Computer-based Devices Research Articles

Gaze perception and awareness in smart devices

Eye contact and gaze awareness play a significant role for conveying emotions and intentions during face-to-face conversation. Humans can perceive each other's gaze quite naturally and accurately. However, the gaze awareness/perception are ambiguous during video teleconferencing performed by computer-based devices (such as laptops, tablet, and smart-phones). The reasons for this ambiguity are the (i) camera position relative to the screen and (ii) 2D rendition of 3D human face i.e., the 2D screen is unable to deliver an accurate gaze during video teleconferencing. To solve this problem, researchers have proposed different hardware setups with complex software algorithms. The most recent solution for accurate gaze perception employs 3D interfaces, such as 3D screens and 3D face-masks. However, today commonly used video teleconferencing devices are smart devices with 2D screens. Therefore, there is a need to improve gaze awareness/perception in these smart devices. In this work, we have revisited the question; how to improve a remote user's gaze awareness among his/her collaborators. Our hypothesis is that 'an accurate gaze perception can be achieved bythe '3D embodiment' of a remote user's head gesture during video teleconferencing'. We have prototyped an embodied telepresence system (ETS) for the 3D embodiment of a remote user's head. Our ETS is based on a 3-DOF neck robot with a mounted smart device (tablet PC). The electromechanical platform in combination with a smart device is a novel setup that is used for studying gaze awareness/perception in 2D screen-based smart devices during video teleconferencing. Two important gaze-related issues are considered in this work; namely (i) 'Mona-Lisa Gaze Effect' - the gaze is always directed at the person independent of his position in the room, and (ii) 'Gaze Awareness/Faithfulness' - the ability to perceive an accurate spatial relationship between the observing person and the object by an actor. Our results confirm that the 3D embodiment of a remote user head not only mitigates the Mona Lisa gaze effect but also supports three levels of gaze faithfulness, hence, accurately projecting the human gaze in distant space. HighlightsHow to improve a gaze perception in 2D screens (tablet PC, iPad) based conferencing?How to curtail Mona-Lisa Gaze Effect in these 2D screen based devices?How to achieve gaze faithfulness (mutual, partial and full) in these devices?

Optimizing Estimates of Instantaneous Heart Rate from Pulse Wave Signals with the Synchrosqueezing Transform.

With recent advances in sensor and computer technologies, the ability to monitor peripheral pulse activity is no longer limited to the laboratory and clinic. Now inexpensive sensors, which interface with smartphones or other computer-based devices, are expanding into the consumer market. When appropriate algorithms are applied, these new technologies enable ambulatory monitoring of dynamic physiological responses outside the clinic in a variety of applications including monitoring fatigue, health, workload, fitness, and rehabilitation. Several of these applications rely upon measures derived from peripheral pulse waves measured via contact or non-contact photoplethysmography (PPG). As technologies move from contact to non-contact PPG, there are new challenges. The technology necessary to estimate average heart rate over a few seconds from a noncontact PPG is available. However, a technology to precisely measure instantaneous heat rate (IHR) from non-contact sensors, on a beat-to-beat basis, is more challenging. The objective of this paper is to develop an algorithm with the ability to accurately monitor IHR from peripheral pulse waves, which provides an opportunity to measure the neural regulation of the heart from the beat-to-beat heart rate pattern (i.e., heart rate variability). The adaptive harmonic model is applied to model the contact or non-contact PPG signals, and a new methodology, the Synchrosqueezing Transform (SST), is applied to extract IHR. The body sway rhythm inherited in the non-contact PPG signal is modeled and handled by the notion of wave-shape function. The SST optimizes the extraction of IHR from the PPG signals and the technique functions well even during periods of poor signal to noise. We contrast the contact and non-contact indices of PPG derived heart rate with a criterion electrocardiogram (ECG). ECG and PPG signals were monitored in 21 healthy subjects performing tasks with different physical demands. The root mean square error of IHR estimated by SST is significantly better than commonly applied methods such as autoregressive (AR) method. In the walking situation, while AR method fails, SST still provides a reasonably good result. The SST processed PPG data provided an accurate estimate of the ECG derived IHR and consistently performed better than commonly applied methods such as autoregressive method.

Smarter palliative care for cancer: Use of smartphone applications.

Smartphones are technologically advanced mobile phone devices which use software similar to computer-based devices as a user-friendly interface. This review article is aimed to inform the palliative care professionals, cancer patients and their caregivers about the role of smartphone applications (apps) in the delivery of palliative care services, through a brief review of existing literature on the development, feasibility, analysis, and effectiveness of such apps. There is a dearth need for sincere palliative care clinicians to work together with software professionals to develop the suitable smartphone apps in accordance with the family/caregivers’ necessities and patients’ biopsychosocial characteristics that influence the technology driven evidence informed palliative cancer care.

