Remote User Research Articles

A Comparative Evaluation of the Share-VDE Search System

The Share-VDE search system (https://svde.org) shifts the library discovery paradigm from record-based indexing and retrieval to that of linked data entity exploration. This paper reports the results of iterative testing of multiple versions of the Share-VDE interface. The testing included remote user experience (UX) interviews with a total of twenty participants across four rounds of tests spanning 2 years. The comparison among participants encompassed catalogers, students of all levels, and faculty. Synthesizing IFLA Library Reference Model user tasks with interface evaluation methods supported the qualitative inquiry into how linked data systems in general, and BIBFRAME specifically, can support search system objectives.

TeleAware Robot: Designing Awareness-augmented Telepresence Robot for Remote Collaborative Locomotion

Telepresence robots can be used to support users to navigate an environment remotely and share the visiting experience with their social partners. Although such systems allow users to see and hear the remote environment and communicate with their partners via live video feed, this does not provide enough awareness of the environment and their remote partner's activities. In this paper, we introduce an awareness framework for collaborative locomotion in scenarios of onsite and remote users visiting a place together. From an observational study of small groups of people visiting exhibitions, we derived four design goals for enhancing the environmental and social awareness between social partners, and developed a set of awareness-enhancing techniques to add to a standard telepresence robot - named TeleAware robot. Through a controlled experiment simulating a guided exhibition visiting task, TeleAware robot showed the ability to lower the workload, facilitate closer social proximity, and improve mutual awareness and social presence compared with the standard one. We discuss the impact of mobility and roles of local and remote users, and provide insights for the future design of awareness-enhancing telepresence robot systems that facilitate collaborative locomotion.

Enhancing statistical chart accessibility for people with low vision: insights from a user test

AbstractA remote user test was performed with two versions (one accessible and one non-accessible) of three types of web-based charts (horizontal bar chart, vertical stacked bar chart, and line chart). The objectives of the test were: (a) to validate a set of heuristic indicators for the evaluation of the accessibility of statistical charts presented in a previous work (Fariñas Falcón et al. in Mediocentro Electrónica 21(1):65–68, 2017); (b) to identify new barriers and preferences for users with low vision in the access and use of this content not previously contemplated. 12 users were tested, with a variety of conditions associated with low vision: low visual acuity (6 users), reduced central vision (2 users), reduced peripheral vision (2 users), blurry vision (1 user), sensitivity to light (3 users), Nystagmus (2 users) and color vision deficiency (CVD) (4 users). From a quantitative standpoint, accessible versions of charts were more efficient, effective, and satisfactory. From a qualitative point of view, results verify the relevance of heuristics H2, Legend; H3, Axes; H6, Data source (as data table); H10, Safe colors; H11, Contrast; H12, Legibility; H13, Image quality; H14, Resize; H16, Focus visible; H17, Independent navigation; related to the proposed tasks. As new observations, tooltips were highly valued by all users, but their implementation must be improved to avoid covering up significant parts of the charts when displayed. The data table has also been frequently used by all users, especially in the non-accessible versions, allowing them to carry out tasks more efficiently. The position and size of the legend can be a significant barrier if it is too small or appears in an unusual position. Finally, despite the limitations related to color perception, some users prefer color graphics to black and white, so, to target all profiles, it is necessary to redundantly encode categories with colors and patterns as well.

Performance of Rotation‐Symmetric Bosonic Codes in a Quantum Repeater Network

Performance of Rotation‐Symmetric Bosonic Codes in a Quantum Repeater Network

Energy-Efficient Resource Optimization for IRS-Assisted VLC-Enabled Offshore Communication System

In this paper, a downlink energy efficiency maximization problem is investigated in an intelligent reflective surface (IRS)-assisted visible light communication system. In order to extend wireless communication coverage of the onshore base station, an IRS mounted on a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is introduced to assist an onshore lighthouse with simultaneously providing remote ship users wireless communication services and illumination. Aiming to maximizing the energy efficiency of the proposed system, a resource allocation problem is formulated as the ratio of the achievable system sum rate to the total power consumption under the constraints of the user’s data requirement and transmit power budget. Due to the non-convexity of the proposed problem, the Dinkelbach method and mean-square error (MSE) method are adopted to turn the non-convex origin problem into two equivalent problems, namely transmit beamforming and reflected phase shifting. The Lagrangian method and semidefinite relaxation technique are used to obtain the closed-form solutions of these two subproblems. Accordingly, an alternative optimization-based resource allocation scheme is proposed to obtain the optimal system energy efficiency. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme performs better in terms of energy efficiency over benchmark schemes.

