Portable Dextrous Force Feedback Master for robot telemanipulation (PDMFF)

A major drawback of open loop masters is a lack of force feedback, limiting their ability to perform complex tasks such as assembly and repair. Researchers present a simple dextrous force feedback master for computer assisted telemanipulation. The device is compact, portable and can be held in the operator hand, without the need for a special joystick or console. The system is capable of both position feed forward and force feedback, using electronic position sensors and a pneumatic micro-actuator. The level of forces exercised by the pneumatic actuator is such that near rigidity may be attained. Experimental results showing good system linearity and small time lag are given

implementation of tactile sensors on a 3 fingers robotiq adaptive gripper and visualization in vr using arduino controller

Abstract Tactile sensors are essential components for the implementation of complex manipulation tasks using robot grippers, allowing to directly control the grasping force according to the object properties. Virtual Reality represents an effective tool capable of visualizing complex systems in full details and with a high level of interactivity. After the implementation of cost-effective tactile arrays on a 3-finger Robotiq ® gripper using an ARDUINO controller, it is presented an innovative VR interface capable of visualizing the pressure values at the fingertips in a 3D environment, providing an effective tool aimed at supporting the programming and the visualization of the gripper VR

Essays in strategic information transmission

This thesis contributes to the literature on strategic information transmission through providing new insights into strategic behavior under several communication frameworks. The thesis is comprised of five chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the main topics and research methodologies presented in the next three chapters. Chapter 2 reports experiments in sender-receiver games with partially verifiable messages. We explore the role of verification control on strategic behavior and final outcomes. We find that behavior is closer to theoretical predictions when senders have verification control. However, the setting in which receivers have control over the verification action promotes higher average payoffs despite behavior being noisier. Chapter 3 investigates the effect of cheap talk on the interpretation of partially informative verifiable communication (evidence). Using experimental data from sender-receiver games similar to those in chapter 2 we find that cheap talk distorts receivers’ appraisal of evidence. Specifically, it makes receivers depart from theoretical predictions more than they do in a treatment where cheap talk is not present. Chapter 4 explores the effect of cheap talk in a sender-receiver game with sender state independent preferences and a state space with non-uniform distribution. This type of state space leads to the interests of the players to be either more likely aligned, or more likely conflicting. Using a simple theoretical analysis we show that if receivers dislike taking an action that is profitable for a deceiving sender (“sucker aversion”), communication can harm when interests are more likely aligned. However, when interests are more likely conflicting, communication helps due to senders’ “lying aversion”. We run experiments to test these predictions and find no effect of cheap talk when interests are more likely aligned. When interests are more likely conflicting, communication has a positive effect on payoffs but not due to the hypothesized mechanism. Chapter 5 provides a summary of the previous chapters’ results as well as a discussion which points out the limitations. Finally it delineates welcomed directions for future research

Maintained hand function and forearm bone health 14 months after an in-home virtual-reality videogame hand telerehabilitation intervention in an adolescent with hemiplegic cerebral palsy

Virtual reality videogames can be used to motivate rehabilitation, and telerehabilitation can be used to improve access to rehabilitation. These uses of technology to improve health outcomes are a burgeoning area of rehabilitation research. So far, there is a lack of reports of long-term outcomes of these types of interventions. The authors report a 15-year-old boy with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and epilepsy because of presumed perinatal stroke who improved his plegic hand function and increased his plegic forearm bone health during a 14-month virtual reality videogame hand telerehabilitation intervention. A total of 14 months after the intervention ended, repeat evaluation demonstrated maintenance of both increased hand function and forearm bone health. The implications of this work for the future of rehabilitation in children with neurological disabilities are discussed in this article

FRAMING OF WINES FROM THE TRANSYLVANIA AREA IN P.D.O. DEPENDING ON THE PRODUCTION, VARIETY AND CULTIVATION AREA

The cultivation of grapes and the preparation of wine are human practices made since ancient times, in which the climate and soil conditions for the cultivation of grapes are the most favorable. Among the countries with viticulture and vinification in Europe, Romania as a wine country ranks fifth in viticulture, sixth place in grape production and sixth place in wine production. In the present paper, these criteria adapted to some grape varieties for red wines from Northern Transylvania were studied, in order to classify them in the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) category. For the location of Lechinţa, Liliac wine cellar for Lechinţa PDO, the studied Merlot varieties record a production of 77.50 hl / ha. For the Fetească neagră variety a production of 77.70 hl / ha and for the Pinot Noir variety a wine production of 77.98 hl / ha, being the Vineyard with the best results for 2016 year

A comparative study using an autostereoscopic display with augmented and virtual reality

