A framework for realistic 3D tele-immersion

Meeting, socializing and conversing online with a group of people using teleconferencing systems is still quite differ- ent from the experience of meeting face to face. We are abruptly aware that we are online and that the people we are engaging with are not in close proximity. Analogous to how talking on the telephone does not replicate the experi- ence of talking in person. Several causes for these differences have been identified and we propose inspiring and innova- tive solutions to these hurdles in attempt to provide a more realistic, believable and engaging online conversational expe- rience. We present the distributed and scalable framework REVERIE that provides a balanced mix of these solutions. Applications build on top of the REVERIE framework will be able to provide interactive, immersive, photo-realistic ex- periences to a multitude of users that for them will feel much more similar to having face to face meetings than the expe- rience offered by conventional teleconferencing systems

IoT*(Ambisense): Smart environment monitoring using LoRa

In this work, IoT* (AmbiSense), we present our developed IoT system as a solution for Building and Energy Management using visualization tools to identify heuristics and create automatic savings. Our developed prototypes communicate using LoRa, one of the latest IoT technologies, and are composed of a set of battery-operated sensors tied to a System on Chip. These sensors acquire environmental data such as temperature, humidity, luminosity, air quality, and also motion. For small to medium-size buildings where system management is possible, a multiplatform dashboard provides visualization templates with real-time data, allowing to identify patterns and extract heuristics that lead to savings using a set of pre-defined actions or manual intervention. LoBEMS (LoRa Building and Energy Management System), was validated in a kindergarten school during a three-year period. As an outcome, the evaluation of the proposed platform resulted in a 20% energy saving and a major improvement of the environment quality and comfort inside the school. For larger buildings where system management is not possible, we created a 3D visualization tool, that presents the system collected data and warnings in an interactive model of the building. This scenario was validated at ISCTE-IUL University Campus, where it was necessary to introduce the community interaction to achieve savings. As a requested application case, our system was also validated at the University Data Center, where the system templates were used to detect anomalies and suggest changes. Our flexible system approach can easily be deployed to any building facility without requiring large investments or complex system deployments.Nesta dissertação de mestrado, IoT * (AmbiSense), é apresentado um sistema IoT desenvolvido como uma solução para Gestão de Edifícios e Energia recorrendo a ferramentas de visualização para identificar heurísticas e criar poupanças automáticas. Os protótipos desenvolvidos comunicam utilizando LoRa, e são compostos por um conjunto de sensores ligados a um microcontrolador alimentado por bateria. Os sensores adquirem dados como temperatura, humidade, luminosidade, qualidade do ar e movimento. Para edifícios de pequena e média dimensão onde a gestão do sistema é possível, um dashboard fornece templates de visualização com dados em tempo real, permitindo extrair heurísticas, que introduzem poupanças através de um conjunto de ações predefinidas ou intervenção manual. O sistema LoBEMS (LoRa Building and Energy Management System), foi validado numa escola local durante um período de três anos. A avaliação do sistema resultou numa poupança de energia de 20% e uma melhoria significativa da qualidade do ambiente e conforto no interior da escola. Para edifícios de maior dimensão onde a gestão do sistema não é possível, criámos uma ferramenta de visualização 3D, que apresenta os dados e alertas do sistema, num modelo interativo do edifício. Este cenário foi validado no campus do ISCTE-IUL, onde foi necessária a interação da Comunidade para obter poupanças. Foi nos também solicitada uma validação do sistema no centro de dados da Universidade, onde os templates do sistema foram utilizados para detetar anomalias e sugerir alterações. A flexibilidade do sistema permite a sua implementação em qualquer edifício, sem exigir um grande investimento ou implementações complexas

Tangible user interfaces : past, present and future directions

In the last two decades, Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) have emerged as a new interface type that interlinks the digital and physical worlds. Drawing upon users' knowledge and skills of interaction with the real non-digital world, TUIs show a potential to enhance the way in which people interact with and leverage digital information. However, TUI research is still in its infancy and extensive research is required in or- der to fully understand the implications of tangible user interfaces, to develop technologies that further bridge the digital and the physical, and to guide TUI design with empirical knowledge. This paper examines the existing body of work on Tangible User In- terfaces. We start by sketching the history of tangible user interfaces, examining the intellectual origins of this field. We then present TUIs in a broader context, survey application domains, and review frame- works and taxonomies. We also discuss conceptual foundations of TUIs including perspectives from cognitive sciences, phycology, and philoso- phy. Methods and technologies for designing, building, and evaluating TUIs are also addressed. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limita- tions of TUIs and chart directions for future research

Training of Crisis Mappers and Map Production from Multi-sensor Data: Vernazza Case Study (Cinque Terre National Park, Italy)

This aim of paper is to presents the development of a multidisciplinary project carried out by the cooperation between Politecnico di Torino and ITHACA (Information Technology for Humanitarian Assistance, Cooperation and Action). The goal of the project was the training in geospatial data acquiring and processing for students attending Architecture and Engineering Courses, in order to start up a team of "volunteer mappers". Indeed, the project is aimed to document the environmental and built heritage subject to disaster; the purpose is to improve the capabilities of the actors involved in the activities connected in geospatial data collection, integration and sharing. The proposed area for testing the training activities is the Cinque Terre National Park, registered in the World Heritage List since 1997. The area was affected by flood on the 25th of October 2011. According to other international experiences, the group is expected to be active after emergencies in order to upgrade maps, using data acquired by typical geomatic methods and techniques such as terrestrial and aerial Lidar, close-range and aerial photogrammetry, topographic and GNSS instruments etc.; or by non conventional systems and instruments such us UAV, mobile mapping etc. The ultimate goal is to implement a WebGIS platform to share all the data collected with local authorities and the Civil Protectio

Robot Autonomy for Surgery

Autonomous surgery involves having surgical tasks performed by a robot operating under its own will, with partial or no human involvement. There are several important advantages of automation in surgery, which include increasing precision of care due to sub-millimeter robot control, real-time utilization of biosignals for interventional care, improvements to surgical efficiency and execution, and computer-aided guidance under various medical imaging and sensing modalities. While these methods may displace some tasks of surgical teams and individual surgeons, they also present new capabilities in interventions that are too difficult or go beyond the skills of a human. In this chapter, we provide an overview of robot autonomy in commercial use and in research, and present some of the challenges faced in developing autonomous surgical robots

Smart Computing and Sensing Technologies for Animal Welfare: A Systematic Review

Animals play a profoundly important and intricate role in our lives today. Dogs have been human companions for thousands of years, but they now work closely with us to assist the disabled, and in combat and search and rescue situations. Farm animals are a critical part of the global food supply chain, and there is increasing consumer interest in organically fed and humanely raised livestock, and how it impacts our health and environmental footprint. Wild animals are threatened with extinction by human induced factors, and shrinking and compromised habitat. This review sets the goal to systematically survey the existing literature in smart computing and sensing technologies for domestic, farm and wild animal welfare. We use the notion of \emph{animal welfare} in broad terms, to review the technologies for assessing whether animals are healthy, free of pain and suffering, and also positively stimulated in their environment. Also the notion of \emph{smart computing and sensing} is used in broad terms, to refer to computing and sensing systems that are not isolated but interconnected with communication networks, and capable of remote data collection, processing, exchange and analysis. We review smart technologies for domestic animals, indoor and outdoor animal farming, as well as animals in the wild and zoos. The findings of this review are expected to motivate future research and contribute to data, information and communication management as well as policy for animal welfare