SVLL: Staged Vision-Language Learning for Physically Grounded Embodied Task Planning

Embodied task planning demands vision-language models to generate action sequences that are both visually grounded and causally coherent over time. However, existing training paradigms face a critical trade-off: joint end-to-end training often leads to premature temporal binding, while standard reinforcement learning methods suffer from optimization instability. To bridge this gap, we present Staged Vision-Language Learning (SVLL), a unified three-stage framework for robust, physically-grounded embodied planning. In the first two stages, SVLL decouples spatial grounding from temporal reasoning, establishing robust visual dependency before introducing sequential action history. In the final stage, we identify a key limitation of standard Direct Preference Optimization (DPO), its purely relative nature -- optimizing only the preference gap between winning and losing trajectories while neglecting absolute likelihood constraints on optimal path, often yields unsafe or hallucinated behaviors. To address this, we further introduce Bias-DPO, a novel alignment objective that injects an inductive bias toward expert trajectories by explicitly maximizing likelihood on ground-truth actions while penalizing overconfident hallucinations. By anchoring the policy to the expert manifold and mitigating causal misalignment, SVLL, powered by Bias-DPO, ensures strict adherence to environmental affordances and effectively suppresses physically impossible shortcuts. Finally, extensive experiments on the interactive AI2-THOR benchmark and real-world robotic deployments demonstrate that SVLL outperforms both state-of-the-art open-source (e.g., Qwen2.5-VL-7B) and closed-source models (e.g., GPT-4o, Gemini-2.0-flash) in task success rate, while significantly reducing physical constraint violations.

SpatialText: A Pure-Text Cognitive Benchmark for Spatial Understanding in Large Language Models

Genuine spatial reasoning relies on the capacity to construct and manipulate coherent internal spatial representations, often conceptualized as mental models, rather than merely processing surface linguistic associations. While large language models exhibit advanced capabilities across various domains, existing benchmarks fail to isolate this intrinsic spatial cognition from statistical language heuristics. Furthermore, multimodal evaluations frequently conflate genuine spatial reasoning with visual perception. To systematically investigate whether models construct flexible spatial mental models, we introduce SpatialText, a theory-driven diagnostic framework. Rather than functioning simply as a dataset, SpatialText isolates text-based spatial reasoning through a dual-source methodology. It integrates human-annotated descriptions of real 3D indoor environments, which capture natural ambiguities, perspective shifts, and functional relations, with code-generated, logically precise scenes designed to probe formal spatial deduction and epistemic boundaries. Systematic evaluation across state-of-the-art models reveals fundamental representational limitations. Although models demonstrate proficiency in retrieving explicit spatial facts and operating within global, allocentric coordinate systems, they exhibit critical failures in egocentric perspective transformation and local reference frame reasoning. These systematic errors provide strong evidence that current models rely heavily on linguistic co-occurrence heuristics rather than constructing coherent, verifiable internal spatial representations. SpatialText thus serves as a rigorous instrument for diagnosing the cognitive boundaries of artificial spatial intelligence.

AdaTSQ: Pushing the Pareto Frontier of Diffusion Transformers via Temporal-Sensitivity Quantization

Diffusion Transformers (DiTs) have emerged as the state-of-the-art backbone for high-fidelity image and video generation. However, their massive computational cost and memory footprint hinder deployment on edge devices. While post-training quantization (PTQ) has proven effective for large language models (LLMs), directly applying existing methods to DiTs yields suboptimal results due to the neglect of the unique temporal dynamics inherent in diffusion processes. In this paper, we propose AdaTSQ, a novel PTQ framework that pushes the Pareto frontier of efficiency and quality by exploiting the temporal sensitivity of DiTs. First, we propose a Pareto-aware timestep-dynamic bit-width allocation strategy. We model the quantization policy search as a constrained pathfinding problem. We utilize a beam search algorithm guided by end-to-end reconstruction error to dynamically assign layer-wise bit-widths across different timesteps. Second, we propose a Fisher-guided temporal calibration mechanism. It leverages temporal Fisher information to prioritize calibration data from highly sensitive timesteps, seamlessly integrating with Hessian-based weight optimization. Extensive experiments on four advanced DiTs (e.g., Flux-Dev, Flux-Schnell, Z-Image, and Wan2.1) demonstrate that AdaTSQ significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods like SVDQuant and ViDiT-Q. Our code will be released at https://github.com/Qiushao-E/AdaTSQ.

