Abstract
This column will try to describe the characteristics of current cyberpsychology research in Europe. In particular, CyberEurope aims at describing the leading research groups and projects running on the other side of the Ocean.
In many contexts—heavy work machines, emergency response, and control centers—human operators face complex and demanding situations where their decisions can have far-reaching consequences on productivity, the environment, and even human lives. In order to deal with such challenges, the operator needs full situational awareness, which can be achieved by sensing relevant visual data about the operating environment, refining it into mission-critical information, and presenting it in an immersive, intuitively comprehensible manner. This can be achieved by Immersive Visual Technologies (IVT) delivering ultra-realistic and interactive visual experience.
The aim of ImmerSAFE is to train cross-disciplinary experts who understand imaging and display technology, reliable data transmission, embedded hardware and software system design, user-centered design and quality of experience, and cognitive and organizational psychology, and are able to apply that integral knowledge to safety-critical applications. The network advances the state of the art by working toward three specific objectives:
Develop new robust and reliable IVT, in particular, novel approaches to sensing, visualization, and reliable data transmission. Determine optimal implementation of IVT under challenging conditions and integration into existing frameworks in two example use cases: mobile work machines and control centers. These aspects are considered through interface design, embedded systems implementation, and system dependability analysis. Increase knowledge on the human factors affecting the adoption and use of IVT through user experience testing, task performance metrics, and organizational-level studies.
Going Beyond State of the Art
ImmerSAFE will deliver advances beyond the state of the art in three core areas: technology components, system (application) level, and human factors.
With regard to technology components, the research is expected to result in novel light field vision enhancement algorithms, novel head up and multicolored transparent display designs, algorithms for multimodal 3D reconstruction, ultrareliable wireless communication, hardware-friendly imaging algorithm implementations, and multimodal rendering approaches for a high-quality experience.
In terms of human factors, the advances will result in novel augmented reality attention models, methodologies for evaluating task-based performance when using IVT, and identifying factors within organizations that have an effect to the adoption of new IVT.
Finally, at the system level, the novel IVT technologies will be employed to cabins of work machines and in control centers—the two use cases the project is focusing on. When implemented in the corresponding work pipelines, the aforementioned advances will considerably increase safety of construction sites and cargo terminals, work machine operators, remote machine operation in hazardous conditions, and will enable more efficient use of resources, as well as faster and more efficient reactions in the case of emergencies.
On an individual level, the 15 early-stage researchers (ESRs) who are working on the project will gather expert knowledge on various IVT topics, such as sensing, data communications, representations, display technologies, user experience, and safety culture. This will be achieved through multidisciplinary projects and courses, and inter-sectorial secondments. They will also acquire multidisciplinary knowledge and the skills that are needed in academia and industry. This will make them very competitive in the job markets. It is expected that their expertise will be the driving force for the next generation of innovative solutions related to IVT for safety-critical applications.
The network has also organized two training schools. The first one is focused on image-processing algorithms and methods for sensing, processing, and visualizing 3D content. The second one instead is focused on the basics of distributed embedded systems, communication within and between embedded systems, and concepts of safety assurance and certification. The network also held two tech days that were more practically oriented, that is, the ESRs were exposed to use cases of IVT and met with professionals from relevant industries in person. The project also organized the first series of webinars that included state-of-the-art presentations by ESRs and moderated discussions around the research topics.
Footnotes
Sources: Cordis, European Commission and European Union