Saliency-Guided Point Cloud Compression for 3D Live Reconstruction

3D modeling and reconstruction are critical to creating immersive XR experiences, providing realistic virtual environments, objects, and interactions that increase user engagement and enable new forms of content manipulation. Today, 3D data can be easily captured using off-the-shelf, specialized headsets; very often, these tools provide real-time, albeit low-resolution, integration of continuously captured depth maps. This approach is generally suitable for basic AR and MR applications, where users can easily direct their attention to points of interest and benefit from a fully user-centric perspective. However, it proves to be less effective in more complex scenarios such as multi-user telepresence or telerobotics, where real-time transmission of local surroundings to remote users is essential. Two primary questions emerge: (i) what strategies are available for achieving real-time 3D reconstruction in such systems? and (ii) how can the effectiveness of real-time 3D reconstruction methods be assessed? This paper explores various approaches to the challenge of live 3D reconstruction from typical point cloud data. It first introduces some common data flow patterns that characterize virtual reality applications and shows that achieving high-speed data transmission and efficient data compression is critical to maintaining visual continuity and ensuring a satisfactory user experience. The paper thus introduces the concept of saliency-driven compression/reconstruction and compares it with alternative state-of-the-art approaches.

A Study on the Maximum Reliability of Multi-UAV Cooperation Relay Systems.

This paper studies the maximum reliability of multi-hop relay UAVs, in which UAVs provide wireless services for remote users as a coded cooperative relay without an end-to-end direct communication link. In this paper, the analytical expressions of the total power loss and total bit error rate are derived as reliability measures. First, based on the environmental statistical parameters, a LOS probability model is proposed. Then, the problem of minimizing the bit error rate of static and mobile UAVs is studied. The goal is to minimize the total bit error rate by jointly optimizing the height, elevation, power and path loss and introducing the maximum allowable path loss constraints, transmission power allocation constraints, and UAV height and elevation constraints. At the same time, the total path loss is minimized to achieve maximum ground communication coverage. However, the formulated joint optimization problem is nonconvex and generally difficult to solve. Therefore, we decomposed the problem into two subproblems and proposed an effective joint optimization iteration algorithm. Finally, the simulation results are given, and the analysis shows that the optimal height of different reliability measures is slightly different; thus, using the mobility of UAVs can improve the reliability of communication performance.

Design of proactive management system for residential buildings by using smart equipment

This study's object is an energy efficiency of residential sector. The work is aimed at solving the task to improve the energy efficiency of the housing sector by devising technical solutions for monitoring and managing energy consumption and microclimate parameters of buildings. The proposed proactive management system for residential buildings consists of multi-sensors measuring CO2, temperature and humidity, smart meters of heat and electricity consumption, and smart plugs. The equipment is combined into single system through an integration controller with remote user access through an interactive web interface. A feature of the technical solution is the ability to collect, process, visualize, and archive data on the consumption of energy, as well as on the key parameters of the microclimate of residential premises. The advantages of the system are its flexibility due to the possibility of integrating additional devices during operation, as well as the use of standard communication protocols, which enables the interchangeability of component elements. The implementation and testing were carried out under the conditions of a real pilot site. The use of the system in practice confirmed the efficiency and stability of the operation, making it possible to obtain data on the parameters of energy consumption and microclimate and devising recommendations for reducing energy consumption at the pilot site. It was established that the microclimate meets the requirements of the standards (air temperature is about 22 °С while relative humidity does not exceed 60 %). Decrease in energy consumption can be achieved by reducing the temperature of the heat carrier in the absence of residents, as well as by considering the influence of weather conditions. During periods of residents activity, an excess of the permissible level of CO2 was recorded, therefore, automatic ventilation systems should be provided in the apartments

Delay Threshold for Social Interaction in Volumetric eXtended Reality Communication

