Search Results (79)

Human Digital Twins are an emerging type of Digital Twin used in healthcare to provide personalized support. Following this trend, we intend to elevate our virtual fitness coach, a coaching platform using wearable data on physical activity, to the level of a personalized Human Digital Twin. Preliminary investigations revealed a significant difference in performance, as measured by prediction accuracy and F1-score, between the optimal choice of machine learning algorithms for generalized and personalized processing of the available data. Based on these findings, this survey aims to establish the state of the art in the selection and application of machine learning algorithms in Human Digital Twin applications in healthcare. The survey reveals that, unlike general machine learning applications, there is a limited body of literature on optimization and the application of meta-learning in personalized Human Digital Twin solutions. As a conclusion, we provide direction for further research, formulated in the following research question: how can the optimization of human data feature engineering and personalized model selection be achieved in Human Digital Twins and can techniques such as meta-learning be of use in this context? Full article

Coaching is an important form of professional development for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce. However, educators working in remote contexts do not always have access to this type of support. This paper explores the effectiveness of a virtual (online and telephone) coaching program focusing on the implementation of evidence-informed Conversational Reading strategies in supported playgroups for Aboriginal families in the Northern Territory of Australia. Fourteen Family Educators and Family Liaison Officers across ten Families as First Teachers playgroups in the Northern Territory participated in the coaching program over twelve months. Coaching records, planning documents, participant feedback, and video recordings of participants’ practice were analysed to explore the impact and acceptability of the coaching program. The findings indicate that participation in the cycle of virtual coaching, planning, and reflection supported participants in implementing evidence-informed teaching strategies, offering language-rich experiences to children frequently and with increased fidelity, and engaging with families about their use of these strategies in the home. The model of coaching developed shows promise for wider implementation in ECEC contexts, particularly in remote communities where access to high-quality professional learning and development can be limited. Full article

Periodization is a concept of systematic progression in training and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation literature, however, is scarce, with information about optimally designing resistance training programs based on periodization principles for injured athletes. This periodization model—reverse linear neuro periodization—is a model proposed for the long-term rehabilitation needed after an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. With recent evidence supporting neural contributions to shoulder injuries and the rate of recovery, rehabilitation protocols may benefit from incorporating approaches that target the sensorimotor system. Integrating motor learning principles (external focus and differential learning) and new technologies (virtual reality, laser pointers, stroboscopic glasses) may bolster current shoulder rehabilitation protocols and improve patient recovery times and outcomes. Such an understanding allows well-informed sport rehabilitation specialists to better bridge the gap between the preparation for competition widely used by coaches and the treatment of injuries that may occur. Full article

This qualitative research explores the intersection of social media, personal branding, and perceived authenticity in sports figures, focusing on Deion Sanders’s digital presence as head football coach at the University of Colorado. Two interrelated studies examine how Sanders manages his authenticity on social media and how audiences perceive his authenticity. Study 1 employs a six-factor framework applied to eight focus groups to understand what factors social media audiences consider most important in developing Sanders’s perceived authenticity as a digital content creator. Study 2 utilizes a two-factor model of authenticity management to examine Sanders’s personal social media content during his inaugural season as CU’s head coach. The research incorporates a spatial perspective from sport sociology. This approach examines how Sanders’s social media activity creates and shapes virtual spaces where interaction and identity formation occur. Findings reveal that while Sanders is generally perceived as authentic, digital charisma emerged as the most significant factor in constructing his perceived authenticity. The study contributes to understanding the evolving nature of authenticity in digital spaces and the role of digital charisma in personal branding for public figures balancing multiple roles. Full article

Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) serve as digital twins (DTs), visually and behaviorally mirroring human counterparts in various roles, including healthcare coaching. While existing research primarily focuses on single-coach ECAs, our work explores the benefits of multi-coach virtual health sessions, where users engage with specialized diet, physical, and cognitive coaches simultaneously. ECAs require verbal relational cues—such as empowerment, affirmation, and empathy—to foster user engagement and adherence. Our study integrates Generative AI to automate the embedding of these cues into coaching dialogues, ensuring the advice remains unchanged while enhancing delivery. We employ ChatGPT to generate empathetic and collaborative dialogues, comparing their effectiveness against manually crafted alternatives. Using three participant cohorts, we analyze user perception of the helpfulness of AI-generated versus human-generated relational cues. Additionally, we investigate whether AI-generated dialogues preserve the original advice’s semantics and whether human or automated validation better evaluates their lexical meaning. Our findings contribute to the automation of digital health coaching. Comparing ChatGPT- and human-generated dialogues for helpfulness, users rated human dialogues as more helpful, particularly for working alliance and affirmation cues, whereas AI-generated dialogues were equally effective for empowerment. By refining relational cues in AI-generated dialogues, this research paves the way for automated virtual health coaching solutions. Full article

Modern sport technology is a rapidly evolving scientific field utilizing leading techniques, such as the internet of things (IoT), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and the use of many kinds of sensors. The feedback and the support provided by technology seem to have the potential to bring sufficient changes in sports training following a new trend, which is trying to integrate modern technology into sports. The aim of this study is to integrate responsive feedback and internet of things (IoT) technology into sports mainly in order to support the training of novice bowling athletes, raise their engagement with their sport and boost their performance. Following this direction, this research utilizes a system of sensors to apply step tracking of a bowling athlete during a throw ball attempt. The proposed solution is a European-funded project (ERASMUS+) supporting the “Europe 2020 strategy” to motivate people to transform their learning experiences into a beneficial way of constructing better performance. The results of the proposed system evaluation showed that bowlers and their coaches highlighted its usability and its usefulness. Thus, the proposed system may prove a valuable tool supporting athletes in general, and more particularly, novices’ training in bowling. Full article

This paper explores the use of sensor-based multimodal data fusion and emotion detection technologies in e-VITA, a three-year EU–Japan collaborative project that developed an AI-powered virtual coaching system to support independent living for older adults. The system integrates these technologies to enable individualized profiling and personalized recommendations across multiple domains, including nutrition, physical exercise, sleep, cognition, spirituality, and social health. Following a review of related work, we detail the implementation and evaluation of data fusion and emotion detection in e-VITA. The paper concludes with a summary of the key research findings and directions for future work. Full article

Background: Physical inactivity among older adults persists as one of the global burdens. Older adults’ physical activity (PA) levels decline simultaneously with age, causing health problems and poor outcomes. Immersive interventions, such as mixed reality virtual coaches, are gaining the potential to provide innovative solutions to prevent physical inactivity among older adults. However, an in-depth understanding of older adults’ experience in using virtual-coach-driven physical exercise programs remains unexplored. Purpose: This study explored the experiences of community-dwelling older adults in using a virtual-coach-driven physical exercise program. Design: This study applied a phenomenological design using the qualitative approach to determine the lived experiences of community-dwelling older adults about the mother project, the “Move and Groove for Older Adults Program” (Hataw at Sigla para kay Lolo at Lola), a virtual-coach-driven physical exercise program using MR. A semi-structured interview guide was crafted consisting of three domains (acceptability, barriers, and facilitators), each with two open-ended questions. MAXQDA was used to thematically analyze the qualitative data. Results: Nine key informants shared their experiences with the virtual coach-driven physical exercise program using mixed reality. Four themes were identified describing their experiences with the program: (1) “Looking around”: Exploring MR technology, (2) “Looking after”: Engaging with MR exercise peers, (3) “Looking at”: Examining issues with MR technology devices, and (4) “Looking Ahead”: Envisioning the future of MR exercises. Conclusions: The findings of this study introduced new concepts and challenged old notions regarding older adults’ technological engagement. The virtual-coach-driven physical exercise program enabled the participants to explore the novel methodology, enhance peer relationships, examine potential issues, and envision a future of possibilities using the technology. These outcomes are pertinent for progressing studies, scholars, and technology developers in incorporating MR into gerontechnology for wellness and fullness of life in the aging population. The mother project of this study was retrospectively registered [ID NCT06136468]. Full article

