Gaze trajectory prediction in the context of social robotics

Social robotics is an emerging field of robotics that focuses on the interactions between robots and humans. It has attracted much interest due to concerns about an aging society and the need for assistive environments. Within this context, this paper focuses on gaze control and eye tracking as a means for robot control. It aims to improve the usability of human–machine interfaces based on gaze control by developing advanced algorithms for predicting the trajectory of the human gaze. The paper proposes two approaches to gaze-trajectory prediction: probabilistic and symbolic. Both approaches use machine learning. The probabilistic method mixes two state models representing gaze locations and directions. The symbolic method treats the gaze-trajectory prediction problem similar to how word-prediction problems are handled in web browsers. Comparative experiments prove the feasibility of both approaches and show that the probabilistic approach achieves better prediction results

High-throughput visual knowledge analysis and retrieval in big data ecosystems

Visual knowledge plays an important role in many highly skilled applications, such as medical diagnosis, geospatial image analysis and pathology diagnosis. Medical practitioners are able to interpret and reason about diagnostic images based on not only primitive-level image features such as color, texture, and spatial distribution but also their experience and tacit knowledge which are seldom articulated explicitly. This reasoning process is dynamic and closely related to real-time human cognition. Due to a lack of visual knowledge management and sharing tools, it is difficult to capture and transfer such tacit and hard-won expertise to novices. Moreover, many mission-critical applications require the ability to process such tacit visual knowledge in real time. Precisely how to index this visual knowledge computationally and systematically still poses a challenge to the computing community. My dissertation research results in novel computational approaches for high-throughput visual knowledge analysis and retrieval from large-scale databases using latest technologies in big data ecosystems. To provide a better understanding of visual reasoning, human gaze patterns are qualitatively measured spatially and temporally to model observers' cognitive process. These gaze patterns are then indexed in a NoSQL distributed database as a visual knowledge repository, which is accessed using various unique retrieval methods developed through this dissertation work. To provide meaningful retrievals in real time, deep-learning methods for automatic annotation of visual activities and streaming similarity comparisons are developed under a gaze-streaming framework using Apache Spark. This research has several potential applications that offer a broader impact among the scientific community and in the practical world. First, the proposed framework can be adapted for different domains, such as fine arts, life sciences, etc. with minimal effort to capture human reasoning processes. Second, with its real-time visual knowledge search function, this framework can be used for training novices in the interpretation of domain images, by helping them learn experts' reasoning processes. Third, by helping researchers to understand human visual reasoning, it may shed light on human semantics modeling. Finally, integrating reasoning process with multimedia data, future retrieval of media could embed human perceptual reasoning for database search beyond traditional content-based media retrievals

Attention-aware Resource Allocation and QoE Analysis for Metaverse xURLLC Services

Metaverse encapsulates our expectations of the next-generation Internet, while bringing new key performance indicators (KPIs). Although conventional ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) can satisfy objective KPIs, it is difficult to provide a personalized immersive experience that is a distinctive feature of the Metaverse. Since the quality of experience (QoE) can be regarded as a comprehensive KPI, the URLLC is evolved towards the next generation URLLC (xURLLC) with a personalized resource allocation scheme to achieve higher QoE. To deploy Metaverse xURLLC services, we study the interaction between the Metaverse service provider (MSP) and the network infrastructure provider (InP), and provide an optimal contract design framework. Specifically, the utility of the MSP, defined as a function of Metaverse users' QoE, is to be maximized, while ensuring the incentives of the InP. To model the QoE mathematically, we propose a novel metric named Meta-Immersion that incorporates both the objective KPIs and subjective feelings of Metaverse users. Furthermore, we develop an attention-aware rendering capacity allocation scheme to improve QoE in xURLLC. Using a user-object-attention level dataset, we validate that the xURLLC can achieve an average of 20.1% QoE improvement compared to the conventional URLLC with a uniform resource allocation scheme

Machine Learning for Multimedia Communications

Machine learning is revolutionizing the way multimedia information is processed and transmitted to users. After intensive and powerful training, some impressive efficiency/accuracy improvements have been made all over the transmission pipeline. For example, the high model capacity of the learning-based architectures enables us to accurately model the image and video behavior such that tremendous compression gains can be achieved. Similarly, error concealment, streaming strategy or even user perception modeling have widely benefited from the recent learningoriented developments. However, learning-based algorithms often imply drastic changes to the way data are represented or consumed, meaning that the overall pipeline can be affected even though a subpart of it is optimized. In this paper, we review the recent major advances that have been proposed all across the transmission chain, and we discuss their potential impact and the research challenges that they raise

A Context Aware Classification System for Monitoring Driver’s Distraction Levels

Understanding the safety measures regarding developing self-driving futuristic cars is a concern for decision-makers, civil society, consumer groups, and manufacturers. The researchers are trying to thoroughly test and simulate various driving contexts to make these cars fully secure for road users. Including the vehicle’ surroundings offer an ideal way to monitor context-aware situations and incorporate the various hazards. In this regard, different studies have analysed drivers’ behaviour under different case scenarios and scrutinised the external environment to obtain a holistic view of vehicles and the environment. Studies showed that the primary cause of road accidents is driver distraction, and there is a thin line that separates the transition from careless to dangerous. While there has been a significant improvement in advanced driver assistance systems, the current measures neither detect the severity of the distraction levels nor the context-aware, which can aid in preventing accidents. Also, no compact study provides a complete model for transitioning control from the driver to the vehicle when a high degree of distraction is detected. The current study proposes a context-aware severity model to detect safety issues related to driver’s distractions, considering the physiological attributes, the activities, and context-aware situations such as environment and vehicle. Thereby, a novel three-phase Fast Recurrent Convolutional Neural Network (Fast-RCNN) architecture addresses the physiological attributes. Secondly, a novel two-tier FRCNN-LSTM framework is devised to classify the severity of driver distraction. Thirdly, a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) for the prediction of driver distraction. The study further proposes the Multiclass Driver Distraction Risk Assessment (MDDRA) model, which can be adopted in a context-aware driving distraction scenario. Finally, a 3-way hybrid CNN-DBN-LSTM multiclass degree of driver distraction according to severity level is developed. In addition, a Hidden Markov Driver Distraction Severity Model (HMDDSM) for the transitioning of control from the driver to the vehicle when a high degree of distraction is detected. This work tests and evaluates the proposed models using the multi-view TeleFOT naturalistic driving study data and the American University of Cairo dataset (AUCD). The evaluation of the developed models was performed using cross-correlation, hybrid cross-correlations, K-Folds validation. The results show that the technique effectively learns and adopts safety measures related to the severity of driver distraction. In addition, the results also show that while a driver is in a dangerous distraction state, the control can be shifted from driver to vehicle in a systematic manner

Advances in Robot Navigation

Robot navigation includes different interrelated activities such as perception - obtaining and interpreting sensory information; exploration - the strategy that guides the robot to select the next direction to go; mapping - the construction of a spatial representation by using the sensory information perceived; localization - the strategy to estimate the robot position within the spatial map; path planning - the strategy to find a path towards a goal location being optimal or not; and path execution, where motor actions are determined and adapted to environmental changes. This book integrates results from the research work of authors all over the world, addressing the abovementioned activities and analyzing the critical implications of dealing with dynamic environments. Different solutions providing adaptive navigation are taken from nature inspiration, and diverse applications are described in the context of an important field of study: social robotics