Human Information Processing Research Articles

Neural Encoding for Human Visual Cortex With Deep Neural Networks Learning “What” and “Where”

Neural encoding, a crucial aspect to understand the human brain information processing system, aims to establish a quantitative relationship between the stimuli and the evoked brain activities. In the field of visual neuroscience, with the ability to explain how neurons in the primary visual cortex work, population receptive field (pRF) models have enjoyed high popularity and made reliable progress in recent years. However, existing models rely on either the inflexible prior assumptions about pRF or the clumsy parameter estimation methods, severely limiting the expressiveness and interpretability. In this article, we propose a novel neural encoding framework by learning “what” and “where” with deep neural networks. It involves two separate aspects: 1) the spatial characteristic (“where”) and 2) feature selection (“what”) of neuron populations in the visual cortex. Specifically, our approach first encodes visual stimuli into hierarchically intermediate features through a pretrained deep neural network (DNN), then converts DNN features into refined features with the channel attention and spatial receptive field (RF) to learn “where”, and finally regresses refined features simultaneously onto voxel activities to learn “what”. The sparsity regularization and smoothness regularization are adopted in our modeling approach so that the crucial RF can be estimated automatically without prior assumptions about shapes. Furthermore, an attempt is made to extend the voxel-wise modeling approach to multi-voxel joint encoding models, and we show that it is conducive to rescuing voxels with poor signal-to-noise characteristics. Extensive empirical results demonstrate that the method developed herein provides an effective strategy to establish neural encoding for the human visual cortex, with the weaker prior constraints but the higher encoding performance.

Cognitive Modelling for User Interface Design in HCI: A Comparative Analysis on Cognitive Models

This research aims to elaborate the cognition in the field of human-computer interaction, also acknowledges the cognitive modeling and human behavior processes. Cognitive modeling is a field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) which is used to design more efficient human interactive systems. It is used to model the interactive system in such a way that analysts can determine methods that users will interact with the system and also be used to understand the different processes of cognitive human behaviors. Hierarchal task analysis is a task to goal-based model, in which analyst selects the actions and tasks to perform. GOMS is a cognitive knowledge of the human information processing model in HCI that describes the user's cognitive architecture based on four components. The linguistic and grammatical model is a syntactical model in which languages and syntax are designed for the user for system communication in an interactive system. Cognitive human behavior processes are also described to understand the mutual coordination of cognition processes and cognitivemodels in designing an interactive system. Problem-solving is a cognitive process of the human mind to search for a problem and explore the possible solutions for that problem. Decision making is also a cognitive process of human behaviour in which human chooses an action from other alternatives based on certain criteria.

Human information processing in complex networks

Humans communicate using systems of interconnected stimuli or concepts—from language and music to literature and science—yet it remains unclear how, if at all, the structure of these networks supports the communication of information. Although information theory provides tools to quantify the information produced by a system, traditional metrics do not account for the inefficient ways that humans process this information. Here, we develop an analytical framework to study the information generated by a system as perceived by a human observer. We demonstrate experimentally that this perceived information depends critically on a system’s network topology. Applying our framework to several real networks, we find that they communicate a large amount of information (having high entropy) and do so efficiently (maintaining low divergence from human expectations). Moreover, we show that such efficient communication arises in networks that are simultaneously heterogeneous, with high-degree hubs, and clustered, with tightly connected modules—the two defining features of hierarchical organization. Together, these results suggest that many communication networks are constrained by the pressures of information transmission, and that these pressures select for specific structural features. The arrangement of a sequence of stimuli affects how humans perceive information. Here, the authors show experimentally that humans perceive information in a way that depends on the network structure of stimuli.

When irrelevant information helps: Extending the Eriksen-flanker task into a multisensory world

Charles W. Eriksen dedicated much of his research career to the field of cognitive psychology, investigating human information processing in those situations that required selection between competing stimuli. Together with his wife Barbara, he introduced the flanker task, which became one of the standard experimental tasks used by researchers to investigate the mechanisms underpinning selection. Although Eriksen himself was primarily interested in investigating visual selection, the flanker task was eventually adapted by other researchers to investigate human information processing and selection in a variety of nonvisual and multisensory situations. Here, we discuss the core aspects of the flanker task and interpret the evidence of the flanker task when used in crossmodal and multisensory settings. “Selection” has been a core topic of psychology for nearly 120 years. Nowadays, though, it is clear that we need to look at selection from a multisensory perspective—the flanker task, at least in its crossmodal and multisensory variants, is an important tool with which to investigate selection, attention, and multisensory information processing.

