Multimodal Technol. Interact., Volume 1, Issue 2 (June 2017) – 8 articles

Social Domestic Robots (SDRs) will soon be launched en masse among commercial markets. Previously, social robots only inhabited scientific labs; now there is an opportunity to conduct experiments to investigate human-robot relationships (including user expectations of social interaction) within more naturalistic, domestic spaces, as well as to test models of technology acceptance. To this end we exposed 20 participants to advertisements prepared by three robotics companies, explaining and “pitching” their SDRs’ functionality (namely, Pepper by SoftBank; Jibo by Jibo, Inc.; and Buddy by Blue Frog Robotics). Participants were interviewed and the data was thematically analyzed to critically examine their initial reactions, concerns and impressions of the three SDRs. Using this approach, we aim to complement existing survey results pertaining to SDRs, and to try to understand the reasoning people use when evaluating SDRs based on what is publicly available to them, namely, advertising. Herein, we unpack issues raised concerning form/function, security/privacy, and the perceived emotional impact of owning an SDR. We discuss implications for the adequate design of socially engaged robotics for domestic applications, and provide four practical steps that could improve the relationships between people and SDRs. An additional contribution is made by expanding existing models of technology acceptance in domestic settings with a new factor of privacy. Full article

Currently, the use of virtual reality (VR) is being widely applied in different fields, especially in computer science, engineering, and medicine. Concretely, the engineering applications based on VR cover approximately one half of the total number of VR resources (considering the research works published up to last year, 2016). In this paper, the capabilities of different computational software for designing VR applications in engineering education are discussed. As a result, a general flowchart is proposed as a guide for designing VR resources in any application. It is worth highlighting that, rather than this study being based on the applications used in the engineering field, the obtained results can be easily extrapolated to other knowledge areas without any loss of generality. This way, this paper can serve as a guide for creating a VR application. Full article

Vehicle simulators are multimodal interactive applications used in many human activities with different purposes. However, they are sometimes expensive systems that need to be carefully studied before they are designed and built, since some simulators can actually be much more expensive than the simulated vehicle. This is an important issue, although it is sometimes overlooked in scientific research. This paper proposes four different setups (with a variety of visual, sound, motion generation, and user-input interfaces) for non-aerial vehicle simulation, using a speedboat simulator as a case study. These setups are analysed in terms of their cost and their effectiveness is discussed. Rough figures are provided to give a comparative insight into the economic order of magnitude necessary to design and build a vehicle simulator. Full article

Due to rapid changes in climatic conditions worldwide, environmental monitoring has become one of the greatest concerns in the last few years. With the advancement in wireless sensing technology, it is now possible to monitor and track fine-grained changes in harsh outdoor environments. Wireless sensor networks (WSN) provide very high quality and accurate analysis for monitoring of both spatial and temporal data, thus providing the opportunity to monitor harsh outdoor environments. However, to deploy and maintain a WSN in such harsh environments is a great challenge for researchers and scientists. Several routing protocols exist for data dissemination and power management but they suffer from various disadvantages. In our case study, there are very limited water resources in the Middle East, hence soil moisture measurements must be taken into account to manage irrigation and аgriculturаl projects. In order to meet these challenges, a Smart Grid that supports a robust, reactive, event-based routing protocol is developed using Ad hoc On-Demand Multipath Distance Vector (AOMDV) as a starting point. A prototype WSN network of 5 nodes is built and a detailed simulation of 30 nodes is also developed to test the scalability of the new system. Full article

In recent years, the video game market has embraced augmented reality video games, a class of video games that is set to grow as gaming technologies develop. Given the widespread use of video games among children and adolescents, the health implications of augmented reality technology must be closely examined. Augmented reality technology shows a potential for the promotion of healthy behaviors and social interaction among children. However, the full immersion and physical movement required in augmented reality video games may also put users at risk for physical and mental harm. Our review article and commentary emphasizes both the benefits and dangers of augmented reality video games for children and adolescents. Full article

In this paper, we introduce the use of ROMOT—a RObotic 3D-MOvie Theatre—to enhance love and sex movie scenes. ROMOT represents the next generation of movie theatres, where scenes are enhanced with multimodal content, also allowing audience interaction. ROMOT is highly versatile as it can support different setups, integrated hardware and content and, thus, it can be easily adapted to different groups and purposes. Regarding the setups, currently, ROMOT supports a traditional movie setup (including first-person movies), a mixed reality environment, a virtual reality interactive environment, and an augmented reality mirror-based scene. Regarding the integrated hardware, the system currently integrates a variety of devices and displays that allow audiences to see, hear, smell, touch, and feel the movement, all synchronized with the film experience. Finally, regarding to content, here we theorize about the use of ROMOT for romantic-related interactive movies. Though the work presented in this sense is rather speculative, it might open new avenues of research and for the film and other creative industries. Full article

In this paper, we introduce ROMOT, a RObotic 3D-MOvie Theatre, and present a case study related to driving safety. ROMOT is built with a robotic motion platform, includes multimodal devices, and supports audience-film interaction. We show the versatility of the system by means of different types of system setups and generated content that includes a first-person movie and others involving the technologies of virtual, augmented, and mixed realities. Finally, we present the results of some preliminary user tests made at the laboratory level, including the system usability scale. They give satisfactory scores for the usability of the system and the individual’s satisfaction. Full article

Given that the origin of the “robot” comes from efforts to create a worker to help people, there has been relatively little research on making a robot for non-work purposes. However, some researchers have explored robotic arts since Leonardo da Vinci. Many questions can be posed regarding the potentials of robotic arts: (1) Is there anything we can call machine-creativity? (2) Can robots improvise artworks on the fly? and (3) Can art robots pass the Turing test? To ponder these questions and see the current status quo of robotic arts, the present paper surveys the contributions of robotics in diverse forms of arts, including drawing, theater, music, and dance. The present paper describes selective projects in each genre, core procedure, possibilities and limitations within the aesthetic computing framework. Then, the paper discusses implications of these robotic arts in terms of both robot research and art research, followed by conclusions including answers to the questions posed at the outset. Full article