ResQbot: a mobile rescue robot with immersive teleperception for casualty extraction

In this work, we propose a novel mobile rescue robot equipped with an immersive stereoscopic teleperception and a teleoperation control. This robot is designed with the capability to perform safely a casualty-extraction procedure. We have built a proof-of-concept mobile rescue robot called ResQbot for the experimental platform. An approach called “loco-manipulation” is used to perform the casualty-extraction procedure using the platform. The performance of this robot is evaluated in terms of task accomplishment and safety by conducting a mock rescue experiment. We use a custom-made human-sized dummy that has been sensorised to be used as the casualty. In terms of safety, we observe several parameters during the experiment including impact force, acceleration, speed and displacement of the dummy’s head. We also compare the performance of the proposed immersive stereoscopic teleperception to conventional monocular teleperception. The results of the experiments show that the observed safety parameters are below key safety thresholds which could possibly lead to head or neck injuries. Moreover, the teleperception comparison results demonstrate an improvement in task-accomplishment performance when the operator is using the immersive teleperception

Effects of standard training in the use of closed-circuit televisions in visually impaired adults: design of a training protocol and a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reading problems are frequently reported by visually impaired persons. A closed-circuit television (CCTV) can be helpful to maintain reading ability, however, it is difficult to learn how to use this device. In the Netherlands, an evidence-based rehabilitation program in the use of CCTVs was lacking. Therefore, a standard training protocol needed to be developed and tested in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to provide an evidence-based training program in the use of this device.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>To develop a standard training program, information was collected by studying literature, observing training in the use of CCTVs, discussing the content of the training program with professionals and organizing focus and discussion groups. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated in an RCT, to obtain an evidence-based training program. Dutch patients (n = 122) were randomized into a treatment group: normal instructions from the supplier combined with training in the use of CCTVs, or into a control group: instructions from the supplier only. The effect of the training program was evaluated in terms of: change in reading ability (reading speed and reading comprehension), patients' skills to operate the CCTV, perceived (vision-related) quality of life and tasks performed in daily living.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The development of the CCTV training protocol and the design of the RCT in the present study may serve as an example to obtain an evidence-based training program. The training program was adjusted to the needs and learning abilities of individual patients, however, for scientific reasons it might have been preferable to standardize the protocol further, in order to gain more comparable results.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p><url>http://www.trialregister.nl</url>, identifier: NTR1031</p

Hierarchical Partial Planarity

In this paper we consider graphs whose edges are associated with a degree of {\em importance}, which may depend on the type of connections they represent or on how recently they appeared in the scene, in a streaming setting. The goal is to construct layouts of these graphs in which the readability of an edge is proportional to its importance, that is, more important edges have fewer crossings. We formalize this problem and study the case in which there exist three different degrees of importance. We give a polynomial-time testing algorithm when the graph induced by the two most important sets of edges is biconnected. We also discuss interesting relationships with other constrained-planarity problems.Comment: Conference version appeared in WG201

Iterative algorithm and estimation of solution for a fractional order differential equation

In this paper, we establish an iterative algorithm and estimation of solutions for a fractional turbulent flow model in a porous medium under a suitable growth condition. Our main tool is the monotone iterative technique

Evaluating Active U: an Internet-mediated physical activity program.

Background: Engaging in regular physical activity can be challenging, particularly during the winter months. To promote physical activity at the University of Michigan during the winter months, an eight-week Internet-mediated program (Active U) was developed providing participants with an online physical activity log, goal setting, motivational emails, and optional team participation and competition. Methods: This study is a program evaluation of Active U. Approximately 47,000 faculty, staff, and graduate students were invited to participate in the online Active U intervention in the winter of 2007. Participants were assigned a physical activity goal and were asked to record each physical activity episode into the activity log for eight weeks. Statistics for program reach, effectiveness, adoption, and implementation were calculated using the Re-Aim framework. Multilevel regression analyses were used to assess the decline in rates of data entry and goal attainment during the program, to assess the likelihood of joining a team by demographic characteristics, to test the association between various predictors and the number of weeks an individual met his or her goal, and to analyze server load. Results: Overall, 7,483 individuals registered with the Active U website (≈16% of eligible), and 79% participated in the program by logging valid data at least once. Staff members, older participants, and those with a BMI < 25 were more likely to meet their weekly physical activity goals, and average rate of meeting goals was higher among participants who joined a competitive team compared to those who participated individually (IRR = 1.28, P < .001). Conclusion: Internet-mediated physical activity interventions that focus on physical activity logging and goal setting while incorporating team competition may help a significant percentage of the target population maintain their physical activity during the winter months

Wake Up and Talk with Me! In-the-Field Study of an Autonomous Interactive Wake Up Robot

