Touch Technology in Affective Human-, Robot-, and Virtual-Human Interactions:A Survey

Given the importance of affective touch in human interactions, technology designers are increasingly attempting to bring this modality to the core of interactive technology. Advances in haptics and touch-sensing technology have been critical to fostering interest in this area. In this survey, we review how affective touch is investigated to enhance and support the human experience with or through technology. We explore this question across three different research areas to highlight their epistemology, main findings, and the challenges that persist. First, we review affective touch technology through the human-computer interaction literature to understand how it has been applied to the mediation of human-human interaction and its roles in other human interactions particularly with oneself, augmented objects/media, and affect-aware devices. We further highlight the datasets and methods that have been investigated for automatic detection and interpretation of affective touch in this area. In addition, we discuss the modalities of affective touch expressions in both humans and technology in these interactions. Second, we separately review how affective touch has been explored in human-robot and real-human-virtual-human interactions where the technical challenges encountered and the types of experience aimed at are different. We conclude with a discussion of the gaps and challenges that emerge from the review to steer research in directions that are critical for advancing affective touch technology and recognition systems. In our discussion, we also raise ethical issues that should be considered for responsible innovation in this growing area.</p

Audio-Visual Resource Allocation for Bimodal Virtual Environments

Fidelity is of key importance if virtual environments are to be used as authentic representations of real environments. However, simulating the multitude of senses that comprise the human sensory system is computationally challenging. With limited computational resources it is essential to distribute these carefully in order to simulate the most ideal perceptual experience. This paper investigates this balance of resources across multiple scenarios where combined audio-visual stimulation is delivered to the user. A subjective experiment was undertaken where participants (N=35) allocated five fixed resource budgets across graphics and acoustic stimuli. In the experiment, increasing the quality of one of the stimuli decreased the quality of the other. Findings demonstrate that participants allocate more resources to graphics, however as the computational budget is increased, an approximately balanced distribution of resources is preferred between graphics and acoustics. Based on the results, an audiovisual quality prediction model is proposed and successfully validated against previously untested budgets and an untested scenario

The perception of emotion in artificial agents

Given recent technological developments in robotics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, it is perhaps unsurprising that the arrival of emotionally expressive and reactive artificial agents is imminent. However, if such agents are to become integrated into our social milieu, it is imperative to establish an understanding of whether and how humans perceive emotion in artificial agents. In this review, we incorporate recent findings from social robotics, virtual reality, psychology, and neuroscience to examine how people recognize and respond to emotions displayed by artificial agents. First, we review how people perceive emotions expressed by an artificial agent, such as facial and bodily expressions and vocal tone. Second, we evaluate the similarities and differences in the consequences of perceived emotions in artificial compared to human agents. Besides accurately recognizing the emotional state of an artificial agent, it is critical to understand how humans respond to those emotions. Does interacting with an angry robot induce the same responses in people as interacting with an angry person? Similarly, does watching a robot rejoice when it wins a game elicit similar feelings of elation in the human observer? Here we provide an overview of the current state of emotion expression and perception in social robotics, as well as a clear articulation of the challenges and guiding principles to be addressed as we move ever closer to truly emotional artificial agents

Developing a Framework for Heterotopias as Discursive Playgrounds: A Comparative Analysis of Non-Immersive and Immersive Technologies

The discursive space represents the reordering of knowledge gained through accumulation. In the digital age, multimedia has become the language of information, and the space for archival practices is provided by non-immersive technologies, resulting in the disappearance of several layers from discursive activities. Heterotopias are unique, multilayered epistemic contexts that connect other systems through the exchange of information. This paper describes a process to create a framework for Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, and personal computer environments based on heterotopias to provide absent layers. This study provides virtual museum space as an informational terrain that contains a "world within worlds" and presents place production as a layer of heterotopia and the subject of discourse. Automation for the individual multimedia content is provided via various sorting and grouping algorithms, and procedural content generation algorithms such as Binary Space Partitioning, Cellular Automata, Growth Algorithm, and Procedural Room Generation. Versions of the framework were comparatively evaluated through a user study involving 30 participants, considering factors such as usability, technology acceptance, and presence. The results of the study show that the framework can serve diverse contexts to construct multilayered digital habitats and is flexible for integration into professional and daily life practices

