347 research outputs found
Virtual Reality Games for Motor Rehabilitation
This paper presents a fuzzy logic based method to track user satisfaction without the need for devices to monitor users physiological conditions. User satisfaction is the key to any productâs acceptance; computer applications and video games provide a unique opportunity to provide a tailored environment for each user to better suit their needs. We have implemented a non-adaptive fuzzy logic model of emotion, based on the emotional component of the Fuzzy Logic Adaptive Model of Emotion (FLAME) proposed by El-Nasr, to estimate player emotion in UnrealTournament 2004. In this paper we describe the implementation of this system and present the results of one of several play tests. Our research contradicts the current literature that suggests physiological measurements are needed. We show that it is possible to use a software only method to estimate user emotion
Multimedia Development of English Vocabulary Learning in Primary School
In this paper, we describe a prototype of web-based intelligent handwriting education
system for autonomous learning of Bengali characters. Bengali language is used by more than
211 million people of India and Bangladesh. Due to the socio-economical limitation, all of the
population does not have the chance to go to school. This research project was aimed to develop
an intelligent Bengali handwriting education system. As an intelligent tutor, the system can
automatically check the handwriting errors, such as stroke production errors, stroke sequence
errors, stroke relationship errors and immediately provide a feedback to the students to correct
themselves. Our proposed system can be accessed from smartphone or iPhone that allows
students to do practice their Bengali handwriting at anytime and anywhere. Bengali is a
multi-stroke input characters with extremely long cursive shaped where it has stroke order
variability and stroke direction variability. Due to this structural limitation, recognition speed is
a crucial issue to apply traditional online handwriting recognition algorithm for Bengali
language learning. In this work, we have adopted hierarchical recognition approach to improve
the recognition speed that makes our system adaptable for web-based language learning. We
applied writing speed free recognition methodology together with hierarchical recognition
algorithm. It ensured the learning of all aged population, especially for children and older
national. The experimental results showed that our proposed hierarchical recognition algorithm
can provide higher accuracy than traditional multi-stroke recognition algorithm with more
writing variability
Designing technology for young children: guidelines grounded in a literature investigation on child development and children's technology
This thesis is about the design of technology for children from five to eight years of age. The majority of available guidelines and principles for design or evaluation of technology support the design of products aimed at adults. The limited guidelines available for design of young children's technology do not focus sufficiently on age-related requirements or they offer high-level advice that is only useful in the planning stages of design. Working from the assumption that knowledge available in the literature provides sufficient information to support this process, my aim with this study was to demonstrate how a dependable and useful set of guidelines for the design of technology for children aged five to eight years could be derived from an existing body of knowledge.
Development of the guidelines firstly involved research into the psychological theories of children's development to identify those elements of development and the characteristics of children that may have bearing on children's use of technology. Secondly, the literature on children's development of specific skills such as literacy and mathematics was investigated. The available literature on young children's use of technology was studied next and, finally, the applicability of existing design guidelines and principles for children's products evaluated. Throughout this literature investigation the researcher gathered design-relevant factors that could potentially become design guidelines. Using qualitative data analysis techniques, more than five hundred such data elements were systematically coded, processed, analysed and categorised. The result is three hundred and fifty guidelines organised into a framework of six categories and twenty-six subcategories that integrates the relevant theoretical fields and provides practical support for designers. To demonstrate the credibility and usefulness of the emerging guidelines they were used to do an evaluation and re-design of an existing product aimed at the target group.
The thesis reports in detail on the different stages of the research, and systematically takes the reader through the process of deriving guidelines from existing theory and research findings, and integrating them into a useful framework.School of ComputingPhD. (Computer Science
The Future of Humanoid Robots
This book provides state of the art scientific and engineering research findings and developments in the field of humanoid robotics and its applications. It is expected that humanoids will change the way we interact with machines, and will have the ability to blend perfectly into an environment already designed for humans. The book contains chapters that aim to discover the future abilities of humanoid robots by presenting a variety of integrated research in various scientific and engineering fields, such as locomotion, perception, adaptive behavior, human-robot interaction, neuroscience and machine learning. The book is designed to be accessible and practical, with an emphasis on useful information to those working in the fields of robotics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, computational methods and other fields of science directly or indirectly related to the development and usage of future humanoid robots. The editor of the book has extensive R&D experience, patents, and publications in the area of humanoid robotics, and his experience is reflected in editing the content of the book
Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications
The MAVEBA Workshop proceedings, held on a biannual basis, collect the scientific papers presented both as oral and poster contributions, during the conference. The main subjects are: development of theoretical and mechanical models as an aid to the study of main phonatory dysfunctions, as well as the biomedical engineering methods for the analysis of voice signals and images, as a support to clinical diagnosis and classification of vocal pathologies
Mirroring and recognizing emotions through facial expressions for a Robokind platform
Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Eletrónica Industrial e ComputadoresFacial expressions play an important role during human social interaction, enabling communicative cues,
ascertaining the level of interest or signalling the desire to take a speaking turn. They also give continuous
feedback indicating that the information conveyed has been understood. However, certain individuals
have difficulties in social interaction in particular verbal and non-verbal communication (e.g. emotions
and gestures). Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a special case of social impairments. Individuals
that are affected with ASD are characterized by repetitive patterns of behaviour, restricted activities or
interests, and impairments in social communication. The use of robots had already been proven to
encourage the promotion of social interaction and skills in children with ASD.