Advances in display devices are facilitating the integration of stereoscopic visualization in our daily lives. However, autostereoscopic visualization has not been extensively exploited. In this paper, we present a system that combines Augmented Reality (AR) and autostereoscopic visualization. We also present the first study that compares different aspects using an autostereoscopic display with AR and VR, in which 39 children from 8 to 10 years old participated. In our study, no statistically significant differences were found between AR and VR. However, the scores were very high in nearly all of the questions, and the children also scored the AR version higher in all cases. Moreover, the children explicitly preferred the AR version (81%). For the AR version, a strong and significant correlation was found between the use of the autostereoscopic screen in games and seeing the virtual object on the marker. For the VR version, two strong and significant correlations were found. The first correlation was between the ease of play and the use of the rotatory controller. The second correlation was between depth perception and the game global score. Therefore, the combinations of AR and VR with autostereoscopic visualization are possibilities for developing edutainment systems for childrenThis work was funded by the Spanish APRENDRA project (TIN2009-14319-C02). We would like to thank the following for their contributions: AIJU, the "Escola d'Estiu" and especially Ignacio Segui, Juan Cano, Miguelon Gimenez, and Javier Irimia. This work would not have been possible without their collaboration. The ALF3D project (TIN2009-14103-03) for the autostereoscopic display. Roberto Vivo, Rafa Gaitan, Severino Gonzalez, and M. Jose Vicent, for their help. The children's parents who signed the agreement to allow their children to participate in the study. The children who participated in the study. The ETSInf for letting us use its facilities during the testing phase.Arino, J.; Juan Lizandra, MC.; Gil Gómez, JA.; Mollá Vayá, RP. (2014). A comparative study using an autostereoscopic display with augmented and virtual reality. Behaviour and Information Technology. 33(6):646-655. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2013.815277S646655336Azuma, R. T. (1997). A Survey of Augmented Reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6(4), 355-385. doi:10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355Blum, T.et al. 2012. Mirracle: augmented reality in-situ visualization of human anatomy using a magic mirror.In: IEEE virtual reality workshops, 4–8 March 2012, Costa Mesa, CA, USA. Washington, DC: IEEE Computer Society, 169–170.Botden, S. M. B. I., Buzink, S. N., Schijven, M. P., & Jakimowicz, J. J. (2007). Augmented versus Virtual Reality Laparoscopic Simulation: What Is the Difference? World Journal of Surgery, 31(4), 764-772. doi:10.1007/s00268-006-0724-yChittaro, L., & Ranon, R. (2007). Web3D technologies in learning, education and training: Motivations, issues, opportunities. Computers & Education, 49(1), 3-18. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2005.06.002Dodgson, N. A. (2005). Autostereoscopic 3D displays. Computer, 38(8), 31-36. doi:10.1109/mc.2005.252Ehara, J., & Saito, H. (2006). Texture overlay for virtual clothing based on PCA of silhouettes. 2006 IEEE/ACM International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality. doi:10.1109/ismar.2006.297805Eisert, P., Fechteler, P., & Rurainsky, J. (2008). 3-D Tracking of shoes for Virtual Mirror applications. 2008 IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition. doi:10.1109/cvpr.2008.4587566Fiala, M. (2007). Magic Mirror System with Hand-held and Wearable Augmentations. 2007 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference. doi:10.1109/vr.2007.352493Froner, B., Holliman, N. S., & Liversedge, S. P. (2008). A comparative study of fine depth perception on two-view 3D displays. Displays, 29(5), 440-450. doi:10.1016/j.displa.2008.03.001Holliman, N. S., Dodgson, N. A., Favalora, G. E., & Pockett, L. (2011). Three-Dimensional Displays: A Review and Applications Analysis. IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, 57(2), 362-371. doi:10.1109/tbc.2011.2130930Ilgner, J. F. R., Kawai, T., Shibata, T., Yamazoe, T., & Westhofen, M. (2006). Evaluation of stereoscopic medical video content on an autostereoscopic display for undergraduate medical education. Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems XIII. doi:10.1117/12.647591Jeong, J.-S., Park, C., Kim, M., Oh, W.-K., & Yoo, K.-H. (2011). Development of a 3D Virtual Laboratory with Motion Sensor for Physics Education. Ubiquitous Computing and Multimedia Applications, 253-262. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-20975-8_28Jones, J. A., Swan, J. E., Singh, G., Kolstad, E., & Ellis, S. R. (2008). The effects of virtual reality, augmented reality, and motion parallax on egocentric depth perception. Proceedings of the 5th symposium on Applied perception in graphics and visualization - APGV ’08. doi:10.1145/1394281.1394283Juan, M. C., & Pérez, D. (2010). Using augmented and virtual reality for the development of acrophobic scenarios. Comparison of the levels of presence and anxiety. Computers & Graphics, 34(6), 756-766. doi:10.1016/j.cag.2010.08.001Kaufmann, H., & Csisinko, M. (2011). Wireless Displays in Educational Augmented Reality Applications. Handbook of Augmented Reality, 157-175. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-0064-6_6Kaufmann, H., & Meyer, B. (2008). Simulating educational physical experiments in augmented reality. ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA 2008 educators programme on - SIGGRAPH Asia ’08. doi:10.1145/1507713.1507717Konrad, J. (2011). 3D Displays. Optical and Digital Image Processing, 369-395. doi:10.1002/9783527635245.ch17Konrad, J., & Halle, M. (2007). 3-D Displays and Signal Processing. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, 24(6), 97-111. doi:10.1109/msp.2007.905706Kwon, H., & Choi, H.-J. (2012). A time-sequential mutli-view autostereoscopic display without resolution loss using a multi-directional backlight unit and an LCD panel. Stereoscopic Displays and Applications XXIII. doi:10.1117/12.907793Livingston, M. A., Zanbaka, C., Swan, J. E., & Smallman, H. S. (s. f.). Objective measures for the effectiveness of augmented reality. IEEE Proceedings. VR 2005. Virtual Reality, 2005. doi:10.1109/vr.2005.1492798Monahan, T., McArdle, G., & Bertolotto, M. (2008). Virtual reality for collaborative e-learning. Computers & Education, 50(4), 1339-1353. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2006.12.008Montgomery, D. J., Woodgate, G. J., Jacobs, A. M. S., Harrold, J., & Ezra, D. (2001). Performance of a flat-panel display system convertible between 2D and autostereoscopic 3D modes. Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems VIII. doi:10.1117/12.430813Morphew, M. E., Shively, J. R., & Casey, D. (2004). Helmet-mounted displays for unmanned aerial vehicle control. Helmet- and Head-Mounted Displays IX: Technologies and Applications. doi:10.1117/12.541031Pan, Z., Cheok, A. D., Yang, H., Zhu, J., & Shi, J. (2006). Virtual reality and mixed reality for virtual learning environments. Computers & Graphics, 30(1), 20-28. doi:10.1016/j.cag.2005.10.004Petkov, E. G. (2010). Educational Virtual Reality through a Multiview Autostereoscopic 3D Display. Innovations in Computing Sciences and Software Engineering, 505-508. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-9112-3_86Shen, Y., Ong, S. K., & Nee, A. Y. C. (2011). Vision-Based Hand Interaction in Augmented Reality Environment. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 27(6), 523-544. doi:10.1080/10447318.2011.555297Swan, J. E., Jones, A., Kolstad, E., Livingston, M. A., & Smallman, H. S. (2007). Egocentric depth judgments in optical, see-through augmented reality. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 13(3), 429-442. doi:10.1109/tvcg.2007.1035Urey, H., Chellappan, K. V., Erden, E., & Surman, P. (2011). State of the Art in Stereoscopic and Autostereoscopic Displays. Proceedings of the IEEE, 99(4), 540-555. doi:10.1109/jproc.2010.2098351Zhang, Y., Ji, Q., and Zhang, W., 2010. Multi-view autostereoscopic 3D display.In: International conference on optics photonics and energy engineering, 10–11 May 2010, Wuhan, China. Washington, DC: IEEE Computer Society, 58–61

