Natural Interface Research Articles

Intelligent Educational Recommendation Platform with AI Chatbots

The objectives of this research were as follows. 1) Analyze the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots. 2) Design the architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots. 3) Develop the architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots. 4) Study the appropriateness of developing the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots. The sample used in the research was seven experts in information system development from various institutions in higher education. The architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots there is two main components: 1) Stakeholders consisting of system administrators and external users, and 2) The working process of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots consists of four parts including natural language processing, dialog management, database and application programming interface (API), and response generation. Assessment of the appropriateness of the architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots found that 1) the architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots, overall at a high appropriated, 2) the architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots, an individual element at a high appropriated, and 3) the architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots, Integrated elements at a high appropriated. As described earlier, the architecture of the intelligent educational recommendation platform with AI Chatbots can be a guideline for developing with AI Chatbots in the future.

Investigation of Natural Weak Interface Properties and Their Impact on Fracture Propagation in Shale Reservoirs

Horizontal well multi-cluster fracturing technology is crucial for the economic development of fractured shale reservoirs. The abundance of natural fractures in shale reservoirs significantly influences the propagation path of hydraulic fractures and determines the formation of complex fracture networks. To investigate the impact of natural weak planes on the geometric parameters of fractures in shale reservoirs, we first conducted tests on the mechanical characteristics of core samples from outcropping shale in the Weiyuan area using the indoor three-point bending method and digital image correlation (DIC) technology, providing data validation for subsequent numerical models. Secondly, considering the interaction between hydraulic and natural weak planes in three-dimensional space, we established a three-dimensional numerical model for horizontal well fracturing to simulate the synchronous competition and expansion of fractures in multi-cluster fracturing. Based on this foundation, we analyzed the influence of formation parameters and engineering parameters on the formation patterns of complex fracture networks. The results indicate that the difference in in situ stress is a significant factor affecting the selection of fracture propagation paths. As the in situ stress difference increases, it becomes more challenging to open natural fractures, leading to a reduced probability of activation of natural weak interfaces. When the cohesive strength of natural fractures is smaller, they are more likely to open and capture hydraulic fractures, thereby increasing shear slip length and fracture network area. Each fracturing stage has an optimal perforation density combination, where a higher density of perforations leads to reduced perforation pressure drop and weaker ability to mitigate inter-cluster stress interference. To achieve a comprehensive and balanced development of multi-clusters, the inter-cluster stress interference can be alleviated by increasing the perforation pressure drop. For dense perforation clusters, higher injection rates and viscosity can be employed to ensure the uniform development of multiple perforation clusters. This study provides new insights into predicting the formation of complex fracture networks in shale reservoirs and offers valuable guidance for optimizing hydraulic fracturing designs.

High phase purity of stable 1T-phase Co-doped WS2 for full pH hydrogen evolution reaction in water and seawater

Metallic 1T phase transition metal dichloride (TMDs) shows excellent catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but stabilization of 1T phase TMDs is still challenging. Herein, the Finke-type POMs K10[Co4(H2O)2(PW9O34)2] [Co4(PW9)2] was used for the first time as a precursor to obtaining size ∼ 4 nm, highly dispersed 1T-WS2 in the hollow mesoporous carbon sphere (HMCS) by the effect of confinement, named 1T-CoWS/HMCS. 1T-WS2 was obtained based on the natural Co-W atomic interface of POMs and further enhanced dispersion at the molecular and nano scales. 1T-CoWS/HMCS only requires ultralow overpotential with high electrocatalytic surface area and robust stability in water and seawater. According to DFT calculations, the Co-S-edge site of 1T-CoWS significantly reduced the rate-limiting step of HER as the predominant active site. This work provides a worthy reference for the synthesis of high-quality metastable TMDs.

