Results
- Showing results for:
- Reset all filters
Search results
-
Journal articleYin Y, Childs P, 2024,
A study of cognitive factor sequences and relations to creativity quality levels
, Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, Vol: 11, ISSN: 2662-9992Cognitive factors such as association, memory, and combination have been verified to be related to the creative design process. However, limited research has considered the effects of cognitive factors and their interaction on creative processes in practical creative design processes. This study aimed to detect the interactive effects of cognitive factors on creative processes in a practical creative design process. In particular, how the sequence of cognitive factors affects creativity quality levels of the creative solutions was investigated. Seventy-one participants were recruited to undertake a design task using the think-aloud method. The results of this study are as follows. (i) The sequences of cognitive factors can contribute to different creativity quality levels of solutions. The sequence of semantic memory, common association, remote association, episodic memory, remote combination, idea expression, and idea evaluation is more likely to lead to a higher creativity quality level of solutions. (ii) The repetition of the same cognitive factor in a creative design process, especially semantic memory, does not necessarily contribute to a high-creativity-quality-level solution. (iii) Creativity quality levels of solutions are related to how many cognitive factors categories are involved in the creative design process. The more cognitive factors included, the higher the creativity quality of the solutions will be.
-
Journal articleMulvey B, Nanayakkara T, 2024,
HAVEN: haptic and visual environment navigation by a shape-changing mobile robot with multimodal perception
, Scientific Reports, Vol: 14, ISSN: 2045-2322Many animals exhibit agile mobility in obstructed environments due to their ability to tune their bodies to negotiate andmanipulate obstacles and apertures. Most mobile robots are rigid structures and avoid obstacles where possible. In this work,we introduce a new framework named Haptic And Visual Environment Navigation (HAVEN) Architecture to combine vision andproprioception for a deformable mobile robot to be more agile in obstructed environments. The algorithms enable the robot to beautonomously a) predictive by analysing visual feedback from the environment and preparing its body accordingly, b) reactiveby responding to proprioceptive feedback, and c) active by manipulating obstacles and gap sizes using its deformable body.The robot was tested approaching differently sized apertures in obstructed environments ranging from greater than its shapeto smaller than its narrowest possible size. The experiments involved multiple obstacles with different physical properties.The results show higher navigation success rates and an average 32% navigation time reduction when the robot activelymanipulates obstacles using its shape-changing body.
-
Journal articleQiu D, Strbac G, Wang Y, et al., 2024,
Artificial intelligence for microgrid resilience: a data-driven and model-free approach
, IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, Vol: 22, Pages: 18-27, ISSN: 1540-7977Extreme weather events, which are characterized by high impact and low probability, can disrupt power system components and lead to severe power outages. The increasing adoption of renewable energy resources in the power sector, as part of decarbonization efforts, introduces further system operation challenges because of their fluctuating nature, potentially worsening the impact of these extreme weather events. To address the challenges from these high-impact and low-probability events, the concept of resilience has been introduced into the power industry. Considering the potential serious disruptions, the primary goal of resilient power system operation during extreme events is to ensure the continuous supply of critical loads, such as hospitals, police stations, data centers, traffic lights, etc., across various power sectors, which constitutes a system-wide load restoration problem.
-
Journal articleSadek M, Calvo R, Mougenot C, 2024,
Designing value-sensitive AI: a critical review and recommendations for socio-technical design processes
, AI and Ethics, Vol: 9, Pages: 949-967, ISSN: 2730-5961This paper presents a critical review of how different socio-technical design processes for AI-based systems, from scholarly works and industry, support the creation of value-sensitive AI (VSAI). The review contributes to the emerging field of human-centred AI, and the even more embryonic space of VSAI in four ways: (i) it introduces three criteria for the review of VSAI based on their contribution to design processes’ overall value-sensitivity, and as a response to criticisms that current interventions are lacking in these aspects: comprehensiveness, level of guidance offered, and methodological value-sensitivity, (ii) it provides a novel review of socio-technical design processes for AI-based systems, (iii) it assesses each process based on the mentioned criteria and synthesises the results into broader trends, and (iv) it offers a resulting set of recommendations for the design of VSAI. The objective of the paper is to help creators and followers of design processes—whether scholarly or industry-based—to understand the level of value-sensitivity offered by different socio-technical design processes and act accordingly based on their needs: to adopt or adapt existing processes or to create new ones.