Apart from being an economic struggle, migration is first of all a societal challenge; most migrants come from different cultural and social contexts, do not speak the language of the host country, and are not familiar with its societal, administrative, and labour market infrastructure. This leaves them in need of dedicated personal assistance during their reception and integration. However, due to the continuously high number of people in need of attendance, public administrations and non-governmental organizations are often overstrained by this task. The objective of the Welcome Platform is to address the most pressing needs of migrants. The Platform incorporates advanced Embodied Conversational Agent and Virtual Reality technologies to support migrants in the context of reception, integration, and social inclusion in the host country. It has been successfully evaluated in trials with migrants in three European countries in view of potentially deviating needs at the municipal, regional, and national levels, respectively: the City of Hamm in Germany, Catalonia in Spain, and Greece. The results show that intelligent technologies can be a valuable supplementary tool for reducing the workload of personnel involved in migrant reception, integration, and inclusion. Full article

Young individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to attend higher education more frequently. Yet, the academic performance of students with ASD and the graduation rate appear to be poorer than those of typical development students. Moreover, college students with ASD face several challenges in their everyday and social lives. Students with ASD seem not to receive the appropriate social and educational support in higher education. This article reports the results of a systematic literature review of research programs and services designed to meet the needs of students with ASD enrolled in higher education. Several interventions are available and appear to be effective in supporting students with ASD in higher education (e.g., social planning intervention, focus groups, coaching paired with behavioral skills training, video feedback, visual framework, peer mentoring, and virtual reality). In addition, this article shows that colleges and universities face the challenge of preparing for these students and the need to provide psychological support for them. Moreover, studies of experiences and opinions of college students with ASD from their perspectives are included. Full article

Bariatric surgery (BS) is a leading treatment for obesity; however, adverse side effects (e.g., pain and infection) can deter patients or affect weight maintenance. This study investigates how a post-operative virtual health coaching lifestyle program, monitoring virtual weekly goal progress made by patients, affects weight loss after BS, specifically sleeve gastrectomy. Patients recruited for this 6-month study were classified with a BMI > 30 kg/m² 90 days post-operatively. Patients were prescribed lifestyle support delivered by certified health and wellness coaches (InHealth Lifestyle Therapeutics™). Demographic variables (e.g., age, weight, height, and gender) were obtained and compared according to initial, 3-, 6-month, and current weight through repeated measures ANOVA and post hoc comparison. Thirty-eight adult participants were included, with a mean age of 52 years ± 12.9 and with a majority (n = 35; 97%) of them being female. There were significant differences in weight reported across all five time points (p < 0.05), with the greatest weight difference seen between the initial (250.3 ± 45.5 lbs.) and final time points (226.7± 40.4 lbs.). This study suggests post-operative virtual health coaching can enhance weight loss outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy. Further research is needed to assess the long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of such a form of coaching for bariatric surgery patients. Full article

This paper describes the selection and validation of supporting measures (SMs) aimed at enhancing biosecurity compliance within Italian poultry farms. A tailored methodology, based on a stakeholders’ survey involving farmers and advisors, included a virtual farm tour, group discussion, and farmer coaching. Virtual farm tours and group discussions were delivered during two meetings targeting meat and egg production stakeholders, separately. Coaching was validated in 26 pilot farms (PFs) by assessing farmers’ attitudes towards change (i.e., ADKAR^®) and farms’ biosecurity score (i.e., Biocheck.Ugent^TM) before and after a minimum six-month period. A total of 20 out of 26 farmers agreed to implement at least one action plan (AP). Full implementation of the agreed APs was observed in ten farms, while others only partially implemented (n = 7) or did not implement (n = 3) the improvement. Most APs focused on enhancing house hygiene locks (n = 7), followed by bacterial auto-control after cleaning and disinfection (n = 4). Scoring tools indicated minimal or no variations in farmers’ attitudes towards change and farm biosecurity. Virtual farm tours and group discussions were found to be effective in fostering interaction and facilitating the exchange of experiences and knowledge among farmers and stakeholders of poultry production. Coaching indicated that farmers might prefer implementing minor changes possibly influenced by time and cost constraints associated with structural interventions. These limitations could have also impacted the scores of the farmer/farm. The findings of this study provide a foundation for further application of SMs to improve biosecurity in Italian poultry farms. Full article

