IMET 2023 Article

Recently, I have published a co-authored paper at the 3rd International Conference on Interactive Media, Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies (IMET 2023). The paper was entitled ‘Collaborative VR: Solving riddles in the concept of escape rooms’ and presented alternative means of user communication in collaborative virtual environments (CVEs). The objective of this work was to determine the effects of integrating alternative means of communication in users’ experience in VR.

To examine this, a case study of a collaborative VR escape room was selected. A user study was carried out to evaluate our hypotheses on the effects of nontraditional communication means when performing computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). Results showed that players manage to complete their tasks similarly to real-life scenarios, even when not allowing for traditional ways of interpersonal interactions.

More information:

https://diglib.eg.org/bitstream/handle/10.2312/imet20231247/001-009.pdf

Unveil the future of XR - ITW Satellite Conference Invited Talk

Dr Fotis Liarokapis, Project Coordinator of XR4ED, MRG Leader and Member of the Executive Board at CYENS, was a guest speaker at the Conference "Unveil the future of XR" - ITW Satellite Conference”. His talk was entitled “Intelligent Extended Reality for Education”. The talk was focused on the XR4ED EU project and presented (a) an overview of the project and (b) initial results. The Conference took place at The Royal Hall - Events Venue, Nicosia, Cyprus.

This was the first of many exciting events aimed at uniting and growing the XR community, shaping the future of sustainable immersive tech, and exploring the transformative potential of XR. At Immersive Tech Odyssey - Cyprus edition, in collaboration with CYENS - Centre of Excellence, the transformative potential of Education & Heritage through immersive technologies was explored and an epic journey into the future of technology was experienced.

More information:

https://www.immersivetechweek.co/immersive-tech-odyssey/

Morphing Robots Behave Like Insects

Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a trio of robots that can morph their bodies and legs as needed to better crawl, shimmy or swim over difficult terrain. These new robotic systems are designed to mimic the way biological organisms adapt their shape depending on their life cycle or environment and were developed by a team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The work outlines the three robotic types and their different abilities including gripping, climbing and amphibious travel. These robots are made of materials that can become soft or rigid with changes in temperature and are able to move without the need for bulky power systems such as magnetic coils.

That makes them more versatile and better equipped to potentially help humans search tight disaster areas for survivors in the future. The paper outlines three different morphing robotic schemes. The first design is a gripper which can sense and adjust its shape to grasp on to items better. Another is a quadrupedal robot that can flatten itself to crawl through openings or grip a ledge to maneuver across gaps. The final robot is untethered and can change its leg shape and position to effortlessly switch from walking on land to swimming in water. All three of these systems can morph on demand, and the process can be reversed if needed.

More information:

https://engr.source.colostate.edu/morphing-robots-designed-at-csu-can-grip-climb-and-crawl-like-insects/

Ants Inspire Robots to Find Their Way

Imagine a robot trying to find its way through a dense forest or a field filled with tall grass. It can't rely on familiar landmarks because the scenery might change, and everything might look the same. So, scientists face a significant challenge: how to help robots remember where they've been and recognize places they've visited before.

Scientists have developed a new artificial neural network that mimics the brain structures of ants and helps robots recognize and remember routes in complex natural environments, such as cornfields. The approach could improve the performance of agricultural robots that need to move through dense and plant-filled landscapes.

More information:

https://interestingengineering.com/science/how-ant-brains-inspire-robots-find-their-way-in-farmlands