A Survey on Haptic Technologies for Mobile Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) applications have gained much research and industry attention. Moreover, the mobile counterpart—mobile augmented reality (MAR) is one of the most explosive growth areas for AR applications in the mobile environment (e.g., smartphones). The technical improvements in the hardware of smartphones, tablets, and smart-glasses provide an advantage for the wide use of mobile AR in the real world and experience these AR applications anywhere. However, the mobile nature of MAR applications can limit users’ interaction capabilities, such as input and haptic feedback. In this survey, we analyze current research issues in the area of human-computer interaction for haptic technologies in MAR scenarios. The survey first presents human sensing capabilities and their applicability in AR applications. We classify haptic devices into two groups according to the triggered sense: cutaneous/tactile : touch, active surfaces, and mid-air; kinesthetic : manipulandum, grasp, and exoskeleton. Due to MAR applications’ mobile capabilities, we mainly focus our study on wearable haptic devices for each category and their AR possibilities. To conclude, we discuss the future paths that haptic feedback should follow for MAR applications and their challenges.

The Meteorological Occult: Submergences in the Venetian Fog

Blinking away fog as it collects between eyelashes – this article begins with a night walk in Venice and a reflection on an embodied encounter with countless suspended water particles. Here I consider fog as a political materiality in an expanded cultural and meteorological context, where, rather than simply limiting visibility, fog acts as an unexpected lens onto slow forms of pollution. In doing so, I turn to the scientific term ‘occult deposition’ – the settling of unsensed pollutants carried by fogs, mists, clouds, dew, and frosts onto surfaces, vegetation, and skin – and adapt it to develop the concept of ‘occult meteorology’. By doing so, I work towards reorienting the cultural significance of the occult. With this reorientation, instead of limiting human sensing, or harbouring unknown and threatening supernatural presences, fog is the intensity of sensing, relationally mediating through eyes, mouths and skins. Here bodies are submerged in everyday and imperceptibly polluted environments even above the surface of water, while fog disorients vast infrastructural systems, from commercial flight to petrochemical logistics. Thinking alongside Esther Leslie and Craig Martin, this article brings earth sciences into encounter with literature and cinema to attend to fog as both metaphor and materiality in the context of environmental degradation.

Benchmarking the Use of Immersive Virtual Bike Simulators for Understanding Cyclist Behaviors

Recent reports indicate that cyclist fatalities are rising. Unlike automobile driver crash and safety studies, there is very limited information and data on how different environmental or design features impact cyclists’ behaviors, attention, and awareness. Real world studies evaluating cyclist behavior are limited due to their inherent safety risk; therefore, there is a need for alternate data to better inform the planning and design of roadways for all users. Immersive virtual environments (IVE) have shown to provide a realistic representation of real-world conditions; however, these tools have not been evaluated and validated for vulnerable road users, such as cyclists. The purpose of this study is to assess the use of an IVE bike simulator to study the impact of design and environmental conditions on cyclists’ perceived safety and behavioral changes. By benchmarking cyclists' behaviors and perceived safety in real-life settings compared to its representative IVE bike simulation, we can validate whether these IVE simulators are realistic representations of real-world conditions. Furthermore, by connecting these environments with the latest low-cost human sensing devices, we have built a multimodal human sensing data collection system to track participants’ gaze, heart rate, and head movement. The preliminary results from a six-participant pilot study indicate that our simulators are capable of replicating cyclists’ speed profile, heart rate changes, and most of the head and gaze behaviors and that these measurements are sensitive to environmental changes.

CSI-based human sensing using model-based approaches: a survey

Currently, human sensing draws much attention in the field of ubiquitous computing, and human sensing based on WiFi CSI (channel state information) becomes a hot research topic due to the easy deployment and availability of WiFi devices. Although various human sensing applications based on the CSI signal model are emerging, the model-based approach has not been studied thoroughly. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of the latest model-based human sensing methods and their applications. First, the CSI signal and framework of model-based human sensing methods are introduced. Then, related models and fundamental signal preprocessing techniques are described. Next, typical human sensing applications are investigated, and the crucial characteristics are summarized. Finally, the advantages, limitations, and future research trends of model-based human sensing methods are concluded in this paper.

Performance Analysis of Analog Passive Detectors in Target Tracking Wireless Sensor Networks

The development of surveillance systems for indoor and outdoor environments using currently available wireless sensor technology without violating privacy issues is a challenging task. Passive Infrared (PIR) detectors are suitable for such systems provided solutions to the technical limitations are implemented. In the proposed work, the development of a human tracking system using analogue PIR detectors and currently available wireless sensor technology is presented. Performance is evaluated by conducting real-time tests in different environmental scenarios. Analysis of experimentalresults of human sensing signals indicates that performance is affected by environmental parameters. These findings will be helpful for the researchers while implementing a real-time system in the field

Tactile sensing biohybrid soft E-skin based on bioimpedance using aloe vera pulp tissues

Soft and flexible E-skin advances are a subset of soft robotics field where the soft morphology of human skin is mimicked. The number of prototypes that conformed the use of biological tissues within the structure of soft robots—to develop “Biohybrid Soft Robots”—has increased in the last decade. However, no research was conducted to realize Biohybrid E-skin. In this paper, a novel biohybrid E-skin that provides tactile sensing is developed. The biohybrid E-skin highly mimics the human skin softness and morphology and can sense forces as low as 0.01 newton . The tactile sensing feature is augmented through the use of Aloe Vera pulp, embedded in underlying channel, where the change in its bioimpedance is related to the amount of force exerted on the E-skin surface. The biohybrid E-skin employs high biomimicry as the sensorial output is an oscillating signal similar to signals sent from the human sensing neurons to the brain. After investigating different channel geometries, types of filling tissues, and usage of two silicone materials, their frequency-force behaviour is modelled mathematically. Finally, a functional multichannel prototype “ImpEdded Skin” is developed. This prototype could efficiently detect the position of a tactile touch. This work employs the development of discrete sensing system that exhibits morphological computation that consequently enhances performance.