Replica Exchange Light Transport

We solve the light transport problem by introducing a novel unbiased Monte Carlo algorithm called replica exchange light transport, inspired by the replica exchange Monte Carlo method in the fields of computational physics and statistical information processing. The replica exchange Monte Carlo method is a sampling technique whose operation resembles simulated annealing in optimization algorithms using a set of sampling distributions. We apply it to the solution of light transport integration by extending the probability density function of an integrand of the integration to a set of distributions. That set of distributions is composed of combinations of the path densities of different path generation types: uniform distributions in the integral domain, explicit and implicit paths in light (particle/photon) tracing, indirect paths in bidirectional path tracing, explicit and implicit paths in path tracing, and implicit caustics paths seen through specular surfaces including the delta function in path tracing. The replica‐exchange light transport algorithm generates a sequence of path samples from each distribution and samples the simultaneous distribution of those distributions as a stationary distribution by using the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. Then the algorithm combines the obtained path samples from each distribution using multiple importance sampling. We compare the images generated with our algorithm to those generated with bidirectional path tracing and Metropolis light transport based on the primary sample space. Our proposing algorithm has better convergence property than bidirectional path tracing and the Metropolis light transport, and it is easy to implement by extending the Metropolis light transport.     

基于动态Light Map的增强现实光照算法

为实现增强现实系统中光照的实时准确性,提出一种基于动态Light Map的快速光照算法。该方法通过采集视频图像中校准物体的像素亮度,计算出摄像机的信号放大量和信号偏置,并利用动态更新的Light Map所记录的环境光照信息实现虚、实场景之间的一致光照,且能够适应光照变化的场景。实验结果表明该算法的显示速度能够达到实时交互的帧率。     

TV改进算法及其在人脸识别中的应用

针对传统全变分（TV）模型在测试过程中存在的问题,将弹性网引入TV模型中,采用二次多项式对TV模型所丢弃的人脸低频信息进行光照归一化处理,并提取图像的高频信息,在YaleB图像库中测试其性能,仿真实验结果表明,相对于TV模型,TV＋二次多项式模型能够有效提高图像识别率。     

Work hours, workload, sleep and fatigue in Australian Rail Industry employees

Research suggests that less than 5 h sleep in the 24 h prior to work and/or more than 16 h of wakefulness can significantly increase the likelihood of fatigue-related impairment and error at work. Studies have also shown exponential safety declines with time on shift, with roughly double the likelihood of accident or injury after 10 h relative to the first 8 h. While it is acknowledged that reduced sleep, increased wakefulness and longer work hours produce work-related fatigue, few studies have examined the impact of workload on this relationship. Studies in the rail industry have focused on drivers. This study investigated fatigue in a large sample of Australian Rail Industry Employees. Participants were from four companies (n = 90: 85m, 5f; mean age 40.2 ± 8.6 y). Data was analysed for a total of 713 shifts. Subjects wore wrist actigraphs and completed sleep and work diaries for 14-days. They also completed the Samn–Perelli Fatigue Scale at the beginning and end of shifts, and the NASA-TLX workload scale at least twice during each shift. Average (±SD) sleep length (7.2 ± 2.6 h), prior wake at shift end (12.0 ± 4.7 h), shift duration (8.0 ± 1.3) and fatigue (4.1 ± 1.3, “a little tired, less than fresh”) were within limits generally considered acceptable from a fatigue perspective. However, participants received 5 h or less sleep in the prior 24 h on 13%, were awake for at least 16 h at the end of 16% and worked at least 10 h on 7% of shifts. Subjects reported that they felt “extremely tired, very difficult to concentrate,” or “completely exhausted, unable to function effectively” on 13% of shifts. Sleep length (OR = 0.88, p < 0.01), shift duration (OR = 1.18, p < 0.05), night shift (REF = morning shift, OR = 2.12, p < 0.05) and workload ratings (OR = 1.2, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of ratings of extreme tiredness/exhaustion (yes/no). While on average, sleep loss, extended wakefulness, longer work hours and work-related fatigue do not appear problematic in this sample, there is still a notable percentage of shifts that are likely to be associated with high levels of work-related fatigue. Given the size of the Australian Rail Industry, with thousands of shifts occurring each day, this is potentially of operational concern. Further, results indicate that, in addition to sleep length, wakefulness and work hours, workload significantly influences fatigue. This has possible implications for bio-mathematical predictions of fatigue and for fatigue management more generally.     

Precarious employment, working hours, work-life conflict and health in hotel work

Precarious or temporary work is associated with adverse outcomes including low control over working hours, work-life conflict and stress. The rise in precarious employment is most marked in the service sector but little research has been done on its health effects in this sector. This study compares permanent and temporary workers in the hotel industry, where working hours are highly variable. Survey data from 150 workers from eight 3-Star hotels in urban and regional areas around Sydney were analyzed. Forty-five per cent were male and 52 per cent were female. Fifty four per cent were permanent full-time and 46 per cent were temporary workers. The effects of employment status on perceived job security, control over working hours, and work-life conflict are investigated using PLS-Graph 3.0. The effects of control over working hours, on work-life conflict and subsequent health outcomes are also explored. Temporary workers perceived themselves as less in control of their working hours, than permanent workers (β = .27). However, they also reported lower levels of work intensity (β = .25) and working hours (β = .38). The effects of low hours control (β = .20), work intensity (β = .29), and excessive hours (β = .39) on work-life conflict (r² = .50), and subsequent health effects (r² = .30), are illustrated in the final structural equation model.     

Importance sampling for volumetric illumination of flames

Physically based rendering of scenes with volumetric illumination of flames remains a challenging problem due to the complexity of their heterogeneous radiative properties. Current bidirectional importance sampling strategies have been focusing on emissive light sources without anisotropic extinction. In this paper, we present an efficient importance sampling method for volumetric light sources with anisotropic extinction. According to the radiative properties of flames, we separate the computation of anisotropic extinction from the evaluation of illumination inside flames and utilize cluster-based hierarchies to rapidly estimate them. To exploit the coherence of radiative voxels, we also propose a new similarity metric to aggregate voxels into clusters. For each pixel to be shaded, we use these clusters to rapidly approximate the importance function of voxels, and draw final illumination samples from clusters. Our results show that this approach substantially reduces the variance of images when rendering scenes with flames.     

基于MSP430的公共照明控制器的设计与实现

应用Texas Instruments(德州仪器)公司研制的新一代超低功耗、功能强大、接口丰富的MSP430系列FLASH型单片机,以GP RS无线数据服务平台为传输媒介,设计了一种公共照明控制器.详细介绍了系统功能、硬件设计方案和软件实现方法,并给出了部分电路原理图和程序流程图.现已实际应用于城市照明监控管理系统中,在创造了客观经济效益的同时还实现了节能降耗的目的.     

Point Light Source Estimation from Two Images and Its Limits

In this paper, the performance of parameter estimation of a single static distant point light source from two video images is analyzed in terms of estimation theory. The illumination parameters are the intensity and direction of the light source.In the first part of this paper, estimators from the literature are reviewed. Most recent estimators evaluate as input data two video images as well as the 3D shape and the 3D motion of the visible moving objects.In the second part of the paper, the performance of these recent methods is analyzed. The input data to estimation as well as the inherent input data errors are described by a stochastic observation model. Based on this model, the performance is analyzed regarding the Cramér-Rao theoretical lower bound of estimation error variances. The bound is derived for a variety of cases of scene illumination, object motion and errors in input data. For simplification purpose, the bound is valid only for object motions with the rotation axis lying in the image plane. The analysis shows in which cases which estimation accuracy can be expected with current methods.Finally, a comparison of the bound with one of the recent estimators shows that recent estimators are suboptimal in case of errors in the 3D shape of the objects. In future work, the stochastic observation model presented in this paper can be used to improve illumination estimation.     

Ergonomic evaluation of electronic paper: Influences of anti‐reflection surface treatment,illumination, and curvature on legibility and visual fatigue

Abstract— The intent of this study is to investigate some critical factors that affect legibility and visual fatigue while reading on an electronic‐paper display in terms of ergonomics. Anti‐reflection surface treatment, ambient illumination, and bending curvature are taken into account to evaluate their effects by using the method of letter‐search task. The results showed that the surface treatment with high degrees of anti‐reflection significantly improved the legibility and reduces visual fatigue. Thus, electronic‐paper manufacturers may choose a much better surface treatment in order to meet ergonomic demand. In addition, the findings in the present study also indicate that subjects reported less visual fatigue on a bending surface of a visual display unit, in comparison with a plane surface. It is proven that these ergonomic evaluations for electronic paper provide manufactures with useful information to design suitable products for users.     

一种面向并行实现的全局光照算法

提出了种适合于并行实现的全局光照算法。对真实感图象的实时生成和交互式性运行进行了有益的探索,算法主要由两个模块组成;粒子跟踪过程,网格优化与密度估计过程,在此进行了详细介绍。另外,给出算法实际运行得到的具有高度真实感的生成图象。