Immersive and Collaborative Data Visualization Using Virtual Reality Platforms

Effective data visualization is a key part of the discovery process in the era of big data. It is the bridge between the quantitative content of the data and human intuition, and thus an essential component of the scientific path from data into knowledge and understanding. Visualization is also essential in the data mining process, directing the choice of the applicable algorithms, and in helping to identify and remove bad data from the analysis. However, a high complexity or a high dimensionality of modern data sets represents a critical obstacle. How do we visualize interesting structures and patterns that may exist in hyper-dimensional data spaces? A better understanding of how we can perceive and interact with multi dimensional information poses some deep questions in the field of cognition technology and human computer interaction. To this effect, we are exploring the use of immersive virtual reality platforms for scientific data visualization, both as software and inexpensive commodity hardware. These potentially powerful and innovative tools for multi dimensional data visualization can also provide an easy and natural path to a collaborative data visualization and exploration, where scientists can interact with their data and their colleagues in the same visual space. Immersion provides benefits beyond the traditional desktop visualization tools: it leads to a demonstrably better perception of a datascape geometry, more intuitive data understanding, and a better retention of the perceived relationships in the data.Comment: 6 pages, refereed proceedings of 2014 IEEE International Conference on Big Data, page 609, ISBN 978-1-4799-5665-

Agent Street: An Environment for Exploring Agent-Based Models in Second Life

Urban models can be seen on a continuum between iconic and symbolic. Generally speaking, iconic models are physical versions of the real world at some scaled down representation, while symbolic models represent the system in terms of the way they function replacing the physical or material system by some logical and/or mathematical formulae. Traditionally iconic and symbolic models were distinct classes of model but due to the rise of digital computing the distinction between the two is becoming blurred, with symbolic models being embedded into iconic models. However, such models tend to be single user. This paper demonstrates how 3D symbolic models in the form of agent-based simulations can be embedded into iconic models using the multi-user virtual world of Second Life. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates Second Life\'s potential for social science simulation. To demonstrate this, we first introduce Second Life and provide two exemplar models; Conway\'s Game of Life, and Schelling\'s Segregation Model which highlight how symbolic models can be viewed in an iconic environment. We then present a simple pedestrian evacuation model which merges the iconic and symbolic together and extends the model to directly incorporate avatars and agents in the same environment illustrating how \'real\' participants can influence simulation outcomes. Such examples demonstrate the potential for creating highly visual, immersive, interactive agent-based models for social scientists in multi-user real time virtual worlds. The paper concludes with some final comments on problems with representing models in current virtual worlds and future avenues of research.Agent-Based Modelling, Pedestrian Evacuation, Segregation, Virtual Worlds, Second Life

OpenSim-Based Musculoskeletal Modeling: Foundation for Interactive Obstetric Simulator

The use of mathematical and computational models to understand complex biological systems, such as the human birth process, is a rapidly growing field in medicine. These models can be used to optimize and personalize medical treatments for individual patients, enhance training, and aid in educational efforts. While recent advancements in healthcare, particularly in obstetrics, have improved care for mothers and babies, studies and government reports indicate a rising rate of maternal mortality in the United States. Despite this rising trend, there is a lack of detailed studies concerning the use of modeling and simulation to develop an interactive obstetrics simulator that can aid both practitioners and patients. This research builds upon a novel template for developing an interactive obstetric simulator and aims to replicate an onerous finite element vaginal delivery simulation with an interactive, patient-specific simulator that emphasizes musculoskeletal dynamics. The study utilizes the open-source platform of OpenSim and inverse-kinematic solutions to develop fetal and maternal musculoskeletal models and simulate birth on the musculoskeletal level

USING COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION TOOLS IN VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS MOODLE FOR MATHEMATICS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

With the advancement of information and communication technologies, teaching mathematics in a real-life classroom is combined with teaching in a virtual learning environment (VLE). It is important to determine how a primary school teacher can use VLE communication and collaboration tools to teach mathematics primary school students. Participants – 4th grade students ((n = 51). Access to quantitative studies has been chosen for the study. Methods of study: Analysis of scientific literature, testing, descriptive statistics, and inference statistics. Data from the pilot study and the educational experiment were processed using version 23 of the IBM SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The normality of the variable distribution was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Throughout the research, decisions are taken at a value a = 0.05. Study adhered to the fundamental principles of the European Code of Conduct for Study Ethics. The curator of the education was in contact with the students and their parents by e-mail and using the VLE communication and collaboration tools (messages, forums, feedback). The aim was to find out whether the number of emails and messages sent by the curator affected the students’ learning time in the VLE. The hypothesis of zero Pearson coefficient equality in the population is checked. There was a statistically significant weak relationship between the number of emails sent by the curator of the curriculum, the number of messages for students and the time spent by the student for the lessons of the curriculum. There was a mean relationship in the boy’s group, but there was no statistically significant relationship in girls’ group. There was also a statistically significant weak relationship between e-mails sent by the curriculum curator, the number of messages sent to students and the evaluation of the lessons of the curriculum. There was an average relationship in the boy’s group, but in the girl’s group there was no statistically significant relationship between the emails sent by the tutor, the number of messages to students and the evaluation of the lessons of the curriculum. This confirms the theory of constructivism that VLE is suitable for education because teachers can act as learning facilitators to communicate with each other during learning