Assisted navigation for digital architectural walkthroughs in Natural User Interface-based installations

The architectural experience of visiting a virtual building and exploring its contents requires tools to provide visitors with accessible and pleasurable ways to conduct their stroll and facilitate the contemplation and enjoyment of the contents displayed. Natural user interfaces (NUI) are effective and engaging tools for interacting with digital content. In this paper, the authors combine their previous work in the research lines of natural user interfaces and assisted navigation, putting them together on a UX test scenario and studying their combined effect. The testbed consisted of an installation controlled using a depth camera for NUI interaction and applying an attractor-based approach of assisted navigation. The UX experiment consisted of five stages, with three test sets of increasing complexity. The system monitored and recorded the users’ movements on each test during the experiment to extract quantitative data. After each task, users filled out specific questionnaires that provided qualitative information. The study also evaluates the influence of users’ previous expertise on 3D video games in their performance taking the test. The results indicate the benefits of combining both technologies and how they enhance the virtual visit experience. Furthermore, the combined use of natural interaction and assisted navigation facilitates universal access to installations of this kind, frequently found in museums and exhibits, independently of previous user expertise in interactive 3D environments, such as video games.

Fully bio-based adhesive designed through lignin-cellulose combination and interfacial bonding reinforcement

Herein, lignin was functionalized to obtain quinonoid lignin (QL) and epoxidized lignin (EL), and cellulose was modified to be aminated cellulose (AC). A novel fully bio-based adhesive of QL-AC-EL with multiple cross-linked networks was designed based on Schiff base and addition reaction. Furthermore, the natural wood interface was activated by brushing aqueous solution of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to obtain a functional interface with many -NH2 groups. Finally, the created QL-AC-EL was used as a specific adhesive to glue wood interface with abundant -NH2 groups. The bonding performance was evaluated that the dry strength of the plywood specimens made from activated wood interface was 3.2 MPa, which increased by 123.8% than that of natural wood interface. It is amazing that the wet strength of plywood by using activated wood interface was 1.73 MPa, whereas wet bonding strength of natural wood was zero. The significantly improvement of the bonding properties should be caused by the covalent crosslinking between adhesive and activated wood interface, which plays an important role in the enhanced water resistance of the interfacial bonding stability. This work provided a new inspiration for the design of bio-based adhesives with excellent performance and water resistance from the interfacial chemical bonding perspective.

Virtual Mouse and Keyboard for Computer Interaction by Hand Gestures Using Machine Learning

Human-computer interaction has changed since the advent of computer technology. Gestures are a useful way to communicate, and the Covid-19 era had an impact on us. Both the keyboard and the mouse are tools used to communicate with computers. Here, we’ve attempted to use hand gestures to interact with the mouse and keyboard. Eventually, get rid of the electronics. Consequently, use a virtual keyboard and your finger to move the mouse cursor. Using different hand gestures, actions like clicking, dragging, and typing data will be carried out. A webcam is the IOT device required to accomplish this. The output from the camera will be displayed on the system’s screen so that the user can fine-tune it. We employ tools like Python, Media- Pipe, and Open-CV. The Media-Pipe library offers features that improve the model’s effectiveness and is particularly helpful in AI projects. The user will be able to move the computer cursor with various hand motions, type on the virtual keyboard while holding coloured caps or tapes, and left-click and drag objects. In this research, we suggest a hand gesture detection system for a natural human computer interface that can control a virtual mouse and keyboard.

Natural Language Interfaces for Databases with Deep Learning

In the age of the Digital Revolution, almost all human activities, from industrial and business operations to medical and academic research, are reliant on the constant integration and utilisation of ever-increasing volumes of data. However, the explosive volume and complexity of data makes data querying and exploration challenging even for experts, and makes the need to democratise the access to data, even for non-technical users, all the more evident. It is time to lift all technical barriers, by empowering users to access relational databases through conversation. We consider 3 main research areas that a natural language data interface is based on: Text-to-SQL, SQL-to-Text, and Data-to-Text. The purpose of this tutorial is a deep dive into these areas, covering state-of-the-art techniques and models, and explaining how the progress in the deep learning field has led to impressive advancements. We will present benchmarks that sparked research and competition, and discuss open problems and research opportunities with one of the most important challenges being the integration of these 3 research areas into one conversational system.