Prevention of age-associated neuronal hyperexcitability with improved learning and attention upon knockout or antagonism of LPAR2

Recent studies suggest that synaptic lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) augment glutamate-dependent cortical excitability and sensory information processing in mice and humans via presynaptic LPAR2 activation. Here, we studied the consequences of LPAR2 deletion or antagonism on various aspects of cognition using a set of behavioral and electrophysiological analyses. Hippocampal neuronal network activity was decreased in middle-aged LPAR2−/− mice, whereas hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) was increased suggesting cognitive advantages of LPAR2−/− mice. In line with the lower excitability, RNAseq studies revealed reduced transcription of neuronal activity markers in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in naïve LPAR2−/− mice, including ARC, FOS, FOSB, NR4A, NPAS4 and EGR2. LPAR2−/− mice behaved similarly to wild-type controls in maze tests of spatial or social learning and memory but showed faster and accurate responses in a 5-choice serial reaction touchscreen task requiring high attention and fast spatial discrimination. In IntelliCage learning experiments, LPAR2−/− were less active during daytime but normally active at night, and showed higher accuracy and attention to LED cues during active times. Overall, they maintained equal or superior licking success with fewer trials. Pharmacological block of the LPAR2 receptor recapitulated the LPAR2−/− phenotype, which was characterized by economic corner usage, stronger daytime resting behavior and higher proportions of correct trials. We conclude that LPAR2 stabilizes neuronal network excitability upon aging and allows for more efficient use of resting periods, better memory consolidation and better performance in tasks requiring high selective attention. Therapeutic LPAR2 antagonism may alleviate aging-associated cognitive dysfunctions.

0274 Associations of TNFα Gene Polymorphism with Resilience to Sleep Deprivation and Caffeine Sensitivity

Abstract Introduction Sleep deprivation degrades the fidelity of human brain information processing, leading to cognitive impairment. Carriers of the A allele of a single nucleotide polymorphism of the TNFα gene (G308A, rs1800629) have been found to be resilient to cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation as compared to individuals homozygous for the G allele. Caffeine mitigates the cognitive impairment associated with sleep deprivation. We investigated whether the effects of caffeine and TNFα genotype interact. Methods In an 18-day, controlled, in-laboratory study, 12 healthy adults (age 27.4±6.9; 6 females) underwent three sessions of 48-hour total sleep deprivation (TSD), with each TSD session preceded and followed by three nights of baseline and/or recovery sleep (10 hours time in bed). In randomized, counterbalanced, double-blind, placebo-controlled fashion, during each TSD session a specific dose of caffeine (0, 200, or 300 mg) was administered four times at 12-hour intervals. Vigilant attention was measured every 2 hours during each TSD session with a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), for which the log of the signal-to-noise ratio (LSNR) derived from the RT distribution was determined as a measure of the fidelity of information processing. Each subject’s TNFα genotype was assessed from a blood sample. Results Subjects homozygous for the TNFα G allele showed greater PVT impairment during sleep deprivation in the 0 mg caffeine (i.e., placebo) condition as compared to carriers of the A allele and as compared to the 200 and 300 mg caffeine conditions (mixed-effects ANOVA, genotype by dose interaction: F2,566=5.23, p=0.005). There was no appreciable caffeine-related difference in performance for carriers of the A allele, who were relatively resilient to TSD regardless of caffeine dose. Conclusion These results suggest non-additive, interacting effects of TNFα genotype and caffeine and a potentially shared mechanism of action with regard to the fidelity of information processing during sleep deprivation. Support This research was supported by ONR. AJB, TJB, VFC, RHR were supported by DoD MOMRP-USAMRDC. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not represent the official policy or position of the DoD.

Visual search proceeds concurrently during the attentional blink and response selection bottleneck.