A novel method for establishing virtual laboratory for scientific and engineering curriculums to be applied in developing countries

Modern students must adapt to dynamic circumstances in the ever-evolving educational environment. Creative and streamlined ways are necessary to acquire and comprehend academic knowledge properly. This work aims to fulfill this requirement by presenting an offline virtual laboratory (VL) developed explicitly for practical subjects. The selection of an offline solution is especially relevant for implementation in developing nations, where internet connectivity is frequently unreliable or inaccessible in several areas. The Virtual Learning (VL) system being suggested utilizes the capabilities of the C# programming language within the Unity3D cross-platform development environment. The main objective of this study is to streamline the process of obtaining and comprehending scholarly knowledge, ensuring its availability to a diverse student population, irrespective of age or educational history. This methodology guarantees the laboratory's applicability across multiple platforms and compatibility with smart devices, enhancing its versatility and broad accessibility. The study resulted in the creation of a dynamic virtual laboratory that has the potential to be seamlessly incorporated into educational curricula, including various disciplines, including physics, mechanics, and engineering. This project aims to improve the educational experience for students in developing nations and promote their involvement in both practical and theoretical elements of their studies by providing a comprehensive offline solution that is widely compatible.</p

Gender Differences and Digital Learning Games – One Size Does not fit all

The intrinsic motivation demonstrated towards digital games provides the opportunity for its use as a learning tool irrespective of gender differences. This has resulted in the combination of the motivation of games with curricular content referred to as Digital Game-Based Learning. While some related studies have argued that there are no gender differences in the motivational appeal of digital educational games, others present an opposing view. This paper reports the result of an investigation into the motivational appeal of digital educational games for 11-14 years old girls and boys. There is evidence that this age group is pivotal to the shrinking pipeline phenomenon in which fewer females progressively engage with computer science education and careers. The investigation involved a two stage study composed of a qualitative exploratory study, which identified the key criteria for the successful appeal of some digital entertainment games to young girls and boys and a main study. The main study generate both qualitative and quantitative data to further investigate the motivational appeal of digital educational games for learning basic computer science concepts for both girls and boys of age 11-14 years old. For the main study, two experimental games for learning basic computer science concepts were created based on the key criteria identified from the exploratory study. The first included the game characteristics that appeared to support the motivational appeal of the girls. The second game was antithetical to the first. Both genders from the participating population engaged with both games and online questionnaires were used to capture data on their perception of both games. The outcome of the investigation which involved 304 participants (girls = 152 and boys =152) from Southeast England, United Kingdom provided the empirical evidence in support of the argument that there are gender differences in the motivational appeal of digital educational game characteristics which can either support or thwart motivation i.e. one size does not fit all. The result of this investigation should support educationists, researchers and digital educational game designers in having an inclusive approach towards the creation of digital educational games for learning

Digital Game-Based Learning Activities in Primary Grade Mathematics Achievement

The research paper has gathered and analyzed research from online databases to find how digital game-based learning activities were used in mathematics and how it influences the affective domains of academic engagement, motivation, and academic self-perception. The paper aims to inform primary educators of the benefits and limitations of digital game-based activities in primary mathematics. Digital game-based learning has positively influenced students\u27 academic engagement through interaction, play, and effort, which had a positive effect on their mathematical achievement. Increased motivation felt by students when doing digital game-based activities resulted in higher mathematical achievement and an increase in learning more mathematics based on intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Digital game-based learning activities have also promoted students’ academic self-perception such as confidence and judgment of their ability. Drawbacks include the below-average percentage of high mathematical improvement as educators may want an activity with full confidence. Another drawback is that the rise in mathematical achievement may not be immediate. Some studies have acknowledged that students would eventually exceed their paper assessment scores if given more time to play. In conclusion, digital game-based learning activities in mathematics may increase student learning factors but remain inconsistent in learning gains. The research found in this paper will provide educators with the benefits and drawbacks of digital game-based activities in primary mathematics and allow educators to decide if this approach is right for their classroom

