Automated Component Testing of Evolutionary Software: An Industry Example

We present a summary of a problem analysis examining the challenges of introducing automated component black-box testing for an evolutionary grown software system. We outline the system and illustrate the challenges associated with testing. To explore to what extent black-box testing is feasible under a set of given conditions, we developed a prototype test automation framework. We describe the lessons learned in the process

Scale Stain: Multi-Resolution Feature Enhancement in Pathology Visualization

Digital whole-slide images of pathological tissue samples have recently become feasible for use within routine diagnostic practice. These gigapixel sized images enable pathologists to perform reviews using computer workstations instead of microscopes. Existing workstations visualize scanned images by providing a zoomable image space that reproduces the capabilities of the microscope. This paper presents a novel visualization approach that enables filtering of the scale-space according to color preference. The visualization method reveals diagnostically important patterns that are otherwise not visible. The paper demonstrates how this approach has been implemented into a fully functional prototype that lets the user navigate the visualization parameter space in real time. The prototype was evaluated for two common clinical tasks with eight pathologists in a within-subjects study. The data reveal that task efficiency increased by 15% using the prototype, with maintained accuracy. By analyzing behavioral strategies, it was possible to conclude that efficiency gain was caused by a reduction of the panning needed to perform systematic search of the images. The prototype system was well received by the pathologists who did not detect any risks that would hinder use in clinical routine

Supporting visualization analysis in industrial process tomography by using augmented reality—A case study of an industrial microwave drying system

Industrial process tomography (IPT) based process control is an advisable approach in industrial heating processes for improving system efficiency and quality. When using it, appropriate dataflow pipelines and visualizations are key for domain users to implement precise data acquisition and analysis. In this article, we propose a complete data processing and visualizing workflow regarding a specific case—microwave tomography (MWT) controlled industrial microwave drying system. Furthermore, we present the up-to-date augmented reality (AR) technique to support the corresponding data visualization and on-site analysis. As a pioneering study of using AR to benefit IPT systems, the proposed AR module provides straightforward and comprehensible visualizations pertaining to the process data to the related users. Inside the dataflow of the case, a time reversal imaging algorithm, a post-imaging segmentation, and a volumetric visualization module are included. For the time reversal algorithm, we exhaustively introduce each step for MWT image reconstruction and then present the simulated results. For the post-imaging segmentation, an automatic tomographic segmentation algorithm is utilized to reveal the significant information contained in the reconstructed images. For volumetric visualization, the 3D generated information is displayed. Finally, the proposed AR system is integrated with the on-going process data, including reconstructed, segmented, and volumetric images, which are used for facilitating interactive on-site data analysis for domain users. The central part of the AR system is implemented by a mobile app that is currently supported on iOS/Android platforms

Augmented Reality with Industrial Process Tomography: To Support Complex Data Analysis in 3D Space

Today, in-situ analyzing and monitoring are imperative for ensuring successful and healthy industrial processes in confined environments. With the rapid development of digitization, augmented reality (AR) has been utilized for letting people immersively interact with the necessary information. However, there are still knowledge gaps between AR technique and domain users pertaining to effective analysis of complex data. Hence, new solutions empowering domain users would benefit the whole industry. In this study, we report an initial prototype supporting complex data visualization and analysis in entire 3D surroundings within industrial process tomography (IPT). Microsoft HoloLens 2 is equipped for users to interact with the 3D information characterizing the workflow of the industrial process with high immersion. Our work distinctly improves the performance compared to existing solutions, pointing the way towards how AR should be deployed and developed more efficiently for aiding IPT systems

Substituting Animals with Biohybrid Robots: Speculative Interactions with Animal-Robot Hybrids

What if animals were substituted with biohybrid robots? The replacement of pets with bioinspired robots has long existed within technological imaginaries and HRI research. Addressing developments of bioengineering and biohybrid robots, we depart from such replacement to study futures inhabited by animal-robot hybrids. In this paper, we introduce a speculative concept of assembling and eating biohybrid robots. With this provocation as a starting point, we intend to initiate cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural discussions around human-food interaction practices and related topics