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOIL TYPE AND DRY EXTRACT CONTENTN IN RED WINES FROM NORTHERN TRANSYLVANIA

The study of dry extract was conducted on Fetească neagră variety, cultivated in five vineyards, in the Northern Region of Transylvania, in a white wines consecrated area, to find favorability for red wines. The research was conducted on protected geographical indications and protected designations of origin in correlation with five soil types on which the black grapevine are cultivated. Were used analitycal results from an official authorized laboratory and samples presented to national evaluating commisions for origin and authenticity certification for the commercialize purpose with protected geographical indication or protected designation of origin. The soil type and the location are not limitative factors for accumulating of high values of dry extract in the grapes destinated for producing red wines. The results were almost similar in the red wines produced in clasical white wines area, with those from a consecrated area for quality red wines.

Visuohaptic augmented feedback for enhancing motor skills acquisition

Serious games are accepted as an effective approach to deliver augmented feedback in motor (re-) learning processes. The multi-modal nature of the conventional computer games (e.g. audiovisual representation) plus the ability to interact via haptic-enabled inputs provides a more immersive experience. Thus, particular disciplines such as medical education in which frequent hands on rehearsals play a key role in learning core motor skills (e.g. physical palpations) may benefit from this technique. Challenges such as the impracticality of verbalising palpation experience by tutors and ethical considerations may prevent the medical students from correctly learning core palpation skills. This work presents a new data glove, built from off-the-shelf components which captures pressure sensitivity designed to provide feedback for palpation tasks. In this work the data glove is used to control a serious game adapted from the infinite runner genre to improve motor skill acquisition. A comparative evaluation on usability and effectiveness of the method using multimodal visualisations, as part of a larger study to enhance pressure sensitivity, is presented. Thirty participants divided into a game-playing group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15) were invited to perform a simple palpation task. The game-playing group significantly outperformed the control group in which abstract visualisation of force was provided to the users in a blind-folded transfer test. The game-based training approach was positively described by the game-playing group as enjoyable and engaging