A Tablet-PC-Based Cancellation Test Assessing Executive Functions in Older Adults.

To examine older adults' performance on a newly developed tablet-PC-based cancellation test (e-CT) and to study its psychometric properties. 94 older adults with normal cognitive functioning were recruited. The effects of age, education, sex, and experience with computer-based devices on the e-CT were examined. Construct validity was tested by correlating the e-CT with established measures of executive functions (EF) and episodic memory. Correlation coefficients were used to assess short-term test-retest reliablity. The mean age of participants was 74.6 (SD: 7.3) years and 78% were women. Sixty-nine percent had higher education level (> high school) and 76% used computer-based devices daily. The correct cancellations (CC) on the e-CT ranged from 18 to 56, with a mean (SD) of 40.3 (5.7). The CC was inversely correlated with advancing age (rs=-0.59, N= 94, p<0.001) and positively associated with higher education level (U(94)= 646.5, p=0.02). No relationship was observed between the e-CT and sex or computer-based device experience. In multivariate analysis, only age remained significantly associated with CC (β=-0.46, SE= 0.07, t=-6.47, df= 93, p<0.001). The e-CT correlated significantly with most of measures of EF. Highest correlations were found between the e-CT and the K-T test, a paper-and-pencil cancellation test (rs= 0.63, N= 90, p<0.001) and TMT-B (rs=-0.41, N= 85, p<0.001). The e-CT did not correlate with the RL-RI 16 episodic memory test. The correlation between the first and second e-CT indicated good reliability (rs= 0.89, N= 13, p<0.001). Results suggested that e-CT has good psychometric properties and may be useful for assessing EF in older adults.

Shall We Talk? Conversing With Humans and Robots

While social robots are the creation of human beings, it is not obvious what kinds of conversation people desire to have with computer-based devices. Progressive improvements in speech recognition, natural language parsing, and physical embodiment are making it technologically possible for social robots to engage with humans in essentially the full range of conversational modes that we do with one another. However, when we examine the variety of possible (human) linguistic functions, we discover reasons people may not wish for total verisimilitude when interacting linguistically with robots. Informational and empathetic functions are likely to be more welcomed than those involving social control or critique.

Shall We Talk? Conversing With Humans and Robots

While social robots are the creation of human beings, it is not obvious what kinds of conversation people desire to have with computer-based devices. Progressive improvements in speech recognition,...

The future of conference posters: 'hipster and geek!'.

sisting of those who are willing to dive straight in to take a history in front of their peers, and those who hide in the distance. Quiet candidates may have an understanding but feel overpowered by their more overbearing colleagues. Alternatively they may not have a thorough appreciation of the case in question and hence do not engage accordingly. What was tried? To help assist candidates who are primarily overpowered by more vocal students during real-life patient encounters and to ensure adequate exposure to history taking, we trialled a virtual patient encounter centred on back pain. We utilised this case as it can present in both acute and chronic settings and has numerous differentials that range from musculoskeletal to neurological contexts. The case involved interacting with a virtual patient through text-based means and focused on all aspects of history taking, from eliciting the presenting complaint to recording the past medical history, family history, social history and drug history, and included a systems review. Candidates were allowed to interact with the virtual patient at leisure through their own computer-based devices and in an environment they preferred. Following completion, candidates were asked to report their differentials and the most likely diagnosis, and to detail how they would proceed with investigations and management of the case. What lessons were learned? We utilised this virtual case to gather feedback from students on whether this approach to history taking would prove useful prior to real-life patient assessment. We also learned that it is often difficult for candidates to interact with such pathology in real life in the absence of exposure or patient agreement to interact with student doctors. We were able to demonstrate that the case proved useful in the aspects mentioned. We also gained information on how we might enhance the realism of the virtual patient interaction by using speech recognition technology, as well as by developing answer options to questions that offered a more appropriate response than: ‘Sorry, I do not understand the question.’ With consideration of these points, we are now able to refine the current virtual case before introducing it in a more formalised fashion.