Immersive technologies like eXtended Reality (XR) are the next step in videoconferencing. In this context, understanding the effect of delay on communication is crucial. This article presents the first study on the impact of delay on collaborative tasks using a realistic Social XR system. Specifically, we design an experiment and evaluate the impact of end-to-end delays of 300, 600, 900, 1,200, and 1,500 ms on the execution of a standardized task involving the collaboration of two remote users that meet in a virtual space and construct block-based shapes. To measure the impact of the delay in this communication scenario, objective and subjective data were collected. As objective data, we measured the time required to execute the tasks and computed conversational characteristics by analyzing the recorded audio signals. As subjective data, a questionnaire was prepared and completed by every user to evaluate different factors such as overall quality, perception of delay, annoyance using the system, level of presence, cybersickness, and other subjective factors associated with social interaction. The results show a clear influence of the delay on the perceived quality and a significant negative effect as the delay increases. Specifically, the results indicate that the acceptable threshold for end-to-end delay should not exceed 900 ms. This article additionally provides guidelines for developing standardized XR tasks for assessing interaction in Social XR environments.

Lightweight blockchain-based remote user authentication for fog-enabled IoT deployment

The Internet of Things (IoT) seeks to enhance human life by embedding everyday objects with intelligence. As deployed in diverse environments, IoT devices exchange substantial data to offer autonomously smart and innovative services. Cloud computing serves as an effective solution for processing and storing data from IoT devices, enabling remote access for end-users. However, authenticating remote users poses a critical challenge. Although several existing schemes tackle this challenge, they have notable security and performance weaknesses. This paper introduces a lightweight, distributed multi-factor authentication scheme for remote users in IoT. The proposed approach, named Lightchain, integrates blockchain technology and fog computing while incorporating a lightweight cryptographic hash function. The security of Lightchain is rigorously confirmed through formal verification using the well-recognized Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool. Additionally, we develop and assess Lightchain’s functionality using the solidity language across diverse use cases. A comparative analysis is presented to evaluate performance costs and security requirements against recent methods. The proposed scheme demonstrates efficiency and robustness, making it well-suited for a range of IoT applications.

Every "Body" Gets a Say: An Augmented Optimization Metric to Preserve Body Pose during Avatar Adaptation in Mixed/Augmented Reality.

User-Avatar interaction within augmented reality applications is rapidly increasing in frequency. Applications routinely place users in rooms with other, remote users embodied by photorealistic avatars, or require users to work with an avatar of a remote user to complete a task. During these types of interactions, it is often required to modify or redirect the posture of an avatar to achieve goals such as contact with or pointing at an object or maintaining eye gaze with the local user. A key limitation of modern redirection techniques is successfully preserving body posture, a critical component of nonverbal communication. This paper presents a new pose-preserving objective function to be used in the multi-objective optimization of an avatar's kinematic configuration. This objective function not only mimics the correct placement of body joints, but also preserves their orientation in space. We have tested this approach against several commonly used and current state-of-the-art redirection techniques and have found that our new approach achieves a significant reduction in targeted redirection error while simultaneously reducing body posture error. Additionally, human subject testing has shown that our new technique provides both a significantly more natural looking redirection and a significantly more realistic and believable overall body posture.

Augmenting Three-Dimensional Model Annotation System with Enhanced Reality

This study proposes an augmented reality-based three-dimensional model annotation system, integrating cloud anchors, three-dimensional reconstruction, and augmented reality technology to achieve explicit three-dimensional annotations on models. Employing an improved ORB algorithm, the annotated model is persistently anchored in three-dimensional space through cloud anchors, presenting accurate spatial information and showcasing the depth of scenes and relationships between elements. The system supports multiple data types for annotations, such as text and images. Through a comparison with traditional two-dimensional annotation in a drone experiment, the system demonstrates higher experimental efficiency, providing more intuitive annotation guidance and enhancing remote guidance efficiency and user understanding of drones.

Multi-Server user Authentication Scheme for Privacy Preservation with Fuzzy Commitment

The integration of artificial intelligence technology with a scalable Internet of Things (IoT) platform facilitates diverse smart communication services, allowing remote users to access services from anywhere at any time. The multi-server environment within IoT introduces a flexible security service model, enabling users to interact with any server through a single registration. To ensure secure and privacy preservation services for resources, an authentication scheme is essential. Zhao et al. recently introduced a user authentication scheme for the multi-server environment, utilizing passwords and smart cards, claiming resilience against well-known attacks. This paper conducts cryptanalysis on Zhao et al.'s scheme, focusing on denial of service and privacy attacks, revealing a lack of user-friendliness. Subsequently, we propose a new multi-server user authentication scheme for privacy preservation with fuzzy commitment over the IoT environment, addressing the shortcomings of Zhao et al.'s scheme. Formal security verification of the proposed scheme is conducted using the ProVerif simulation tool. Through both formal and informal security analyses, we demonstrate that the proposed scheme is resilient against various known attacks and those identified in Zhao et al.'s scheme.

