Baseline analysis of a conventional and virtual reality lifelog retrieval system

Continuous media capture via a wearable devices is currently one of the most popular methods to establish a comprehensive record of the entirety of an individual's life experience, referred to in the research community as a lifelog. These vast multimodal corpora include visual and other sensor data and are enriched by content analysis, to generate as extensive a record of an individual's life experience. However, interfacing with such datasets remains an active area of research, and despite the advent of new technology and a plethora of competing mediums for processing digital information, there has been little focus on newly emerging platforms such as virtual reality. In this work, we suggest that the increase in immersion and spatial dimensions provided by virtual reality could provide significant benefits to users when compared to more conventional access methodologies. Hence, we motivate virtual reality as a viable method of exploring multimedia archives (specifically lifelogs) by performing a baseline comparative analysis using a novel application prototype built for the HTC Vive and a conventional prototype built for a standard personal computer

Integrating Olfaction in a Robotic Telepresence Loop

In this work we propose enhancing a typical robotic telepresence architecture by considering olfactory and wind flow information in addition to the common audio and video channels. The objective is to expand the range of applications where robotics telepresence can be applied, including those related to the detection of volatile chemical substances (e.g. land-mine detection, explosive deactivation, operations in noxious environments, etc.). Concretely, we analyze how the sense of smell can be integrated in the telepresence loop, covering the digitization of the gases and wind flow present in the remote environment, the transmission through the communication network, and their display at the user location. Experiments under different environmental conditions are presented to validate the proposed telepresence system when localizing a gas emission leak at the remote environment.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Editorial: Positive Technology: Designing E-experiences for Positive Change

While there is little doubt that our lives are becoming increasingly digital, whether this change is for the better or for the worse is far from being settled. Rather, over the past years concerns about the personal and social impacts of technologies have been growing, fueled by dystopian Orwellian scenarios that almost on daily basis are generously dispensed by major Western media outlets. According to a recent poll involving some 1,150 experts, 47% of respondents predict that individuals’ well-being will bemore helped than harmed by digital life in the next decade, while 32% say people’s well-being will bemore harmed than helped. Only 21% of those surveyed indicated that the impact of technologies on people well-being will be negligible compared to now (Pew Research Center, 2018)

Three-dimensional virtual bone bank system workflow for structural bone allograft selection: a technical report

Structural bone allograft has been used in bone defect reconstruction during the last fifty years with acceptable results. However, allograft selection methods were based on 2-dimensional templates using X-rays.Thanks to preoperative planning platforms, three dimensional (3D) CT-derived bone models were used to define size and shape comparison between host and donor. The purpose of this study was to describe the workflow of this virtual technique in order to explain how to choose the best allograft using a virtualbone bank system. We measured all bones in a 3D virtual environment determining the best match. The use of a virtual bone banksystem has allowed optimizing the allograft selection in a bone bank, providing more information to the surgeons before surgery.In conclusion, 3D preoperative planning in a virtual environment for allograft selection is an important and helpful tool in order to achieve a good match between host and donor.Fil: Ritacco, Lucas. Hospital Italiano; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Farfalli, Germán Luis. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Milano, Federico Edgardo. Hospital Italiano; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ayerza, Miguel Ángel. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Muscolo, Domingo L.. Hospital Italiano; Argentina. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Aponte Tinao, Luis. Hospital Italiano; Argentin

Principles for the selection and integration of educational multimedia materials

This paper sets out to clarify the decision framework for the selection and integration of educational multimedia material into courses. Two main areas are discussed. The first involves matching the educational principles inherent in the multimedia artefact to the aims of the course. The opposition between instructionist and constructivist approaches is particularly highlighted. The second area concerns the models used to integrate the multimedia component into the overall course. The models are classified in terms of how they distribute the balance of responsibility for explicit educational structuring between the multimedia system and the course tutor. The paper does not set out prescriptive rules; it aims rather to inform and articulate the decision space for the tutor

Quality of experience study for multiple sensorial media delivery

Traditional video sequences make use of both visual images and audio tracks which are perceived by human eyes and ears, respectively. In order to present better ultra-reality virtual experience, the comprehensive human sensations (e.g. olfaction, haptic, gustatory, etc) needed to be exploited. In this paper, a multiple sensorial media (mulsemedia) delivery system is introduced to deliver multimedia sequences integrated with multiple media components which engage three or more of human senses such as sight, hearing, olfaction, haptic, gustatory, etc. Three sensorial effects (i.e. haptic, olfaction, and air-flowing) are selected for the purpose of demonstration. Subjective test is conducted to analyze the user perceived quality of experience of the mulsemedia service. It is concluded that the mulsemedia sequences can partly mask the decreased movie quality. Additionally the most preferable sensorial effect is haptic, followed by air-flowing and olfaction.This work was supported in part by Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership programme

VR WebGIS: an OpenSource approach to 3D real-time landscape management

OpenSource philosophy has reached to unexpected goals. The diffusion of OpenSource tools is increased quite a lot, but also the quality of the tools is improving. Their usability is slowing going even towards communities not exactly skilled in advanced programming. Open movement is penetrated in many sectors, often subverting, thank to its social impact, the traditional rules of companies and research institutions, pulling down sometimes hierarchies and pushing on innovative ideas because of their validity and values. [...]Peer Reviewe

Reducing latency when using Virtual Reality for teaching in sport

Latency is a frequently cited shortcoming of Virtual Reality (VR) applications. To compensate for excessive latency, prediction mechanisms may use sophisticated mathematical algorithms, which may not be appropriate for complex virtual teaching applications. This paper suggests that heuristic prediction algorithms could be used to develop more effective and general systems for VR educational applications. A fast synchronization squash simulation illustrates where heuristic prediction can be used to deal with latency problems