The general view of pragmatism holds that universal moral norms cannot be justified within a pragmatic perspective. Pragmatism, thus, is associated with relativism. C.I. Lewis says that pragmatism without universal norms is a self-contradiction. I defend the view that there…

Action planning ability is essential for autonomous behavior of an intelligent machine. In the robotics domain, planning occurs at different levels of a robotic system; this research targets the problem of planning at the highest level of the hierarchy which…

This thesis presents a framework for qualitatively representing and reasoning about spatial configurations in the two-dimensional case. The framework contains interval/region based formalisms for describing distances, angles, and locations. These representations lead to the formulation of inference rules, as well…

The service life of any concrete marine structure is influenced by the physical condition of both the above water and below water portions of structure. This requires implementing an adequate inspection, maintenance, and repair program for the entire structure. To…

Masai Mara, a large nature reserve in south-western Kenya, was created in the midst of semi-arid agropastoralist rangelands to protect wildlife. Wildlife and indigenous people co-existed for many years, usually with limited conflict; but in recent years, the conflict has…