might be stronger or weaker to the system or organ importance on the overall patient condition. The doctor diagnoses an illness by comparing and analyzing information not only directly related to the mostly affected organ, but also to the body as a whole. In fact the doctor performs a subtle spatial analysis, and therefore, executes a typical algebraic map operation in his/her mind, when diagnosing a patient. An illness might arouse different symptoms and physiological changes in systems/organs that are not directly related to the spatial location of it. CHUB is a model that was developed taking into consideration the main principles of cartographic modelling. It structures data according to different layers of information. Each layer is associated to a specific organ and/or system, and might contain geometric data or attributes that are “human-referenced”. CHUB has not been developed as a dynamic model. It is considered that dynamic issues related to human’s body data, such as body movement, blood flow or heartbeat (besides others) will be accomplished by other models that should be used as a specialized extension to CHUB. In order to validate CHUB two cases of study were considered – osteoarthritis knee diagnosis and hydrokinetic therapy sessions analysis, proposed two strategies for its validation and a prototype implemented. This prototype allowed its utilization, evaluation and validation in two different domains. The results achieved after its utilization and test lead to a complete CHUB validation. Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12253/293 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z