II-EN: Acquisition of Sensors and Displays for Research on Motion Synthesis and Rehabilitation

实时运动捕捉和交互式3D计算机生成环境正在迅速崛起，成为一种集成的强大的人机交互环境，能够彻底改变许多领域的应用程序。传感器和显示技术的最新进展现在既可以在面向消费者的低成本计算机系统中看到，也可以在面向高端工业的以人为中心的计算机系统中看到。这项提议旨在通过加强和扩大加州大学默塞德分校的现有研究基础设施，特别是通过收购(A)高端数据手套、(B)无遮挡运动捕捉套装和(C)集成Kinect传感器的便携式交互显示器来增强现有的可视化和运动捕捉设施，来支持和加强新研究和应用领域的研究和教育活动。拟议的设备改进将使能够就以下专题开发新的研究项目：(A)手势合成模型和协调的手臂运动；(B)用于上半身运动康复评估和远程治疗的远程虚拟协作会议；(C)针对特定运动方案的手运动康复的自动进度监测；(D)用于训练应用的狭小空间中的类人全身运动规划。这些项目将以交互式培训和治疗应用为目标，这些应用程序可以受益于位于虚拟环境中的新的人机界面。智力价值来自计算机科学和认知科学的一个跨学科团队将探索以人为中心的新型计算研究，重点是在物理训练和治疗过程中并行使用的通信渠道。拟议的便携式和无遮挡的高端运动传感设备将允许开发类似人类的运动模型，用于合成手势和面向任务的全身运动。这些模型将在身临其境的远程交互期间发现新的交互范例，其中将涉及自主合成的类似人类的运动和将被捕获并流回系统的人类运动。将开发一个手势分析工具，以提供算法基础设施，自动分析和提取手势的组成部分。该基础设施将允许在实际实践中对康复和治疗进行评估。这些科学和实际的研究项目将提高虚拟人在各种教育、培训和治疗应用中的有效性，并将帮助普通用户更容易地访问这种3D计算机生成环境。广泛影响基础设施将支持与运动康复相关的研究项目，这有可能使许多需要物理治疗的美国人受益，例如背部、颈部和肩膀的疾病。这项研究将促进对使用虚拟人进行广泛的实际培训和治疗应用的原则性方法的理解。仪器和研究将为研究生和本科生提供独特的学习机会。研究成果将在认知科学、计算机科学和康复治疗出版物上广泛传播。基础设施和研究将向当地高中和社区大学的学生展示，以激发他们对科学和工程的兴趣。

Real-time motion-capture and interactive 3D computer-generated environments are rapidly emerging as an integrated and powerful human-computer interaction context with the ability to revolutionize applications in many areas. Recent advances in sensor and display technologies can now be seen in both low-cost consumer-oriented and in high-end industrial-oriented human-centered computer systems. This proposal aims to support and enhance research and educational activities in new research and application areas by strengthening and expanding the available research infrastructure at the University of California - Merced, specifically by enhancing an existing visualization and motion capture facility with the acquisition of (a) a high-end data glove, (b) an occlusion-free motion capture suit, and (c) portable interactive displays integrated with Kinect sensors. The proposed equipment enhancement will allow the development of new research projects on the following topics: (a) gesture synthesis models with coordinated hand-arm motions, (b) remote virtual collaborative sessions for upper body motion rehabilitation assessment and remote therapy delivery, (c) automated progress monitoring of hand motor rehabilitation in respect to given motion protocols, and (d) human-like full-body motion planning in tight spaces for training applications. The projects will target interactive training and therapy applications that can benefit from new human-computer interfaces that are situated in virtual environments.Intellectual MeritAn interdisciplinary team from computer science and cognitive science will explore novel human-centered computing research with a focus on the channels of communication that are used in parallel during physical training and therapy. The proposed portable and occlusion-free high-end motion sensing equipment will allow the development of human-like motion models for synthesis of gestures as well as full-body task-oriented motions. These models will enable, during immersive remote interactions, the discovery of new interaction paradigms, which will involve autonomously synthesized human-like motions and human motions that will be captured and streamed back to the system. A gesture analysis tool will be developed to provide algorithmic infrastructure to automatically analyze and extract the components of the gestures. The infrastructure will permit rehabilitation and therapy to be evaluated in actual practice. The scientific and practical research projects will advance the effectiveness of virtual humans in diverse educational, training, and therapeutic applications, and will help make such 3D computer-generated environments more accessible to the common user.Broader ImpactThe infrastructure will support research projects that relate to motion rehabilitation, which has the potential to benefit the many Americans who are in need of physical therapy such as for ailments in the back, neck, and shoulders. The research will advance an understanding of a principled approach for using virtual humans for a broad range of practical training and therapy applications. The instrumentation and research will provide unique learning opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. The research outcomes will be disseminated broadly in cognitive science, computer science, and rehabilitation therapy publications. The infrastructure and research will be demonstrated to local high school and community college students to motivate interest in science and engineering.