Breathing is one of the most vital functions for being mentally and emotionally healthy. A growing number of studies confirm that breathing, although unconscious, can be under voluntary control. However, it requires systematic practice to acquire relevant experience and skillfulness to consciously utilize breathing as a tool for self-regulation. After the COVID-19 pandemic, a global discussion has begun about the potential role of emerging technologies in breath-control interventions. Emerging technologies refer to a wide range of advanced technologies that have already entered the race for mental health training. Artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, biofeedback, non-invasive neurofeedback, and other wearable devices provide new, but yet underexplored, opportunities in breathing training. Thus, the current systematic review examines the synergy between emerging technologies and breathing techniques for improving mental and emotional health through the lens of skills development. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology is utilized to respond to the objectives and research questions. The potential benefits, possible risks, ethical concerns, future directions, and implications are also discussed. The results indicated that digitally assisted breathing can improve various aspects of mental health (i.e., attentional control, emotional regulation, mental flexibility, stress management, and self-regulation). A significant finding of this review indicated that the blending of different technologies may maximize training outcomes. Thus, future research should focus on the proper design and evaluation of different digital designs in breathing training to improve health in different populations. This study aspires to provide positive feedback in the discussion about the role of digital technologies in assisting mental and emotional health-promoting interventions among populations with different needs (i.e., employees, students, and people with disabilities). Full article

Junior faculty are often called upon to deliver high-stakes large-group presentations. Training in the skills needed to do this effectively is often lacking. We devised a 1.25 h coaching program. The coach analyzed a practice run of the presentation using a locally developed assessment tool. Areas covered included public speaking skills, promoting learner understanding and retention, creating a dynamic learning climate, and optimal use of slides. COVID-19 necessitated a switch to virtual coaching, and we studied the impact of virtual vs. in-person coaching. We added two additional coaches and studied the transferability of the coaching component. There was high uptake of the offered coaching. Participant surveys showed improved comfort levels with large-group presentations; had a sense that their presentation skills had improved; showed an increased likelihood of volunteering for future speaking opportunities; and were likely to recommend the program. Comparisons between virtual and in-person coaching showed no statistical difference, and there was little difference between the original coach and the subsequent two coaches. Qualitative assessments revealed broad areas in which faculty felt the program had been most impactful. The coaching program was well-received and resulted in concrete positive changes in presenter behavior. Conducting the coaching in a virtual manner may increase the feasibility of the intervention, as would expanding the coach pool. Full article

This study explores the comprehensive understanding of taekwondo, the application of fourth industrial revolution technologies in various kinds of sports, the development of taekwondo through artificial intelligence (AI), and essential technology in the fourth industrial revolution while suggesting advanced science directions through a literature review. Literature was sourced from six internet search electronic databases, consisting of three English databases and three Korean databases, from January 2016 to August 2023. The literature indicated cases of sports convergence with the application of fourth industrial revolution technologies, such as the game of go, golf, table tennis, soccer, American football, skiing, archery, and fencing. These sports not only use big data but also virtual reality and augmented reality. Taekwondo is a traditional martial art that originated in Republic of Korea and gradually became a globally recognized sport. Since taekwondo’s competition analysis is an analysis in which researchers manually write events, it takes a very long time to analyze, and the scale of the analysis varies depending on the researcher’s tendencies. This study presented the development of an AI Taekwondo performance improvement analysis and evaluation system and a metaverse-based virtual Taekwondo pumsae/fighting coaching platform through an AI-based motion tracking analysis method. Full article