Inviwo -- A Visualization System with Usage Abstraction Levels

The complexity of today's visualization applications demands specific visualization systems tailored for the development of these applications. Frequently, such systems utilize levels of abstraction to improve the application development process, for instance by providing a data flow network editor. Unfortunately, these abstractions result in several issues, which need to be circumvented through an abstraction-centered system design. Often, a high level of abstraction hides low level details, which makes it difficult to directly access the underlying computing platform, which would be important to achieve an optimal performance. Therefore, we propose a layer structure developed for modern and sustainable visualization systems allowing developers to interact with all contained abstraction levels. We refer to this interaction capabilities as usage abstraction levels, since we target application developers with various levels of experience. We formulate the requirements for such a system, derive the desired architecture, and present how the concepts have been exemplary realized within the Inviwo visualization system. Furthermore, we address several specific challenges that arise during the realization of such a layered architecture, such as communication between different computing platforms, performance centered encapsulation, as well as layer-independent development by supporting cross layer documentation and debugging capabilities

Tactor devices : using tactile interface designs for mobile digital appliances : a practice-based research thesis for the fulfilment of a Master of Design degree, College of Design, Fine Arts, and Music, Massey University, Wellington

This Thesis focuses the potential of communication interfaces that use tactors (tactile actuators) to improve user interactions with mobile digital devices which are currently based on audio and visual technologies. It presents two product concepts, which use tactile signals to enable new ways in tele-operations, such as tactile telecommunication and tactile navigation. Tactor interfaces, although still in its infancy as elements of modern digital communication and technology, have considerable potential for the future as designers attempt to maximise the use of all human senses in people's interaction with technology. Only the military and a few entertainment companies have introduced tactile signals into Human-Computer Interactions (HCI). Human touch perception uses the hands as the main sensing organs. They perceive tactile signals while handling, typing or navigating with digital devices and receive direct confirmation of physical actions. In contrast to other senses, touch perceptions are based on interactions with the sensed objects. The study analyses, experiments and evaluates if these interactions are useful in interface designs and recommends how tactile stimulations can be introduced to interface designs besides images and sounds that dominate the control of current digital appliances. Tactile actuators and sensors enable devices to use tactile signals, such as impulses and vibrations, to communicate with the users. Users and tactor devices will be able to communicate in a physical and direct way. Touch reflective interfaces, could react like living creatures that respond to touch, for example a cat that starts purring when touched. Digital product design is always challenged to create human-computer interactions that meet people's needs. Designing digital devices is difficult because they are not necessarily three-dimensional objects. They are stimulator of the human senses and can be as small as the sensing nerve endings that detect sensations. By miniaturisation, form and function become invisible and Product Design is increasingly incorporating Process Design that explores and enables new interactions between users and products to work interactively and efficiently. The study is divided into four chapters: Chapter 1 gives an introduction to the thesis. Chapter 2 presents a survey on current literature which examines the five human senses to define the limits and possibilities in interface design. It reviews current research on materials and technologies as well as the psychology and physiology of touch as a potential sense in human-computer interactions. It evaluates the technical feasibilty of tactile signal performances and how they could be used as tele-touch codes in navigation and telecommunication. Chapter 3 is focused on primary research undertaken to extend the knowledge in tactile sensing. It includes experiments, questionnaires, and concepts that give examples how tactor interfaces can be used in tele-operations. This section focuses on specific user groups, that may primarily benefit from tactile signal transmissions, such as sight and hearing-impaired people or professionals who have to deal with limited perceptions like fire fighters, for example. These case studies are aimed at exploring and expanding a wider range of possibilities in tactile device innovations in the networked society. Chapter 4 gives a conclusion of the research

Wearable Communications in 5G: Challenges and Enabling Technologies

As wearable devices become more ingrained in our daily lives, traditional communication networks primarily designed for human being-oriented applications are facing tremendous challenges. The upcoming 5G wireless system aims to support unprecedented high capacity, low latency, and massive connectivity. In this article, we evaluate key challenges in wearable communications. A cloud/edge communication architecture that integrates the cloud radio access network, software defined network, device to device communications, and cloud/edge technologies is presented. Computation offloading enabled by this multi-layer communications architecture can offload computation-excessive and latency-stringent applications to nearby devices through device to device communications or to nearby edge nodes through cellular or other wireless technologies. Critical issues faced by wearable communications such as short battery life, limited computing capability, and stringent latency can be greatly alleviated by this cloud/edge architecture. Together with the presented architecture, current transmission and networking technologies, including non-orthogonal multiple access, mobile edge computing, and energy harvesting, can greatly enhance the performance of wearable communication in terms of spectral efficiency, energy efficiency, latency, and connectivity.Comment: This work has been accepted by IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazin

Template-Cut: A Pattern-Based Segmentation Paradigm

We present a scale-invariant, template-based segmentation paradigm that sets up a graph and performs a graph cut to separate an object from the background. Typically graph-based schemes distribute the nodes of the graph uniformly and equidistantly on the image, and use a regularizer to bias the cut towards a particular shape. The strategy of uniform and equidistant nodes does not allow the cut to prefer more complex structures, especially when areas of the object are indistinguishable from the background. We propose a solution by introducing the concept of a "template shape" of the target object in which the nodes are sampled non-uniformly and non-equidistantly on the image. We evaluate it on 2D-images where the object's textures and backgrounds are similar, and large areas of the object have the same gray level appearance as the background. We also evaluate it in 3D on 60 brain tumor datasets for neurosurgical planning purposes.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, 6 equations, 51 reference

Generating multimedia presentations: from plain text to screenplay

In many Natural Language Generation (NLG) applications, the output is limited to plain text – i.e., a string of words with punctuation and paragraph breaks, but no indications for layout, or pictures, or dialogue. In several projects, we have begun to explore NLG applications in which these extra media are brought into play. This paper gives an informal account of what we have learned. For coherence, we focus on the domain of patient information leaflets, and follow an example in which the same content is expressed first in plain text, then in formatted text, then in text with pictures, and finally in a dialogue script that can be performed by two animated agents. We show how the same meaning can be mapped to realisation patterns in different media, and how the expanded options for expressing meaning are related to the perceived style and tone of the presentation. Throughout, we stress that the extra media are not simple added to plain text, but integrated with it: thus the use of formatting, or pictures, or dialogue, may require radical rewording of the text itself