It is well known that human information processing comprises several distinct subprocesses-namely, the perceptual, central, and motor stage. In each stage, attention plays an important role. Specifically, a type of attention-perceptual attention-operates to detect and identify a sensory input. Following this, another class of attention-central attention-is involved in working memory encoding and response selection at the central stage. While perceptual attention and central attention are known to be separate, distinct processes, some researchers reported findings that loading central attention postponed the deployment of perceptual attention needed to perform a spatial configuration search. We tested whether a similar pattern of results would emerge when a different kind of search task is used. To do so, we had participants perform a visual-search task of searching for a feature conjunction target, taxing perceptual attention while they are engaged in central processes, such as working memory encoding and response selection. The results showed that perceptual processing of conjunction search stimuli could be carried out concurrently with central processes. These results suggest that the nature of the concurrent visual search process is a determinant responsible for the dynamic relationship between perceptual attention deployed for visual search and central attention needed for working memory encoding and response selection.

Assessment of odor perception related to stimulation modes in a mock MRI scanner

BackgroundNumerous studies investigated the central-nervous processing of olfactory information in humans, often based on functional MRI studies. However, when describing the olfactory perception, the course of olfactory sensations over time has received little attention although this constitutes a fundamental portion of the experimental paradigm. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate overall perception and the perception of odors over the time course of repeated odorous stimulation under different conditions of stimulus presentation. New methodTwenty-eight subjects with a normal sense of smell were asked to lie in a mock MRI scanner during the experiment. Three conditions of odor presentations were Tubing, (odors presented intranasally with separate tubing for each nostril), mask (odors presented to a mask covering the subject's nose) and vacuum (odors presented into the bore of the sham scanner). A pleasant odor (peach) and an unpleasant (fish) odor were presented using a computer-controlled olfactometer. Participants were asked to evaluate intensity and pleasantness of the odors. They also rated the comfortability of each presentation mode. For the vacuum and mask conditions, subjects were tracked with the time course of the odor intensity. ResultsFor all sessions, intensity was influenced by conditions (F = 29.6, p < 0.001, ηp² = 0.8, mask > tube > vacuum) and odors (F = 11.8, p = 0.003, ηp² = 0.4, fish > peach). Pleasantness was influenced by odors (F = 26.2, p = 0.001, ηp² = 0.593, peach > fish), comfortability was significantly influenced by conditions (F = 9.3, p = 0.002, ηp² = 0.5, vacuum > mask > tube). For peach odor, pleasantness was positively correlated with intensity (r = 0.3, p = 0.03) and negatively with fish odor intensity (r = −0.4, p < 0.001). Overall, the onset latency of intensity ratings (mean = 3.5 s, SD = 2.6) was significantly longer than the offset latency (mean = 1.6 s, SD = 0.8) (t = 3.5, p = 0.001). For the amplitude, conditions had a significant effect (F = 4.5, p = 0.04, ηp² = 0.2, mask > vacuum). ConclusionsPerceived odor intensity was affected by the odor presentation being strongest in the mask condition, whereas this was not different for odor pleasantness. The vacuum condition was rated as most comfortable. Within the present design, the latency of onset and offset does not seem to be influenced by conditions, odors and blocks. Models of fMRI analyses should be adjusted to account for this shift in odor intensity perception.

The Active Sensing of Control Difference.

SummaryIn everyday life, people control objects in the world around them to varying degrees. The processes people actively use to establish their control, while interacting with an environment containing large ambiguity, remain unknown. This study examines how people explore their control over the environment and how they detect small differences in control among objects. In the experimental task, participants moved three dots on a screen and identified one dot over which the level of control is different from that of the other two. The results support a two-step behavior mechanism underlying the sensing of control difference: People first explore their overall control in the environment, and then the results of the initial exploration are used to selectively tune the direction (i.e., either more or less) of the detected control difference, ensuring efficient and rapid detection of the type of control difference that is potentially important for further action selections.

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation modulates attentional resource deployment towards social cues

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has been shown to promote inferences of emotional states based on eye-related information provided by facial expressions of emotions. Eye gaze direction can influence the allocation of attentional sources when processing facial emotional stimuli. Here we sought for further evidence indicating whether tVNS effects would be specific to emotional expressions or to gaze - both socially relevant stimuli - and whether they reflect the enhancement of attention. In two separate sessions receiving either active or sham tVNS, forty-three healthy young volunteers completed a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation task in which participants identified the gender of a target face (T1) with direct (salient social cue) or averted gaze (subtler social cue) with different emotional expressions or a neutral expression, and then judged the orientation of a landscape (T2) that appeared at different temporal lags after T1. Active tVNS, compared to sham stimulation, enhanced conditional T2 accuracy for both neutral and emotional faces and independently of the temporal lag, but only when gaze was directed at the participant. This suggests that tVNS modulates attention to a direct gaze (salient social cue) irrespective of the expressed emotion. We interpret that the effects of tVNS seem to reflect enhanced perception of gaze direction, which in turn attracts attention, making the observer more sensitive and increasing the impact of the socially relevant facial cue. We conclude that tVNS is a promising technique for enhancing social information processing in healthy humans.

Frequency-specific equivalence of brain activity on motor imagery during action observation and action execution

Background Human motor imagery (MI), action execution, and action observation (AO) are functionally considered as equivalent. MI during AO can extensively induce activation of motor-related brain network in the absence of overt movement. The magnetoencephalography (MEG) provides an important technology to reveal and reflect human brain information processing in multi-frequency bands. Utilizing a MEG system, we aimed to quantitatively investigate the frequency-specific equivalent characteristics in brain processing patterns between MI during AO and action execution in multi-frequency bands, including delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma, and high-frequency oscillations. Methods A total of 12 healthy subjects were studied with a whole-head MEG system during finger movement and MI during finger movement observation. We analyzed the brain activities in multi-frequency ranges of 1 Hz to 200 Hz. Results Both MI during AO and action execution evoked the distinctive brain activities in low frequency ranges (i.e. delta, theta, and alpha). Significant differences were found in global spectral power between finger movement and MI during AO in delta and alpha oscillations. Compared with finger movement, delta (1–4 Hz) oscillation power in MI during AO were obviously decreased in left and right frontals and occipitals, and theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha (8–13 Hz) oscillation power were obviously increased in frontal, parietal and occipital. Conclusion MEG power evoked by finger movement and MI during AO is mainly concentrated in the energy distribution below 13 Hz. Furthermore, finger movement and MI during AO might share frequency-specific equivalence of brain neural activation dependent on different MEG frequency ranges.

Russia's Cyber and Information Warfare

Russia's Cyber and Information Warfare Valeriy Akimenko (bio) and Keir Giles (bio) Russia's exercise of cyberpower forms an integral part of the far broader concept known as information warfare. The key principle of the Russian approach to information warfare, including cyber activities, is that information is the most important object of operations, independent of the channel through which it is transmitted. The aim is to control—or weaponize—information in whatever form it takes. Thus, "cyber" in particular is just a technical representation of information. In short, in Russia's comprehensive approach to the information domain, cyber is not a stand-alone discipline. This principle underpins all Russian efforts to extract, exfiltrate, manipulate, distort, or insert information. Alongside cyber activities, the channels available for doing this are as diverse as using fake or real news media to plant disinformation, trolling campaigns, issuing official government statements, giving speeches at rallies or demonstrations, posting defamatory online videos, and sending direct text messages. Russian information activities are not limited to cyberspace. Rather than using the term "cyberspace," Russian officials refer to "information space," which includes both computer and human information processing.1 This essay starts with an explanation of the terminological, doctrinal, and practical distinguishing features of Russian cyber activities as part of information warfare. It goes on to look at a number of Russia's agencies and capabilities involved in the prosecution of cyber activities, both offensive and defensive. In conclusion, the essay emphasizes the main implication of this distinctive approach: the need for nations to prepare a broad range of defenses against Russia's holistic approach to offensive cyber, information warfare, and other forms of hostile online activity. [End Page 67] Terminology, Strategy, and Doctrine Russia's approach to defining a doctrine for computer network operations is determined by the core concept of "information confrontation" (or "information war") and includes all hostile activities using information as a tool, target, or domain of operations. The concept implies computer network operations alongside disciplines such as psychological operations, strategic communications, influence, intelligence, maskirovka (military deception), disinformation, electronic warfare, debilitation of communications, degradation of navigation support, and destruction of enemy computer capabilities. The aim is "to influence the perception and behavior of the enemy, population, and international community."2 Russia sees superiority in this broad application of information warfare as a key enabler for victory in current and future conflicts: Wars will be resolved by a skillful combination of military, nonmilitary, and special nonviolent measures that will be put through by a variety of forms and methods and a blend of political, economic, informational, technological, and environmental measures, primarily by taking advantage of information superiority. Information warfare in the new conditions will be the starting point of every action now called the new type of warfare, or hybrid war, in which broad use will be made of the mass media and, where feasible, global computer networks (blogs, various social networks, and other resources).3 Russian cyber terminology "Cyber" as a separate function or domain is not a Russian concept.4 The delineation of activities in the cyber domain from other activities processing, attacking, disrupting, or stealing information is seen as artificial. The phrase "cyber warfare" in Russian writing is used to describe foreign concepts and activities. The closest that Russian thinking comes to separating out computer network operations from other activities is the division between the information-technological and information-psychological domains, the two main strands of information warfare.5 [End Page 68] Cyber activities, however, do not map directly to the information-technological domain: as an integral part of information warfare overall, they are also inherent in information-psychological operations. Importantly, moreover, information-psychological operations are undertaken "permanently"—regardless of the notional state of cooperation or hostility between the opposing sides. Multiple senior Russian officials have emphasized that open conflict need not have been declared for hostile activity in the information space to begin.6 Information security doctrine It follows that Russia does not have publicly released national strategies relating specifically to its cyber activities. The closest approximation is the Information Security Doctrine. The most recent iteration of this document, approved in December 2016, follows a line adopted in previous strategic documents...

