Generic Role Model for the Systematic Development of Internal AI-based Services in Manufacturing

Latest research has shown that one challenge for the development and implementation of Industrial AI-based services is uncertainty of roles and responsibilities. To address this challenge, we developed a generic role model for the systematic development of AI-based services in manufacturing. The role model describes which roles are necessary within the development process of an Industrial AI-based service. Thereby, a distinction is made whether the roles are assigned to the “core team”, the “extended team” or participate in “supporting roles”. Furthermore, the model shows whether the roles are involved in the “Ideation” phase, the “Requirements and design” phase, the “Test” phase or the “Implementation and roll-out” phase. Based on desktop research, semi-structured interviews and expert workshops we identified 22 roles that are relevant to the development and implementation of Industrial AI-based services

Experiences and Future of Using VR in the Construction Sector

Living in the era of digitalization shapes more or less all the aspects of one's life. The multitude of available technologies extends the range of tools, established processes, and available affordances in many spheres. Cities of the future will not only impact the living patterns of their inhabitants but also require special conditions and requirements for their planning and design. Virtual reality as an interactive tool for visualization and urban planning is no more tomorrow’s technology, as it can be seen from the appearance of cheaper and portable virtual reality devices. However, we still lack established routine and multidisciplinary best practices for designing VR educational applications. There are also not enough “visionary approaches” attempting to cross-sectoral exploitation of technologies. In this paper we will try to extrapolate and extend learning use cases of construction and mechatronics to the broader areas of construction and planning sector. We will discuss our experiences and use-cases of integrating innovative visualizations tools in the learning context of construction and planning related fields. Based on this, we will discuss potential applications and links to other disciplines and their integration into the construction and planning sector

Development of a Digital Video-Based Occupational Risk Assessment Method

The development and implementation of an observational video-based risk assessment is described. Occupational risk assessment is one of the most important yet also challenging tasks for employers. Most assessment tools to date use questionnaires, expert interviews, and similar tools. Video analysis is a promising tool for risk assessment, but it needs an objective basis. A video of a plastering worker was recorded using a 360° camera. The recording was then analyzed using the developed observational matrix concerning Work Characteristics, Work Activities as well as potential risks. Risk factors present during the video of the work included lifting, fall from ladder, hazardous substances as well as occasionally bad posture. The worker had no or just one risk factor present during most of the time of the video recording, while only 16 s with more than one risk factor present according to the observational matrix. The paper presents a promising practical method to assess occupational risks on a case-by-case basis. It can help with the risk assessment process in companies which is required by law in some industrialized countries. The matrix in combination with video analysis is a first step toward digital observational risk assessment. It can also be the basis of an automated risk assessment process

Avaliação sensorial olfativa em crianças recém-nascidas de mulheres infectadas com COVID-19 durante a gravidez

Introduction: In adults, olfactory loss is one of the earliest and most frequent acute clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The number of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 is relatively small, perhaps due to the lower expression of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) in children compared to adults. Little is known about foetal impairment in mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2. Objective: The goal of the present study is to develop and validate a behavioural evaluative scale of olfactory perception in healthy new-borns and to apply this scale to new-born children of women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy comparing to new-born children of women without COVID-19 infection history. Methods: This is a retrospective comparative analytical cohort study of 300 new-borns exposed and unexposed to COVID-19 during pregnancy. The data collection will follow the experimental procedure in a previous study that explored odours of the maternal breastmilk, vanilla (sweet) and distilled water (neutral). A coffee smell was implemented as an addition to this previous study in order to include the acid/bitterness category to the categories of stimuli. Discussion: It is feasible to argue the hypothesis of the involvement of the foetus' olfactory bulb during intrauterine life as one of the indelible pathophysiological manifestations to the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 with neurosensory olfactory deficit in foetuses and new-borns affected by intrauterine infection. This study aims to investigate if new-born children of women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy have olfactory sensory changes. The clinical trial was registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC- RBR-65qxs2). Introdução: Em adultos, a perda olfativa é uma das manifestações clínicas agudas mais precoces e frequentes da infecção por SARS-CoV-2. O número de crianças infectadas com SARS-CoV-2 é pequeno, talvez devido à menor expressão da Enzima Conversora da Angiotensina 2 (ACE2) em crianças em comparação com adultos. Pouco se sabe sobre o comprometimento fetal em mães infectadas com SARS-CoV-2. Objetivo: o objetivo do presente estudo é desenvolver e validar uma escala de avaliação comportamental da percepção olfativa em recém nascidos saudáveis ​​e aplicá-la a recém-nascidos de mulheres infectadas com COVID-19 durante a gravidez e comparar a recém-nascidos de mulheres sem histórico de infecção por COVID-19. Método: Este é um estudo de coorte analítico comparativo retrospectivo de 300 recém-nascidos expostos e não expostos ao COVID-19 durante a gravidez. A coleta de dados seguirá o procedimento experimental de estudo anterior que explorou odores do leite materno, baunilha (doce) e água destilada (neutro). Um cheiro de café foi implementado como um complemento a este estudo anterior, a fim de incluir a categoria ácido / amargo nas categorias de estímulos. Discussão: É possível argumentar a hipótese do envolvimento do bulbo olfatório do feto durante a vida intrauterina como uma das manifestações fisiopatológicas indeléveis para o diagnóstico clínico de COVID-19 com déficit olfatório neurossensorial em fetos e recém-nascidos afetados por infecção intrauterina. Este estudo tem como objetivo investigar se filhos recém nascidos de mulheres infectadas com COVID-19 durante a gravidez apresentam alterações sensoriais olfativas. O ensaio clínico foi registrado no Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC- RBR-65qxs2

The Development of a Multiple-Item Annoyance Scale (MIAS) for Transportation Noise Annoyance

In 2001, Team#6 of the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN) recommended the use of two single international standardised questions and response scales. This recommendation has been widely accepted in the scientific community. Nevertheless, annoyance can be regarded as a multidimensional construct comprising the three elements: (1) experience of an often repeated noise-related disturbance and the behavioural response to cope with it, (2) an emotional/attitudinal response to the sound and its disturbing impact, and (3) the perceived control or coping capacity with regard to the noise situation. The psychometric properties of items reflecting these three elements have been explored for aircraft noise annoyance. Analyses were conducted using data of the NORAH-Study (Noise-Related Annoyance, Cognition, and Health), and a multi-item noise annoyance scale (MIAS) has been developed and tested post hoc by using a stepwise process (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses). Preliminary results were presented to the 12th ICBEN Congress in 2017. In this study, the validation of MIAS is done for aircraft noise and extended to railway and road traffic noise. The results largely confirm the concept of MIAS as a second-order construct of annoyance for all of the investigated transportation noise sources; however, improvements can be made, in particular with regard to items addressing the perceived coping capacity

Generation of audiovisual immersive virtual environments to evaluate cognitive performance in classroom type scenarios

In the project ECoClass-VR, which is part of the AUDICTIVE priority programme, we investigate the suitability of audiovisual Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) for a “real-world” assessment of cognitive performance of adults and children in classroom-type environments under different visuospatial and acoustic conditions. Existing knowledge in this area comes predominantly from auditory experimental paradigms with typically simple acoustic replications. So far, only limited attention has been paid to visual processing, without considering relevant audiovisual aspects. In the project ECoClass-VR, it is planned to successively increase the realism of three existing psychological test paradigms that are first translated into audiovisual tasks and subsequently increased in terms of their realism with regard to cognitive tasks and IVEs. To do so, we use two different types of scene visualization: immersive 360° video, hence captured 360° video scenes and Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) based scenes generated by a software such as e.g. Unity. Within this paper, we present first results and explain how we captured and generated the corresponding IVEs. We describe the challenges as well as the technical solutions to achieve close-to-photorealism for two virtual representations of a classroom-type scene, and to enable the flexibility required for conducting the targeted cognitive performance tests

Development of a Digital Video-Based Occupational Risk Assessment Method

The development and implementation of an observational video-based risk assessment is described. Occupational risk assessment is one of the most important yet also challenging tasks for employers. Most assessment tools to date use questionnaires, expert interviews and similar tools. Video analysis is a promising tool for risk assessment, but it needs an objective basis. A video of a plastering worker was recorded using a 360 degree camera. The recording was then analyzed using the developed observational matrix concerning Work Characteristics, Work Activities as well as potential risks. Risk factors present during the video of the work included lifting, fall from ladder, hazardous substances as well as occasionally bad posture. The worker had no or just one risk factor present during most of the time of the video recording, while only 16 seconds with more than one risk factor present according to the observational matrix. The paper presents a promising practical method to assess occupational risks on a case-by-case basis. It can help with the risk assessment process in companies which is required by law in some industrialized countries. The matrix in combination with video analysis is a first step towards digital observational risk assessment. It can also be the basis of an automated risk assessment process

Development and psychometric properties of the sound preference and hearing habits questionnaire (SP-HHQ)

Objective: The aim of the study was, based on the individualisation of hearing aids (HA) and pre-sets for audio devices, to develop a questionnaire to determine the basis for profiling sound preferences and hearing habits to gather additional information usable for HA fitting and adjustment tools for audio-devices. Methods: We developed a questionnaire consisting of 46 items. A postal survey was conducted with N=622 users with a mean age of 66 years (47.9% aided with HA, 45.7% female). Results: Seven factors were identified by means of Explanatory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses: F1: Annoyance/distraction by background noise', F2: Importance of sound quality', F3: Noise Sensitivity', F4: Avoidance of unpredictable sounds', F5: Openness towards loud/new sounds', F6: Preferences for warm sounds', and F7: Details of environmental sounds/music'. Only the first of these factors was related to the audiogram of the user. No difference with any of the factors could be observed with HA use/non-use. In contrast, gender effects were found with female respondents preferring warm sounds and being more sensitive to noise. Conclusions: The sound preference and hearing habits questionnaire (SP-HHQ) is a usable tool for profiling the users with respect to sound preferences relevant for HA fitting and pre-sets for audio devices

Spatial Sound in a 3D Virtual Environment: All Bark and No Bite?

Although the focus of Virtual Reality (VR) lies predominantly on the visual world, acoustic components enhance the functionality of a 3D environment. To study the interaction between visual and auditory modalities in a 3D environment, we investigated the effect of auditory cues on visual searches in 3D virtual environments with both visual and auditory noise. In an experiment, we asked participants to detect visual targets in a 360° video in conditions with and without environmental noise. Auditory cues indicating the target location were either absent or one of simple stereo or binaural audio, both of which assisted sound localization. To investigate the efficacy of these cues in distracting environments, we measured participant performance using a VR headset with an eye tracker. We found that the binaural cue outperformed both stereo and no auditory cues in terms of target detection irrespective of the environmental noise. We used two eye movement measures and two physiological measures to evaluate task dynamics and mental effort. We found that the absence of a cue increased target search duration and target search path, measured as time to fixation and gaze trajectory lengths, respectively. Our physiological measures of blink rate and pupil size showed no difference between the different stadium and cue conditions. Overall, our study provides evidence for the utility of binaural audio in a realistic, noisy and virtual environment for performing a target detection task, which is a crucial part of everyday behaviour—finding someone in a crowd