Confirmation Report: Modelling Interlocutor Confusion in Situated Human Robot Interaction

Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) is an important but challenging field focused on improving the interaction between humans and robots such to make the interaction more intelligent and effective. However, building a natural conversational HRI is an interdisciplinary challenge for scholars, engineers, and designers. It is generally assumed that the pinnacle of human- robot interaction will be having fluid naturalistic conversational interaction that in important ways mimics that of how humans interact with each other. This of course is challenging at a number of levels, and in particular there are considerable difficulties when it comes to naturally monitoring and responding to the user’s mental state. On the topic of mental states, one field that has received little attention to date is moni- toring the user for possible confusion states. Confusion is a non-trivial mental state which can be seen as having at least two substates. There two confusion states can be thought of as being associated with either negative or positive emotions. In the former, when people are productively confused, they have a passion to solve any current difficulties. Meanwhile, people who are in unproductive confusion may lose their engagement and motivation to overcome those difficulties, which in turn may even lead them to drop the current conversation. While there has been some research on confusion monitoring and detection, it has been limited with the most focused on evaluating confusion states in online learning tasks. The central hypothesis of this research is that the monitoring and detection of confusion states in users is essential to fluid task-centric HRI and that it should be possible to detect such confusion and adjust policies to mitigate the confusion in users. In this report, I expand on this hypothesis and set out several research questions. I also provide a comprehensive literature review before outlining work done to date towards my research hypothesis, I also set out plans for future experimental work

AI and Global Governance: Modalities, Rationales, Tensions

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a salient but polarizing issue of recent times. Actors around the world are engaged in building a governance regime around it. What exactly the “it” is that is being governed, how, by who, and why—these are all less clear. In this review, we attempt to shine some light on those questions, considering literature on AI, the governance of computing, and regulation and governance more broadly. We take critical stock of the different modalities of the global governance of AI that have been emerging, such as ethical councils, industry governance, contracts and licensing, standards, international agreements, and domestic legislation with extraterritorial impact. Considering these, we examine selected rationales and tensions that underpin them, drawing attention to the interests and ideas driving these different modalities. As these regimes become clearer and more stable, we urge those engaging with or studying the global governance of AI to constantly ask the important question of all global governance regimes: Who benefits

Virtual Heritage: Audio design for immersive virtual environments using researched spatializers.