Human and computer estimations of Predictability of words in written language

When we read printed text, we are continuously predicting upcoming words to integrate information and guide future eye movements. Thus, the Predictability of a given word has become one of the most important variables when explaining human behaviour and information processing during reading. In parallel, the Natural Language Processing (NLP) field evolved by developing a wide variety of applications. Here, we show that using different word embeddings techniques (like Latent Semantic Analysis, Word2Vec, and FastText) and N-gram-based language models we were able to estimate how humans predict words (cloze-task Predictability) and how to better understand eye movements in long Spanish texts. Both types of models partially captured aspects of predictability. On the one hand, our N-gram model performed well when added as a replacement for the cloze-task Predictability of the fixated word. On the other hand, word embeddings were useful to mimic Predictability of the following word. Our study joins efforts from neurolinguistic and NLP fields to understand human information processing during reading to potentially improve NLP algorithms.

Parallel Development of James J. Gibson’s Ecological and Paul M. Fitts’s Information Processing Approaches to Perception and Performance

Abstract James J. Gibson and Paul M. Fitts, two psychologists who had, and continue to have, a substantial influence on research in perception, action, and human performance, had remarkable, parallel careers with roots in the U.S. Army Air Forces Aviation Psychology program in World War II. Fitts is widely regarded as founder of the applied field of engineering psychology and the basic field of human performance, both based on a human information processing approach. Gibson founded ecological psychology, a school of thought that runs counter to the information processing approach and adopts a radical empiricist approach to perception and action in natural environments. Despite the origins of their disparate views in applied aviation psychology and each having had major impacts on the field of psychology, Gibson and Fitts seem to have had little contact with each other, and their research traditions have continued primarily along separate paths to this day. In this article, we review the arcs of Fitts’s and Gibson’s careers, emphasizing similarities and differences historically and theoretically. We end with a discussion of why their approaches differed widely, whether attempts to reconcile them can be meaningful, and the importance of experimental psychologists attending to applied research problems.

Unstructured Malay Text Analytics Model in Crime

The concern in crime prevention to realize a safe environment for public’s welfare is one of the central agenda to government authorities. The increasing volume of crime reports with unstructured data that are heavily loaded with text presents the biggest challenge to human experts in analysing the data efficiently as it contains lots of hidden and valuable information such as modus operandi and common crime patterns. The capacity limitations in human information processing demand an effective data analytics model to uncover these hidden and potentially meaningful information from large-scale of data especially in Malay language for improving analysis and supporting decision-making in crime investigation. The objective of this paper is to propose Unstructured Malay Text Analytics Model to support serial crime investigation based on modus operandi patterns. The significance output of this paper is to assist experts especially Royal Malaysia Police in crime investigation based on modus operandi patterns analysis as one of the efforts in reducing rate of crime index.

Static, Dynamic, and Cognitive Fit of Exosystems for the Human Operator.