Novel Resource Allocation Technique for DVB-RCS Compliant Satellite Terminals

Satellite communication is advantageous for several reasons such as broad coverage, small installation time of remote user sites, and network services in inhospitable terrains, where installing terrestrial infrastructure is costly. With the advent of broadband multimedia satellites such as Ku and Ka band satellites, multimedia services to the satellite terminals are gaining momentum. Digital Video Broadcast Return Channel via Satellite (DVB-RCS) is an open standard developed by ETSI which has further standardized, commercialized and solved the problem of inter-operability of Ku Band satellite terminals. Satellite bandwidth is scarce therefore treated as precious resource. In the present paper, authors aim to develop and realize the resource allocation techniques in return link channel for DVB-RCS compliant satellite terminals. The paper provides method for giving preference to real time application in terms of early processing of allocation request generated against the real time traffic to reduce delay and also provides method to avoid parallel connection arises due to transmission of terminal on more than one frequency at a time. Authors have realised DVB-RCS resource allocation technique and have given simulation results.

Assessing the Scientific Relevance of Content in Open Access Repositories

The results of monitoring 106 universities — participants of the Priority-2030 programme to determine the popularity and scientific significance of the content of domestic repositories are presented. Among them only 40 institutional repositories of universities were found, it was revealed that 20 of them are closed for a remote user. In 12 repositories, statistical information about the use of their content was found and the following indicators were searched and analyzed: number of views, downloads, citations, evaluations, mentions in social networks. It was found that domestic repositories do not use altmetrics services from commercial aggregators. Half of the repositories provide information on the number of views and downloads of internal repository counters. In six repositories, some information could be found through links to external sources where the full text of the publication is available: journal and conference websites, and scientometric databases. However, these sources, with the exception of publications in foreign periodicals, provide only internal statistics. The study of quantitative indicators of internal counters of repositories and scientometric databases gave uneven results.More complete data on the demand for some repository objects could be established on publications posted on the websites of foreign journals, since most of them use Altmetric or PlumX altmetric services that aggregate information from various sources. However, the quantitative indicators of this data show an inactive utilization of domestic publications abroad.The study reveals that altmetric metrics are poorly represented in repositories. Internal counters do not provide complete information on the demand for materials from institutional repositories, and altmetric services from commercial aggregators are hardly used. At the same time, the use of altmetric services PlumX and Altmetric provides more complete information for evaluating and adjusting the strategy of research promotion by universities.

Assessing the Scientific Relevance of Content in Open Access Repositories

The results of monitoring 106 universities — participants of the Priority-2030 programme to determine the popularity and scientific significance of the content of domestic repositories are presented. Among them only 40 institutional repositories of universities were found, it was revealed that 20 of them are closed for a remote user. In 12 repositories, statistical information about the use of their content was found and the following indicators were searched and analyzed: number of views, downloads, citations, evaluations, mentions in social networks. It was found that domestic repositories do not use altmetrics services from commercial aggregators. Half of the repositories provide information on the number of views and downloads of internal repository counters. In six repositories, some information could be found through links to external sources where the full text of the publication is available: journal and conference websites, and scientometric databases. However, these sources, with the exception of publications in foreign periodicals, provide only internal statistics. The study of quantitative indicators of internal counters of repositories and scientometric databases gave uneven results.More complete data on the demand for some repository objects could be established on publications posted on the websites of foreign journals, since most of them use Altmetric or PlumX altmetric services that aggregate information from various sources. However, the quantitative indicators of this data show an inactive utilization of domestic publications abroad.The study reveals that altmetric metrics are poorly represented in repositories. Internal counters do not provide complete information on the demand for materials from institutional repositories, and altmetric services from commercial aggregators are hardly used. At the same time, the use of altmetric services PlumX and Altmetric provides more complete information for evaluating and adjusting the strategy of research promotion by universities.

The experience of a tele-operated avatar being touched increases operator's sense of discomfort.