12th International Conference, ICSR 2020, Golden, CO, USA, November 14–18, 2020In this paper, we present a robot that is designed to smoothly wake up a user in the morning. We created an autonomous interactive wake up robot that implements a wake up behavior that was selected through preliminary experiments. We conducted a user study to test the interactive robot and compared it to a baseline robot that behaves like a conventional alarm clock. We recruited 22 participants that agreed to bring the robot to their home and test it for two consecutive nights. The participants felt significantly less sleepy after waking up with the interactive robot, and reported significantly more intention to use the interactive robot

Toward Human-Carnivore Coexistence: Understanding Tolerance for Tigers in Bangladesh

Fostering local community tolerance for endangered carnivores, such as tigers (Panthera tigris), is a core component of many conservation strategies. Identification of antecedents of tolerance will facilitate the development of effective tolerance-building conservation action and secure local community support for, and involvement in, conservation initiatives. We use a stated preference approach for measuring tolerance, based on the ‘Wildlife Stakeholder Acceptance Capacity’ concept, to explore villagers’ tolerance levels for tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, an area where, at the time of the research, human-tiger conflict was severe. We apply structural equation modeling to test an a priori defined theoretical model of tolerance and identify the experiential and psychological basis of tolerance in this community. Our results indicate that beliefs about tigers and about the perceived current tiger population trend are predictors of tolerance for tigers. Positive beliefs about tigers and a belief that the tiger population is not currently increasing are both associated with greater stated tolerance for the species. Contrary to commonly-held notions, negative experiences with tigers do not directly affect tolerance levels; instead, their effect is mediated by villagers’ beliefs about tigers and risk perceptions concerning human-tiger conflict incidents. These findings highlight a need to explore and understand the socio-psychological factors that encourage tolerance towards endangered species. Our research also demonstrates the applicability of this approach to tolerance research to a wide range of socio-economic and cultural contexts and reveals its capacity to enhance carnivore conservation efforts worldwide

Digital Communication Technology: Does Offering a Choice of Modality Improve Medication Adherence and Outcomes in a Persistent Asthma Population?

Background: Use of digital communication technology has shown potential to improve asthma adherence and outcomes. Few studies have looked at patient preference around mode of medication reminders used to improve and maintain asthma medication adherence. Objective: To determine if, in a population already receiving automated medication reminders, offering a choice for preferred mode of reminder (text, email, phone) would improve their adherence and asthma outcomes over a 1-year period. Methods: This was a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial conducted at Kaiser Permanente Colorado involving 7522 adult patients with persistent asthma. Study patients were randomized to receive usual care or their choice of medication reminder. Differences between the 2 groups in both medication adherence and asthma outcomes were then assessed over the following year. Results: Only 30% of those offered a choice of medication reminder modality responded by making a choice, with 52% preferring text messaging. There was less of a decrease in adherence rate over the 1-year period in those who made a choice regarding the mode of medication refill reminder. There was no difference in asthma outcomes between those who did make a choice compared with those who did not make a choice regarding the mode of medication refill reminder. Conclusion: In a patient population already receiving medication reminders, offering a choice about what type of technology-enabled asthma medication reminder patients wanted did not improve outcomes but did enable a subgroup to better maintain their medication adherence.Ye

Behavioural changes in drivers experiencing highly-automated vehicle control in varying traffic conditions

Previous research has indicated that high levels of vehicle automation can result in reduced driver situation awareness, but has also highlighted potential benefits of such future vehicle designs through enhanced safety and reduced driver workload. Well-designed automation allows drivers’ visual attention to be focused away from the roadway and toward secondary, in-vehicle tasks. Such tasks may be pleasant distractions from the monotony of system monitoring. This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of voluntary secondary task uptake on the system supervisory responsibilities of drivers experiencing highly-automated vehicle control. Independent factors of Automation Level (manual control, highly-automated) and Traffic Density (light, heavy) were manipulated in a repeated-measures experimental design. 49 drivers participated using a high-fidelity driving simulator that allowed drivers to see, hear and, crucially, feel the impact of their automated vehicle handling. Drivers experiencing automation tended to refrain from behaviours that required them to temporarily retake manual control, such as overtaking, resulting in an increased journey time. Automation improved safety margins in car following, however this was restricted to conditions of light surrounding traffic. Participants did indeed become more heavily involved with the in-vehicle entertainment tasks than they were in manual driving, affording less visual attention to the road ahead. This might suggest that drivers are happy to forgo their supervisory responsibilities in preference of a more entertaining highly-automated drive. However, they did demonstrate additional attention to the roadway in heavy traffic, implying that these responsibilities are taken more seriously as the supervisory demand of vehicle automation increases. These results may dampen some concerns over driver underload with vehicle automation, assuming vehicle manufacturers embrace the need for positive system feedback and drivers also fully appreciate their supervisory obligations in such future vehicle designs