From Multi-User Virtual Environment to 3D Virtual Learning Environment

While digital virtual worlds have been used in education for a number of years, advances in the capabilities and spread of technology have fed a recent boom in interest in massively multi‐user 3D virtual worlds for entertainment, and this in turn has led to a surge of interest in their educational applications. In this paper we briefly review the use of virtual worlds for education, from informal learning to formal instruction, and consider what is required to turn a virtual world from a Multi‐User Virtual Environment into a fully fledged 3D Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). In this we focus on the development of Sloodle – a system which integrates the popular 3D virtual world of Second Life with the open‐source VLE Moodle. Our intent is not simply to provide additional learning support features for Second Life, but to study more generally the ways in which integrated virtual environments can benefit teaching and learning, and this is the focus of our closing discussion

All-Pairs Shortest Path Algorithms Using CUDA

Utilising graph theory is a common activity in computer science. Algorithms that perform computations on large graphs are not always cost effective, requiring supercomputers to achieve results in a practical amount of time. Graphics Processing Units provide a cost effective alternative to supercomputers, allowing parallel algorithms to be executed directly on the Graphics Processing Unit. Several algorithms exist to solve the All-Pairs Shortest Path problem on the Graphics Processing Unit, but it can be difficult to determine whether the claims made are true and verify the results listed. This research asks "Which All-Pairs Shortest Path algorithms solve the All-Pairs Shortest Path problem the fastest, and can the authors' claims be verified?" The results we obtain when answering this question show why it is important to be able to collate existing work, and analyse them on a common platform to observe fair results retrieved from a single system. In this way, the research shows us how effective each algorithm is at performing its task, and suggest when a certain algorithm might be used over another

Massively Multi-Learner: Recent Advances in 3D Social Environments

In this paper we review work on developing an atypical MMO for use as a learning tool in traditional college settings. The MMO under consideration is Second Life by Linden Lab in San Francisco, CA. The platform is unusual in many regards. “Residents” play by creating content for use by others, gathering in ad hoc communities and constructing fictional narratives unrelated to the typical medieval combat genre prevalent in MMOs. It is this ability to add content and lack of an inbuilt narrative which has already attracted the attention of educators worldwide. We review a range of the education work already undertaken in Second Life and comment on its prospects for use more specifically in a Computer Science curriculum

Immersive Learning Environments in Parallel Universes: Learning through Second Life

Opportunities for more creative and innovative environments for learners continue to develop through distance education. Especially at the post-secondary level, these immersive environments can involve high-end video game technologies to create multi-user virtual worlds that can both replicate and far extend physical classrooms. At San Jose State University\u27s School of Library and Information Science, courses offered in and through Second Life develop both competence and comfort in working with library users. Several useful lessons have also been learned

Force/Torque Sensing for Soft Grippers using an External Camera

Robotic manipulation can benefit from wrist-mounted force/torque (F/T) sensors, but conventional F/T sensors can be expensive, difficult to install, and damaged by high loads. We present Visual Force/Torque Sensing (VFTS), a method that visually estimates the 6-axis F/T measurement that would be reported by a conventional F/T sensor. In contrast to approaches that sense loads using internal cameras placed behind soft exterior surfaces, our approach uses an external camera with a fisheye lens that observes a soft gripper. VFTS includes a deep learning model that takes a single RGB image as input and outputs a 6-axis F/T estimate. We trained the model with sensor data collected while teleoperating a robot (Stretch RE1 from Hello Robot Inc.) to perform manipulation tasks. VFTS outperformed F/T estimates based on motor currents, generalized to a novel home environment, and supported three autonomous tasks relevant to healthcare: grasping a blanket, pulling a blanket over a manikin, and cleaning a manikin's limbs. VFTS also performed well with a manually operated pneumatic gripper. Overall, our results suggest that an external camera observing a soft gripper can perform useful visual force/torque sensing for a variety of manipulation tasks.Comment: Accepted for presentation at 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA

Putting a Second Life "Metaverse" Skin on Learning Management Systems

This paper outlines the advantages and weaknesses of Multi-User Virtual Environments for teaching and explores the possible benefits of integrating them closely with traditional Learning Management Systems. We present survey findings of teachers interested in using the Second Life MUVE for teaching. The teachers gave us their opinions about integrating SL and LMS in their classrooms. We finally propose technical methods for creating hybrid systems combining elements of both MUVE and traditional LMS systems for use in teaching. The hybrid system uses the Moodle open source system and Second Life's connectivity features to mirror web-based classrooms with in-world learning spaces and interactive objects. We suggest that further work may help suggest the most suitable educational applications for these hybrid systems

Putting a Second Life "Metaverse" Skin on Learning Management Systems

This paper outlines the advantages and weaknesses of Multi-User Virtual Environments for teaching and explores the possible benefits of integrating them closely with traditional Learning Management Systems. We present survey findings of teachers interested in using the Second Life MUVE for teaching. The teachers gave us their opinions about integrating SL and LMS in their classrooms. We finally propose technical methods for creating hybrid systems combining elements of both MUVE and traditional LMS systems for use in teaching. The hybrid system uses the Moodle open source system and Second Life's connectivity features to mirror web-based classrooms with in-world learning spaces and interactive objects. We suggest that further work may help suggest the most suitable educational applications for these hybrid systems

Visual Contact Pressure Estimation for Grippers in the Wild

Sensing contact pressure applied by a gripper can benefit autonomous and teleoperated robotic manipulation, but adding tactile sensors to a gripper's surface can be difficult or impractical. If a gripper visibly deforms, contact pressure can be visually estimated using images from an external camera that observes the gripper. While researchers have demonstrated this capability in controlled laboratory settings, prior work has not addressed challenges associated with visual pressure estimation in the wild, where lighting, surfaces, and other factors vary widely. We present a model and associated methods that enable visual pressure estimation under widely varying conditions. Our model, Visual Pressure Estimation for Robots (ViPER), takes an image from an eye-in-hand camera as input and outputs an image representing the pressure applied by a soft gripper. Our key insight is that force/torque sensing can be used as a weak label to efficiently collect training data in settings where pressure measurements would be difficult to obtain. When trained on this weakly labeled data combined with fully labeled data that includes pressure measurements, ViPER outperforms prior methods, enables precision manipulation in cluttered settings, and provides accurate estimates for unseen conditions relevant to in-home use.Comment: Accepted for presentation at the 2023 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2023