SBIR Phase I: Emotionally Immersive Tele-Learning

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在将新颖的机器视觉功能和创新的社交网络功能融入远程学习和在线网络研讨会技术中。主要目标是通过复制与讲课中信息传授的速度和接受度有关的非语言反馈，使在线培训和虚拟协作更具吸引力和吸引力，从而使远程学习的体验更具情感沉浸感。该项目贡献了四项重大创新：1)机器视觉识别系统，用于识别头部位置、凝视方向、感兴趣或理解的面部表情，当对参与者进行平均时，将提供与信息传递的速度和接受度相关的简单反馈；2)基于机器视觉的手部检测系统，用于检测举手或其他手势；3)在框架内启用可热部署的第三方教学应用程序，也称为“侧边应用程序”；以及4)整合复制讲座前和讲座后社交的社交功能，包括配对分享、分组讨论、团队教学和教学支持。为了得到对该项目的支持，TSN已经建立了远程授课和虚拟教室的评估试验台。这个项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是显著改变在线教育。在线培训也有可能从根本上改变教育的提供方式。到2018年，预计四年公立大学教育的成本将升至15.1万美元。对于私立大学，这一成本将增加到30多万美元。为了应对这一危机，几所大学和初创公司已经宣布增加对在线培训的使用。然而，现有的讲座视频流媒体系统和虚拟小组学习环境还没有发展到远程学习在教育界被视为二等公民的水平。所提出的系统可以改变在线培训的根本效果，并推动新的研究。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to incorporate novel machine vision functionality and innovative social networking capabilities into the technology of distance learning and online webinars. The primary objective is to make on-line training and virtual collaboration more engaging and compelling by replicating non-verbal feedback related to the rate and acceptance of information delivery in lectures, in order to make the experience of distance learning more emotionally immersive. This project contributes four significant innovations: 1) a machine-vision recognition system for head position, gaze direction, facial expressions of interest or comprehension, which when averaged across participants will provide simple feedback related to the rate and acceptance of information delivery; 2) a machine-vision-based hand detection system for motion and shape to detect hand raising or other gestures; 3) to enable hot-deployable third party pedagogical applications within the framework, aka "side apps"; and 4) to integrate social functionalities that replicate pre- and post-lecture socialization including pair-sharing, breakout groups, team teaching, and support for teaching assistance. In anticipation of support for this project, TSN has already built an evaluation test bed for tele-lectures and virtual classrooms. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to significantly transform on-line education. On-line training also has the potential to radically alter the delivery of education. By 2018, the estimated cost of four-year public university education is expected to rise to $151,000. For private colleges, this cost will increase to over $300,000. To address this crisis, several colleges and startup companies have announced an increased use of on-line training. However existing systems for streaming video for lectures, and virtual group learning environments, have not advanced to the level that distance learning isn't considered to be a second-class citizen in the educational world. The proposed system can transform the fundamental efficacy of on-line training and spur new research.