Meeting the Psychological Needs of Astronauts in the Flourishing Human Spaceflight Frontier: The Case for Astronaut-Trained Psychologists

Space psychology (i.e., astronaut psychological counseling and support) has remained largely unchanged since the onset of long-duration low-Earth-orbit (LEO) human spaceflight missions, with teletherapy utilized as the primary means of psychotherapy delivery. However, with NASA’s plans to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, the suitability of teletherapy – as well as astronaut-trained psychologists, an alternative space psychology method suggested for human spaceflight beyond LEO – must be ascertained. The aim of this novel space psychology investigation was to identify and compare the effectiveness of three astronaut psychotherapy treatment conditions (i.e., teletherapy with a 2 second Earth to LEO latency, teletherapy with a 10 second Earth to Moon latency, and in-person astronaut trained psychologist delivered therapy with practically no latency) at reducing stress levels among astronauts/astronaut-surrogates in an analogue human spaceflight environment. 24 screened astronaut-surrogates randomly underwent each of the astronaut psychotherapy treatments, and no astronaut-surrogate received repeated treatments. Stress indicators (i.e., heart rate, blood pressure, and self-reported perceived stress questionnaire scores) were measured at multiple intervals throughout the psychotherapy treatment sessions and were analyzed via repeated measures ANOVA. By all metrics, the astronaut-trained psychologist treatment significantly outperformed both teletherapy treatments at reducing stress; and teletherapy with 10 second latency was deemed unsuitable for astronauts. Thus, astronaut-trained psychologists appear to be the most efficacious feasibly integrable space psychology solution for improving wellbeing and reducing stress among individual astronauts and astronaut crews in future long duration human spaceflight operations and missions beyond LEO (e.g., NASA’s Artemis Lunar mission). Additionally, astronaut-trained psychologists appear to be highly effective when operating in LEO as well, and therefore are also ideal for space tourism and commercial astronaut applications

Computational Intelligence in Electromyography Analysis

Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG may be used clinically for the diagnosis of neuromuscular problems and for assessing biomechanical and motor control deficits and other functional disorders. Furthermore, it can be used as a control signal for interfacing with orthotic and/or prosthetic devices or other rehabilitation assists. This book presents an updated overview of signal processing applications and recent developments in EMG from a number of diverse aspects and various applications in clinical and experimental research. It will provide readers with a detailed introduction to EMG signal processing techniques and applications, while presenting several new results and explanation of existing algorithms. This book is organized into 18 chapters, covering the current theoretical and practical approaches of EMG research

Robot avatars and the vicarious realm

I introduce the concept of the vicarious realm as existing between physical 'place' and virtual 'space'. Using the words of students who employ telepresent robots to attend class for them, I speculate on the role of the robot as a pliable representation of a person, and how it offers the human the opportunity to retain an embodied presence in a place (classroom) in a way that is impossible via the use of a screen. Embodiment and interaction – known as intercorporeality - is unique to the notion of 'place'; without it, we cannot lay claim to being in any place. This assertion has implications for the argument that there can be such a thing as an online 'place'. It is my intention that my paper will provide an inspirational base for future researchers to consider our relation to place as our notions of being somewhere come to be questioned

ARTIFICIAL AGENTS MODELING FOR INTIMATE TELEPRESENCE

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Virtuālās Realitātes mācīšanās taksonomija