This thesis work is based on a Virtual Heritage project being developed by the Systems of Representation research group. The objective of the project is to create a showcase demonstration on how the virtual reality (VR) could be used as an application for tourism in the heritage sector. In this context, my task was to develop a concept and prototype of how 'spatialized' sound could be used in a VR application. The initial location chosen for the concept was the ancient heritage burial site of Sammallahdenmäki, one of the Finnish heritage sites listed in the UNESCO register of World Heritage Sites. The thesis, that is written from an audio designer's perspective, focuses on three aspects of this project. First is the sound design for the Virtual Heritage project and the second is the quality of currently available 'spatializer' plug-ins used for headphone listening. In order to evaluate the process of designing 3D audio for virtual environments, the methods and principles within binaural rendering, sound design and immersion must be understood. Therefore, functions and theories within audio spatialization and 3D audio design are reviewed. Audio designers working on virtual reality content need the best possible solutions for creating believable 3D audio experiences. However, while working on the Virtual Heritage project, we did not find any comparative studies made about commercially available spatializer plug-ins for Unity. Thus, it was unknown what plug-in would have been the best possible solution for 3D audio spatialization. Consequently, two tests were conducted during this thesis work. First was an online test measuring which spatializer would be the most highly rated, in terms of perceived directional precision when utilizing head-related transfer functions without reverb or room simulations. The second was a comparative test studying if a spatialized audio rendering would increase immersion compared to non-spatialized audio rendering, when tested with the Virtual Heritage demonstration. The central aim in the showcase demonstration was to create an immersive virtual environment where users would feel as if they were travelling from the present, back to the Bronze Age, in order to understand and learn about the location’s unique history via auditory storytelling. The project was implemented utilising the Unity game engine. The research on music and other sound content used in the project’s sonic environment is explained. Finally, results of the project work are discussed.Tämä opinnäytetyö perustuu Virtual Heritage projektityöhön, joka on tehty Systems of Representation tutkimusryhmälle. Projektin tavoite on luoda malliesimerkki siitä, miten virtuaalitodellisuutta voitaisiin käyttää hyväksi turismisovelluksissa. Esimerkkikohteeksi projektille oli valittu Sammallahdenmäen hautaröykkiöt, joka on hyväksytty mukaan UNESCON maailmanperintöluetteloon. Tehtäväni oli toteuttaa Unity pelimoottorilla prototyyppi, jossa kartoitetaan virtuaalisen tilaäänen käyttömahdollisuuksia kyseisen teeman ympärillä. Opinnäyte on kirjoitettu äänisuunnittelijan näkökulmasta keskittyen kolmeen projektityöhön liittyvään keskeiseen osaan: prototyypin äänisuunnitteluun, immersion käsitteeseen sekä spatialisointi liitännäisten (plug-in) toimintaan ja laatuun. Virtuaalitodellisuuksiin sisältöä tuottavana äänisuunnittelijana tarvitsin parhaat mahdolliset työkalut uskottavan 3D äänimaailman luomiseen. Virtual Heritage projektia työstettäessä kävi kuitenkin ilmi, että ajankohtaista vertailevaa tutkimusta spatialisointi liitännäisten laatueroista ei ollut löydettävissä. Oli mahdotonta määritellä yksilöllisesti, mikä liitännäisistä on toimivin ratkaisu suurimmalle käyttäjäkunnalle. Täten oli tarpeellista toteuttaa kaksi tutkimusta. Ensimmäinen oli empiirinen verkkotutkimus, jolla arvioitiin spatialisointi liitännäisten suorituskykyä, kun mitataan subjektiivisesti äänen tilallisen sijoittumisen tarkkuutta kuulokekuuntelussa ilman kaikuprosessointeja. Tutkimuksessa parhaiten suoriutunut liitännäinen implementoitiin prototyyppiin. Toisessa kokeessa tutkittiin kuinka paljon implementoidun spatialisointi liitännäisen käyttäminen lisää virtuaalitodellisuuden immersiota verrattaessa spatialisoimattomaan ääneen, kun testialustana toimii Virtual Heritage prototyyppi. Projektin keskeisin tavoite oli luoda immersiivinen virtuaalitodellisuus, jossa käyttäjä voi kokea matkaavansa nykyajasta pronssikautiselle Sammallahdenmäelle ja oppia tällä tavoin kohteen ainutlaatuisesta historiasta äänikerronnan keinoin. Opinnäytetyössä esitellään äänikerronnan sisältöön ja toteutustapaan johtavat tutkimukset, tuotanto sekä ajatukset lopputuloksesta

Humanization of robots: is it really such a good idea?

The aim of this review was to examine the pros and cons of humanizing social robots following a psychological perspective. As such, we had six goals. First, we defined what social robots are. Second, we clarified the meaning of humanizing social robots. Third, we presented the theoretical backgrounds for promoting humanization. Fourth, we conducted a review of empirical results of the positive effects and the negative effects of humanization on human–robot interaction (HRI). Fifth, we presented some of the political and ethical problems raised by the humanization of social robots. Lastly, we discussed the overall effects of the humanization of robots in HRI and suggested new avenues of research and development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Human-Machine Interfaces for Service Robotics

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen