Continuous body emotion recognition system during theater performances

Understanding emotional human behavior in its multimodal and continuous aspect is necessary for studying human machine interaction and creating constituent social agents. As a first step, we propose a system for continuous emotional behavior recognition expressed by people during communication based on their gesture and their whole body dynamical motion. The features used to classify the motion are inspired by the Laban Movement Analysis entities 11 and are mapped onto the well‐known Russell Circumplex Model 4 . We choose a specific case study that corresponds to an ideal case of multimodal behavior that emphasizes the body motion expression: theater performance. Using a trained neural network and annotated data, our system is able to describe the motion behavior as trajectories on the Russell Circumplex Model diagram during theater performances over time. This work contributes to the understanding of human behavior and expression and is a first step through a complete continuous emotion recognition system whose next step will be adding facial expressions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New fusion operations for digitized binary images and their applications

This paper proposes a new class of fusion operations which are useful for binary image processing. To begin with, an algorithm for the classical fusion operations is presented. They are sequentially composed of two basic operations, that is, expansion and contraction. The strategy of the proposed algorithm is as follows: the first operation is performed with the distance transformation, and the second operation utilizes the distance information obtained in the first operation. Next, a topological contraction and a topological expansion are defined. The topological contraction preserves the Euler number of an input image except that some simply connected components of 1 pixels are erased. The topological expansion preserves the Euler number of an input image except that some simply connected holes are filled. Then, several new fusion operations are obtained by combining the classical contraction and the topological expansion (or, the classical expansion and the topological contraction) sequentially. The algorithms for them use the same strategy as the proposed algorithm for the classical fusion operations. Finally, experimental results show that the new fusion operations and their combinations are effectively used in the binary image processing, such as shape smoothing, merging and separating connected components, and structure analysis.     

Multimedia tools and applications

Multimedia tools and applications     

Multimedia data representation learning and applications

Multimedia Tools and Applications -     

Multimedia framework to support eHealth applications

Limited bandwidth resources lead to a number of challenges especially for eHealth applications, which are communicated over IP and wireless networks. These multimedia services include high-resolution videos and have very large file sizes that require a high level of compression to overcome this limitation. Therefore, there is an acute demand for the research community to provide an efficient multimedia framework to encode medical videos with high quality specifically under the conditions of an error-prone environment. Both an affordable delivery framework and effective coding techniques are extremely desirable for the delivery of high-quality eHealth video applications for transmission over heterogeneous networks and devices. In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a multimedia framework to support eHealth applications, which has an improved coding scheme that uses an SVC-scalable extension of MPEC-4 AVC/H.264. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme achieves a significant improvement in terms of the PSNR-Y gain and reduces the picture quality degradation caused by artifacts and distortions, compared to the existing scheme.     

Enhanced adaptive RTCP-based Inter-Destination Multimedia Synchronization approach for distributed applications

Newer social multimedia applications, such as Social TV or networked multi-player games, enable independent groups (or clusters) of users to interact among themselves and share services within the context of simultaneous media content consumption. In such scenarios, concurrently synchronized playout points must be ensured so as not to degrade the user experience on such interaction. We refer to this process as Inter-Destination Multimedia Synchronization (IDMS). This paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of an evolved version of an RTCP-based IDMS approach, including an Adaptive Media Playout (AMP) scheme that aims to dynamically and smoothly adjust the playout timing of each one of the geographically distributed consumers in a specific cluster if an allowable asynchrony threshold between their playout states is exceeded. For that purpose, we previously had also to develop a full implementation of RTP/RTCP protocols for NS-2, in which we included the IDMS approach as an optional functionality. Simulation results prove the feasibility of such IDMS and AMP proposals, by adopting several dynamic master reference selection policies, to maintain an overall synchronization status (within allowable limits) in each cluster of participants, while minimizing the occurrence of long-term playout discontinuities (such as skips/pauses) which are subjectively more annoying and less tolerable to users than small variations in the media playout rate.     

A theater level simulation with COMO-III

A computerized modeling system is described which presents the analysis of a large number of interacting units operating at various levels of managerial control. The COMO-III system employs a “tool kit” approach to modelling by providing great flexibility in fitting the various parts of the model together. The decision maker/manager can directly interact with the model through a special COMIL language to permit “what if” analysis to be performed in direct support of the decision process.First the model is described in general and then we report the application of the COMO-III modeling system to a theater level air defense simulation. COMO-III is an advanced simulation package developed by the SHAPE Technical Center (The Hague, Netherlands). We believe that this may be the first such simulation of theater level combat in the level of detail described. A large number of individual air defense weapons are simulated on an event oriented basis. The COMO-III system demonstrated to us a considerable state-of-the-art advancement in the methodology of military simulation. Our development efforts also encompassed an expansion of COMO-III to include interactive gaming of individual Air Force interceptor aircraft which showed the model to be unusually flexible. Representative simulation results are presented together with perceived advantages from employing the COMO-III system. It has both methodological and managerial advantages and is entirely government owned and operated. Because the features of COMO-III have not been previously described in the literature, a specially constructed example and commentary are included in an appendix. Implications for future applications are also introduced.     