Recent advancements in tele-operated avatars, both on-screen and robotic, have expanded opportunities for human interaction that exceed spatial and physical limitations. While numerous studies have enhanced operator control and improved the impression left on remote users, one area remains underexplored: the experience of operators during touch interactions between an avatar and a remote interlocutor. Touch interactions have become commonplace with avatars, especially those displayed on or integrated with touchscreen interfaces. Although the need for avatars to exhibit human-like touch responses has been recognized as beneficial for maintaining positive impressions on remote users, the sensations and experiences of the operators behind these avatars during such interactions remain largely uninvestigated. This study examines the sensations felt by an operator when their tele-operated avatar is touched remotely. Our findings reveal that operators can perceive a sensation of discomfort when their on-screen avatar is touched. This feeling is intensified when the touch is visualized and the avatar reacts to it. Although these autonomous responses may enhance the human-like perceptions of remote users, they might also lead to operator discomfort. This situation underscores the importance of designing avatars that address the experiences of both remote users and operators. We address this issue by proposing a tele-operated avatar system that minimizes unwarranted touch interactions from unfamiliar interlocutors based on social intimacy.

Remote Low-Cost Web-Based Battery Monitoring System and Control Using LoRa Communication Technology

Batteries are a complex electrochemical device that exhibit non-linearity and stochastic behavior which rely upon the operational conditions and environmental factors, making battery monitoring a vital feature throughout its application. This paper introduces a novel web-based battery monitoring and control system that utilizes Long Range (LoRa) communication technology, an integral part of the Internet of Things (IoT). The system is implemented with the ESP32 microcontroller, with an emphasis on affordability in broader applications. The system provides comprehensive real-time online data by integrating a combination of multiple sensors. The proposed system seeks to address the limitations of existing communication technology by utilizing the benefits of LoRa, a technology that facilitates effective long-range, low-energy communication which makes it particularly well-suited for real-time monitoring applications. In addition, a control operation enables users to regulate crucial aspects of batteries, such as their charging and discharging. The research conducted a meticulous experimental evaluation of the proposed system at different operations, and the results successfully aligned with the main objective and aims of the research. The proposed system successfully enables real-time remote monitoring and user control, long-term data visualization through data logging, and assessment of battery conditions. Data logging was introduced to enhance the utilization of future battery evaluation, such as State-of-Charge (SOC), State-of-Health (SOH) and Remaining Useful Life (RUL). As a result, the developed system makes it suitable for many applications requiring effective energy storage solutions, such as renewable energy and Electric Vehicle (EV) applications.

Digital communications of a modern library: key aspects

The article is devoted to the urgent problem of determining the key aspects of digital communications of a modern library when libraries create their own electronic information resources, products and services in order to quickly, meaningfully and qualitatively provide the information needs of modern users in the context of the digitalization of the city and region. The study of key aspects of digital communications of a modern library is relevant, since the main task of libraries in traditional and digital spaces is, first of all, information support for information, scientific, and research activities through the acquisition of a high-quality library collection, the formation and development of a system of electronic information resources, products and services, providing access to him, as well as fully ensuring the information needs of all categories of users. The fulfillment of these tasks occurs with the gradual digitalization of the region, the introduction of the latest computer technologies and telecommunications, which become the most important strategic resource and ensure the use of library and information potential in the scientific, cultural and educational spheres. Based on the study of professional publications, the definitions of the terms "digitalization" and "digital (digital) communications" are analyzed. The types of digital communications of a library institution are determined. Digital communications on the websites of libraries in the city of Dnepr were studied, depending on their types and purpose. The role of library digital communications in the creation of library electronic resources, services and providing the information needs of remote users is indicated. The key aspects of digital communications of a modern library are identified. Measures are proposed for the organization and further development of digital communications of library institutions, depending on their types and main mission.

Enhancing autonomy in social robots through a real-time teleoperation system

<p>The utilization of socially assistive robots (SARs) has shown great potential in various applications. However, there are practical challenges that hinder their widespread adoption. Recent studies have explored the use of teleoperation systems as a solution to overcome these challenges by streamlining data collection and communication with SARs. This paper introduces a cloud-based teleoperation system for robotics that enables real-time control of the robot platform, allowing remote users to view video streams and manipulate the robot system. The proposed teleoperation system was implemented in a cloud environment and tested with two different social robot platforms. The experimental results demonstrate the system's quick response and stable communication performance, meeting the requirements for remote-controlled teleoperation. Consequently, employing the proposed mobile-based teleoperation system in social robot applications enhances operator productivity, expedites operations, and reduces task completion time.</p>