SPIRIT: Adapting Vision Foundation Models for Unified Single- and Multi-Frame Infrared Small Target Detection

Infrared small target detection (IRSTD) is crucial for surveillance and early-warning, with deployments spanning both single-frame analysis and video-mode tracking. A practical solution should leverage vision foundation models (VFMs) to mitigate infrared data scarcity, while adopting a memory-attention-based temporal propagation framework that unifies single- and multi-frame inference. However, infrared small targets exhibit weak radiometric signals and limited semantic cues, which differ markedly from visible-spectrum imagery. This modality gap makes direct use of semantics-oriented VFMs and appearance-driven cross-frame association unreliable for IRSTD: hierarchical feature aggregation can submerge localized target peaks, and appearance-only memory attention becomes ambiguous, leading to spurious clutter associations. To address these challenges, we propose SPIRIT, a unified and VFM-compatible framework that adapts VFMs to IRSTD via lightweight physics-informed plug-ins. Spatially, PIFR refines features by approximating rank-sparsity decomposition to suppress structured background components and enhance sparse target-like signals. Temporally, PGMA injects history-derived soft spatial priors into memory cross-attention to constrain cross-frame association, enabling robust video detection while naturally reverting to single-frame inference when temporal context is absent. Experiments on multiple IRSTD benchmarks show consistent gains over VFM-based baselines and SOTA performance.

Online unsupervised Hebbian learning in deep photonic neuromorphic networks

While software implementations of neural networks have driven significant advances in computation, the von Neumann architecture imposes fundamental limitations on speed and energy efficiency. Neuromorphic networks, with structures inspired by the brain's architecture, offer a compelling solution with the potential to approach the extreme energy efficiency of neurobiological systems. Photonic neuromorphic networks (PNNs) are particularly attractive because they leverage the inherent advantages of light, namely high parallelism, low latency, and exceptional energy efficiency. Previous PNN demonstrations have largely focused on device-level functionalities or system-level implementations reliant on supervised learning and inefficient optical-electrical-optical (OEO) conversions. Here, we introduce a purely photonic deep PNN architecture that enables online, unsupervised learning. We propose a local feedback mechanism operating entirely in the optical domain that implements a Hebbian learning rule using non-volatile phase-change material synapses. We experimentally demonstrate this approach on a non-trivial letter recognition task using a commercially available fiber-optic platform and achieve a 100 percent recognition rate, showcasing an all-optical solution for efficient, real-time information processing. This work unlocks the potential of photonic computing for complex artificial intelligence applications by enabling direct, high-throughput processing of optical information without intermediate OEO signal conversions.

REL-SF4PASS: Panoramic Semantic Segmentation with REL Depth Representation and Spherical Fusion

As an important and challenging problem in computer vision, Panoramic Semantic Segmentation (PASS) aims to give complete scene perception based on an ultra-wide angle of view. Most PASS methods often focus on spherical geometry with RGB input or using the depth information in original or HHA format, which does not make full use of panoramic image geometry. To address these shortcomings, we propose REL-SF4PASS with our REL depth representation based on cylindrical coordinate and Spherical-dynamic Multi-Modal Fusion SMMF. REL is made up of Rectified Depth, Elevation-Gained Vertical Inclination Angle, and Lateral Orientation Angle, which fully represents 3D space in cylindrical coordinate style and the surface normal direction. SMMF aims to ensure the diversity of fusion for different panoramic image regions and reduce the breakage of cylinder side surface expansion in ERP projection, which uses different fusion strategies to match the different regions in panoramic images. Experimental results show that REL-SF4PASS considerably improves performance and robustness on popular benchmark, Stanford2D3D Panoramic datasets. It gains 2.35% average mIoU improvement on all 3 folds and reduces the performance variance by approximately 70% when facing 3D disturbance.

MapViT: A Two-Stage ViT-Based Framework for Real-Time Radio Quality Map Prediction in Dynamic Environments

Recent advancements in mobile and wireless networks are unlocking the full potential of robotic autonomy, enabling robots to take advantage of ultra-low latency, high data throughput, and ubiquitous connectivity. However, for robots to navigate and operate seamlessly, efficiently and reliably, they must have an accurate understanding of both their surrounding environment and the quality of radio signals. Achieving this in highly dynamic and ever-changing environments remains a challenging and largely unsolved problem. In this paper, we introduce MapViT, a two-stage Vision Transformer (ViT)-based framework inspired by the success of pre-train and fine-tune paradigm for Large Language Models (LLMs). MapViT is designed to predict both environmental changes and expected radio signal quality. We evaluate the framework using a set of representative Machine Learning (ML) models, analyzing their respective strengths and limitations across different scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed two-stage pipeline enables real-time prediction, with the ViT-based implementation achieving a strong balance between accuracy and computational efficiency. This makes MapViT a promising solution for energy- and resource-constrained platforms such as mobile robots. Moreover, the geometry foundation model derived from the self-supervised pre-training stage improves data efficiency and transferability, enabling effective downstream predictions even with limited labeled data. Overall, this work lays the foundation for next-generation digital twin ecosystems, and it paves the way for a new class of ML foundation models driving multi-modal intelligence in future 6G-enabled systems.

