Using Serious Games to Create Awareness on Visual Impairments

Visual impairments define a wide spectrum of disabilities that vary in severity, from the need to wear glasses, to permanent loss of vision or blindness. This paper discusses the process undertaken in creating two simulators, one which emulates partially-sighted visual impairment and another focused on full -blindness. In order to create the simulators, extensive research was conducted surrounding the effects of partially-sightedness and blindness, highlighting existing software and games that promote awareness for visual impairments. This paper underlines the necessity of raising awareness for visual impairments and the effectiveness of applying serious games for this very goal. After developing the simulators, experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of it. Findings from the experiments were analysed and documented

Boids On Wheels A Proof of Concept Study of the Boid as a Vehicle

The following project is a proof of concept study exploring the feasibility of simulating traffic as a multi-agent system, with the individual vehicle being implemented as a boid as defined by C. Reynolds in 1987. Furthermore, the simulator is to serve as a tool for urban planning. This thesis first explores the growth in using computers to simulate traffic since the 1940s, along with a brief review of the work done on Reynolds’ boids. This is followed by a discussion of tool selection and the reasons behind it. Secondly the thesis discusses the different steering behaviours developed for a boid vehicle,as well as their implementation. This is followed by a description of the preliminary evaluations carried out and the problems encountered. Finally the thesis concludes with some ideas for further research and the conclusion that within the scope of this project, implementing the boid as a vehicle was found to be feasible, and ripe for further wor

Boids On Wheels A Proof of Concept Study of the Boid as a Vehicle

The following project is a proof of concept study exploring the feasibility of simulating traffic as a multi-agent system, with the individual vehicle being implemented as a boid as defined by C. Reynolds in 1987. Furthermore, the simulator is to serve as a tool for urban planning. This thesis first explores the growth in using computers to simulate traffic since the 1940s, along with a brief review of the work done on Reynolds’ boids. This is followed by a discussion of tool selection and the reasons behind it. Secondly the thesis discusses the different steering behaviours developed for a boid vehicle,as well as their implementation. This is followed by a description of the preliminary evaluations carried out and the problems encountered. Finally the thesis concludes with some ideas for further research and the conclusion that within the scope of this project, implementing the boid as a vehicle was found to be feasible, and ripe for further wor

Game Engine Solutions

The rapid development of hardware and system platforms provides a favorable foundation for game development. A game engine overview is introduced first. Then, key features and available solutions of game engines are discussed. Typical products of game engines are shown and evaluated. Finally, we summarize our findings

A GAMING APPROACH for CULTURAL HERITAGE KNOWLEDGE and DISSEMINATION

In these last years, video games have become one of the most popular entertainment for children/teenagers/adults thanks to their appealing and seductive features and, in this context, the Serious Games (SG) have become an important research field. The most popular SGs in Cultural Heritage (CH) used the historical building like scenario where the game is playing. In this paper we show the procedure to achieve a CH video game where the Cultural Heritage is the main actor and not the scenario of the game. Furthermore, the game is not a SG but an Action-Adventure Game (AAG) or Survival Game (SuG), in a largest heading it can be classified as Entertainment Games (EGs). The novelty of this study is not only in the original application of the CH within the AAG sector but also consists of the experimentation of the Virtual Reality (VR) algorithm and of the application of Augmented Reality (AR) within the VR scenario used in the form of an avatar. Furthermore, in this paper we overcome the technical problems due to the different size of the environment and the work art

A simulation environment for drone cinematography

In this paper, we present a workflow for the simulation of drone operations exploiting realistic background environments constructed within Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). Methods for environmental image capture, 3D reconstruction (photogrammetry) and the creation of foreground assets are presented along with a flexible and user-friendly simulation interface. Given the geographical location of the selected area and the camera parameters employed, the scanning strategy and its associated flight parameters are first determined for image capture. Source imagery can be extracted from virtual globe software or obtained through aerial photography of the scene (e.g. using drones). The latter case is clearly more time consuming but can provide enhanced detail, particularly where coverage of virtual globe software is limited. The captured images are then used to generate 3D background environment models employing photogrammetry software. The reconstructed 3D models are then imported into the simulation interface as background environment assets together with appropriate foreground object models as a basis for shot planning and rehearsal. The tool supports both free-flight and parameterisable standard shot types along with programmable scenarios associated with foreground assets and event dynamics. It also supports the exporting of flight plans. Camera shots can also be designed to provide suitable coverage of any landmarks which need to appear in-shot. This simulation tool will contribute to enhanced productivity, improved safety (awareness and mitigations for crowds and buildings), improved confidence of operators and directors and ultimately enhanced quality of viewer experience

Empathy and idea generation for color vision deficiency in virtual reality

Abstract. Virtual reality allows immersive experiences of life and the activities of others in an unprecedented way. Immersed in such experiences, operators can understand and empathize with the life challenges of others. Such empathy and understanding can be pivotal for generating ideas on how to create products that improve the lives of people with specific needs. In this project, the effect of a virtual reality experience on empathy and the generation of ideas was investigated. We experimentally examined operators’ experiences of color vision deficiencies with their own eyes in a game. We evaluated if the immersive virtual reality experience will allow the operator to gain a deeper understanding and establish empathy with color vision deficiency users. Through this, we will identify the needs of color vision deficiency users. We further investigated should such experience lead the operators to generate better design ideas. We examined two virtual environments representing commonly experienced real-life places, a grocery store and a library. They were interacted with as games. The experiment was conducted in two sessions: a virtual environment on a computer screen and a virtual reality experience of the same environment using a head-mounted display. We measured if the experiences deepened the understanding and empathy with a color vision deficiency experience in the same game. The empathy of the 23 participants was tested with questionnaires after each of the experiences, on a computer screen and in virtual reality. We also inquired about lists of the five most common issues color vision deficiency users perceived by the operators on three occasions, before the experiment, between the two sessions and at the end. At the end of the experiment, the operators were asked to generate as many as possible ideas for tangible products that might help people with color vision deficiencies. The results show that the virtual reality experience helped participants deepen their understanding of the needs of people with color vision deficiencies. The idea generation was not found to be statistically significantly affected by the VR experience. Future work is needed to measure the difference between traditional virtual environments and virtual reality on humans understanding and empathy

una propuesta metodológica en torno al uso de la realidad virtual en personas con discapacidad visual

UIDB/00417/2020 UIDP/00417/2020Este artículo tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre las posibilidades que ofrece la realidad virtual como elemento mediador entre el objeto artístico y el público con discapacidad visual. A partir de la digitalización fotogramétrica y tratamiento virtual de la pintura O Grupo do Leão (1885) de Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (pieza clave del realismo portugués) ponemos el foco en la retroalimentación mecano-háptica como recurso de inclusión cognitiva y socioafectiva el ámbito museístico. El propósito es desarrollar e impulsar un prototipo tecnológico (en curso) que haga efectivo el encuentro estético entre el espectador con discapacidad visual y el objeto de museo del modo más auténtico posible. Finalmente, se especifican algunos resultados ya obtenidos durante una estancia de investigación internacional: procesos de captura y generación del modelo tridimensional, limpieza y tratamiento con software 3D especializado, para contribuir a una nueva exploración de los sentidos dentro del campo de la inmersión visual en museos.publishersversionpublishe