To define static, dynamic, and cognitive fit and their interactions as they pertain to exosystems and to document open research needs in using these fit characteristics to inform exosystem design. Initial exosystem sizing and fit evaluations are currently based on scalar anthropometric dimensions and subjective assessments. As fit depends on ongoing interactions related to task setting and user, attempts to tailor equipment have limitations when optimizing for this limited fit definition. A targeted literature review was conducted to inform a conceptual framework defining three characteristics of exosystem fit: static, dynamic, and cognitive. Details are provided on the importance of differentiating fit characteristics for developing exosystems. Static fit considers alignment between human and equipment and requires understanding anthropometric characteristics of target users and geometric equipment features. Dynamic fit assesses how the human and equipment move and interact with each other, with a focus on the relative alignment between the two systems. Cognitive fit considers the stages of human-information processing, including somatosensation, executive function, and motor selection. Human cognitive capabilities should remain available to process task- and stimulus-related information in the presence of an exosystem. Dynamic and cognitive fit are operationalized in a task-specific manner, while static fit can be considered for predefined postures. A deeper understanding of how an exosystem fits an individual is needed to ensure good human-system performance. Development of methods for evaluating different fit characteristics is necessary. Methods are presented to inform exosystem evaluation across physical and cognitive characteristics.

Measuring Real-Time Response in Real-Life Settings

Abstract Real-time response (RTR) measurement is an important technique to assess human processing of information. Ever since Maier et al. verified the reliability and validity of physical RTR devices in this journal a decade ago, there has been a growing trend toward virtual measurement platforms to overcome the limitations of conventional, laboratory-based methods. We introduce the Debat-O-Meter, a novel online RTR platform for mobile devices, which allows researchers to measure how viewers perceive political debates in the setting of their private homes. We draw on a large study (N = 5,660) conducted during the 2017 German general election campaign and show that virtualized measurement indeed facilitates diverse and large N field studies while simultaneously conforming to established standards of reliability and validity.

Errors and Action Monitoring: Errare Humanum Est Sed Corrigere Possibile.

It was recognized long ago by Seneca through his famous “errare humanum est.” that the human information processing system is intrinsically fallible. What is newer is the fact that, at least in sensorimotor information processing realized under time pressure, errors are largely dealt with by several (psycho)physiological-specific mechanisms: prevention, detection, inhibition, correction, and, if these mechanisms finally fail, strategic behavioral adjustments following errors. In this article, we review several datasets from laboratory experiments, showing that the human information processing system is well equipped not only to detect and correct errors when they occur but also to detect, inhibit, and correct them even before they fully develop. We argue that these (psycho)physiological mechanisms are important to consider when the brain works in everyday settings in order to render work systems more resilient to human errors and, thus, safer.

Random Fuzzy Clustering Granular Hyperplane Classifier

Granular computing is a method of studying human intelligent information processing, which has advantage of knowledge discovery. In this paper, we convert a classification problem of sample space into a classification problem of fuzzy clustering granular space and propose a random fuzzy clustering granular hyperplane classifier (RFCGHC) from the perspective of granular computing. Most classifiers are only used to process numerical data, RFCGHC can process not only non-numerical data, such as information granules, but also numerical data. The classic granulation method is generally serial granulation, which has high time complexity. We design a parallel distributed granulation method to enhance efficiency. First, a clustering algorithm with adaptive cluster center number is proposed, where the ratio of standard deviation between categories and standard deviation within categories is as evaluation criterion. The clusters and the optimal amount of cluster centers can be achieved by the method. On the basis of these, sample set can be divided into many subsets and each sample can be granulated by these cluster centers. Then, a fuzzy clustering granular space can be formed, where fuzzy clustering granules, fuzzy clustering granular vectors, and their operators can be defined. In order to get the optimal hyperplane in the fuzzy clustering granular space to classify these samples, we design a loss function and evaluate each category with probability by fuzzy clustering granular hyperplane. In solving the loss function, genetic algorithm based on fuzzy clustering granules is adopted. Experimental results and theoretical analysis show that RFCGHC has good performance.

Simulation Framework for Evaluation of Indoor Navigation Systems

In this paper, we introduce the first simulation framework that provides cost-effective means to evaluate indoor navigation systems for different user groups (e.g., users with visual impairment), various positioning techniques, and navigation instructions algorithms. The simulation engine uses the Unity game engine, which tracks the virtual user interaction and motion in a virtual environment that represents the physical environment in which the user navigates. The framework includes the following modules that will be defined by the indoor navigation system developers: 1) Positioning module which simulates indoor localization techniques and their observed accuracy; 2) Indoor navigation algorithm module that generates the navigation instructions using natural language phrases, and 3) Virtual user model (VUM) that includes human perception and information processing that can understand navigation instructions, perceive the surrounding environment, and act based on this information. The framework also includes a performance analysis module that evaluates the indoor navigation system performance in terms of navigation success rate and route similarity.