Reviewerly/exHarmony huggingface dataset:
Articulator Muscle Contraction Evaluation in Vowel Phonemes Articulation Based on Facial Images and Electromyography Signal

Utilization of motor signal information of articulatory muscles and facial images separately in speech recognition shows that these two pieces of information are related to the articulation process. This study examines the relationship between EMG signals and facial deformation in several conditions during the pronunciation of vowel phonemes. The characteristics of the articulatory muscle contractions around the oral cavity are reviewed for 3 phases (initial, maximum, and final) for the pronunciation of each vowel phoneme. Segmentation and wavelet denoising are used to condition the EMG signal; then, the RMS amplitude is extracted from the signal using an RMS envelope. 2D vector maps are extracted from 3-phase images and displayed as compass maps for each phase. In this study, the relationship between motor signals of articulation muscles and facial articulator movements was found. This finding is shown in all pronunciations from EMG and vector values, which are the largest in phase 2. Also, the activity of muscle depressor anguli oris plays more significant role in the pronunciation of vowel phonemes.
Research on the Database Model Supporting the Setting and Sharing of Data Security Levels in Ubiquitous Smart Learning Spaces

In response to the need for learners in ubiquitous smart learning spaces to communicate with others while maintaining personal privacy, we propose a new model to address these issues. 1.How to ensure the security and reliability of data during transmission. 2.How to ensure the safe and classified storage of learners' data in space. This paper first analyzes the importance of data protection in the ubiquitous smart learning network space. Then, a four-level database model is constructed based on different permissions and encryption technologies for storing data, with each level of the database physically isolated. Learners can freely choose to store their personal data in the corresponding level of the database. Finally, the efficiency of the model was verified under simulated experimental conditions, and the security of this storage model was analyzed.
The KU-ISPL entry to the GENEA Challenge 2023-A Diffusion Model for Co-speech Gesture generation

This paper describes a diffusion model for co-speech gesture generation presented by KU-ISPL entry of the GENEA Challenge 2023. We formulate the gesture generation problem as a co-speech gesture generation problem and a semantic gesture generation problem, and we focus on solving the co-speech gesture generation problem by denoising diffusion probabilistic model with text, audio, and pre-pose conditions. We use the U-Net with cross-attention architecture as a denoising model, and we propose a gesture autoencoder as a mapping function from the gesture domain to the latent domain. The collective evaluation released by GENEA Challenge 2023 shows that our model successfully generates co-speech gestures. Our system receives a mean human-likeness score of 32.0, a preference-matched score of appropriateness for the main agent speech of 53.6%, and an interlocutor speech appropriateness score of 53.5%. We also conduct an ablation study to measure the effects of the pre-pose. By the results, our system contributes to the co-speech gesture generation for natural interaction.
Navigating in VR using free-hand gestures and embodied controllers: A comparative evaluation

While natural body-based movements are essential features for immersive VR (Virtual Reality) experiences, most of the available input techniques for navigation in VR involve the use of hand-held controllers. Alternatively, while body-based input for VR navigation has previously been explored in HCI using external tracking devices, there is little to no work that utilizes the in-built tracking functionalities of the predominant VR headsets (such as Meta Quest 2) for gesture-based navigation in VR. This paper addresses this research gap by proposing five free-hand gestures for 3-D navigation in VR using internal gesture-tracking functionality of Quest 2 headset. Additionally, a qualitative and quantitative comparison is presented between free-hand and controller-based navigation in VR using a custom designed task (with 10 users). Overall, the findings from the task-analysis indicate that while in-built tracking functionalities in VR headsets open doors for inexpensive gesture-based VR navigation, the mid-air hand-gestures result into greater fatigue as compared to using controllers for navigation in VR.
The KCL-SAIR team's entry to the GENEA Challenge 2023 Exploring Role-based Gesture Generation in Dyadic Interactions: Listener vs. Speaker

This paper presents the KCL-SAIR team’s contribution to the GENEA Challenge 2023. As this year’s challenge addressed gesture generation in a dyadic context instead of a monadic one, our aim was to investigate how the previous state-of-the-art approach can be improved to be more applicable for the generation of both speaker and listener behaviours. The presented solution investigates how taking into account the conversational role of the target agent during training and inference time can influence the overall social appropriateness of the resulting gesture generation system. Our system is evaluated qualitatively based on three factors, including human likeness, appropriateness for agent speech, and appropriateness for interlocutor speech. Our results show that having separate models for listener and speaker behaviours could have potential, especially to generate better listener behaviour. However, the underlying model structures between the speaker and listener behaviour should be different, building on previous state-of-the-art monadic and dyadic solutions.
Directional Multimodal Flow to Help Mitigate VR Sickness