University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Biomechanics Annual Report 2020-2021

This report contains: A letter from the Director: Dr. Nick Stergiou Articles about the Department of Biomechanics\u27 reach Articles on research that impacts the community Article about the Movcentr Impact Articles on how the department persevered and responded during the pandemic Article on the people of UNO Biomechanics Student Centered articles and In the News.https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/nbcfnewsletter/1013/thumbnail.jp

Advancing Medical Technology for Motor Impairment Rehabilitation: Tools, Protocols, and Devices

Excellent motor control skills are necessary to live a high-quality life. Activities such as walking, getting dressed, and feeding yourself may seem mundane, but injuries to the neuromuscular system can render these tasks difficult or even impossible to accomplish without assistance. Statistics indicate that well over 100 million people are affected by diseases or injuries, such as stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, peripheral nerve injury, spinal cord injury, and amputation, that negatively impact their motor abilities. This wide array of injuries presents a challenge to the medical field as optimal treatment paradigms are often difficult to implement due to a lack of availability of appropriate assessment tools, the inability for people to access the appropriate medical centers for treatment, or altogether gaps in technology for treating the underlying impairments causing the disability. Addressing each of these challenges will improve the treatment of movement impairments, provide more customized and continuous treatment to a larger number of patients, and advance rehabilitative and assistive device technology. In my research, the key approach was to develop tools to assess and treat upper extremity movement impairment. In Chapter 2.1, I challenged a common biomechanical[GV1] modeling technique of the forearm. Comparing joint torque values through inverse dynamics simulation between two modeling platforms, I discovered that representing the forearm as a single cylindrical body was unable to capture the inertial parameters of a physiological forearm which is made up of two segments, the radius and ulna. I split the forearm segment into a proximal and distal segment, with the rationale being that the inertial parameters of the proximal segment could be tuned to those of the ulna and the inertial parameters of the distal segment could be tuned to those of the radius. Results showed a marked increase in joint torque calculation accuracy for those degrees of freedom that are affected by the inertial parameters of the radius and ulna. In Chapter 2.2, an inverse kinematic upper extremity model was developed for joint angle calculations from experimental motion capture data, with the rationale being that this would create an easy-to-use tool for clinicians and researchers to process their data. The results show accurate angle calculations when compared to algebraic solutions. Together, these chapters provide easy-to-use models and tools for processing movement assessment data. In Chapter 3.1, I developed a protocol to collect high-quality movement data in a virtual reality task that is used to assess hand function as part of a Box and Block Test. The goal of this chapter is to suggest a method to not only collect quality data in a research setting but can also be adapted for telehealth and at home movement assessment and rehabilitation. Results indicate that the data collected in this protocol are good and the virtual nature of this approach can make it a useful tool for continuous, data driven care in clinic or at home. In Chapter 3.2 I developed a high-density electromyography device for collecting motor unit action potentials of the arm. Traditional surface electromyography is limited by its ability to obtain signals from deep muscles and can also be time consuming to selectively place over appropriate muscles. With this high-density approach, muscle coverage is increased, placement time is decreased, and deep muscle activity can potentially be collected due to the high-density nature of the device[GV2] . Furthermore, the high-density electromyography device is built as a precursor to a high-density electromyography-electrical stimulation device for functional electrical stimulation. The customizable nature of the prototype in Chapter 3.2 allows for the implementation both recording and stimulating electrodes. Furthermore, signal results show that the electromyography data obtained from the device are of high quality and are correlated with gold standard surface electromyography sensors. One key factor in a device that can record and then stimulate based on the information from the recorded signals is an accurate movement intent decoder. High-quality movement decoders have been designed by closed-loop device controllers in the past, but they still struggle when the user interacts with objects of varying weight due to underlying alterations in muscle signals. In Chapter 4, I investigate this phenomenon by administering an experiment where participants perform a Box and Block Task with objects of 3 different weights, 0 kg, 0.02 kg, and 0.1 kg. Electromyography signals of the participants right arm were collected and co-contraction levels between antagonistic muscles were analyzed to uncover alterations in muscle forces and joint dynamics. Results indicated contraction differences between the conditions and also between movement stages (contraction levels before grabbing the block vs after touching the block) for each condition. This work builds a foundation for incorporating object weight estimates into closed-loop electromyography device movement decoders. Overall, we believe the chapters in this thesis provide a basis for increasing availability to movement assessment tools, increasing access to effective movement assessment and rehabilitation, and advance the medical device and technology field