Molecular-level evaluation of thermal field confinement effects on moisture distribution at the interface of natural ester oil-paper insulation: An investigation of electric field correlation

Oil-paper insulation is commonly used in transformers and is subject to dynamic changes in moisture content and distribution due to the influence of multiple physical fields such as temperature and electric fields. Moisture at the interface of oil-paper insulation can distort the interfacial electric field and cause insulation failure, but it is difficult to measure and characterize. In this study, molecular dynamics was used to simulate the diffusion behavior of water molecules at the interface of natural ester oil-paper insulation at temperatures ranging from 298 to 373 K, and the effect of electric fields on water diffusion was also analyzed. The results showed that without an electric field, water molecules in natural ester insulating oil tend to cluster at 298 K. Water molecules gradually diffuse towards the interface of the natural ester oil-paper insulation, but most remain at the interface and are difficult to penetrate into the cellulose insulating paper. In addition, normal diffusion is gradually enhanced at 298–328 K, reaching a minimum at 343 K. The interaction energy between water molecules and natural ester insulating oil decreases with increasing temperature, while the interaction energy with cellulose insulating paper decreases and then increases, reaching a minimum at 343 K. The combined influence of temperature and electric fields leads to an increase in the number of water clusters at the oil-paper interface. The interaction energy between water molecules and both natural ester insulating oil and cellulose insulating paper is enhanced, inhibiting the diffusion of water into the insulating paper. It was also found that the ability of water to diffuse differs significantly when the electric field direction is normal to the interface compared to when it is tangential to the interface. This is due to the fact that the water molecules when subjected to electric field action turn to polarize, and their electric field direction diffusion coefficient decreases, but still much higher than the non-electric field action direction. Further, the study found that the natural ester oil-paper insulation interface polarization is directional, and water molecules polarized in the direction normal to the insulation interface require a higher electric field strength.

A coordination-driven interface system for improving the performance of high-filled bamboo fiber /poly (butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) biocomposites

Natural plant fiber-reinforced biopolymer composites are attractive for their renewable, degradable, and low-carbon, compare to petroleum-based composites. However, the poor interfacial compatibility of bio-composites between fibers and matrix has long been recognized as the biggest challenge. Surface modification of natural fibers or polymers is considered the most common method to address this issue, which is always high energy consumption, and high pollution. Hence, we focus on cleaner and more economical solutions to overcome this difficulty. We pioneered the introduction of a novelty coordination-driven interface system into fibers-filled bio-composites. The chief object of this study is to investigate the iron ions (Fe3+) coordination drives the tannic acid (TA) interface and how to enhance composite interfacial compatibility and promote bio-composite properties. The way of interface formation is cleaner, simpler, more energy efficient, and effective, and the performance of biocomposites has been enhanced, including mechanical (tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength increased by 21.65%, 19.41%, and 52.24% respectively. The flexural strength and modulus even reached 59.65 MPa and 6.61 GPa), thermal (Tonset and Tmax increased from 267.39 °C, 377.76 °C–290.13 °C, 389.24 °C, respectively), crystallization (Crystallinity increased by 52.35%) and hydrophobic performance. To summarize, the coordination-driven interfacial system proposes a simple and workable structural model in the field of natural plant fiber-reinforced biopolymer composites interface.

A new approach to the definitions and relationships between evolution science, basic sciences and mathematics

In the literature, there is also a lot of information and misconceptions about science, mathematics, evolution, the theory of evolution, and the science of evolution. However, there is no tidy and sufficient information about the definitions, and relationships between these concepts. These confusing reasons led me to do this research. Our information about the relationships between the concepts of science, mathematics, evolution science, creature, being and wisdom seems to have misconceptions and confusion. To clarify these, the definitions and relations of these concepts carefully studied from literature sources. Since the original definitions and relationships of these basic concepts were not made correctly, the concepts caused misunderstandings. Just as there are clear and accurate definitions of Cell, Cell Theory and Cell Science. The same logic carried out and used in concepts related to evolution science. Some concepts may have more than one correct definition. New original definitions and relationships of these concepts have been proposed to contribute to education. Math is the main face of science that expresses all the knowledge, events, facts, processes, creatures and relationships in science with symbols, writing, equations, sets and shapes. No branch of science can work without mathematics. If we accept science as a body, math is like its heart. However, mathematics can work alone without the need for other disciplines. Therefore, mathematics is like the heart of science and the common denominator of the sum of all other branches of science. Based on this logic, all branches of science except mathematics constitute the natural, cultural and life interface of science. The evolutionary interface of science expresses the real- life story of all the changes in science. What is the common denominator of the positions, definitions and relationships of mathematics, evolution and science? What are the relationships between the concepts of being and creature and science, mathematics, evolution science and wisdom? The answers to these questions has been the solution to our problem sentences.