Hypermedia Tools Enhance Learning in ADHD Students

Hypermedia Tools Enhance Learning in ADHD StudentsRosa Angela Fabio and Alessandro AntoniettiRosa Angela FabioSearch for more papers by this author and Alessandro Antonietti1 Professor of Cognitive Psychology in the Department of Cognitive Science and Education at the University of Messina, Via Concezione 6/8 - 98122, Messina, Italy. E-mail: [email protected].Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:June 2014https://doi.org/10.1521/adhd.2014.22.4.8PDFPDF PLUS ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations About"Hypermedia Tools Enhance Learning in ADHD Students." , 22(4), pp. 8–9 Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Cited byCited by1. Fairy tale directed game-based training system for children with ADHD using BCI and motion sensing technologiesOnline publication date: 16 November 2018. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar Volume 22Issue 4Jun 2014 Information© 2014 The Guilford PressPDF download

The nature of arm movement in children with cerebral palsy when using computer-generated exercise games

Purpose: To compare upper limb kinematics of children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) using a passive rehabilitation joystick with those of adults and able-bodied children, to better understand the design requirements of computer-based rehabilitation devices. Method: A blocked comparative study involving seven children with spastic CP, nine able-bodied adults and nine able-bodied children, using a joystick system to play a computer game whilst the kinematics of their upper limb were recorded. The translational kinematics of the joystick’s end point and the participant’s shoulder movement (protraction/retraction) and elbow rotational kinematics (flexion/extension) were analysed for each group. Results: Children with spastic CP matched their able-bodied peers in the time taken to complete the computer task, but this was due to a failure to adhere to the task instructions of travelling along a prescribed straight line when moving between targets. The spastic CP group took longer to initiate the first movement, which showed jerkier trajectories and demonstrated qualitatively different movement patterns when using the joystick, with shoulder movements that were significantly of greater magnitude than the able-bodied participants. Conclusions: Children with spastic CP generate large shoulder and hence trunk movements when using a joystick to undertake computer-generated arm exercises. This finding has implications for the development and use of assistive technologies to encourage exercise and the instructions given to users of such systems.Implications for RehabilitationA kinematic analysis of upper limb function of children with CP when using joystick devices is presented.Children with CP may use upper body movements to compensate for limitations in voluntary shoulder and elbow movements when undertaking computer games designed to encourage the practice of arm movement.The design of rehabilitative computer exercise systems should consider movement of the torso/shoulder as it may have implications for the quality of therapy in the rehabilitation of the upper limb in children with CP.

Engaging Older Adults with Dementia in Creative Occupations Using Artificially Intelligent Assistive Technology

Engagement in creative occupations has been shown to promote well-being for older adults with dementia. Providing access to such occupations is often difficult, as successful participation requires face-time with a person who is knowledgeable in facilitating engagement as well as access to any required resources, such as an arts studio. In response, a computer-based device, the Engaging Platform for Art Development (ePAD), was created to with the aim of enabling more independent access to art creation. ePAD is a an artificially intelligent touch-screen device that estimates a client's level of engagement and provides prompts to encourage engagement if the client becomes disengaged. ePAD is customizable such that an art therapist can choose themes and tools that they feel reflect their client's needs and preferences. This article presents a mixed-methods study that evaluated ePAD's usability by six older adult (with mild-to-moderate dementia) and art therapist dyads. Usability measures suggest that all participants found ePAD engaging but did not find prompts effective. Future development of ePAD includes improving the prompts, implementing the recommendations made by participants in this research, and long-term testing in more naturalistic art therapy contexts.

Advances in Assisted Tool for Autism

Children diagnosed with autism, which affects one in every 165 children, are thought to lack or have impairment in some representational sets of abilities. As a result, they have difficulties operating in our highly complex social environment, and are for the most part, unable to understand other people's emotions. People express their emotion states all the time, even when interacting with machines. These emotion states shape the decisions that we make, govern how we communicate with others, and affect our performance. The ability to attribute emotion states to others from their behaviour, and to use that knowledge to guide one's own actions and predict those of others is known as emotion-recognition. To allow children with autism to read and respond to the emotions of people, we propose a computer-based device called Cognitive Assistive Computational-based Emotional State Recognition to assist autistic children to understand, interpret and react to emotions of people they interact with. The system is real-time as the computation time is of vital important to enable real-time interactive training for the system to learn and analyze the human emotions for autistic children.