-
Journal articleCutting J, Deterding S, 2024,
The task-attention theory of game learning: a theory and research agenda
, Human-Computer Interaction, Vol: 39, Pages: 257-287, ISSN: 0737-0024Why do learning games fail or succeed? Recent evidence suggests that attention forms an important moderator of learning from games. While existing media effects and learning theories acknowledge the role of attentional limits, they fail to account for the specific ways that games as interactive media steer attention. In response, we here develop the Task-Attention Theory of Game Learning. Drawing on current psychological and games research, task-attention theory argues that games as interactive media demand and structure the pursuit of tasks, which ties into distinct attentional mechanisms, namely learned attentional sets which focus attentional selection onto task-relevant features, as well as active sampling: users navigate and manipulate the game to elicit task-relevant information. This active sampling and selection precedes and moderates what information can be learned. We identify task-related game features (mechanics, goals, rewards and uncertainty) and demands (cognitive and perceptual load, pressure) that affect active sampling and attentional selection. We articulate implications and future work for game-based learning research and design, as well as wider media effects, learning, and HCI research.
-
Journal articleMeyer-Kahlen N, Schlecht SJ, Garí SA, et al., 2024,
Testing Auditory Illusions in Augmented Reality: Plausibility, Transfer-Plausibility, and Authenticity
, AES Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, Vol: 72, Pages: 797-812, ISSN: 1549-4950Experiments testing sound for augmented reality can involve real and virtual sound sources. Paradigms are either based on rating various acoustic attributes or testing whether a virtual sound source is believed to be real (i.e., evokes an auditory illusion). This study compares four experimental designs indicating such illusions. The first is an ABX task suitable for evaluation under the authenticity paradigm. The second is a Yes/No task, as proposed to evaluate plausibility. The third is a three-alternative-forced-choice (3AFC) task using different source signals for real and virtual, proposed to evaluate transfer-plausibility. Finally, a 2AFC task was tested. The renderings compared in the tests encompassed mismatches between real and virtual room acoustics. Results confirm that authenticity is hard to achieve under nonideal conditions, and ceiling effects occur because differences are always detected. Thus, the other paradigms are better suited for evaluating practical augmented reality audio systems. Detection analysis further shows that the 3AFC transfer-plausibility test is more sensitive than the 2AFC task. Moreover, participants are more sensitive to differences between real and virtual sources in the Yes/No task than theory predicts. This contribution aims to aid in selecting experimental paradigms in future experiments regarding perceptual and technical requirements for sound in augmented reality.
-
Journal articleChen L, Zhang Y, Han J, et al., 2024,
A foundation model enhanced approach for generative design in combinational creativity
, Journal of Engineering Design, Vol: 35, Pages: 1394-1420, ISSN: 0954-4828In creativity theory, combining two unrelated concepts into a novel idea is a common means of enhancing creativity. Designers can integrate the Additive concept into the Base concept to inspire and facilitate creative tasks. However, conceiving high-quality combinational ideas poses a challenge that combinational creativity itself demands the consideration of conceptual reasoning and synthesis. We propose an AI foundation model enhanced approach for supporting combinational creativity. This approach derives combinational embodiments, and assists humans in verbalising and externalising combinational ideas. Our experimental study demonstrates that the generated combinational ideas by the approach obtained highest scores compared to those ideas generated without an AI foundation model or combinational strategy. We built a combinational creativity tool called CombinatorX based on this approach to generate ideas. In a study with the comparison of an existing combinational creativity tool and Internet search, we validated that our approach improves the effectiveness of combinational idea generation, enables a reduction in labour force, and facilitates the refinement of combinational ideation.