One way to alleviate VR sickness is to reduce the sensory mismatch between the visual and vestibular organ regarding the motion perception. Mixing in the motion trail in the reverse direction to the original has been suggested as one such method. However, as such visual feedback can be content intrusive, we consider supplementing it by the non-visual multimodal reverse flow. In particular, we have devised methods to supply sound effects as if heard from the reverse direction, and vibration and air flow likewise. Our validation experiment has shown that the multimodal feedback was effective in significantly reducing the sickness, but its direction (reverse or not) did not have an effect as hypothesized.
The Effects of Customized Strategies for Reducing VR Sickness

The extent of virtual reality (VR) sickness varies widely among users, as each user has different sensitivities to diverse causes of VR sickness. This can make prescribing a single particular reduction technique difficult and ineffective. In this poster, we present preliminary work examining the more effective and preferred sickness-reduction techniques for a given user under varied sickness-inducing motions. Based on the user-specific information collected using VR content, a customized strategy is developed for a given user and applied to the same VR content. We report the experimental results for testing the effectiveness of the customized reduction technique, comparing it to a single particular reduction method.
Automatic Detection of Gaze and Smile in Children's Video Calls

With the increasing use of video chats by children, the need for tools that facilitate the scientific study of their communicative behavior becomes more pressing. This paper investigates the automatic detection – from video calls – of two major signals in children’s social coordination: smiles and gaze. While there has been significant advancement in the field of computer vision to model such signals, very little work has been done to put these techniques to the test in the noisy, variable context of video calls, and even fewer studies (if any) have investigated children’s video calls specifically. In this paper, we provide a first exploration into this question, testing and comparing two modeling approaches: a) a feature-based approach that relies on state-of-the-art software like OpenFace for feature extraction, and b) an end-to-end approach where models are directly optimized to classify the behavior of interest from raw data. We found that using features generated by OpenFace provides a better solution in the case of smiles, whereas using simple end-to-end architectures proved to be much more helpful in the case of looking behavior. A broader goal of this preliminary work is to provide the basis for a public, comprehensive toolkit for the automatic processing of children’s communicative signals from video chat, facilitating research in children’s online multimodal interaction.
Study of Visual Guidance Cues in VR Field Trips at High Schools

We assess the effectiveness of attention guidance cues in an educational platform in local high schools with real students. Three eye-tracked visual cues, previously assessed for their ability to guide and restore attention, are compared against a baseline absence of cue in a VR field trip of a virtual solar energy field. Students experienced four presentations on solar energy production including in-world animations and teacher imagery, in three of which the visual cues guided attention to the relevant object or teacher in the scene. Attention guidance using visual cues is commonly studied using “search and selection” style tasks, but has not been studied in the context of maintaining attention in real-world environments.
A Virtualized Augmented Reality Simulation for Exploring Perceptual Incongruencies

When blending virtual and physical content, certain incongruencies emerge from hardware limitations, inaccurate tracking, or different appearances of virtual and physical content. They restrain us from perceiving virtual and physical content as one experience. Hence, it is crucial to investigate these issues to determine how they influence our experience. We present a virtualized augmented reality simulation that can systematically examine single incongruencies or different configurations.
Performing Tasks in Virtual Reality. Interplay between Realism and Visual Imagery

The main aims of the presented study are to verify whether the amount of textures in a virtual scene affects task performance and to test whether visual imagery changes the relationship between realism and task performance. An experimental study with three groups differed in visual realism was conducted (n=100). Participants were asked to perform a task: taking on the role of a marshaller and positioning the plane on the airport apron. Results indicate that texturing does not affect task performance. Visual imagery is a moderator of the relationship between perceived realism and task performance. A high level of imagery interferes with a high realism assessment decreasing task performance.
Reducing Sensing Errors in a Mixed Reality Musical Instrument

This paper describes the design and evaluation of Netz, a novel mixed reality musical instrument that leverages artificial intelligence for reducing errors in gesture interpretation by the system. We followed a participatory design approach over three months through regular sessions with a professional musician. We explain our design process and discuss technological sensing errors in mixed reality devices, which emerged during the design sessions. We investigate the use of interactive machine learning techniques to mitigate such errors. Results from statistical analyses indicate that a deep learning model based on interactive machine learning can significantly reduce the number of technological errors in a set of musical performance tasks with the mixed reality musical instrument. Based on our findings, we argue that the application of interactive machine learning techniques can be beneficial for embodied, hand-controlled musical instruments in the mixed reality domain.
Deforming Skin Illusion by Visual-tactile Stimulation

