Augmented reality for complex surgical procedures

[EN] In 2014, 7 million of CT and MRI scans were used pre and intraoperatively in the UK, flat 2D images whose potential is not fully used. Surgeons can use Volume rendering techniques to create a 3D model which they will display in a monitor; however, an isolation between Virtual and Real world can be observed. During an MSc Group Project, an Augmented Reality System was developed to integrate a Head Mounted Display together with optical cameras that track surgeon’s position of the eyes and therefore allows to view the 3D model directly through these goggles. However, tracking inaccuracies, lack of registration process, real-time delays and difficulties to focus in the virtual object, made it impossible to bring to a surgery level. The methodology used in this project has been to review specific sources from both Computer Science and healthcare, discover new techniques that can improve the overall AR System and develop a be-spoken AR System that include these techniques. After testing the technology with a cadaver, results show that this research has improved the tracking accuracy by a 95%, allows users to accurately merge Real and Virtual world by providing Active Stereoscopy and provides marker-less patient tracking by using three anatomical points. Furthermore, it provides a larger range of tracking than previous researches thanks to Advanced Real Time optical cameras and proves the importance of Active Stereoscopy for user’s depth perception. Although improvements regarding rotation and scale are still needed; all in all, this research brings Augmented Reality from 4 to 6 Technology Readiness Level.Cubertorer Segarra, P. (2015). Augmented Reality for Complex Surgical Procedures. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/74765.Archivo delegad

Assessing the transfer of video game play versus attention training using 3D-Multiple Object Tracking

Durant la dernière décennie, la recherche sur les jeux vidéo et leur implication sur les habiletés perceptivo-cognitives a gagné en intérêt. Plusieurs études ont démontré que les jeux vidéo (particulièrement les jeux d’action) possèdent la capacité d’influencer et d’améliorer différentes aptitudes perceptives et cognitives telles que l’attention visuo-spatiale, la vitesse de traitement de l’information, la mémoire visuelle à court terme ainsi que la poursuite d’objets en mouvement. Cependant, plusieurs autres études n’ont pas réussi à reproduire les mêmes résultats. D’un autre côté, un nouveau type d’entraînement perceptivo-cognitif, nommé 3-Dimensional Multiple-Object Tracking (3D-MOT), et qui consiste à traiter des scènes visuelles dynamiques dénuées de contexte, a démontré son implication sur différents types d’attention, la mémoire de travail ainsi que la vitesse de traitement de l’information. L’étude actuelle a examiné quatre groupes de joueurs inexpérimentés qui s’entrainaient durant 10 séances à l’aide d’un exercice perceptivo-cognitif (3D-MOT), ou d’un jeu de haut niveau visuel (jeu vidéo d’action : Call of Duty), de bas niveau visuel (Tetris) ou d’un jeu non-visuel (Sudoku). Des mesures d’électroencéphalographie quantitative et des tests neuropsychologiques effectués avant et après l’entraînement ont démontré que le 3D-MOT, par comparaison aux autres jeux testés, améliorait de façon plus efficace les fonctions reliées à l’attention, la mémoire de travail ainsi que la vitesse de traitement de l’information. Pour la première fois, cette étude démontre que l’entraînement non-contextuel de 3D-MOT améliore les habiletés perceptivo-cognitives plus efficacement que l’entraînement à des jeux de divertissement tels que les jeux vidéo.In the past decade, research on video games and their implications on cognitive abilities have gained significant interest. Various studies suggest that video games (in particular action video games) have the inherent ability to influence and improve attentional abilities such as visual spatial attention, processing speed, visual short-term memory and multiple-object tracking. However, many other studies have been unable to replicate similar results. On the other hand, a recent cognitive enhancement tool that is visually dynamic and void of context called 3-Dimensional Multiple-Object tracking (3D-MOT), has demonstrated robust effects on cognitive-perceptual abilities such as divided, selective, and sustained attention as well as working memory and information processing speed. The current study examines four groups of non-video game players that train for 10 sessions on the cognitive enhancing technique (3D-MOT) or on one of three different visually stimulating games: highly visually stimulating game (Call of Duty), lowly visually stimulating game (Tetris), or non-visually stimulating puzzle (Sudoku). A battery of cognitive tests and quantitative electroencephalography preformed before and after training, demonstrated that training on 3D-MOT improved cognitive functions related to attention, working memory, and visual information processing compared to video games. For the first time, this study demonstrated that non-contextual training with 3D-MOT improves perceptual-cognitive abilities more efficiently than video game playing

The Militarization of Video Games

The militarization of video games is a topic that has not previously received a lot of attention despite being a controversial and important topic to discuss as it pertains to the future of society’s youth, advancement of military technology, and the military’s economic relationships. Previous research on the topic had not explored the relationship between the military and the video game industry in depth. In using studies from different areas, such as the impact that video games have on individuals, the use of technology in the military, and economic relationships that the military has, this paper seeks to explore the relationship between the gaming industry and the military. While there is not a lot of concrete evidence to claim that the military is directly benefitting from young people playing video games, there certainly appears to be a link. In researching this topic, it is obvious that the relationship between the military and the video game industry is only going to grow closer and stronger

Stereoscopic bimanual interaction for 3D visualization

Virtual Environments (VE) are being widely used in various research fields for several decades such as 3D visualization, education, training and games. VEs have the potential to enhance the visualization and act as a general medium for human-computer interaction (HCI). However, limited research has evaluated virtual reality (VR) display technologies, monocular and binocular depth cues, for human depth perception of volumetric (non-polygonal) datasets. In addition, a lack of standardization of three-dimensional (3D) user interfaces (UI) makes it challenging to interact with many VE systems. To address these issues, this dissertation focuses on evaluation of effects of stereoscopic and head-coupled displays on depth judgment of volumetric dataset. It also focuses on evaluation of a two-handed view manipulation techniques which support simultaneous 7 degree-of-freedom (DOF) navigation (x,y,z + yaw,pitch,roll + scale) in a multi-scale virtual environment (MSVE). Furthermore, this dissertation evaluates auto-adjustment of stereo view parameters techniques for stereoscopic fusion problems in a MSVE. Next, this dissertation presents a bimanual, hybrid user interface which combines traditional tracking devices with computer-vision based "natural" 3D inputs for multi-dimensional visualization in a semi-immersive desktop VR system. In conclusion, this dissertation provides a guideline for research design for evaluating UI and interaction techniques

Player–video game interaction: A systematic review of current concepts

International audienceVideo game design requires a user-centered approach to ensure that the experience enjoyed by players is as good as possible. However, the nature of player-video game interactions has not as yet been clearly defined in the scientific literature. The purpose of the present study was to provide a systematic review of empirical evidences of the current concepts of player-video game interactions in entertainment situations. A total of 72 articles published in scientific journals that deal with human-computer interaction met the criteria for inclusion in the present review. Major findings of these articles were presented in a narrative synthesis. Results showed that player-video game interactions could be defined with multiple concepts that are closely linked and intertwined. These concepts concern player aspects of player-video game interactions, namely engagement and enjoyment, and video game aspects, namely information input/output techniques, game contents and multiplayer games. Global approaches, such as playability, also exist to qualify player-video game interactions. Limitations of these findings are discussed to help researchers to plan future advances of the field and provide supplementary effort to better know the role of less-studied aspects. Practical implications are also discussed to help game designers to optimize the design of player-video game interactions

Sensory Communication

Contains table of contents for Section 2, an introduction and reports on fourteen research projects.National Institutes of Health Grant RO1 DC00117National Institutes of Health Grant RO1 DC02032National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Grant R01 DC00126National Institutes of Health Grant R01 DC00270National Institutes of Health Contract N01 DC52107U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research/Naval Air Warfare Center Contract N61339-95-K-0014U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research/Naval Air Warfare Center Contract N61339-96-K-0003U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-96-1-0379U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research Grant F49620-95-1-0176U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research Grant F49620-96-1-0202U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Subcontract 40167U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research/Naval Air Warfare Center Contract N61339-96-K-0002National Institutes of Health Grant R01-NS33778U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-92-J-184

Measuring The Impact of Narrative on Player\u27s Presence and Immersion in A First Person Game Environment

In the virtual environments (VE) literature, presence has been described as the feeling whereby an individual feels as if he or she is actually in the VE. In the videogame literature, the related concept of immersion is viewed as an effect facilitating player engagement. This thesis examines how narrative and graphics quality influence presence and immersion in a first person game. Three levels of narrative and graphics quality are used in an empirical study: text narrative with high quality graphics, no text narrative with high quality graphics, and no text narrative with low quality graphics. Results showed that there is a significant difference in players’ presence and immersion with rich narrative provided through text narrative together with high quality graphics versus no narrative and low quality graphics, and the use of text narrative results in greater presence and immersion than high quality graphics alone

Sõjaväeliste juhtide otsustamisoskuse hindamine lahingujuhtimist matkivas olukorras