-
Journal articleAlmukhtar A, Batcup C, Bowman M, et al., 2024,
Interventions to achieve environmentally sustainable operating theatres: an umbrella systematic review using the behaviour change wheel
, International Journal of Surgery, Vol: 110, Pages: 7245-7267, ISSN: 1743-9159Introduction: The healthcare sector is a major contributor to the climate crisis, and operating theatres (OTs) are one of the highest sources of emissions. To inform emissions reduction, this study aimed to (i) compare the outcomes of interventions targeting sustainable behaviours in OTs using the Triple Bottom Line framework, (ii) categorise the intervention strategies using the 5Rs (reduce, recycle, reuse, refuse, and renew) of circular economy, and (iii) examine Intervention Functions (IFs) using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW).Methods: Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched until June 2023 using the concepts: sustainability and surgery. The review was conducted in line with the Cochrane and Joanna Briggs Institution’s recommendations and was registered on PROSPERO. The results were reported in line with PRISMA, Supplemental Digital Content 1, https://links.lww.com/JS9/D210 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.Results: Sixteen reviews encompassing 43 life-cycle analyses, 30 interventions, 5 IFs, and 9 BCW policy categories were included. 28/30 (93%) interventions successfully led to sustainability improvements; however, the environmental outcomes were not suitable for meaningful comparisons due to their using different metrics and dependence on local factors. The ‘reduce’ strategy was the most prolific and commonly achieved through ‘education’ and/or ‘environmental restructuring’. However, single-session educational interventions were ineffective. Improving recycling relied on ‘environmental restructuring’. More intensive strategies such as ‘reuse’ require multiple intervention functions to achieve, either through a sustainability committee or through an intervention package.Conclusion: Policymakers must examine interventions within the local context. Comparing the outcomes of different interventions is difficult an
-
Journal articleZhao Y, Li H, Zhou H, et al., 2024,
A review of graph neural network applications in mechanics-related domains
, Artificial Intelligence Review: an international survey and tutorial journal, Vol: 57, ISSN: 0269-2821Mechanics-related tasks often present unique challenges in achieving accurate geometric and physical representations, particularly for non-uniform structures. Graph neural networks (GNNs) have emerged as a promising tool to tackle these challenges by adeptly learning from graph data with irregular underlying structures. Consequently, recent years have witnessed a surge in complex mechanics-related applications inspired by the advancements of GNNs. Despite this process, there is a notable absence of a systematic review addressing the recent advancement of GNNs in solving mechanics-related tasks. To bridge this gap, this review article aims to provide an in-depth overview of the GNN applications in mechanics-related domains while identifying key challenges and outlining potential future research directions. In this review article, we begin by introducing the fundamental algorithms of GNNs that are widely employed in mechanics-related applications. We provide a concise explanation of their underlying principles to establish a solid understanding that will serve as a basis for exploring the applications of GNNs in mechanics-related domains. The scope of this paper is intended to cover the categorisation of literature into solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and interdisciplinary mechanics-related domains, providing a comprehensive summary of graph representation methodologies, GNN architectures, and further discussions in their respective subdomains. Additionally, open data and source codes relevant to these applications are summarised for the convenience of future researchers. This article promotes an interdisciplinary integration of GNNs and mechanics and provides a guide for researchers interested in applying GNNs to solve complex mechanics-related tasks.
-
Journal articleGe Y, Zong R, Chen X, et al., 2024,
An origami-inspired endoscopic capsule with tactile perception for early tissue anomaly detection
, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Vol: 9, Pages: 10018-10025, ISSN: 2377-3766Video Capsule Endoscopy (VCE) is currently one of the most effective methods for detecting intestinal diseases. However, it is challenging to detect early-stage small nodules with this method because they lack obvious color or shape features. In this letter, we present a new origami capsule endoscope to detect early small intestinal nodules using tactile sensing. Four soft tactile sensors made out of piezoresistive material feed four channels of phase-shifted data that are processed using a particle filter. The particle filter uses an importance assignment template designed using experimental data from six known sizes of nodules. Moreover, the proposed capsule can use shape changes to move forward or backward under peristalsis passively. In the experiment, it was able to return to a specific area for repeated detection in a straight, two-dimensional intestinal model. Experimental results show that the proposed capsule can detect nodules of more than 3 mm diameter with 100% accuracy.