While previous studies have investigated virtual body embodiment in various forms, such as different colors, species, and transparency, little research has been conducted on elastic, non-rigid, or deforming bodies. If we can embody such elastic bodies, it will contribute to providing novel bodily experiences, such as being an octopus and developing a tele-operation system with deforming machines. We focused on skin deformation as the first step, and aimed to induce illusory experiences of having illusory sensation on deforming skin of a realistic virtual body using wearable tactile devices. The participants experience deforming skin illusions when a part of skin of the virtual arm is visually indented or stretched with synchronous tactile vibrations. The illusion is enhanced when the virtual arm’s location matches the real hand and when visual-tactile brush stroking is applied.
Emotional Enhancement Techniques in Online Music Concerts by Presenting Force Stimuli from Light Sticks

In this study, we attempt to enhance emotion in online live music concerts by focusing on the influence of entrainment to the rhythm of music on emotion. We propose a light stick-type device that changes the audience's own light stick swinging motion and their perception of it by adding a force stimulus to the audience's light stick swinging motion. Experimental results suggest that the proposed device promoted the user's light stick swinging behavior and enhanced emotion. Results also suggested that presenting force stimuli in accordance with musical rhythms could be a useful for presenting the presence of other people.
The Effect of False but Stable Heart Rate Feedback via Sound and Vibration on VR User Experience

Vital signals tend to become destabilized and generally increase when one’s physical condition is not well. For example, experiencing virtual reality (VR) sickness brings about a deteriorated physical condition, often accompanied by an increased heart rate. Several research have shown that providing feedback of false heart rate can induce various altered perceptions, such as increased effort and anxiety. In this poster, we propose to provide false but “stable” heart rate feedback through sound and vibration while navigating a sickness-inducing VR scene. We hypothesize that the false but stable heart rate feedback will have an induced effect of calming the user down (even stabilizing the heart rate itself) and reducing the unpleasant VR sickness symptoms. A pilot study was conducted to compare three conditions, namely viewing a sickness eliciting VR content, (1) as is, (2) with the false but stable heart rate feedback through sound, and (3) with the false but stable heart rate feedback through vibration. Results showed that the level of sickness was significantly reduced by sound and vibration feedback, respectively.
SpaceVR: Virtual Reality Space Science Outreach Experience

Teaching people about Space concepts is challenging with traditional text book and teaching methods. It is hard to encourage prospective students with these traditional methods as they lack engagement and interactivity. We have developed SpaceVR which is a VR application that provides high school students with an engaging outreach experience about Space Science. The application uses real images of the sun from NASA’s solar dynamics observatory satellite to create an interactive digital Sun for students to explore. The project investigates if adding gamification elements will increase student engagement with Space Science outreach efforts.
Formal and non-formal education in the teaching-learning process

The article addresses education in Mexico as a fundamental pillar to achieve the transformation of society, through disciplinary knowledge, values, socio-emotional, digital, cultural, artistic and sports skills, where formal education and non-formal education complement each other to achieve the teaching-learning process offered by teachers in the classroom; to produce changes intellectually. The essay recognizes how both educations have characteristics and advantages that influence the professional, personal and daily life training of students, but not only of these actors, but also of the professional training that teachers acquire, in order to offer a good education. Formal and non-formal education plays a fundamental role in the Mexican educational system. All the learning that is acquired in the classroom, in workshops, in courses, in postgraduate courses, encourages critical thinking in citizens, which will later be very useful in the work and/or professional field.&#x0D; Keywords:&#x0D; Formal education, non-formal education, teaching-learning process.&#x0D; &#x0D; RESUMEN&#x0D; En el artículo se aborda la educación en México como pilar fundamental para lograr la transformación de la sociedad, a través de conocimientos disciplinares, valores, habilidades socioemocionales, digitales, culturales, artísticas y deportivas, donde la educación formal y educación no formal se complementan para lograr el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje que ofrece los docentes en el aula; para producir cambios de manera intelectual. En el ensayo se reconoce como ambas educaciones poseen características y ventajas que influyen en la formación profesional, personal y para la vida cotidiana de los estudiantes, pero no solo de estos actores, sino también de la formación profesional que van adquiriendo los docentes, para poder ofrecer una buena educación. La educación formal y no formal desempeñan un papel fundamental en el sistema educativo mexicano. Todos los aprendizajes que se adquiere en el aula, en talleres, en cursos, en posgrados, fomentan un pensamiento crítico en los ciudadanos, que después será de gran utilidad en el campo laboral y/o profesional.&#x0D; Palabras clave:&#x0D; Educación formal, educación no formal, proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje.
A Connectionless Entanglement Distribution Protocol Design in Quantum Networks

Remote entanglement distribution plays a crucial role in quantum networks, which can support many essential and exciting quantum applications. As the network scale expands, it is urgent to design a general and efficient remote entanglement distribution protocol. Nowadays, connection-oriented remote entanglement distribution protocols are available to achieve reliable entanglement distribution. However, in memory-limited quantum networks, connection-oriented entanglement distribution protocols cannot utilize entanglement resources fully and increase the delay of End-to-End (E2E) entanglement connection establishment. To overcome these shortcomings of existing entanglement distribution protocols, we design a connectionless remote entanglement distribution protocol to let Source-Destination (S-D) pairs compete for entanglement resources simultaneously. In our protocol, a fair request scheduling algorithm is proposed to reduce the waiting time without entanglement connections between S-D pairs. Furthermore, a fast scheduling trigger mechanism is proposed to perform entanglement swapping timely to reduce the delay of E2E entanglement connection establishment. The simulation results show that the designed protocol has advantages in terms of resource utilization, throughput, the service completion time of S-D pairs, and the maximum waiting time, compared with the existing remote entanglement distribution protocol.
“To be or Not to be Me?”: Exploration of Self-Similar Effects of Avatars on Social Virtual Reality Experiences

The growing interest in the self-similarity effect of avatars in virtual reality (VR) has spurred the creation of realistic avatars that closely mirror their users. However, despite extensive research on the self-similarity effect in single-user VR environments, our understanding of its impact in social VR settings remains underdeveloped. This shortfall exists despite the unique socio-psychological phenomena arising from the illusion of embodiment that could potentially alter these effects. To fill this gap, this paper provides an in-depth empirical investigation of how avatars' self-similarity influences social VR experiences. Our research uncovers several notable findings: 1) A high level of avatar self-similarity boosts users' sense of embodiment and social presence but has minimal effects on the overall presence and even slightly hinders immersion. These results are driven by increased self-awareness. 2) Among various factors that contribute to the self-similarity of avatars, voice stands out as a significant influencer of social VR experiences, surpassing other representational factors. 3) The impact of avatar self-similarity shows negligible differences between male and female users. Based on these findings, we discuss the pros and cons of incorporating self-similarity into social VR avatars. Our study serves as a foundation for further research in this field.
High Resolution Experimental Study of Damage Initiation in Cross-Ply Laminate Using Digital Volume Correlation

Abstract The damage initiation mechanisms of a single edge notched cross-ply laminate are studied using a Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) analysis. The experimental results are used to verify an SD2M [1] model of the same problem. Using material properties found in the literature, the initial stiffness and the non-linearity of the force-strain curve were verified. The predicted crack density evolution of the model resembled closely that observed from Digital Image Correlation results. Although the ultimate load predicted by the model was within the experimental spread, it was non-conservative relative to the average. Another discrepancy between the model and experimental data was observed in the order in which the damage modes initiate and the points in the load-strain curve at which they happen. The procedure followed in this study demonstrates the potential of the DVC data collected for model verification.
The Evolution of Computer Programming Languages

This research paper aims to study the progression and evolution of Computer Languages. How have evolved over time and also examines the evidence that newer programming languages are powerful than older ones, take the best of what older languages have to offer, so that older languages weaknesses can be eliminated and add the new strengths. The paper studies the progression of programming languages by examining the features of the most prominent languages and how these features have been adopted by newer languages. Finally, the paper presents a list of languages that may become the most popular programming languages.
Emergency entity relationship extraction for water diversion project based on pre-trained model and multi-featured graph convolutional network

Using information technology to extract emergency decision-making knowledge from emergency plan documents is an essential means to enhance the efficiency and capacity of emergency management. To address the problems of numerous terminologies and complex relationships faced by emergency knowledge extraction of water diversion project, a multi-feature graph convolutional network (PTM-MFGCN) based on pre-trained model is proposed. Initially, through the utilization of random masking of domain-specific terminologies during pre-training, the model’s comprehension of the meaning and application of such terminologies within specific fields is enhanced, thereby augmenting the network’s proficiency in extracting professional terminologies. Furthermore, by introducing a multi-feature adjacency matrix to capture a broader range of neighboring node information, thereby enhancing the network’s ability to handle complex relationships. Lastly, we utilize the PTM-MFGCN to achieve the extraction of emergency entity relationships in water diversion project, thus constructing a knowledge graph for water diversion emergency management. The experimental results demonstrate that PTM-MFGCN exhibits improvements of 2.84% in accuracy, 4.87% in recall, and 5.18% in F1 score, compared to the baseline model. Relevant studies can effectively enhance the efficiency and capability of emergency management, mitigating the impact of unforeseen events on engineering safety.