Development of biomass adhesives based on aminated cellulose and oxidized sucrose reinforced with epoxy functionalized wood interface

Both increasing environmental issues and the lack of fossil resources have increased the importance of wood-based natural fiber composites. Therefore, high performance, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly bio-based wood adhesives are highly desirable. We developed a new biomass adhesive based on aminated cellulose (AC) and oxidized sucrose (OS), and reinforced it with an activated wood interface to improve its bonding performance. To this end, the natural wood interface (NWI) was customized with an epoxy group to produce the epoxy-functionalized wood interface (EFWI), one end of which is tethered to the wood surface. The epoxy group at the other end reacts with the amino group of AC, resulting in hydrophobicity and forming new covalent bonds in the adhesive layer, such as -Si-O-Si-, -Si-O-C-, -C-N-C-, and -O-C-C- bonds. Characterization of the adhesive interface is realized by FTIR, 13C NMR, XPS, XRD, and SEM. Dry and wet shear strengths are also investigated by tensile shear strength measurements in China National Standards (GB/T 9846-2015). Results show that OS-AC adhesives have better dry and wet shear strengths at EFWI in comparison with those on NWI, reaching 2.52 and 1.48 MPa, respectively. Thus, the construction of a functionalized wood adhesive interface dramatically enhances the bonding strength and water resistance of biomass adhesives. This study provides new insights for developing renewable, low cost, and green bio-based wood adhesives by chemical modification of the wood interface.

"Blue-free" orange ZnO-related light-emitting diode based on a natural interface layer of Ga2O3 and ZnGa2O4.

To fabricate a ZnO-related light-emitting diode (LED) with zero emission at blue wavelengths ("blue-free"), an ingenious strategy is employed. Specifically, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, a natural oxide interface layer, possessing remarkable visible emission potential, is introduced into the Au/i-ZnO/n-GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure. The unique Au/i-ZnO/interface layer/n-GaN structure successfully eliminated the harmful blue emissions (400-500 nm) from the ZnO film, and the remarkable orange electroluminescence is mainly attributed to the impact ionization process of the natural interface layer at high electric field. It is worth mentioning that the device achieved ultra-low color temperature (2101 K) and excellent color rendering index (92.8) under electrical injection, indicating that the device could fulfill the requirements of electronic display systems and general illumination, and might even play unexpected roles in special lighting domains. The results obtained provide a novel and effective strategy for the design and preparation of ZnO-related LEDs.

Analyzing carbon source-sink nexus for green and sustainable transition at the local scale

The pursuit of green and sustainable transition at the local level holds great significance for achieving high-quality development, particularly in developing countries and regions. An in-depth understanding of the intricate relationship between carbon sources and sinks can assist in identifying the key influencing factors of low carbon development. Therefore, this study takes Chongming District of Shanghai in China as an example and proposes a novel methodology to assess the relationship between carbon sources and sinks from the nexus perspective. Our results reveal that: 1) From 2000 to 2020, the overall carbon sink level in Chongming has increased gradually, but its growth rate lags behind its carbon emissions level. Both the intensity of carbon emissions and the extent of high-carbon emission areas have significantly increased. And the trend of carbon balance change is consistent with the original planning goals. 2) In order to achieve a dynamic balance between carbon sources and sinks in temporal and spatial scales, integrated source-sink plan and associated measures must be taken. Additionally, to promote the green, low-carbon, and sustainable transition, it’s crucial to maintain a dynamic equilibrium between the natural ecological interface and the socio-economic interface. 3) This study aims to enhance our understanding of regional carbon peaking and neutrality from the perspective of source-sink nexus and can serve as a decision-support tool for other developing countries and regions seeking to achieve net-zero carbon transition within the constraints of local energy-resource endowments.