-
Journal articleCarman F, Ewen J, Bresme F, et al., 2024,
Molecular simulations of thermal transport across iron oxide-hydrocarbon interfaces
, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Vol: 16, Pages: 59452-59467, ISSN: 1944-8244The rational design of dielectric fluids for immersion cooling of batteries requires a molecular-level understanding of the heat flow across the battery casing/dielectric fluid interface. Here, we use nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations to quantify the interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) between hematite and poly-α-olefin (PAO), which are representative of the outer surface of the steel battery casing and a synthetic hydrocarbon dielectric fluid, respectively. After identifying the most suitable force fields to model the thermal properties of the individual components, we then compared different solid–liquid interaction potentials for the calculation of the ITR. These potentials resulted in a wide range of ITR values (4–21 K m2 GW–1), with stronger solid–liquid interactions leading to lower ITR. The increase in ITR is correlated with an increase in density of the fluid layer closest to the surface. Since the ITR has not been experimentally measured for the hematite/PAO interface, we validate the solid–liquid interaction potential using the work of adhesion calculated using the dry-surface method. The work of adhesion calculations from the simulations were compared to those derived from experimental contact angle measurements for PAO on steel. We find that all of the solid–liquid potentials overestimate the experimental work of adhesion. The experiments and simulations can only be reconciled by further reducing the strength of the interfacial interactions. This suggests some screening of the solid–liquid interactions, which may be due to the presence of an interfacial water layer between PAO and steel in the contact angle experiments. Using the solid–liquid interaction potential that reproduces the experimental work of adhesion, we obtain a higher ITR (33 K m2 GW–1), suggesting inefficient thermal transport. The results of this study demonstrate the potential for NEMD simulations to improve
-
Journal articleQian Q, Wang Y, Boyle D, 2024,
On solving close enough orienteering problems with overlapped neighborhoods
, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol: 318, Pages: 369-387, ISSN: 0377-2217The Close Enough Traveling Salesman Problem (CETSP) is a well-known variant of the classic TravelingSalesman Problem whereby the agent may complete its mission at any point within a target neighborhood.Heuristics based on overlapped neighborhoods, known as Steiner Zones (SZ), have gained attention inaddressing CETSPs. While SZs offer effective approximations to the original graph, their inherent overlapimposes constraints on the search space, potentially conflicting with global optimization objectives. Here weshow how such limitations can be converted into advantages in the Close Enough Orienteering Problem (CEOP)by aggregating prizes across overlapped neighborhoods. We further extend the classic CEOP with Non-uniformNeighborhoods (CEOP-) by introducing non-uniform cost considerations for prize collection. To tackle CEOP(and CEOP-), we develop a new approach featuring a Randomized Steiner Zone Discretization (RSZD)scheme coupled with a hybrid algorithm based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Ant Colony System(ACS) — CRaSZe-AntS. The RSZD scheme identifies sub-regions for PSO exploration, and ACS determinesthe discrete visiting sequence. We evaluate the RSZD’s discretization performance on CEOP instances derivedfrom established CETSP instances and compare CRaSZe-AntS against the most relevant state-of-the-art heuristicfocused on single-neighborhood optimization for CEOP instances. We also compare the performance of theinterior search within SZs and the boundary search on individual neighborhoods in the context of CEOP-. Ourexperimental results show that CRaSZe-AntS can yield comparable solution quality with significantly reducedcomputation time compared to the single neighborhood strategy, where we observe an averaged 140.44%increase in prize collection and 55.18% reduction of algorithm execution time. CRaSZe-AntS is thus highlyeffective in solving emerging CEOP-, examples of which include truck-and-drone delivery scenarios.
-
Journal articleGardner AJ, Iverson GL, Bloomfield P, et al., 2024,
Studying Contact Replays: Investigating Mechanisms, Management and Game Exposures (SCRIMMAGE) for brain health in the Australasian National Rugby League: a protocol for a database design
, BMJ OPEN SPORT & EXERCISE MEDICINE, Vol: 10 -
Journal articleBallou N, Deterding S, 2024,
The Basic Needs in Games Model of Video Game Play and Mental Health
, INTERACTING WITH COMPUTERS, ISSN: 0953-5438 -
Conference paperDavison M, Webb CJ, Ducceschi M, et al., 2024,
A self-sensing haptic actuator for tactile interaction with physical modelling synthesis
, The International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME 2024), Publisher: NIME Community, Pages: 574-581, ISSN: 2220-4806The use of transducers to excite physical modelling synthesisers with real-world audio signals is a well established practice within the digital musical instrument design community, yet it is normally presented as a unidirectional process – energy is transferred into the system from human to instrument. In this paper, a novel approach to tactile interaction with physical modelling synthesis is presented, through the use of a self-sensing vibrotactile transducer. This enables simultaneous collocated sensing and haptic actuation with a single moving coil transducer. A current drive amplifier is used for haptic actuation, using signals derived from the physical modelling synthesiser. The varying impedance of the transducer (due to changes in the mechanical damping) enables the sensing of force applied upon the device whilst also acting as a pickup to excite the physical model, all with simultaneous haptic actuation. A digital filter equivalent of the transducer’s impedance is used to prevent feedback in the system, allowing simultaneous excitation and haptic actuation without self-oscillation
-
Journal articleBORREL-JENSEN N, MEYER-KAHLEN N, 2024,
Synthesizing source directivity using DeepONet room acoustic predictions
, INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, Vol: 270, Pages: 9369-9377, ISSN: 0736-2935<jats:p>Incorporating source directivity when simulating spatial room impulse responses for virtual environments is crucial for achieving natural results. Directly injecting the directional source as the initial condition for a wave equation to solve would require re-running a numerical solver for each new directivity pattern, source position or orientation. Here we show that learned surrogate models can lead to large efficiency benefits if such variation shall be simulated. Although training such models is a computationally expensive process, performing inference over them is typically fast. Here we show how to exploit that property by training a deep neural operator network (DeepONet) only using omni-directional sources, and predicting the pressure on a variable grid of points, to which directivity filters are applied to generate arbitrary patterns. We show the fit of directictivity patterns to their re-synthesized versions from the output of a DeepONet.</jats:p>
-
Journal articlePRAWDA K, MEYER-KAHLEN N, SCHLECHT S, 2024,
Exploring sauna impulse responses
, INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings, Vol: 270, Pages: 8145-8154, ISSN: 0736-2935<jats:p>Sauna is an important element of Finnish tradition and culture, and its properties and features deserve preservation and archiving. Additionally, extreme temperature and humidity in a sauna comprise a unique environment for researching room acoustics in unusual atmospheric conditions. In the present study, we publish a dataset of room impulse response (RIR) measurements of a sauna during the process of warming up and throwing water on the stove. We explore several features of the dataset, such as the impact of the temperature and humidity distributions on the time-of-arrival of reflections, the atmospheric absorption of sound, and spectral coloration of measured RIRs. The results of this research show the influence of environmental factors on RIRs and allow an insight into the distinct room acoustics of a sauna while heating up.</jats:p>
-
Journal articleZhou Y, Sun Y, Li Y, et al., 2024,
A highly durable and UV‐resistant graphene‐based knitted textile sensing sleeve for human joint angle monitoring and gesture differentiation
, Advanced Intelligent Systems, Vol: 6, ISSN: 2640-4567Flexible strain sensors based on textiles have attracted extensive attention owing to their light weight, flexibility, and comfort when wearing. However, challenges in integrating textile strain sensors into wearable sensing devices include the need for outstanding sensing performance, long-term monitoring stability, and fast, convenient integration processes to achieve comprehensive monitoring. The scalable fabrication technique presented here addresses these challenges by incorporating customizable graphene-based sensing networks into knitted structures, thus creating sensing sleeves for precise motion detection and differentiation. The performance and real-world application potential of the sensing sleeve are evaluated by its precision in angle estimation and complex joint motion recognition during intra- and intersubject studies. For intra-subject analysis, the sensing sleeve only exhibits a 2.34° angle error in five different knee activities among 20 participants, and the sensing sleeves show up to 94.1% and 96.1% accuracy in the gesture classification of knee and elbow, respectively. For inter-subject analysis, the sensing sleeve demonstrates a 4.21° angle error, and it shows up to 79.9% and 85.5% accuracy in the gesture classification of knee and elbow, respectively. An activity-guided user interface compatible with the sensing sleeves for human motion monitoring in home healthcare applications is presented to illustrate the potential applications.
-
Journal articleRatcliffe E, Baxter W, Aurisicchio M, et al., 2024,
The role of ritual communication in consumption: a consumer coffee experience
, International Journal of Food Design, Vol: 9, Pages: 219-243, ISSN: 2056-6522Rituals are part of the consumer experience of goods, especially food and drink, and can contribute to consumer enjoyment of and fidelity to a specific product. However, we lack detailed description of food/beverage-related rituals and their potential impact on consumer perceptions, in particular whether and how communicating those rituals to consumers influences their attitudes. Here we use coffee as an example of a ritualized product within the UK market to explore this potential relationship and identify opportunities for design. In Study 1, we identified rituals associated with coffee preparation and consumption. In Study 2, we found that several procedural aspects of the rituals identified in Study 1 were not consistently conveyed in coffee advertising, indicating a potential gap in communication with consumers. In Study 3, we showed that communicating such rituals to consumers resulted in significantly greater willingness to pay for coffee, mediated by perceptions of social attention. This work connects growing interest in the psychological mechanisms of ritual with work on consumer perceptions and behaviour and carries significant implications for the design of messaging around food experience.
-
Journal articleYu X, Baker CE, Ghajari M, 2024,
Head impact location, speed and angle from falls and trips in the workplace
, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Vol: 52, Pages: 2687-2702, ISSN: 0090-6964Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common injury in the workplace. Trips and falls are the leading causes of TBI in the workplace. However, industrial safety helmets are not designed for protecting the head under these impact conditions. Instead, they are designed to pass the regulatory standards which test head protection against falling heavy and sharp objects. This is likely to be due to the limited understanding of head impact conditions from trips and falls in workplace. In this study, we used validated human multi-body models to predict the head impact location, speed and angle (measured from the ground) during trips, forward falls and backward falls. We studied the effects of worker size, initial posture, walking speed, width and height of the tripping barrier, bracing and falling height on the head impact conditions. Overall, we performed 1692 simulations. The head impact speed was over two folds larger in falls than trips, with backward falls producing highest impact speeds. However, the trips produced impacts with smaller impact angles to the ground. Increasing the walking speed increased the head impact speed but bracing reduced it. We found that 41% of backward falls and 19% of trips/forward falls produced head impacts located outside the region of helmet coverage. Next, we grouped all the data into three sub-groups based on the head impact angle: [0°, 30°], (30°, 60°] and (60°, 90°] and excluded groups with small number of cases. We found that most trips and forward falls lead to impact angles within the (30°, 60°] and (60°, 90°] groups while all backward falls produced impact angles within (60°, 90°] group. We therefore determined five representative head impact conditions from these groups by selecting the 75th percentile speed, mean value of angle intervals and median impact location (determined by elevation and azimuth angles) of each group. This led to two representative head impact conditions for trip
-
Journal articlevan der Meer D, Pinson P, Camal S, et al., 2024,
CRPS-based online learning for nonlinear probabilistic forecast combination
, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Vol: 40, Pages: 1449-1466, ISSN: 0169-2070 -
Journal articleHofmann A, Meyer-Kahlen N, Schlecht SJ, et al., 2024,
Audiovisual Congruence and Localization Performance in Virtual Reality: 3D Loudspeaker Model vs. Human Avatar
, AES Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, Vol: 72, Pages: 679-690, ISSN: 1549-4950This paper investigates audiovisual congruence in virtual reality with both horizontal and vertical offsets between audio and visual rendering. Audiovisual congruence and localization errors are assessed using loudspeaker playback and nonindividualized headphone rendering. To account for the influence of different types of visual information on congruence, presentations of a loudspeaker model and 3D human avatar were compared. Therefore, a new dataset of audiovisual speech was recorded. Results show that human avatar rendering increases perceived congruence, and experienced listeners have an increased tendency to respond with "incongruent" when a loudspeaker model is shown but not when the human avatar is presented. Moreover, a correlation is found between localization precision and audiovisual congruence for horizontally offset stimuli and avatar presentation. For vertical offsets, the angular range of congruence is generally large, and localization errors are high, so no correlation can be observed between the two. The paper contributes congruence ranges for audiovisual speech in virtual reality, which also has implications for augmented reality telepresence use.
