Auditable Augmented/Mixed/Virtual Reality : The Practicalities of Mobile System Transparency

Funding Information: We acknowledge the financial support of the UK Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P024394/1, EP/R033501/1) and Microsoft via the Microsoft Cloud Computing Research Centre.Peer reviewe

Navigating the Audit Landscape : A Framework for Developing Transparent and Auditable XR

Funding Information: The Compliant & Accountable Systems Group acknowledges the financial support of UK Research & Innovation (grants EP/P024394/1, EP/R033501/1, ES/T006315/1), The Alan Turing Institute, and Microsoft, through the Microsoft Cloud Computing Research Centre

Latency Measurement, Modelling and Management for Interactive Remote Rendering

Ph. D. ThesisInteractive Remote Rendering (IRR) systems enable computationally intensive rendering tasks to be offloaded to powerful remote servers, while permitting real-time user interaction. By streaming only images from the server to the client, these systems solve many issues, but can be adversely affected by Interaction Latency (IL). This thesis explores the use of keyboard-based user interaction prediction as a potential method for reducing IL. Specifically, the following questions are addressed: What is the effect of prediction on IL? How can we model and simulate latency? How can we measure IL when prediction is used? What is the optimal number of predictions ahead required to minimise latency? On which side of the network should prediction be performed? The literature describes a few cases of prediction being used in IRR systems but there exists a lack of knowledge pertaining to the development, integration and measurement of prediction into such systems. Initial investigation identified a lack of robust techniques for simulating and measuring latency in IRR systems, especially those employing prediction. A latency model is introduced, and a simulator is developed, demonstrating results comparable to the real-world. Latency simulation is shown to be accurate and is integrated into a “IRR simulator platform”, permitting the exploration of the above research questions. As a result, two novel latency measurement techniques are presented. A prediction module is then developed and used in conjunction with the simulator platform. Results show that IL can be substantially reduced but predicting too far ahead negatively impacts IL, while less interaction history is found to result in lower mean IL. Finally, Client-Side Prediction was found to be more favourable for IL with respect to the amount of interaction history used, while Server-Side Prediction is shown to facilitate lower IL when predicting more than one step ahead. The results and tools presented in this thesis should prove useful for future exploration of PIRR systems.EPSR

Workshop on Reviewable and Auditable Pervasive Systems (WRAPS)

Publisher PD

Draft White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation neglects to prioritise issues of performance and human capability

The release for public comment of the Draft 2018 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation marks the culmination of a lengthy internal process within the Department of Science and Technology (DST). As noted in the Minister’s Foreword to the Draft White Paper, the document is intended to replace both the 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology and the 2008 Ten-Year Innovation Plan. Its publication is the outcome of a strategic project initiated and driven several years ago by the then Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, which has involved several cycles of input from members of the DST and its associated entities, such as the National Intellectual Property Management Office and the National Advisory Council on Innovation, and wide consultation with external experts and consultants.http://www.sajs.co.zaam2019Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

Universities are becoming major players in the national system of innovation

Based on data from South Africa’s research and development (R&D) surveys, the country’s R&D expenditure has grown in real terms by 52% over the period 2001 to 2012. This growth has been driven by government funding, which rose from 34% of the total funding in 2003 to 45% by 2012. Much of the additional funding has been granted to universities, with government support of R&D in this sector rising 450% in nominal terms, or 250% in real terms, over the same period. This funding focus, indicative of a growing role for universities as R&D performers within the national system of innovation, follows a pattern set earlier in many developed countries and reflects a revision in the state’s steering of knowledge creation. The R&D Survey also revealed a decline in the average cost of research, as expressed by expenditure per full-time equivalent researcher. This finding suggests that the researcher labour market is being better supplied and the constraints identified by earlier reviews are slowly being overcome. Both trends are highly positive for the research system. However, the 34% decline in business R&D expenditure since its peak in 2008 is a matter of concern and needs to be addressed. In particular, the level of state-industry embeddedness must be increased to encourage private investment and to overcome South Africa’s present growth constraints in respect of developing competitive medium- to high-technology sectors.http://www.sajs.co.zaam2016Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

Improvement of digest2 NEO Classification Code -- utilizing the Astrometry Data Exchange Standard

We describe enhancements to the digest2 software, a short-arc orbit classifier for heliocentric orbits. Digest2 is primarily used by the Near-Earth Object (NEO) community to flag newly discovered objects for a immediate follow-up and has been a part of NEO discovery process for more than 15 years. We have updated the solar system population model used to weight the digest2 score according to the 2023 catalog of known solar system orbits and extended the list of mean uncertainties for 140 observatory codes. Moreover, we have added Astrometry Data Exchange Standard (ADES) input format support to digest2, which provides additional information for the astrometry, such as positional uncertainties for each detection. The digest2 code was also extended to read the roving observer astrometric format as well as the ability to compute a new parameter from the provided astrometric uncertainties ($RMS'$) that can serve as an indicator of in-tracklet curvature when compared with tracklet's great-circle fit RMS. Comparison with the previous version of digest2 confirmed the improvement in accuracy of NEO identification and found that using ADES XML input significantly reduces the computation time of the digest2.Comment: 14 pages, 8 tables, 6 figures, appendi

Multi-Band Acoustic Monitoring of Aerial Signatures

The Galileo Project's acoustic monitoring, omni-directional system (AMOS) aids in the detection and characterization of aerial phenomena. It uses a multi-band microphone suite spanning infrasonic to ultrasonic frequencies, providing an independent signal modality for validation and characterization of detected objects. The system utilizes infrasonic, audible, and ultrasonic systems to cover a wide range of sounds produced by both natural and man-made aerial phenomena. Sound signals from aerial objects can be captured given certain conditions, such as when the sound level is above ambient noise and isn't excessively distorted by its transmission path. Findings suggest that audible sources can be detected up to 1 km away, infrasonic sources can be detected over much longer distances, and ultrasonic at shorter ones. Initial data collected from aircraft recordings with spectral analysis will help develop algorithms and software for quick identification of known aircraft. Future work will involve multi-sensor arrays for sound localization, larger data sets analysis, and incorporation of machine learning and AI for detection and identification of more types of phenomena in all frequency bands

A Hardware and Software Platform for Aerial Object Localization

To date, there are little reliable data on the position, velocity and acceleration characteristics of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). The dual hardware and software system described in this document provides a means to address this gap. We describe a weatherized multi-camera system which can capture images in the visible, infrared and near infrared wavelengths. We then describe the software we will use to calibrate the cameras and to robustly localize objects-of-interest in three dimensions. We show how object localizations captured over time will be used to compute the velocity and acceleration of airborne objects