Promocijas darbs tika izstrādāts izglītības zinātņu nozarē, vispārīgās pedagoģijas apakšnozarē Latvijas Universitātes Pedagoģijas, psiholoģijas un mākslas fakultātē, profesores, Dr. paed. Lindas Danielas vadībā. Darba apjoms ir 147 lpp., ieskaitot 30 attēlus un 16 tabulas, kā arī literatūras un avotu sarakstu ar 114 nosaukumiem. Darbam papildus pievienoti arī 2 pielikumi uz 21 lpp. Pētījuma mērķis ir informēt pedagogus un mācīšanas dizaina izstrādātājus, kā arī VR tehnoloģiju izstrādātājus, un potenciālos izglītojamos par VR mācīšanās principiem, tostarp, to sinerģijām un mijsakarībām, piedāvājot pamatotu teoriju virtuālās realitātes mācīšanās taksonomijai. Šī pētījuma nozīmīgākais devums ietver esošo, bet sadrumstaloto zināšanu apkopošanu un sistematizēšanu, pierādījumos balstītas teorētiskās bāzes izstrādi virtuālās realitātes mācīšanās taksonomijai, kā arī praktisku VR mācīšanas pieredžu dizaina un izvērtēšanas rīku izstrādiThe doctoral thesis by Lana Frančeska Dreimane titled “Taxonomy of Learning in Virtual Reality” was developed in the field of Education at the Faculty of Education, Psychology and Arts of the University of Latvia, under supervision of Dr. paed., professor Linda Daniela. The volume of the thesis is 147 pages, 30 figures and 16 tables in the main text, as well as list of bibliographic sources with 114 titles and 2 appendices. This research aims to inform educators and instructors, as well as VR technology developers and potential learners, about the alignment synergies and interconnections of VR learning principles by generating a substantive theory for the taxonomy of learning in Virtual Reality. The most important contribution of this inquiry is in systemising already existing but fragmented knowledge, and presenting evidence for theoretical basis for the taxonomy, as well as developing VR learning experience design and evaluation tools for practical applications

Assisted Viewpoint Interaction for 3D Visualization

Many three-dimensional visualizations are characterized by the use of a mobile viewpoint that offers multiple perspectives on a set of visual information. To effectively control the viewpoint, the viewer must simultaneously manage the cognitive tasks of understanding the layout of the environment, and knowing where to look to find relevant information, along with mastering the physical interaction required to position the viewpoint in meaningful locations. Numerous systems attempt to address these problems by catering to two extremes: simplified controls or direct presentation. This research attempts to promote hybrid interfaces that offer a supportive, yet unscripted exploration of a virtual environment.Attentive navigation is a specific technique designed to actively redirect viewers' attention while accommodating their independence. User-evaluation shows that this technique effectively facilitates several visualization tasks including landmark recognition, survey knowledge acquisition, and search sensitivity. Unfortunately, it also proves to be excessively intrusive, leading viewers to occasionally struggle for control of the viewpoint. Additional design iterations suggest that formalized coordination protocols between the viewer and the automation can mute the shortcomings and enhance the effectiveness of the initial attentive navigation design.The implications of this research generalize to inform the broader requirements for Human-Automation interaction through the visual channel. Potential applications span a number of fields, including visual representations of abstract information, 3D modeling, virtual environments, and teleoperation experiences

Evaluating the Effects of Immersive Embodied Interaction on Cognition in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is on its advent of becoming mainstream household technology, as technologies such as head-mounted displays, trackers, and interaction devices are becoming affordable and easily available. Virtual reality (VR) has immense potential in enhancing the fields of education and training, and its power can be used to spark interest and enthusiasm among learners. It is, therefore, imperative to evaluate the risks and benefits that immersive virtual reality poses to the field of education. Research suggests that learning is an embodied process. Learning depends on grounded aspects of the body including action, perception, and interactions with the environment. This research aims to study if immersive embodiment through the means of virtual reality facilitates embodied cognition. A pedagogical VR solution which takes advantage of embodied cognition can lead to enhanced learning benefits. Towards achieving this goal, this research presents a linear continuum for immersive embodied interaction within virtual reality. This research evaluates the effects of three levels of immersive embodied interactions on cognitive thinking, presence, usability, and satisfaction among users in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Results from the presented experiments show that immersive virtual reality is greatly effective in knowledge acquisition and retention, and highly enhances user satisfaction, interest and enthusiasm. Users experience high levels of presence and are profoundly engaged in the learning activities within the immersive virtual environments. The studies presented in this research evaluate pedagogical VR software to train and motivate students in STEM education, and provide an empirical analysis comparing desktop VR (DVR), immersive VR (IVR), and immersive embodied VR (IEVR) conditions for learning. This research also proposes a fully immersive embodied interaction metaphor (IEIVR) for learning of computational concepts as a future direction, and presents the challenges faced in implementing the IEIVR metaphor due to extended periods of immersion. Results from the conducted studies help in formulating guidelines for virtual reality and education researchers working in STEM education and training, and for educators and curriculum developers seeking to improve student engagement in the STEM fields

Human-Machine Communication: Complete Volume 5. Gender and Human-Machine Communication

This is the complete volume of HMC Volume