Following this trend, in this work a robotic platform is used as a mediator in the social interaction activities
with children with special needs. The main purpose of this dissertation is to develop a system capable
of automatic detecting emotions through facial expressions and interfacing it with a robotic platform in
order to allow social interaction with children with special needs.
The proposed experimental setup uses the Intel RealSense 3D camera and the Zeno R50 Robokind
robotic platform. This layout has two subsystems, a Mirroring Emotion System (MES) and an Emotion
Recognition System (ERS). The first subsystem (MES) is capable of synthetizing human emotions through
facial expressions, on-line. The other subsystem (ERS) is able to recognize human emotions through facial
features in real time. MES extracts the user facial Action Units (AUs), sends the data to the robot allowing
on-line imitation. ERS uses Support Vector Machine (SVM) technique to automatic classify the emotion
expressed by the User in real time.
Finally, the proposed subsystems, MES and ERS, were evaluated in a laboratorial and controlled
environment in order to check the integration and operation of the systems. Then, both subsystems were
tested in a school environment in different configurations. The results of these preliminary tests allowed
to detect some constraints of the system, as well as validate its adequacy in an intervention setting.As expressÔes faciais desempenham um papel importante na interação social, permitindo fornecer pistas
comunicativas, conhecer o nĂvel de interesse ou sinalizar o desejo de falar. No entanto, algumas pessoas
tĂȘm dificuldades na interação social, em particular, na comunicação verbal e nĂŁo-verbal (por exemplo,
emoçÔes e gestos). As PerturbaçÔes do Espectro do Autismo (PEA) são um caso especial de transtorno
e dificuldades sociais. Os indivĂduos que sĂŁo afetados com PEA sĂŁo caracterizados por padrĂ”es repetitivos
de comportamento, atividades e interesses restritos e possuem deficiĂȘncias na comunicação social. A
utilização de robÎs para incentivar a promoção da interação social e habilidades em crianças com PEA
tem sido apresentada na literatura.
Seguindo essa tendĂȘncia, neste trabalho uma plataforma robĂłtica Ă© utilizada como um mediador nas
atividades de interação social com crianças com necessidades especiais. O objetivo principal desta
dissertação é desenvolver um sistema capaz de detetar automaticamente emoçÔes através de
expressÔes faciais e fazer interface com uma plataforma robótica, a fim de permitir uma interação social
com crianças com necessidades especiais.
O trabalho experimental proposto utiliza a cĂąmara Intel RealSense 3D e a plataforma robĂłtica Zeno R50
Robokind. Este esquema possui dois subsistemas, um sistema de imitação de expressÔes faciais (MES)
e um sistema de reconhecimentos de emoçÔes (ERS). O primeiro subsistema (MES) é capaz de sintetizar
on-line as emoçÔes humanas através de expressÔes faciais. O subsistema ERS é capaz de reconhecer
em tempo-real emoçÔes humanas atravĂ©s de caracterĂsticas faciais. O MES extrai as Unidades de Ação
faciais do utilizador (UAs), envia os dados para o robÎ permitindo imitação on-line. O ERS utiliza Support
Vector Machine (SVM) para automaticamente classificar a emoção exibida pelo utilizador.
Finalmente, os subsistemas propostos, MES e ERS, foram avaliados num ambiente laboratorial e
controlado, a fim de verificar a integração e a operação de ambos. Em seguida, os subsistemas foram
testados num ambiente escolar em diferentes configuraçÔes. Os resultados destes testes preliminares
permitiram detetar algumas limitaçÔes do sistema, bem como validar a sua adequação na intervenção
com crianças com necessidades especiais
Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications
The MAVEBA Workshop proceedings, held on a biannual basis, collect the scientific papers presented both as oral and poster contributions, during the conference. The main subjects are: development of theoretical and mechanical models as an aid to the study of main phonatory dysfunctions, as well as the biomedical engineering methods for the analysis of voice signals and images, as a support to clinical diagnosis and classification of vocal pathologies
The Domestication of Voice Activated -Technology & EavesMining: Surveillance, Privacy and Gender Relations at Home
This thesis develops a case study analysis of the Amazon Echo, the first-ever voice-activated smart speaker. The domestication of the devices feminine conversational agent, Alexa, and the integration of its microphone and digital sensor technology in home environments represents a moment of radical change in the domestic sphere. This development is interpreted according to two primary force relations: historical gender patterns of domestic servitude and eavesmining (eavesdropping + datamining) processes of knowledge extraction and analysis. The thesis is framed around three pillars of study that together demonstrate: how routinization with voice-activated technology affects acoustic space and ones experiences of home; how online warm experts initiate a dialogue about the domestication of technology that disregards and ignores Amazons corporate privacy framework; and finally, how the technologys conditions of use silently result in the deployment of ever-intensifying surveillance mechanisms in home environments. Eavesmining processes are beginning to construct a new world of media and surveillance where every spoken word can potentially be heard and recorded, and speaking is inseparable from identification
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