Vocal Aesthetics, AI Imaginaries

In 2019, a report commissioned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) claimed that the way users interface with technology is in the midst of a paradigm shift—from text input and output to voice input and output. Indeed, voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant are increasingly ever-present in domestic spaces. Against this backdrop, this paper proposes that critical thinking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) might be advanced and elaborated by simultaneously thinking critically about voice, unpacking beliefs that spoken language operates as a seamless “natural user interface,” as well as broader ideological convictions about voice’s exceptional status as a marker of unmediated self-presence. I examine the entangled conceptual roots between theories of voice and apocryphal origin stories of artificial intelligence in two eighteenth-century inventions—Wolfgang von Kempelen’s Mechanical Turk and speaking machine. The aesthetic practices surrounding these and other so-called thinking and speaking machines engender shifting relations of visibility and invisibility, obfuscating the role of human labor in creating the seeming magic of AI. I also examine two artistic projects—Holly Herndon’s electropop album PROTO (2019) and a series of collaborative works by Sofian Audry and Erin Gee titled of the soone (2018), to the sooe (2018), and Machine Unlearning (2018–19)—that, in their varied deployments of machine learning in vocal performance, challenge the ideological foundations of the sociotechnical milieu from which they emerge. These artworks tune into the frictions and glitches inherent to vocal interfaces and thereby unravel the vocal imaginary that sustains the illusion of their neutrality, self-sufficiency, or, indeed, intelligence.

Designing and Evaluating an Emotionally Responsive Virtual Patient Simulation.

Virtual patient (VP) simulations have been widely used for healthcare training, education, and assessment. However, few VP systems have integrated emotion sensing and analyzed how a user's emotions may influence the overall training experience. This article presents a VP that can recognize and respond to 5 human emotions (anger, disgust, fear, joy, and sadness), as well as 2 facial expressions (smiling and eye contact). The VP was developed by combining the capabilities of a facial recognition system, a tone analyzer, a cloud-based artificial intelligence chatbot, and interactive 3-dimensional avatars created in a high-fidelity game engine (Unity). The system was tested with healthcare professionals at Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. A total of 65 participants (38 females and 27 males) aged between 23 and 57 years (mean = 38.35, SD = 11.48) completed the survey, and 19 participants were interviewed. Most participants perceived that the VP was useful in improving their communication skills, particularly their nonverbal communication skills. They also reported that adding users' affective states as an additional interaction increased engagement of the VP and helped them build connections with the VP. The emotionally responsive VP seemed to be functionally complete and usable. However, some technical limitations need to be addressed before the system's official implementation in real-world clinical practice. Future development will include improving the accuracy of the speech recognition system, using more sophisticated emotion sensing software, and developing a natural user interface.

Diseño de interfaces de usuario intuitivas para asistentes virtuales en la educación universitaria

Designing an intuitive user interface for virtual assistants in higher education presents several challenges, chief among them being natural language understanding, virtual assistant customization, user-centered design, integration with existing technology, and consideration of the educational context. The success of virtual assistants in higher education depends on the ability of designers and developers to understand the needs and preferences of users and their ability to design intuitive and effective user interfaces that enhance the learning and teaching experience. To address the challenges in designing intuitive user interfaces for virtual assistants, various methods can be used, such as creating a natural language-based user interface, including visual elements, and designing a custom user interface. and adaptable.