-
Journal articleChen L, Cai Z, Jiang Z, et al., 2024,
AskNatureNet: a divergent thinking tool based on bio-inspired design knowledge
, Advanced Engineering Informatics: the science of supporting knowledge-intensive activities, Vol: 62, ISSN: 0954-1810Divergent thinking is a process in design by exploring multiple possible solutions, is crucial in the early stages of design to break fixation and expand the design ideation. Design-by-Analogy promotes divergent thinking, by studying solutions have solved similar problems and using this knowledge to make inferences and solve problems in new and unfamiliar situations. Bio-inspired design (BID) is a form of design by analogy and its knowledge provides diverse sources for analogy, making BID knowledge as a potential source for divergent thinking. Existing BID database has focused on collecting BID cases and facilitating the retrieval of biological knowledge. Despite its success, applying BID knowledge into divergent thinking still encounters challenge, as the association between source domain and target domain are always limited within a single case. In this work, a novel approach is proposed to support divergent thinking from three subsequent phases: encoding, retrieval and mapping. Specifically, biological knowledge is encoded in a triple form by employing a large language model (LLM) to extract key information from a well-known BID knowledge base. The created triples are implemented in a semantic network to facilitate bidirectional retrieval modes: problem-driven and solution-driven, as well as mapping for divergent thinking. The mapping algorithm calculates the semantic similarity between nodes in the semantic network based on their attributes in three progressive steps by following the paradigm of divergent thinking. The proposed approach is implemented as tool called AskNatureNet,1 which supports divergent thinking by retrieving and mapping knowledge in a visualized interactive semantic network. An ideation case study on evaluating the effectiveness of AskNatureNet shows that our tool is capable of supporting divergent thinking efficiently.
-
Journal articleLou Z, Min X, Li G, et al., 2024,
Advancing sensing resolution of impedance hand gesture recognition devices
, IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Vol: 28, Pages: 5855-5864, ISSN: 2168-2194Gestures are composed of motion information (e.g. movements of fingers) and force information (e.g. the force exerted on fingers when interacting with other objects). Current hand gesture recognition solutions such as cameras and strain sensors primarily focus on correlating hand gestures with motion information and force information is seldom addressed. Here we propose a bio-impedance wearable that can recognize hand gestures utilizing both motion information and force information. Compared with previous impedance-based gesture recognition devices that can only recognize a few multi-degrees-of-freedom gestures, the proposed device can recognize 6 single-degree-of-freedom gestures and 20 multiple-degrees-of-freedom gestures, including 8 gestures in 2 force levels. The device uses textile electrodes, is benchmarked over a selected frequency spectrum, and uses a new drive pattern. Experimental results show that 179 kHz achieves the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reveals the most distinct features. By analyzing the 49,920 samples from 6 participants, the device is demonstrated to have an average recognition accuracy of 98.96%. As a comparison, the medical electrodes achieved an accuracy of 98.05%.
-
Journal articleVuorre M, Ballou N, Hakman T, et al., 2024,
Affective Uplift During Video Game Play: A Naturalistic Case Study
, Games: Research and Practice, Vol: 2, Pages: 1-14<jats:p>Do video games affect players’ well-being? In this case study, we examined 162,325 intensive longitudinal in-game mood reports from 67,328 play sessions of 8,695 players of the popular game PowerWash Simulator. We compared players’ moods at the beginning of play sessions with their moods during play and found that the average player reported 0.034 (0.032, 0.036) visual analog scale (VAS; 0-1) units greater mood during than at the beginning of play sessions. Moreover, we predict that 72.1% (70.8%, 73.5%) of similar players experience this affective uplift during play, and that the bulk of it happens during the first 15 minutes of play. We do not know whether these results indicate causal effects or to what extent they generalize to other games or player populations. Yet, these results based on in-game subjective reports from players of a popular commercially available game suggest good external validity and as such offer a promising glimpse of the scientific value of transparent industry–academia collaborations in understanding the psychological roles of popular digital entertainment.</jats:p>
-
Journal articleZou Y, Zhao C, Childs P, et al., 2024,
Cross-cultural design in costume: case study on totemic symbols of China and Thailand
, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Vol: 11, ISSN: 2662-9992Cross-cultural design has emerged as a pivotal domain of significance within the context of globalization. In the field of cross-cultural design, designers are tasked with addressing user requirements and identity characteristic contexts across diverse cultural backgrounds, aiming to achieve enhanced service delivery and cultural dissemination outcomes. Nonetheless, the landscape of contemporary fashion design research exhibits a noticeable dearth in studies that effectively integrate with cross-cultural design. This study selects the iconic cultural symbols of the Chinese loong (dragon) and Thai naga as case subjects, embarking upon research that employs costume design as a medium and bridge for cross-cultural design and communication. The research methodology integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches, including field investigations, participatory research, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis, thereby substantiating theoretical constructs through empirical investigation. The study proposes that cross-cultural costume design, undertaken with the purpose of cross-cultural communication, can be conceptualized as a cyclical process involving multiple encoding and decoding iterations. The research elaborates on how costume, functioning as a non-verbal language, serve as a medium for facilitating cross-cultural interactions. Furthermore, the design extraction of cultural symbols is approached through a four-tiered framework. By articulating its research perspective, methodologies, and design cases, this study contributes valuable insights to researchers and practitioners engaged in cross-cultural design and related fields.