Computer-based assistive technology device for use by children with physical disabilities: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of children with physical disabilities who used a computer-based ATD, and to examine characteristics differences in children and youths who do or do not use computer-based ATDs, as well as, investigate differences that might influence the satisfaction of those two groups of children and youths when computers are being used for in-school and outside school activities.Method: A cross-sectional survey about computer-based activities in and outside school (n = 287) and group comparisons.Results: The prevalence of using computer-based ATDs was about 44 % (n = 127) of the children in this sample. These children were less satisfied with their computer use in education and outside school activities than the children who did not use an ATD.Conclusion: Improved coordination of the usage of computer-based ATDs in school and in the home, including service and support, could increase the opportunities for children with physical disabilities who use computer-based ATDs to perform the computer activities they want, need and are expected to do in school and outside school.Implications for RehabilitationThe prevalence of using a computer-based ATD in school was 44%, that is, it was common for children and youths with physical disabilities to use ATDs. Improved coordination of the usage of computer-based ATDs in school and in the home, including service and support, could increase the opportunities for children with physical disabilities who use computer-based ATDs to perform the computer activities they want, need and are expected to do in school and outside school.Children with physical disabilities who used a computer-based ATD were dissatisfied with the service provided for their ATDs. It important to use existing assessments to a high degree to augment the children’s and youth’s satisfaction with their access to and their use of computer-based ATDs for participation in ICT-activities in everyday activities. Further research is certainly needed to validate the use of any eventual existing instruments or to identify the needs with the aim to developing new ones for children and youths with disabilities where there is a deficiency.

Use of ICT in school: a comparison between students with and without physical disabilities

The aim of this study was to determine the information and communication technologies use in school activities of two groups of students with physical disabilities, comprised of those who did and those who did not use a computer-based assistive technology device (ATD) and to make a comparison with students from the general population. In addition, positive factors associated with in-school computer use are identified for students with physical disabilities. The method adopted was a cross-sectional survey about computer-based activities in school among students with physical disabilities (n = 287); including those who used (n = 127) and those who did not use (n = 160) a computer-based ATD in school (mean age 13 years 6 months). Group comparisons were made with students from the general population (n = 940). The results showed that the most frequent computer users were students with physical disabilities, who used a computer-based ATD daily. However, when considered as a group, students with physical disabilities used the computer for less varied educational activities than the reference group. Four factors had a positive association to ‘participation in computer activities in school’ for students with physical disabilities: attending a mainstream school, the students’ age (notably, being 16–18 years old), using a computer often in school, and the teachers using a computer frequently in teaching. The present study concludes that, regardless of whether they use a computer-based ATD or not, students with a physical disability have restricted participation in some computer-based educational activities in comparison to students from the general population. An individual plan could be beneficial for each student to: focus on the aim of the computer use; examine the students’ needs in terms of computer-based ATDs and their inclusion in education; and ensure that the students’ digital skills are fully utilised.

UK software patents – Get with the program

Computer-implemented inventions feature in almost every field of technology, and although improvements to computer-based devices are routinely made in software, the circumstances in which patent protection is available remains unclear. The patentability of software varies considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Worryingly, there are variations in form, if not in substance, between patent offices working from the same legal source. Against the background of a sea change in the US position, there is the prospect of a clarification of the European Patent Office approach that will provide a platform for consistency in Europe. This paper focuses on the UK position, highlights the tension between the UK and the EPO and considers the key questions before the EPO's Enlarged Board of Appeal.

Learning Styles of Orthodontic Residents

Significant challenges face many orthodontic residency programs, particularly a shortage of full-time experienced faculty members. Due to this shortage, it is critical that program directors design comprehensive curricula that incorporate the most effective and efficient teaching methods. It is theorized that teaching effectiveness and efficiency are optimized when the course design and content closely match students' learning preferences. This survey study was designed to distinguish the learning preferences of orthodontic residents utilizing Felder and Soloman's Index of Learning Styles, which assesses student learning preferences in four dimensions using dichotomous scales, thereby providing insight into how teaching strategies can best be structured. As a secondary focus, additional questions on the survey were asked to gain information about residents' access to the Internet and comfort level with online learning so as to address acceptance of web-based courses in response to the shortage of full-time faculty members. Orthodontic residents, contacted via email, were requested to complete an online survey; 261 responses were collected. The results indicate that orthodontic residents are highly visual learners and show a preference for sensing and sequential learning strategies. In terms of information technology, the residents are comfortable with and have adequate access to current technological assets; therefore, they may be well suited for inclusion of computer-based teaching modules and other multimedia devices in their residency curriculum.

