14,433 research outputs found
Using Virtual Reality Modelling to Enhance Electrical Safety and Design in the Built Environment.
This thesis presents a prototype desktop virtual reality model entitled ‘Virtual Electrical Services’, to enhance electrical safety and design in the built environment. The model presented has the potential to be used as an educational tool for third level students, a design tool for industry, or as a virtual electrical safety manual for the general public. A description of the development of the virtual reality model is presented along with the applications that were developed within the model. As part of the VR development process, this research investigates the cause and effects of electrical accidents in domestic properties. This highlights the high-risk activities, which lead to receiving an electric shock in a domestic property and identifies at-risk groups that could most benefit from electrical safety interventions. It also examines the theory of transfer touch voltage calculations and expands on it to show how to carry out a sensitivity analysis in relation to the design parameters that are being used by designers and installers. The use of Desktop Virtual Reality systems for enhancing electrical safety and engineering design is a novel prospect for both practicing and student electrical services engineers. This innovative approach, which can be readily accessed via the World Wide Web, constitutes a marked shift in conventional learning and design techniques to a more immersive, interactive and intuitive working and learning environment. A case study is carried out to evaluate the users’ attitudes toward VR learning environments and also the usability of the prototype model developed. From the completed case study, it appears that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that virtual reality could enhance electrical safety and design in the built environment and also advance training methods used to educate electrical services engineers and electricians. The thesis includes a discussion on the limitations of the system developed and the potential for future research and developmen
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Mapping the natural visual world of the zebrafish (Danio rerio): from sensory input to behavioural output
Vision is one of the most crucial senses for animals to catch prey, find mates and stay alive. The tetrachromatic zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a widely used model animal in visual neuroscience with four cone photoreceptors sensitive to UV, blue, green and red light. However, a detailed understanding of how their visual system is adapted to the natural environment, and what is important for the fish to see in their shallow freshwater habitats of the Indian subcontinent, has been missing. Therefore, it also has not been possible to carefully assess the importance of different parts of the light spectrum for their natural behaviours. In this thesis I introduce a new method for natural imaging, characterise the spectral composition of zebrafish’s natural visual world and demonstrate the role of UV light in their prey capture behaviours.
To characterise the light conditions in natural environments, I developed and built two hyperspectral scanners to take spectrally detailed light measurements in shallow ponds and slowly moving streams in North-East India. As expected, the spectral profile becomes increasingly monochromatic and red shifted when moving from surface to the bottom. However, the short wavelength dominated surface and long wavelength dominated bottom are separated with colour-rich horizon. These spectral statistics match rather perfectly with the cone densities and colour processing abilities of the bipolar cells in the larval zebrafish retina.
Previous work has demonstrated how prey capture behaviours on larval zebrafish can be triggered by small, bright spots. The short wavelength dominated upper part of the visual field projects light from UV bright prey items perfectly to the ventro-temporal part of the retina (“strike zone”) with high density of UV cones. Finally, with my behaviour experiments I demonstrate how prey capture behaviours are strongly driven by UV bright paramecia detected with the strike zone
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Towards 3-D Sound: Spatial Presence and the Space Vacuum
This chapter demonstrates the evolution of relationships between sound design and music in cinematic representations of the interstellar space vacuum. Mera provides a framework for understanding how audiences believe they are physically present in the represented environment and argues that, in the late 2000s, we move towards three-dimensional (3-D) sound, an aesthetic and technical extension of the superfield and the ultrafield as defined by Chion and Kerins, respectively. 3-D Sound’s primary characteristic is the emancipation of music from a fixed sound-stage spatialization, resulting in greater fluidity between sound design and music. This chapter examines the relationship between two types of spatial presence, articulating both the audience’s suspension of disbelief within a film’s narrative world and the spatial presence of sound and music within a multichannel cinema environme
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