Real walking in virtual environments for factory planning and evaluation

Nowadays, buildings or production facilities are designed using specialized design software and building information modeling tools help to evaluate the resulting virtual mock-up. However, with current, primarily desktop based tools it is hard to evaluate human factors of such a design, for instance spatial constraints for workforces. This paper presents a new tool for factory planning and evaluation based on virtual reality that allows designers, planning experts, and workforces to walk naturally and freely within a virtual factory. Therefore, designs can be checked as if they were real before anything is built.ISSN:2212-827

Substituting Animals with Biohybrid Robots: Speculative Interactions with Animal-Robot Hybrids

What if animals were substituted with biohybrid robots? The replacement of pets with bioinspired robots has long existed within technological imaginaries and HRI research. Addressing developments of bioengineering and biohybrid robots, we depart from such replacement to study futures inhabited by animal-robot hybrids. In this paper, we introduce a speculative concept of assembling and eating biohybrid robots. With this provocation as a starting point, we intend to initiate cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural discussions around human-food interaction practices and related topics

Virtuality or Physicality? Supporting Memorization Through Augmented Reality Gamification

Augmented reality (AR) is evolving to become a pervasive tool for interacting with virtual objects. We conducted a comparative study to explore the impact of virtuality and physicality in supporting human memorization through gamification. A head-mounted display (HMD) AR memory matching game and a corresponding physical version game with paper boards were harnessed. The proof-of-concept version was demonstrated in an initial user study (n=12) with counterbalancing design to determine that our proposed gamified HMD AR system with virtuality could support better human memorization compared to the physical version game in reducing task time, improving usability, becoming more recommendable, and decreasing cognitive task workload. The study was then followed by quantitative analysis of the respective four metrics: game completion time (GCT), system usability scale (SUS), recommendation level, and NASA task load index (TLX). A brief qualitative analysis is presented. The results show that in our case, the virtuality outperformed the physicality in supporting human memorization in a gamified context through HMD AR in an evident range

Playing with Data: An Augmented Reality Approach to Interact with Visualizations of Industrial Process Tomography

Industrial process tomography (IPT) is a specialized imaging technique widely used in industrial scenarios for process supervision and control. Today, augmented/mixed reality (AR/MR) is increasingly being adopted in many industrial occasions, even though there is still an obvious gap when it comes to IPT. To bridge this gap, we propose the first systematic AR approach using optical see-through (OST) head mounted displays (HMDs) with comparative evaluation for domain users towards IPT visualization analysis. The proof-of-concept was demonstrated by a within-subject user study (n=20) with counterbalancing design. Both qualitative and quantitative measurements were investigated. The results showed that our AR approach outperformed conventional settings for IPT data visualization analysis in bringing higher understandability, reduced task completion time, lower error rates for domain tasks, increased usability with enhanced user experience, and a better recommendation level. We summarize the findings and suggest future research directions for benefiting IPT users with AR/MR

Collaborative Whiteboard: Towards Remote CollaBoration and Interaction in Construction Design

The need for improved collaboration and interaction in construction projects has grown significantly in recent years, especially as projects have become ever more complex. The early design stage is of particular importance for the final results as most of the building’s lifecycle characteristics are committed at this stage, and the opportunity to influence them decreases rapidly as the cost of making changes, or correcting design errors, increases dramatically. Recent advances in information technology offer methods and tools to meet this need. In view of this, a collaborative whiteboard (CollaBoard) for remote collaboration – is being developed to support mixed, geographically distributed teams. Interconnected via a network, two or more system setups allow users to interact and share information over a common, interactive vertical whiteboard, allowing experts from different disciplines access to databases through intuitive interfaces in order to integrate and optimize lifecycle-related parameters into a new product. Superimposing the live video of the remote partner – “people on content” – also allows the transfer of meta information, such as gestures, resulting in more intuitively distributed collaborative teamwork