Implementations and performances of two RPC-based LAN gateway applications

A predominant (‘base’) scheme currently used in many circuit-switched LAN-WAN gateway applications is based on device-driver LAN redirections. Various functional and performance deficiencies associated with the LAN redirection (base) scheme and an RPC programming interface are described. This RPC definition supports the base scheme, as well as another (‘enhanced’) scheme. The enhanced scheme overcomes the various outlined functional deficiencies associated with the cited implementations of the base scheme. Implementations of these two client-server application schemes on top of the IEEE portable operating-system interface and the Open Software Foundation RPC are described for both schemes. Performances of these two schemes are compared, both based on a simplified Markov chain model and on actual implementations and long-duration experiments. Some of the similarities between the predictive simple-model behaviors and the actual experienced results for the applications are encouraging. This experience shows that the described RPC programming interface is a reasonable candidate for immediate practical implementations on heterogeneous systems.     

Improving reliability and performances in large scale distributed applications with erasure codes and replication

Replication of Data Blocks is one of the main technologies on which Storage Systems in Cloud Computing and Big Data Applications are based. With the heterogeneity of nodes, and an always-changing topology, keeping the reliability of the data contained in the common large-scale distributed file system is an important research challenge. Common approaches are based either on replication of data or erasure codes. The former stores each data block several times in different nodes of the considered infrastructures: the drawback is that this can lead to large overhead and non-optimal resources utilization. Erasure coding instead exploits Maximum Distance Separable codes that minimize the information required to restore blocks in case of node failure: this approach can lead to increased complexity and transfer time due to the fact that several blocks, coming from different sources, are required to reconstruct lost information. In this paper we study, by means of discrete event simulation, the performances that can be obtained by combining both techniques, with the goal of minimizing the overhead and increasing the reliability while keeping the performances. The analysis proves that a careful balance between the application of replication and erasure codes significantly improves reliability and performances avoiding large overheads with respect to the isolated use of replication and redundancy.     

Home theater: not ready for prime time

The author considers the home theater industry's complexity, emphasis on jargon, and lack of standards, which have resulted in the ongoing war between competing standards. He argues that the industry lacks even a basic understanding of its consumers and their needs. He reached this conclusion after putting together a home theater, including a high-definition TV set, a receiver, and the eight speakers required to give THX 7.1 surround sound. Also a digital satellite receiver capable of receiving HDTV signals even though hardly any are being sent yet, plus, of course, the set-top box controller for the high-definition satellite receiver     

Robotic yoyo playing with visual feedback

Robotic yoyo playing is a challenging, open-loop unstable game, which requires dynamic dexterity to stabilize. The switching control strategy proposed here stabilizes the yoyo by determining when to start its activation. A straightforward implementation is presented and demonstrated, using continuous state estimation provided by visual feedback and the previously developed dynamic model. The discrete return map associated with the original continuous system is analyzed and shown to possess a single physically relevant fixed point. Stability is guaranteed as long as the control parameter, which determines the magnitude of the acceleration, is above a certain level. The stabilizing power of the proposed control algorithm is successfully demonstrated on a real-time robotic yoyo playing system. Theoretical predictions regarding the fixed point of the return map are confirmed experimentally, providing further support for our modeling and analysis.     

DIGIT—an interactive processor for digitized data

DIGIT is a language in which the user, not necessarily “expert”, can talk to the computer about data acquired with a digitizer from maps, charts, or graphs. Simple one-line instructions locate the data, reduce and analyze it, transform it, and display it in various manners, and also offer a number of file-management services such as copying. The computer responds to instructions by performing as requested, sometimes making a comment or issuing a warning, or by giving reasons why it cannot act. A mastery of only the first three instructions will yield useful results, but there are approximately 30 others to draw upon as the user grows more familiar with the language. DIGIT will process data in three forms. The basic stream of instructions begins with filing and formatting instructions, proceeds to digitizer calibration, and leads eventually to a file of output data in correct physical units; numbers representing x, y pairs in the digitizer coordinate frame are rotated first into the data coordinate frame, then scaled with respect to each of the axes, and translated with respect to the data origin, z coordinates are handled with a limited range of options, and lengths of and areas enclosed by curves are computed routinely. The map-data stream is similar to the basic stream but transforms the digitizer numbers into latitudes and longitudes. About a dozen projections are available at present, and more are being added; areas and lengths are computed in spherical trigonometry. The third processing stream is for compressing data generated by the first two into a space-saving packed format, based on point-to-point differences; the inverse process, decompression, also is provided. Some examples illustrate the scope and potential of DIGIT, and an Appendix lists the FORTRAN programs. A companion paper (Computers & Geosciences, v. 8, no. 3/4, p. 323–334) describes the flexible framework of the language.     

A playmate robot system for playing the rock-paper-scissors game with humans

We have developed a playmate robot system for playing the rock-paper-scissors game with humans. The playmate robot recognizes the hand motions of a human using image processing without attaching any additional units to the human. The playmate robot system consists of three parts: a game management part, a hand motion recognition part, and a robot hand control part. The system functions as follows. (1) Before the game is played, the game management part decides on the motion of the robot hand from amongst rock, paper, and scissors. After the game is played, the robot develops a reaction using speech and facial expressions depending on the result of the game. (2) The hand motion recognition part recognizes the hand motion of the human. It does not use any additional units on the human’s body, only a camera on the robot. (3) The robot hand control part shows the motion of the robot hand. A robot hand has four fingers that are controlled independently. We have played the rock-paper-scissors game with this playmate robot.