-
Journal articleAunger R, Deterding S, Zhao X, et al., 2024,
Applying the Barker School concept of 'behaviour settings' to virtual contexts
, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol: 379, ISSN: 0962-8436People are spending more and more time interacting with virtual objects and environments. We argue that Roger Barker's concept of a 'behaviour setting' can be usefully applied to such experiences with relatively little modification if we recognize subjective aspects of such experiences such as presence and immersion. We define virtual behaviour settings as virtual environments where the partly or fully digital milieu is synomorphic with and circumjacent to embodied behaviour, as opposed to the fragmented behaviour settings of much-mediated interaction. We present two tools that can help explain and predict the outcomes of virtual experiences-the behaviour setting canvas (BSC) and model-and demonstrate their utility through examples. We conclude that the behaviour setting concept is helpful in both designing virtual environments and understanding their impact, while virtual environments offer a powerful new methodological paradigm for studying behaviour settings. This article is part of the theme issue 'People, places, things, and communities: expanding behaviour settings theory in the twenty-first century'.
-
Journal articleLin L, Hamedmoghadam H, Shorten R, et al., 2024,
Quantifying indirect and direct vaccination effects arising in the SIR model
, JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE, Vol: 21, ISSN: 1742-5689 -
Journal articleYu Z, Childs P, Ge Y, et al., 2024,
Whisker sensor for robot environments perception: a review
, IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol: 24, Pages: 28504-28521, ISSN: 1530-437XNocturnal mammals such as rats heavily depend onwhisker based tactile perception to find their way through burrows and to identify objects. There is diversity in the whiskers in terms of the physical structure and nervous innervation. The robotics community has developed many different whisker sensors inspired by this biological basis. They take diverse mechanical, electronic, andcomputational approaches to use whiskers to identify the geometry, mechanical properties, and texture of objects. Some work address specific object features and some others address multiple features. Therefore, it is vital to have a comprehensive discussion of the literature and to understand the merits of both bio-inspired and pureengineered approaches to whisker based tactile perception. In this paper we report and discuss the progress in following areas: The body of mammalian whisker follicle, unimodal whiskered sensors, multimodal whiskered sensors with variable stiffness that can capture tactile sensory stimuli of different frequencies, obstacles detection, shape detection, texture classification and robot navigation using whiskers.
-
Conference paperHu X, Li J, Picinali L, et al., 2024,
HRTF spatial upsampling in the spherical harmonics domain employing a generative adversarial network
, 27th International Conference on Digital Audio Effects (DAFx24), Publisher: University of Surrey, Pages: 396-403A Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) is able to capture alterations a sound wave undergoes from its source before it reaches the entrances of a listener’s left and right ear canals, and is imperative for creating immersive experiences in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR). Nevertheless, creating personalized HRTFs demands sophisticated equipment and is hindered by time-consuming data acquisition processes. To counteract these challenges, various techniques for HRTF interpolation and up-sampling have been proposed. This paper illustrates how Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) can be applied to HRTF data upsampling in the spherical harmonics domain. We propose using Autoencoding Generative Adversarial Networks (AE-GAN) to upsample low-degree spherical harmonics coefficients and get a more accurate representation of the full HRTF set. The proposed method is bench-marked against two baselines: barycentric interpolation and HRTFselection. Results from log-spectral distortion (LSD) evaluation suggest that the proposed AE-GAN has significant potential for upsampling very sparse HRTFs, achieving 17% improvement over baseline methods.
This data is extracted from the Web of Science and reproduced under a licence from Thomson Reuters. You may not copy or re-distribute this data in whole or in part without the written consent of the Science business of Thomson Reuters.
Contact us
Dyson School of Design Engineering
Imperial College London
25 Exhibition Road
South Kensington
London
SW7 2DB
design.engineering@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7594 8888