Dynamic and Steady Behavior of Harmonic Filter for Compensating Resonance in Mining Systems

Process integration and automation in mining facilities require systems engineering involving electronics, information technologies, telecommunication, computer-based devices and power electronics control for a broad range of functions. Electronics controllability has evolved with power converter-based systems for material handling and mineral ore processing. However, power converters introduce harmonics and EMC/EMI emissions, affecting the reliability of sensitive and important electronic systems, stating a current challenge for a proper design of electrical systems in mining facilities, because increasing complexity due to combination and interaction of weak networks, high-power equipment, variable structure and non-linear loads with harmonic current injections. Harmonic filters are commonly used to provide power factor correction and limiting the harmonic distortions. This paper highlight the capability of harmonic filters to give a stationary and dynamic behavior that can be employed for compensating resonances of electrical systems in order to avoid unwanted transient phenomena like overvoltages. Modeling and simulation results obtained for a typical system with switching operations depict the good correlation between steady and transient behavior, supporting the results given by tools intended for stationary analysis of harmonics performance. Different operating conditions of an industrial power system given by variable topology, multiple harmonic injections and loading factor should be taken into account for the proper design of harmonic filters systems. This work presents a methodology for supporting the risk assessment and decision making process at the design stage of power systems, in order to avoid failures, improving design and reliability.

User/tutor optimal learning path in e-learning using comprehensive neuro-fuzzy approach

Internet evolution has affected all industrial, commercial, and especially learning activities in the new context of e-learning. Due to cost, time, or flexibility e-learning has been adopted by participators as an alternative training method. By development of computer-based devices and new methods of teaching, e-learning has emerged. The effectiveness of such programs is dependent on powerful learning management systems. In this paper, a neuro-fuzzy approach is proposed based on an evolutionary technique to obtain an optimal learning path for both instructor and learner. The neuro-fuzzy synergy allows the diagnostic model to imitate instructor in diagnosing learners’ characteristics, and equips the intelligent learning environment with reasoning capabilities. These reasoning capabilities can be used to drive pedagogical decisions based on the learning style of the learner. The neuro-fuzzy implementation helps to encode both structured and non-structured knowledge for the instructor. On the other hand, for learners, the neural network approach has been applied to make personalized curriculum profile based on individual learner requirements in a fuzzy environment.

Diagnostic Tools for Glaucoma Detection and Management

Early diagnosis of glaucoma is critical to prevent permanent structural damage and irreversible vision loss. Detection of glaucoma typically relies on examination of structural damage to the optic nerve combined with measurements of visual function. To aid the clinician in evaluation of visual function and structure, computer-based devices such as confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, scanning laser polarimetry, and optical coherence tomography provide quantitative assessments of structural damage, and visual function testing includes standard automated perimetry as well as selective techniques, including short-wavelength automated perimetry and frequency-doubling technology perimetry are available. This article will review current literature on diagnostic modalities available for glaucoma with emphasis on the best evidence available in the literature to support their use in clinical practice.

Design and implementation of the BESIII detector-control system

In the upgrade project of the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider (BEPCII), a novel Detector-Control System (DCS) for the Beijing Spectrometer (BESIII) has been built and started its successful operation for the BESIII Commissioning. The main task of the DCS is to monitor and control the status of the BESIII detector and to guarantee a safe operation of the detector. The DCS must provide a uniform and coherent interface to detector operators even though there are a large number of distributed I/O channels from a large variety of equipments. For this reason, the DCS is hierarchically organized and divided into three layers: front-end layer (FEL), local control layer (LCL) and global control layer (GCL). In the FEL, devices ranging from simple sensors up to complex computer-based devices like embedded systems and programmable logical controllers (PLC) are utilized. A LabVIEW-based software framework has been developed for the LCL. Network communication and web server technologies have been used for the GCL. This paper will give a detailed introduction to the design and implementation of the DCS. Its performance and reliability will also be discussed.

Validation of Automatic Wheeze Detection in Patients with Obstructed Airways and in Healthy Subjects

Computerized lung-sound analysis is a sensitive and quantitative method to identify wheezing by its typical pattern on spectral analysis. We evaluated the accuracy of the VRI, a multi-sensor, computer-based device with an automated technique of wheeze detection. The method was validated in 100 sound files from seven subjects with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and seven healthy subjects by comparison of auscultation findings, examination of audio files, and computer detection of wheezes. Three blinded physicians identified 40 sound files with wheezes and 60 sound files without wheezes. Sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 85%, respectively. Negative predictive value and positive predictive value were 89% and 79%, respectively. Overall inter-rater agreement was 84%. False positive cases were found to contain sounds that simulate wheezes, such as background noises with high frequencies or strong noises from the throat that could be heard and identified without a stethoscope. The present findings demonstrate that the wheeze detection algorithm has good accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value for wheeze detection in regional analyses with a single sensor and multiple sensors. Results are similar to those reported in the literature. The device is user-friendly, requires minimal patient effort, and, distinct from other devices, it provides a dynamic image of breath sound distribution with wheeze detection output in less than 1 minute.