Assessing Virtual Reality Spaces for Elders Using Image-Based Sentiment Analysis and Stress Level Detection

Seniors, in order to be able to fight loneliness, need to communicate with other people and be engaged in activities to keep their minds active to increase their social capital. There is an intensified interest in the development of social virtual reality environments, either by commerce or by academia, to address the problem of social isolation of older people. Due to the vulnerability of the social group involved in this field of research, the need for the application of evaluation methods regarding the proposed VR environments becomes even more important. The range of techniques that can be exploited in this field is constantly expanding, with visual sentiment analysis being a characteristic example. In this study, we introduce the use of image-based sentiment analysis and behavioural analysis as a technique to assess a social VR space for elders and present some promising preliminary results

Imageability-Based Multi-modal Analysis of Urban Environments for Architects and Artists

<p>According to urban planner Kevin Lynch, imageability is the ability of a physical object to evoke a strong image in any viewer, making it memorable. The concept of imageability is important for architects and urban designers, so that their creations meet the needs of the citizens and improve the aesthetics of the place. Recently, computer vision and textual analysis techniques have been investigated for calculating the imageability of a place. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-modal system that utilises both visual and textual analysis methods to estimate the imageability score of a place. In addition, an image sentiment analysis deep learning model had been developed to provide supplementary information about the sentiment that is evoked to citizens by urban locations. Finally, a text generation algorithm is used to provide an explanation of the information extracted by the data analysis in a form of text to facilitate the works of architects and urban designers.</p&gt

Connecting the Elderly Using VR: A Novel Art-Driven Methodology

Demographic change confronts us with an ever-increasing number of elderly people who face isolation and socialization issues. Background: The main challenge of this study is to inject emotional and aesthetic aspects into the design process of a virtual reality (VR) social space for the elderly. In this context, we asked architects and artists to improve the perception elderly people have of their way of communicating with others. Artists, in collaboration with computer engineers, designed experiences that evoke positive cognitive and emotional feelings and memories by following design trends and aesthetic values likely to be appreciated by older people, which were integrated in VR. Methods: We approached our goal by implementing an innovative art-driven methodology, using a plethora of technologies and methods, such as VR, artificial intelligence algorithms, visual analysis, and 3D mapping, in order to make design decisions based on a detailed understanding of the users’ preferences and collective behavior. Results: A so-called virtual village “Cap de Ballon” was co-created, having a public space inspired by the villages of Santorini and Meteora and a private space inspired by the 3D scanning of an elderly person’s apartment. Conclusions: The overall concept of the VR village‘s utility, design, and interior design were appreciated by the end users and the concept was evaluated as original and stimulating for creativity

Creating immersive experiences based on intangible cultural heritage

<p>Cultural heritage is a lot more than monuments and collections of objects. In addition, it includes traditions and living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as songs, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature, or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts. These elements constitute the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Safeguarding of ICH is an important factor in maintaining social coherence along with cultural diversity, but it also is a challenge in modern societies. The digitization of ICH, with the transcription of its artifacts, is already becoming a springboard for its preservation and re-use, but intangible heritage has more to offer than a library of content. Lately, the advancements in extended reality interactive technologies and in artificial intelligence break new ground in understanding and sensing intangible heritage. In this paper, we present the CHROMATA platform which aims at facilitating the creation of novel immersive experiences to sustain ICH. To achieve this, we are developing a web platform that provides the content retrieval from online sources and cultural institutions; the AI services for multimedia analysis, e.g., 3D pose estimation, folklore dance recognition, and textual analysis; the authoring interface where the non-developers designers can create their virtual experience. The various data (images, video, text, audio, and 3D models) are analysed using state-of-the-art methods for dance recognition and visualization, Laban Movement Analysis and Labanotation generation, textual sentiment analysis and text generation. Moreover, 3D reconstruction techniques are employed to accurately capture places of interest, as well as human activities to create the related virtual spaces. The CHROMATA platform aims to boost the revival of intangible cultural heritage via easing the creation of more complete and enlightening immersive experiences. The platform development is driven and validated by real use case scenarios in which designers, creators and historians are building virtual experiences of customs and dances of Greek culture.</p&gt