A Fundamental Study of an Alternative Learning Framework Utilizing Natural User Interface (NUI) for Physically Disabled Students

An alternative learning framework utilizing a natural user interface (NUI) can be applied in the context of education for students whose needs are not catered for in the current learning environment in Malaysia. The alternative learning program would still follow the current subject syllabus, but with differences in how the lessons are delivered, learned and executed. A conceptual framework that enables the adoption of the alternative learning program using Microsoft Kinect in Malaysian education system was then proposed to minimize the gaps found in the current learning setting to cater for the special needs of physically disabled children in Malaysia, in particular, primary school children, using the National Curriculum as a guide. Since this is a new framework, the validity and reliability of the proposed framework will be analyzed. A usability test would also be conducted to gauge the acceptance of the proposed framework amongst the children.

AN EVALUATION OF AUGMENTED REALITY-BASED USER INTERFACES IN THE DESIGN PROCESS

The aim of this study is to evaluate the user interfaces that reflect different interaction layers in the context of Augmented Reality technology. Depending on the physical characteristics of human interaction with the computer, these layers were examined under four sections: Graphical User Interface (GUI), Tangible User Interface (TUI), Natural User Interface (NUI) and Spatial User Interface (SUI). In this context, a proposed Augmented Reality application interface has been developed to bridge the physical and digital environment. The use of AR-based applications in the design process provided a basis for evaluating the user interface in these interaction layers. In future studies, the interface and experience offered by this application have the potential to be supported by more comprehensive functions and a collaborative working environment.

Influence mechanism of nano-SiO2 on water molecular diffusion at liquid-solid interface of natural ester and cellulose

It is necessary to study the micro mechanism of water diffusion behavior at the liquid-solid interface between natural esters and cellulose by adding nanoparticles to natural esters, the unmodified and nano-SiO2 modified natural ester-cellulose mixing models were established by molecular simulation technology. The effects of nanoparticles on the moisture at the liquid-solid interface in the natural ester-cellulose insulation system were analyzed from the perspectives of relative concentration distribution, density field, interaction energy and hydrogen bonding. The simulation results show that water molecules in natural ester tend to diffuse from natural ester to cellulose in all models, the binding effect of water molecules on cellulose in the nano-modified model is weakened, and the water peak in cellulose is reduced by 57% compared with the unmodified model, so that the moisture impurities in the nano-modified model cellulose are absorbed to the natural ester-cellulose interface, reducing the damage of moisture to the cellulose, which helps to improve the resistance of the natural ester-cellulose insulation combination aging ability.

Shoreline change rate estimation: Impact on salt production in Kutubdia Island using multi-temporal satellite data and geo-statistics

The coastline is a natural interface that separates the wet and dry parts of the beach. Shoreline configuration is always influenced by natural and anthropogenic forces. Storm surge is one of the major natural events that has converted the shape of shoreline along the Kutubdia island. With the use of the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS), the coastal area was evaluated to estimate the change dynamics of Kutubdia Island. This highly active coast with erosion and deposition has inherent complexity in determining the shoreline movement and quantifying the rate of change. The study examined the positional change of the shoreline of the island between 1980 and 2021 including its impacts on salt production using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and multi-temporal LANDSAT images. To distinguish between water and land features, the LANDSAT images were radiometrically corrected and a spectral index, the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was used. The shorelines were extracted using a histogram-based Otsu's Binary threshold approach and image-based visual interpretation. The Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE), Linear Regression Rate (LRR), and End Point Rate (EPR) was used to calculate shoreline change rates. EPR and LRR both estimated average change rates of −4.125 m/yr and −4.647 m/yr, respectively. Between 1980 and 2021, an overall land area of 9.2439 sq. km was lost, while there were no significant land depositions. The landward movement was more noticeable on the northern side of the island. The eastern side showed no significant alterations. The short-term (in 2031) and long-term (in 2041) coastline positions have been forecast based on the demarcated shoreline. The results of the forecast also show that the shoreline will move landward but not significantly seaward. Island erosion is particularly dangerous in the northern and southern zones. The result also shows that salt production is decreasing due to island erosion, especially in the south. If the erosion continues at the same rate salt production will decrease almost by 4563.38 tons between 2021 and 2041. The results of this study may help with the proper management and planning for Kutubdia Island. Moreover, this can also be used in statistical modeling, to predict where the shoreline will be in the future.