Multimedia

This study presents a production-ready AI pipeline for audio content processing, implemented within the Youth Radio platform, which serves as an extension of the European School Radio initiative. The system uses a multi-server architecture: an AI Server that runs batch/offline jobs, orchestrated by Apache Airflow, and two Web Servers that deliver all the Backend as well as the Frontend applications, configured with load balancing and redundancy to ensure high availability and fault tolerance. The implemented AI Pipeline includes tasks such as preprocessing, transcription, audio classification and topic modeling. Processed Podcasts are indexed in a Qdrant vector database to facilitate both dense and sparse retrieval while a recommendation system enriches the user’s experience. We summarize design choices and report system-level metrics and task-level indicators (ASR quality after correction, retrieval effectiveness) to guide similar deployments.

Tabletop Gaming Experiences are a form of traditional gaming that traditionally requires either models, illustrations, or a vivid imagination to fully benefit from. Technology can be used to supplement this, such as mobile or tablet applications to help visualise aspects of gameplay content. Augmented Reality technology has the potential to further enhance Tabletop Gaming; however, there is little research into how it can be used in the areas of accessibility and sustainability, whether by reducing the carbon footprint of producing these games or by enabling wider participation. Our research aims to explore these topics and answer the following questions: How is Augmented Reality currently being used in Tabletop Gaming Experiences? How can it be used to assist with accessibility and make Tabletop Gaming Experiences more available to a wider range of audiences? Can Augmented Reality be used to lower the environmental impact of producing and distributing these games? This paper seeks to review the existing literature on this topic to identify how existing research has explored these issues, and how their findings may inform future Augmented Reality research on Tabletop Gaming experiences that are both inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

Designing inclusive multimedia systems that meet diverse accessibility needs remains a complex challenge requiring iterative refinement and sustained collaboration with end-users. This paper presents an empirically grounded case study of an accessible Augmented Reality (AR) authoring tool project that integrates Design-Based Research (DBR) with Agile Scrum. By blending DBR’s iterative design experimentation with Scrum’s adaptive software development cycles, we designed and implemented a multimedia authoring tool for instructors with diverse accessibility needs. We document the best practices derived through iterative evaluation, such as early stakeholder involvement, the use of accessibility-focused user stories, and the alignment of research evaluation cycles with sprint reviews. The study also identifies key challenges, including balancing research and development goals, coordinating interdisciplinary roles, and maintaining an accessibility focus under compressed iteration cycles. We situate our contribution within prior DBR–Agile integrations, emphasizing its novelty in addressing inclusive system design rather than pedagogical interventions. The paper offers actionable insights and a validated methodological framework for human–computer interaction (HCI) researchers and practitioners seeking to design accessible multimedia systems by leveraging the complementary strengths of DBR and Agile Scrum.