Air-Chamber Based Soft Six-Axis Force/Torque Sensor for Human-Robot Interaction

Soft multi-axis force/torque sensors provide safe and precise force interaction. Capturing the complete degree-of-freedom of force is imperative for accurate force measurement with six-axis force/torque sensors. However, cross-axis coupling can lead to calibration issues and decreased accuracy. In this instance, developing a soft and accurate six-axis sensor is a challenging task. In this paper, a soft air-chamber type six-axis force/torque sensor with 16-channel barometers is introduced, which housed in hyper-elastic air chambers made of silicone rubber. Additionally, an effective decoupling method is proposed, based on a rigid-soft hierarchical structure, which reduces the six-axis decoupling problem to two three-axis decoupling problems. Finite element model simulation and experiments demonstrate the compatibility of the proposed approach with reality. The prototype's sensing performance is quantitatively measured in terms of static load response, dynamic load response and dynamic response characteristic. It possesses a measuring range of 50 N force and 1 Nm torque, and the average deviation, repeatability, non-linearity and hysteresis are 4.9$\%$, 2.7$\%$, 5.8$\%$ and 6.7$\%$, respectively. The results indicate that the prototype exhibits satisfactory sensing performance while maintaining its softness due to the presence of soft air chambers.

Innovative Design of Multi-functional Supernumerary Robotic Limbs with Ellipsoid Workspace Optimization

Supernumerary robotic limbs (SRLs) offer substantial potential in both the rehabilitation of hemiplegic patients and the enhancement of functional capabilities for healthy individuals. Designing a general-purpose SRL device is inherently challenging, particularly when developing a unified theoretical framework that meets the diverse functional requirements of both upper and lower limbs. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective optimization (MOO) design theory that integrates grasping workspace similarity, walking workspace similarity, braced force for sit-to-stand (STS) movements, and overall mass and inertia. A geometric vector quantification method is developed using an ellipsoid to represent the workspace, aiming to reduce computational complexity and address quantification challenges. The ellipsoid envelope transforms workspace points into ellipsoid attributes, providing a parametric description of the workspace. Furthermore, the STS static braced force assesses the effectiveness of force transmission. The overall mass and inertia restricts excessive link length. To facilitate rapid and stable convergence of the model to high-dimensional irregular Pareto fronts, we introduce a multi-subpopulation correction firefly algorithm. This algorithm incorporates a strategy involving attractive and repulsive domains to effectively handle the MOO task. The optimized solution is utilized to redesign the prototype for experimentation to meet specified requirements. Six healthy participants and two hemiplegia patients participated in real experiments. Compared to the pre-optimization results, the average grasp success rate improved by 7.2%, while the muscle activity during walking and STS tasks decreased by an average of 12.7% and 25.1%, respectively. The proposed design theory offers an efficient option for the design of multi-functional SRL mechanisms.

End to End AI System for Surgical Gesture Sequence Recognition and Clinical Outcome Prediction

Fine-grained analysis of intraoperative behavior and its impact on patient outcomes remain a longstanding challenge. We present Frame-to-Outcome (F2O), an end-to-end system that translates tissue dissection videos into gesture sequences and uncovers patterns associated with postoperative outcomes. Leveraging transformer-based spatial and temporal modeling and frame-wise classification, F2O robustly detects consecutive short (~2 seconds) gestures in the nerve-sparing step of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (AUC: 0.80 frame-level; 0.81 video-level). F2O-derived features (gesture frequency, duration, and transitions) predicted postoperative outcomes with accuracy comparable to human annotations (0.79 vs. 0.75; overlapping 95% CI). Across 25 shared features, effect size directions were concordant with small differences (~ 0.07), and strong correlation (r = 0.96, p < 1e-14). F2O also captured key patterns linked to erectile function recovery, including prolonged tissue peeling and reduced energy use. By enabling automatic interpretable assessment, F2O establishes a foundation for data-driven surgical feedback and prospective clinical decision support.