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- Non-verbal aspects of collaboration in virtual worlds: a CSCW taxonomy-development proposal integrating the presence dimensionPublication . Cruz, Armando; Paredes, Hugo; Morgado, Leonel; Martins, PauloVirtual worlds, particularly those able to provide a three-dimensional physical space, have features that make them suitable to support collaborative activities. These features distinguish virtual worlds from other collaboration tools, but current taxonomies of the field of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work do not account for several distinctive features of virtual worlds, namely those related with non-verbal communication. We intended to find out how the use of an avatar, gestures, spatial sounds, etc., influence collaboration in order to be able to include non-verbal communication in taxonomies of the field Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. Several cases of collaboration in virtual worlds are analysed, to find the impact of these non-verbal characteristics of virtual worlds. We proposed adding the concept of Presence to taxonomies of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and contribute with guidance for future taxonomy development that includes it as a new dimension. This new dimension of Presence is subdivided into "avatar" and "physical space" subdimensions. In turn, these are divided into "physical appearance", "gestures, sounds and animations" and "focus, nimbus and aura"; "environment" and "objects / artefacts". This new taxonomy-development proposal may contribute to inform better design of virtual worlds in support of cooperative work.
- Online-Gym : multiuser virtual gymnasium using RINIONS and multiple kinect devicesPublication . Cassola, Fernando; Ala, Silvia; Carvalho, Fausto de; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Cardoso, Francisco; Morgado, LeonelTo enhance older citizen’s practice of physical exercise, we present the architecture, development, and pilot testing of a multiuser online gymnasium based on Kinect motion capture and OpenSimulator, which aims to enable socialization and supervision of exercise practice without travel requirements. The prototype was tested simultaneously with 4 elders at different locations, providing data on the feasibility of the approach and informing subsequent development and research.
- UPPERCARE: a community aware environment for post-surgical musculoskeletal recovery of elderly patientsPublication . Paredes, Hugo; Barroso, João; Morgado, Leonel; Pereira, Rogério; Leal, Ana; Carvalho, Fausto de; Ribeiro, Vítor; Braun, Andreas; Casati, Fabio; Gaillard, RomainDisability from musculoskeletal diseases and comorbidities may lead to the worsening of social and economic well-being through a multitude of paths. Moreover since in European Union (EU) Member States it is projected that those aged 65 and over will become a much larger share (rising from 17% to 30% of the population), and those aged 80 and over (rising from 5% to 12%) will almost become as numerous as the young population in 2060, there is a great potential for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) solutions for addressing the present and future living arrangements in older people. The UPPERCARE system is meant to affect positively both the intergenerational and partners care since it contributes to decrease usability barriers and promote collaborative environments for informal and self-care. UPPERCARE is a new approach for integrated care supported by ICT systems and services, focusing on post-operative rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pathologies, having as a case study the knee post-operative scenarios of prosthetic care. This paper presents the UPPERCARE system, that provides an integrated care solution, supported ICT, for empowering self-care and adherence to rehabilitation plans through natural interfaces, gamification and cross-modal paths for community care collaboration. The system addresses current barriers from technological, clinical, social and organisational perspectives in a multidisciplinary environment. Special attention is given to the patients’ needs and behaviours entailing the participation of a wide care community, including clinical and non-clinical people, associations, institutions and authorities) through an user driven interaction within the system.
- Task scheduling model for fog paradigmPublication . Barros, Celestino Lopes de; Rocio, Vitor; Sousa, André; Paredes, HugoTask scheduling in fog paradigm is highly complex and in the literature, there are still few studies. In the cloud architecture, it is widely studied and in many researches, it is approached from the perspective of service providers. Trying to bring innovative contributions in these areas, in this paper, we propose a model to the context-aware task-scheduling problem for fog paradigm. In our proposal, different context parameters are normalized through Min-Max normalization; requisition priorities are defined through the application of the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) technique and scheduling is performed using Multi-Objective Non-Linear Programming Optimization (MONLIP) technique.
- Collaboration in 3D virtual worlds : a protocol for case study researchPublication . Cruz, Armando; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, LeonelThree-dimensional virtual worlds have been growing fast in number of users, and are used for the most diverse purposes. In collaboration, they are used with good results due to features such as immersion, interaction capabilities, use of avatar embodiment, and physical space. In the particular cases of avatar embodiment and physical space, these features support nonverbal communication, but its impact on collaboration is not well known. In this work we present a protocol for case study research and its creation process, which aims to assert itself as a tool to collect data on how nonverbal communication influences collaboration in three-dimensional virtual worlds. We define the propositions and units of analysis, and a pilot case to validate them. Then, two cases are analysed under the created protocol. Most of the propositions found chains of evidences supporting them.
- Simple VR for better livingPublication . Mota, Telma; Carvalho, Fausto de; Paredes, Hugo; Morgado, LeonelPhysical and cognitive rehabilitation based on natural interaction and VR has been on our horizon for several years, and we have been conducting experimentation towards that goal through several exploratory research initiatives.This article addresses some aspects of the state-of-the-art of VR in healthcare and well-being, with opportunities in the domain of rehabilitation based on natural interaction and VR being analyzed and put in perspective with the SmartAL ecosystem roadmap.
- Immersive authoring of virtual reality trainingPublication . Cassola, Fernando; Pinto, Manuel; Mendes, Daniel; Morgado, Leonel; Coelho, António; Paredes, HugoThe use of VR in industrial training contributes to reduce costs and risks, supporting more frequent and diversified use of experiential learning activities, an approach with proven results. In this work, we present an innovative immersive authoring tool for experiential learning in VR-based training. It enables a trainer to structure an entire VR training course in an immersive environment, defining its sub-components, models, tools, and settings, as well as specifying by demonstration the actions to be performed by trainees. The trainees performing the immersive training course have their actions recorded and matched to the ones specified by the trainer.
- Separating gesture detection and application control concerns with a multimodal architecturePublication . Morgado, Leonel; Cardoso, Bernardo; Carvalho, Fausto de; Fernandes, Luís; Paredes, Hugo; Barbosa, Luís; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Nunes, Ricardo RodriguesGesture-controlled applications typically are tied to specific gestures, and also tied to specific recognition methods and specific gesture-detection devices. We propose a concernseparation architecture, which mediates the following concerns: gesture acquisition; gesture recognition; and gestural control. It enables application developers to respond to gesture-independent commands, recognized using plug-in gesture-recognition modules that process gesture data via both device-dependent and deviceindependent data formats and callbacks. Its feasibility is demonstrated with a sample implementation.
- Fitting three dimensional virtual worlds into CSCWPublication . Cruz, Armando; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel
- Computer-simulated 3D virtual environments in collaborative learning and training: meta-review, refinement, and roadmapPublication . Correia, António; Fonseca, Benjamim; Paredes, Hugo; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel