Eurographics 2024 Article

Recently, I co-authored a short conference paper that was published in Eurographics 2024 entitled “Emotional Responses to Exclusionary Behaviors in Intelligent Embodied Augmented Reality Agents”. The study investigated how interactions with intelligent agents, embodied as AR avatars displaying exclusionary behaviors, affect users' emotions. Six participants engaged using voice interaction in an AR knowledge acquisition scenario with two ChatGPT-driven agents.

Results suggest a post-interaction emotional shift, manifested by decreased positive and negative affect-aligning with previous studies on social exclusion. Qualitative feedback revealed that some users attributed the exclusionary behavior of avatars to system glitches, leading to their disengagement. Our findings highlight challenges and opportunities for embodied intelligent agents, underscoring their potential to shape user experiences within AR, and the broader XR landscape.

More information:

https://diglib.eg.org/handle/10.2312/egs20241023?show=full

MTI 2023 Article

Recently, a co-authored an open-access journal paper that was published at Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, sponsored by the MDPI. The paper is entitled “Enhancing Localization Performance with Extended Funneling Vibrotactile Feedback”. The study explores the conventional ‘funneling’ method by introducing two extra locations beyond the virtual reality controller boundaries, terming it the extended funneling technique. Thirty-two participants engaged in a localization task, with their responses recorded using eye-tracking technology. They were tasked with localizing a virtual ping-pong ball as it bounced both within and outside their virtual hands on a virtual board.

Both the experimental and control groups received simultaneous spatial audio and vibrotactile feedback. The experimental group received vibrotactile feedback with extended funneling, while the control group received vibrotactile feedback without funneling for comparison. Results indicate that the experimental group, benefiting from the extended funneling technique, demonstrated a significantly higher accuracy rate (41.79%) in localizing audio–vibrotactile stimuli compared to the control group (28.21%). No significant differences emerged in embodiment or workload scores. Findings highlight the effectiveness of extended funneling for enhancing the localization of sensory stimuli in virtual reality.

More information:

https://www.mdpi.com/2414-4088/7/12/114

Movement Stability Improved by Robotic Prosthetic Ankle

A new study demonstrated that neural control of a powered prosthetic ankle can restore a range of abilities, including standing on challenging surfaces and squatting. Researchers worked with five people who had amputations below the knee on one leg. Study participants were fitted with a prototype robotic prosthetic ankle that responds to EMG signals that are picked up by sensors on the leg. Researchers conducted general training for study participants using the prototype device, so that they were somewhat familiar with the technology.

Study participants were then tasked with responding to an expected perturbation, meaning they had to respond to something that might throw off their balance. To replicate the conditions precisely over the course of the study, the researchers developed a mechanical system designed to challenge the stability of participants. Study participants were asked to respond to the expected perturbation under two conditions: using the prosthetic devices they normally used; and using the robotic prosthetic prototype. Results showed that study participants were significantly more stable when using the robotic prototype.

More information:

https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/10/robotic-ankles-move-naturally/