Towards robots reasoning about group behavior of museum visitors: leader detection and group tracking

The final publication is available at IOS Press through http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/AIS-170467Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Toward a model of computational attention based on expressive behavior: applications to cultural heritage scenarios

Our project goals consisted in the development of attention-based analysis of human expressive behavior and the implementation of real-time algorithm in EyesWeb XMI in order to improve naturalness of human-computer interaction and context-based monitoring of human behavior. To this aim, perceptual-model that mimic human attentional processes was developed for expressivity analysis and modeled by entropy. Museum scenarios were selected as an ecological test-bed to elaborate three experiments that focus on visitor profiling and visitors flow regulation

How humans behave and evaluate a social robot in real-environment settings

Behavioral analysis has proven to be an important method to study human-robot interaction in real-life environments providing highly relevant insights for developing new theoretical and practical models of appropriate social robot design. In this paper we describe our approach to study human-robot interaction by combining human behavioral analysis with robot evaluation results. The approach is exemplified by a case study performed with a social robot receptionist in real-life settings. Our preliminary results are encouraging, as many behavior categories could be successfully related to certain evaluation patterns. With our analysis we hope to add a useful contribution to social-robotic design concerning user modeling issues and evaluation predictions

Optimizing Educational Experiences in Museum Spaces

Scienceworks, part of Museum Victoria, in Melbourne, Australia, offers interactive learning experiences oriented toward science and technology to children of all ages. Our team tracked visitors through all of Scienceworks to record their interactions with exhibits and with the space around the exhibits, then augmented those observations with surveys of visitors’ opinions of their experiences. This whole of site visitor tracking study enabled an assessment of visitor behavior and an evaluation of current exhibit usage. Scienceworks will be able to use the information presented in this report to improve its exhibit design for the future

Visits to figurative art museums may lower blood pressure and stress

Background: The research aimed to assess, through physiological measurements such as blood pressure and heart rate, whether exposure to art museums and to different art styles (figurative vs. modern art) was able to enhance visitors’ well-being in terms of relaxing and stress reduction. Method: Participants (n = 77) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, on the basis of the typology of the art style they were exposed to in the museum visit: (1) figurative art, (2) modern art and (3) museum office (as a control condition). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured before and after the visits. Results: Diastolic values of the participants were quite stable, as expected in people who do not suffer hypertension; we therefore considered only variations in systolic blood pressure. The majority of the participants exposed to figurative art significantly decreased systolic blood pressure compared to those exposed to modern art and museum office. No differences were found in the heart rate before and after the visit for the three groups. Conclusion: Findings suggest that museum visits can have health benefits, and figurative art may decrease systolic blood pressur

Psychophysiological and behavioral responses to descriptive labels in modern art museums

Educational tools in art exhibitions seem crucial to improve the cultural and aesthetic experience, particularly of non-expert visitors, thus becoming a strategic goal for museums. However, there has not been much research regarding the impact of labels on the quality of visitors’ aesthetic experience. Therefore, here we compared the impact on the cognitive and emotional experience of naïve visitors between essential and descriptive labels, through multiple objective and subjective measurements, focusing on the controversial modern art museum context. We found that, after detailed descriptions, observers spend more time inspecting artworks, their eyes wander more looking for the described elements, their skin conductance and pupil size increase, and overall, they find the content less complex and more arousing. Our findings show that people do receive important benefits from reading detailed information about artworks. This suggests that elaborating effective labels should be a primary goal for museums interested in attracting a non-expert public

Effects of Design Features on Visitors' Behavior in a Museum Setting

Effects of Design Features on Visitors' Behavior in a Museum Setting Ting-Jui Chang, M.A. in Interaction Design The study aims to define possible interplay between display design and visitors' behavior in a museum setting. It asks, "What environmental features related to design have impacts on visitors' behavior?" The researcher observed single adult visitors in the 20/21 gallery of the Spencer Museum of Art during two weeks period. Research methods included: 1) measuring the physical setting of the display; 2) ranking art pieces by the curator on three scales: canonical value, popularity, and the Museum goals; and 3) tracking visitors' paths, stops and time-spent. Correlation analysis was used to discover the relationships between design features and visitors' behavior. Graphs/visual representations of the setting, viewing paths and stop locations were studied to identify the patterns of behavior. Findings include: 1) how display designs reflected the importance of the art pieces in the mind of the curator; and 2) patterns of visitors' behavior related to display of art and space