72,753 research outputs found
A Novel Reinforcement-Based Paradigm for Children to Teach the Humanoid Kaspar Robot
© The Author(s) 2019. This is the final published version of an article published in Psychological Research, licensed under a Creative Commons Attri-bution 4.0 International License. Available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-019-00607-xThis paper presents a contribution to the active field of robotics research with the aim of supporting the development of social and collaborative skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We present a novel experiment where the classical roles are reversed: in this scenario the children are the teachers providing positive or negative reinforcement to the Kaspar robot in order for the robot to learn arbitrary associations between different toy names and the locations where they are positioned. The objective of this work is to develop games which help children with ASD develop collaborative skills and also provide them tangible example to understand that sometimes learning requires several repetitions. To facilitate this game we developed a reinforcement learning algorithm enabling Kaspar to verbally convey its level of uncertainty during the learning process, so as to better inform the children interacting with Kaspar the reasons behind the successes and failures made by the robot. Overall, 30 Typically Developing (TD) children aged between 7 and 8 (19 girls, 11 boys) and 6 children with ASD performed 22 sessions (16 for TD; 6 for ASD) of the experiment in groups, and managed to teach Kaspar all associations in 2 to 7 trials. During the course of study Kaspar only made rare unexpected associations (2 perseverative errors and 1 win-shift, within a total of 272 trials), primarily due to exploratory choices, and eventually reached minimal uncertainty. Thus the robot's behavior was clear and consistent for the children, who all expressed enthusiasm in the experiment.Peer reviewe
A Mimetic Strategy to Engage Voluntary Physical Activity In Interactive Entertainment
We describe the design and implementation of a vision based interactive
entertainment system that makes use of both involuntary and voluntary control
paradigms. Unintentional input to the system from a potential viewer is used to
drive attention-getting output and encourage the transition to voluntary
interactive behaviour. The iMime system consists of a character animation
engine based on the interaction metaphor of a mime performer that simulates
non-verbal communication strategies, without spoken dialogue, to capture and
hold the attention of a viewer. The system was developed in the context of a
project studying care of dementia sufferers. Care for a dementia sufferer can
place unreasonable demands on the time and attentional resources of their
caregivers or family members. Our study contributes to the eventual development
of a system aimed at providing relief to dementia caregivers, while at the same
time serving as a source of pleasant interactive entertainment for viewers. The
work reported here is also aimed at a more general study of the design of
interactive entertainment systems involving a mixture of voluntary and
involuntary control.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, ECAG08 worksho
User evaluation of an interactive learning framework for single-arm and dual-arm robots
The final publication is available at link.springer.comSocial robots are expected to adapt to their users and, like their human counterparts, learn from the interaction. In our previous work, we proposed an interactive learning framework that enables a user to intervene and modify a segment of the robot arm trajectory. The framework uses gesture teleoperation and reinforcement learning to learn new motions. In the current work, we compared the user experience with the proposed framework implemented on the single-arm and dual-arm Barrett’s 7-DOF WAM robots equipped with a Microsoft Kinect camera for user tracking and gesture recognition. User performance and workload were measured in a series of trials with two groups of 6 participants using two robot settings in different order for counterbalancing. The experimental results showed that, for the same task, users required less time and produced shorter robot trajectories with the single-arm robot than with the dual-arm robot. The results also showed that the users who performed the task with the single-arm robot first experienced considerably less workload in performing the task with the dual-arm robot while achieving a higher task success rate in a shorter time.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Multi-agent evolutionary systems for the generation of complex virtual worlds
Modern films, games and virtual reality applications are dependent on
convincing computer graphics. Highly complex models are a requirement for the
successful delivery of many scenes and environments. While workflows such as
rendering, compositing and animation have been streamlined to accommodate
increasing demands, modelling complex models is still a laborious task. This
paper introduces the computational benefits of an Interactive Genetic Algorithm
(IGA) to computer graphics modelling while compensating the effects of user
fatigue, a common issue with Interactive Evolutionary Computation. An
intelligent agent is used in conjunction with an IGA that offers the potential
to reduce the effects of user fatigue by learning from the choices made by the
human designer and directing the search accordingly. This workflow accelerates
the layout and distribution of basic elements to form complex models. It
captures the designer's intent through interaction, and encourages playful
discovery
Development and evaluation of a multimedia interactive CD: Public speaking interactive media
This paper reports on a study that endeavours to develop a Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) multimedia courseware namely, Public Speaking Interactive Media. This courseware was developed specifically for diploma students undergoing ENG4113 (Business English) and ENG 4153 (Public Speaking Skills) at Kolej Profesional MARA Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, Pahang. The objectives and goals of this study is to develop a CAL courseware which is in-line with the syllabus of the courses using multimedia elements together with the application of behaviorist, cognitive and constructivist
learning theories as a basis in the design of the courseware. Moreover, the instructional design and
implementation of this CAL multimedia courseware employ active and flexible learning strategies. Utilizing Hannafin and Peck’s Design Model, this courseware was developed using Macromedia Director and Macromedia Authorware to ensure that multimedia elements and simulations can be
fully integrated. The findings of the study revealed that the courseware fulfilled its objectives in aiding
students in comprehending the concept of public speaking skills better by using multimedia elements. In addition, the courseware is in-line with the syllabus and has incorporated the theories and strategies intended successfully
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