British Pattern Recognition Association formed

Pattern recognition is usually taken to mean theory, technique and instrumentat ion for retrieval, processing and classification of optical , accoustic and other patterns, This has become a subjeCt in its own right and at a recent meeting in University College London the British Pattern Recognition Association was formed. The aims of the Association are to promote the knowledge and application of pat tern recognition and to serve as the British Branch of the proposed International Association for Pattern Recognition.

The Association, which has already 80 members belonging to an incorporated group, hopes to attract fhrther members from Universities, industry, and the Civil Service, linking basic research with the evergrowing world of commercial pat tern recognition.

There are now many machines which use pat tern recognition techniques, for example the optical character readers used for sorting post or processing cheques, and baggage handling equipment for airport terminals which will recognise simple spoken commands. In the laboratory there are instruments which will analyse a wide range of visual material from microscopes, photographs, x-rays etc, and will automatical ly select, count and measure specific objects in the image.

Further information on the Association can be obtained from the Secretary, Dr M.J.B. Duff, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College, London WC 1E 6BT (Telephone No 0 1 - 3 8 7 7050).

Ergonomics Society Applications Award: Call for entries: 1976-7

The Ergonomics Society has introduced an annual Applications Award. It will be made for the most significant applicat ion of ergonomics knowledge by a member, or group of members, of the Society, which has actually been put into practice during the previous five years. Both hardware and software applications will be considered. The Award will have a basic cash value of £100, and the Inst i tute of Consumer Ergonomics, Loughborough, has generously offered to increase the prize by £50, where the winning applicat ion has been made within the field of consumer ergonomics. The Award will be presented at the

Annual Dinner of the Society in Spring 1977 and the prize will include free attendance at that year 's Annual Conference.

Entries to the 1976 7 competi t ion should now be sent to the Chairman of the Honours Committee, at M.R.C. Applied Psychology Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 2EF, England. They should be accompanied by sufficient evidence for the judges adequately to assess the origins and introduction of the application. Entries to the compet i t ion will close on 30 September I976.

All entries will be assessed by the Honours Committee, assisted, where appropriate, by representatives of the Institute for Consumer Ergonomics. Recommendat ions for the winning entry will be submit ted to the Ergonomics Society Council during J a n u a r y - F e b r u a r y t977 and the winner(s) will be informed by early March. Council 's decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into concerning placement of the Award.

Ergonomics Society Student Award: Call for entries: 1976-7

The Ergonomics Society has introduced an annual Student Award. It will be made for the best UK student project report with a strong ergonomic bias, regardless of the Inst i tut ion or Department f rom which the report originated. The Award will have a basic cash value of £50. The Insti tute of Consumer Ergonomics has generously offered to increase the prize by £25 where the winning entry deals with topics within the field of consumer ergonomics. The Award will be presented at the Annual Dinner of the Society in Spring 1977 and the prize will include free attendance at that year 's Annual Conference.

Only one entry is permit ted from each s tudent Department. Intending entrants should therefore submit their project report via their Head of Department. Entries should now be sent to the Chairman of the Ergonomics Society Honours Committee. at the MRC Applied Psychology Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 2EF, England. Entries to the competi t ion will close on 30 September.

All entries to the compet i t ion will be assessed by the Ergonomics Society Honours Committee, assisted, where appropriate, by representatives of the

Institute for Consumer Ergonomics. Recommendat ions for the winning entry will be submitted to the Ergonomics Society Council in January - F e b r u a r y and the winner will be informed by early March. Council 's decision wi l ibe final and no correspondence wilt be entered into concerning placement of the Award.

Ear plugs An ear plug which 'forms' itself to

fit snugly and 'acoustically efficiently" into any ear is now being marketed in the UK by the Hearing Conservation Division of Totectors Ltd, Rushdeno Northamptonshire. E-A-R plugs are one-size clinders made from a special type of foamed polymer which, after compression, slowly reforms into its original shape. In use, a cylinder is quickly rolled down to "ear-size' and inserted. Once inside and released, the foamed polymer gently but positively expands, in less than 60 s, to conform precisely and snugly to the individual shape of the user 's ear canal. The result is a plug which provides a near perfect seat, is comfortable to wear over long periods, cannot accidentally fall out, and which cannot dangerously break up on removal. After sterilization, E-A-R plugs can be used again. For noise attenuation, E-A-R plugs are claimed to perform better than typical disposable ear plugs right across the frequency spectrum and compare well with typical soft vinyl plugs, especially at very low frequencies.

Bus accident survey A £25 000 survey, aimed at

improving bus safety standards, is being joint ly financed by the Department of tndustry 's Mechanical Engineering & Machine Tools Requirements Board and the Motor Industry Research Association. MEMTRB and MIRA are each paying half the cost. MIRA is currently carrying out the work which is planned to last for two years, but which may be extended. The association hopes to launch a similar coach survey later. So far MIRA has sent 4 500 accident report forms to 21 organisations for details of accidents in their areas. The bus operators are providing the data free and, in some cases, employing full-time staff on survey work. The scheme is called the National Public Service Vehicle Accident Survey.

180 Applied Ergonomics September 1976