Nocturne: a scalable driving benchmark for bringing multi-agent learning one step closer to the real world

We introduce \textit{Nocturne}, a new 2D driving simulator for investigating multi-agent coordination under partial observability. The focus of Nocturne is to enable research into inference and theory of mind in real-world multi-agent settings without the computational overhead of computer vision and feature extraction from images. Agents in this simulator only observe an obstructed view of the scene, mimicking human visual sensing constraints. Unlike existing benchmarks that are bottlenecked by rendering human-like observations directly using a camera input, Nocturne uses efficient intersection methods to compute a vectorized set of visible features in a C++ back-end, allowing the simulator to run at $2000+$ steps-per-second. Using open-source trajectory and map data, we construct a simulator to load and replay arbitrary trajectories and scenes from real-world driving data. Using this environment, we benchmark reinforcement-learning and imitation-learning agents and demonstrate that the agents are quite far from human-level coordination ability and deviate significantly from the expert trajectories

Shadows and Light. Ernie Gehr Exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art

This thesis examines exhibitions and media installations of Ernie Gehr’s work at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), beginning with the pivotal 1970 show Information, which presented four films by Gehr. Wait (1968), Transparency (1969), Reverberation (1969), and History (1970) were screened alongside work by other avant-garde filmmakers and video artists in a circular viewing booth in the gallery space, in a show featuring works now considered masterpieces of conceptual art. It also considers the two site-specific video works, MoMA on Wheels (2002) and Navigation (2002), which Gehr created for the lobby space at MoMA QNS, the temporary home for the museum during construction for a major expansion project. Finally it explores Gehr’s two major solo exhibitions, Panoramas of the Moving Image: Mechanical Slides and Dissolving Views from Nineteenth-Century Magic Lantern Shows from 2007, and Carnival of Shadows from 2015. Descriptive analysis of each film or installation, inflected with methodologic devices of film history, art history, and philosophy, grounds discussion of the works within the surrounding context of the Museum

From Capture to Display: A Survey on Volumetric Video

Volumetric video, which offers immersive viewing experiences, is gaining increasing prominence. With its six degrees of freedom, it provides viewers with greater immersion and interactivity compared to traditional videos. Despite their potential, volumetric video services poses significant challenges. This survey conducts a comprehensive review of the existing literature on volumetric video. We firstly provide a general framework of volumetric video services, followed by a discussion on prerequisites for volumetric video, encompassing representations, open datasets, and quality assessment metrics. Then we delve into the current methodologies for each stage of the volumetric video service pipeline, detailing capturing, compression, transmission, rendering, and display techniques. Lastly, we explore various applications enabled by this pioneering technology and we present an array of research challenges and opportunities in the domain of volumetric video services. This survey aspires to provide a holistic understanding of this burgeoning field and shed light on potential future research trajectories, aiming to bring the vision of volumetric video to fruition.Comment: Submitte

Employing Information and Communications Technologies in Homes and Cities for the Health and Well-Being of Older People

YesHe X and Sheriff RE (Eds.) Employing ICT in Homes and Cities for the Health and Well-Being of Older People. Workshop Proceedings of ICT4HOP’16. 15-17 Aug 2016. Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.British Council, Researcher Links, Newton Fund, NSF

A Manual for Child-Created Video Production for Use by Classroom Teachers

We are living in an information based society that has resulted in the availability of new technology for use by students and teachers. The video camera is an ideal tool for disseminating information and teaching skills; it is easy to use, produces immediate results and feedback, and catches the students\u27 attention in an instant. Yet, many teachers shy away from incorporating the video camera as a part of their classroom curriculum. Some are wary of the camera itself. Others fail to see its potential as a part of their classroom curriculum since there are already many skills to be taught during the school day. Child-created video has value as a part of the curriculum. Therefore, support in the form of a manual written for teachers will make the video camera user-friendly for both teachers and their students. Child-created video can become an integral part of the classroom curriculum. Since there are no prerequisite skills to film making (Cox, 1983), it is appropriate for all age levels. This project resulted in the production of a manual designed for use by teachers and their students in the Duval County (Florida) School System. The manual gives sequential instructions for the planning and production of a child-created video production. Activities that enhance camera skills and visual techniques are included. The manual was evaluated by teachers and personnel familiar with classroom video production techniques who then made recommendations as to it\u27s usefulness as a guide for teachers