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneSündmused Gruusias 2008. aastal ning Ukrainas 2014. aastal on viinud olukorrani, kus NATO riigid on keskendumas iseseisva kaitsevõime tugevdamisele ning järjest enam ka reservüksuste juhtide väljaõppele. Reservarmee põhimõtetest lähtub ka Eesti Kaitsevägi (EKV), mis on aga väike ja saab konflikti puhkemise korral loota vaid sellele, et reservüksuste ülemad suudavad lahingolukordades tegutseda paremini kui vastane. EKV jaoks on seega oluline reservülemate väljaõpe, mis 11-kuulise kestuse jooksul peab valmistama nad ette tegutsemaks olukorras, kus juhitakse oma üksust lahingus. Paraku pole rahuajal võimalik lahingujuhtimist praktiseerida muul moel, kui õppeolukordades, mis ei pruugi aga tagada piisavat autentsust. Sama kehtib ka õppe tulemuslikkuse hindamise kohta, mida pole EKV võimalik praegu piisava usaldusväärsusega teha. See omakorda ei võimalda langetada adekvaatseid otsuseid väljaõppe tõhustamiseks ja isikkoosseisu valimiseks ning samuti pärsib see teadus- ja arendustegevust EKV-s. Seega on EKV-l vajadus usaldusväärse mõõtevahendi järgi, mis võimaldaks kulutõhusalt mõõta reservülemate otsustusvõimet lahinguolukordades. See doktoritöö keskendubki reservülemate otsustusvõime mõõtmiseks sobiliku mõõtevahendi koostamisele ning selle usaldusväärsuse testimisele. Selleks viidi esmalt läbi süstemaatiline kirjandusanalüüs eesmärgiga tuvastada, milliseid mõõtevahendeid on varasemalt kasutatud väikeüksuste ülemate otsustamise mõõtmiseks lahingutegevuse juhtimisel. Lisaks huvituti, kuidas neid mõõtevahendeid on kasutatud ning millised neist sobiks kasutamiseks EKV-s koheselt või modifitseerituna. Selgus, et laialdaselt kasutatav ning ka EKV vajadustele vastav mõõdik on olukorrapõhine otsustamistest (OPT) vaatamata sellele, et ükski tuvastatud mõõdikutest ei keskendunud otseselt lahinguolukorras otsustamisele. Seega koostati otsustamise mõõtmiseks sobivad testid ning rakendati neid Kaitseväe Akadeemia kadettidest (134) ning reservrühmaülema baaskursuse ajateenijatest (80) koosneva valimiga. Selgus, et koostatud testid annavad usaldusväärseid tulemusi, eristades lahendajaid hästi nii erineva väljaõppe taseme kui varasema kogemuse alusel. Seega sobivad OPT-d hästi mõõtma väikeüksuse ülemate otsustamisoskust lahingujuhtimisel. Töö praktilise tulemusena saab EKV edaspidi kasutada valminud mõõtevahendit erinevatel eesmärkidel, sealhulgas väljaõppe hindamiseks ja tõhustamiseks ning samuti teadus- ja arendustegevuses. Edasised uuringud võiks keskenduda sellele, et välja selgitada, kui hästi ennustab OPT-de tulemuslik lahendamine tegelikku sooritust üksuse juhtimisel.The events in Georgia in 2008 and in Ukraine in 2014 have led to a situation, where many European countries are focusing on strengthening their homeland defense capabilities by reintroducing conscription and looking for ways to improve the performance of their reserve soldiers and reserve commanders. The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), modest in size, are also built on the principle of reserve army. It means, that EDF can only rely on excellent tactics during combat situations, thus soldiers and commanders with the best decision making skills are crucial. It follows, that the training of reserve officers is important for EDF, however, there is only 11 months training time available for this purpose. During that time, young men, who have no earlier military exposure, have to get the preparation to lead the military unit during the time of war. The situation is even more complicated, because unlike in the case of other professions, in military profession, commanders cannot practice their job during peacetime other than in military exercises. This however may not provide sufficient authenticity. The same applies to the assessment of learning outcomes – it cannot be done with sufficient credibility. This in turn does not allow to take adequate decisions for enhancing training, selecting right personnel for different jobs and it also discourages research and development in the EDF. Thus there is a need for a suitable instrument for measuring platoon leaders’ decision making skills in critical battle leading situations. The goal of this PhD project is to develop and validate an instrument for measuring low level military commanders decision-making skills in battle leading situations. To accomplish this goal, firstly a systematic literature review was undertaken to determine, what instruments and how had previously been used for the purpose of our interest. It came out, that the most suitable and also widely used instrument is Situational Judgement Test, however, none of found instruments was focusing on decision-making in battle leading situations. Thus, suitable instrument for measuring decision-making was designed and applied using a sample of cadets (134) from land forces basic course and conscripts (80) from the reserve commander basic course of the Military Academy of EDF. It came out, that the test developed was found to produce reliable results, that enabled to distinguish well between the test takers on the basis of the level of training and previous experience. It was thus concluded, that developed test were well suited to measure the decision-making skills of small unit commanders in battle leading situations. As a result of current PhD project, EDF will be able to use the instrument for a variety of purposes, including for example the evaluation and improvement of training as well as for research and development. Future research could focus on finding out how well the test results predict commanders’ actual battle leading performance.https://www.ester.ee/record=b537318

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 product’s 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