Papers by Victor Callaghan
Learning activities within the InterReality Portal
Technology is changing our way to experience education from one-dimensional (physical) to multi-d... more Technology is changing our way to experience education from one-dimensional (physical) to multi-dimensional (physical and virtual) education using a diversity of resources such as web-based platforms (eLearning), videoconferences, eBooks and innovative technologies (e.g. mixed reality, virtual worlds, immersive technology, etc.). This represents bigger opportunities for universities and educational institutions to collaborate with partners from around the world and to be part of today's knowledge economy. This also enables greater opportunities to experience distance learning, modifying our experience of both space and time, changing specific spatial locations to ubiquitous locations and time as asynchronous/synchronous according to our necessities. The use of virtual and remote laboratory activities is an example of the application of some of these concepts. In this work-in-progress paper we propose a different approach to the integration of the physical and virtual world by cr...
الفصل الدراسي الذكي : ما وراء الجدران الأربعة
لقد أصبح استخدام تقنيات المعلومات التقليدية كالإنترنت والبريد الإلكتروني في العملية التعليمية من ... more لقد أصبح استخدام تقنيات المعلومات التقليدية كالإنترنت والبريد الإلكتروني في العملية التعليمية من الممارسات المعتادة في الوقت الحاضر. ولكن عندما يصبح الحرم الجامعي مكتظا بشكل كبير بتقنيات الحاسب المترابطة ، عندها نبدأ في التساؤل عن طرق استخدام جديدة ومبتكرة لموارد التقنية الخاصة بالحرم الجامعي. هذه الورقة العلمية تعمل على مواصلة الجهد في ما تم انجازه مسبقا في مجال البيئات الذكية وتحاول تجاوز الإستخدام التقليدي لتقنية الحاسوب في مجال التعليم. يهدف هذا البحث إلى تطبيق نماذج الواقع المخلتط والحوسبة الشاملة لإثراء عمليتي التعليم والتعلم ويصف كيف تم توظيف مثل هذه النماذج الإبتكارية في الحرم الجامعي الخاص بجامعة إسكس (بريطانيا).
In this paper we describe a process called Diegetic Innovation Templating (DiT) whereby science f... more In this paper we describe a process called Diegetic Innovation Templating (DiT) whereby science fiction and fantasy stories are used as a systematic source of ideas for design and product innovation. We also introduce a concept called the Diegetic Gap which acts a metric for assessing how compatible a particular piece of fiction is to a given innovation space. We illustrate the Diegetic Innovation Templating process using an example from a fashion house that specializes in creating leading-edge designs for women's clothing.
The Cloud-of-Things 2014 (CoT’14) is the second in a series of workshops that explores the synerg... more The Cloud-of-Things 2014 (CoT’14) is the second in a series of workshops that explores the synergy offered by combining the Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Intelligent Environments and Architecture which are often discussed separately, each at their own specialist conferences. The CoT workshop was formed to provide an opportunity for researchers from these areas to come together to discuss the issues in a more holistic way, so as to identify possibilities for synergy and cross-fertilization. This area of work is fuelled by massive market opportunities as, for example, some estimates suggest that the Internet-of-Things market alone could be worth between 22 billion and 50 billion dollars (made up of some 16 billion connected devices) by 2020. These figures seem plausible as there are already said to be of the order of 8 billion embedded-processors and around 1 billion smart phones produced each year, Thus, we believe this workshop is providing a timely opportunity to discuss the...
Feature Selection and Human Arm Activity Classification Using a Wristband
Journal of Reliable Intelligent Environments (Springer), 2022
Activity monitoring is a core application for wristbands and, consequently, all the top selling b... more Activity monitoring is a core application for wristbands and, consequently, all the top selling brands (Xiaomi, Apple, Huawei, Fitbit, and Samsung) incorporate accelerometers as a core movement sensor. Applications range from sports to fitness, supported by algorithms that analyze the sensor data. Thus, there are significant benefits to be accrued from improving the activity classification performance of wrist-worn activity monitors, a goal that this study seeks to address. Further to achieving this goal, this paper presents research which investigates the potential for improving strategies and algorithms used in data pre-processing and model training/testing, for wrist-worn accelerometer sensing. To those ends we investigate different techniques for data sampling frequency, feature ranking, feature scaling and sub-feature sets selection, as well as model selection strategies based on a set of neural network, support vector machine, and Gaussian Naïve Bayes classification algorithms. We explore the effects of different model training and testing strategies, and compare three models trained with different datasets organized by personalization, partial mixing, and full mixing from multiple subjects. Their relative performance is then compared based on different test datasets, which are personalized, mixed with pre-specified training subjects, and non-pre specified (unseen/new) subjects, respectively. Moreover, a novel plurality voting mechanism was explored as a means to adjust the prediction result during the model testing stage. Finally, the paper concludes by presenting the main finding of the research which are that the most robust and reliable performance for human activity classification can be obtained by combining a personalized model with a plurality voting mechanism.
Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2017
We live in an increasingly competitive world where success is closely linked to a person's or org... more We live in an increasingly competitive world where success is closely linked to a person's or organisation's ability to innovate which, in turn, means that innovation has become increasingly important in education and business. One response to this has been the introduction of special environments, tailored to supporting innovation, namely Innovation-Labs (i-Labs). Research has shown that creativity thrives in environments that are playful and customizable, rather than in the somewhat sterile environments of most workplaces. In this paper, we describe our efforts to create a model for an online immersive environment that can be customized and dynamically adapted to the needs of individuals and specific innovation sessions. In creating this model we have been inspired by earlier pioneering work in innovation labs, virtual reality, HCI and the World Wide Web. This work-inprogress paper presents the output of our theoretical studies, and an initial specification for an immersive reality innovation space called iSuite. This environment is based on an underlying model that is made up of a number of innovative features which include a customisable template-based generic interfacing scheme which supports human-machine and machine-machine interactions and supporting systems to assist i-lab users during brainstorming
This work-in progress paper summarises our research towards the vision for creating an intelligen... more This work-in progress paper summarises our research towards the vision for creating an intelligent university campus (iCampus) based on a mixed reality technology and network based education. The paper brings together earlier work aimed at exploring how simulators and other virtual augmentation can utilised by scientists to enhance the development, testing and demonstration of new ubiquitous technologies and environments with our latest work aimed at creating a simulation of a classroom based on the MPK-20 Project Wonderland Virtual Meeting Office developed by Sun Microsystems. We conclude by outlining our future plans.
This Science Fiction Prototype explores the idea that the current interest in maker space activit... more This Science Fiction Prototype explores the idea that the current interest in maker space activities could continue to grow to the point where it causes a sea change in the manufacturing industry as it shifts from centralised production in factories, to a distributed production in people's communities or homes. This move is a natural extension of a number of research trends, such as the increasing ability to personalise products and the popular trend of making or adapting things. We contextualise this within current concepts such as virtual appliances and buzz- boards and micro industries before presenting a series of vignettes that take a potpourri look at some related ideas. Finally, we conclude the article by reflecting where this technology could go in the future.
This paper will explore the use of augmented reality, and its ability to reveal deep technologies... more This paper will explore the use of augmented reality, and its ability to reveal deep technologies (hidden technologies)”, as a means to create more effective tools for developers or students studying embedded computing, which are typified by topics such as the internet of things, pervasive computing and robotics. This approach aims to enrich the experience for developers learners by constructing a meaningful view of the invisible things around us. Thus, we will propose and explain a general model, called ViewPoint, which consists of several components such as learning design specification, collaborative environments, augmented reality, physical objects and centralised data. Furthermore, to support the proposed model, we present a 4-dimensional learning activity task (4DLAT) framework which has helped us to structure our research into several phases where we can scale up from single-learner-discrete-task to group-learner sequenced-task, based on the proposed scenario. As a first step...
The current era of advanced display technologies, such as a head mounted displays, smart glasses ... more The current era of advanced display technologies, such as a head mounted displays, smart glasses and handheld devices, have supported the usage of mixed-reality and augmented reality concepts in smart educational classrooms. These advanced technologies have enabled enhanced collaboration and an interactive communication between distance learners and local learners. Being present' is a key factor in both worlds (real and virtual) as it plays an important role in increasing the students' collaborative engagement during the learning activity. However, few studies have considered how much using such immersive interfaces with various learning scenarios may ultimately affect learning outcomes, and whether students feel fully engaged or not in such environments. This work-in-progress paper will demonstrate a MiRTLE+ prototype of how remote students can collaborate within mixed-reality environments by using an augmented reality approach. Secondly, it will explore the learning effect...
Pervasive computing is the third wave in IT, after the PC and the Internet and is based on the us... more Pervasive computing is the third wave in IT, after the PC and the Internet and is based on the use of numerous “invisible”, omni-present, always-on, communicating computers embedded into everyday environments which gather personal information from people and deliver services to them. Whilst this technology promises great benefits, being invisible and autonomous and with its access to the most personal human behaviours, it raises significant new dangers for individuals, city dwellers, cultures and society as a whole.
4th International Conference on Intelligent Environments (IE 08), 2008
The arrival of the digital home, signals a new era for both manufacturers and consumers. It raise... more The arrival of the digital home, signals a new era for both manufacturers and consumers. It raises the possibility that people may be able to create their own unique digital home functionalities, by combining elemental network services to create sophisticated "virtual appliances" that satisfy their individual needs and desires. We present taxonomy of approaches for customising digital homes and use this to introduce a novel computational methodology, that we term 'Pervasive Interactive Programming' (PiP), that allows non-technical end-users to build their own "virtual appliances" for customising their 'electronic environments' without the need to write program code. We show this approach is novel in that it firstly allows the user to translate mental concepts into functions (which differs to agent based approaches using historical behaviour data to form functions) and secondly it moves "programming-byexample" from single processor computers into real-time distributed embedded computing environments. Finally we report on a small evaluation which showed it was possible for non-programmers to use these tools to customise the electronic functionality of their digital homes.
IEE Seminar on Intelligent Building Environments, 2005
In this paper we describe ongoing work into the development of a trust-based architecture aimed a... more In this paper we describe ongoing work into the development of a trust-based architecture aimed at increasing security and user confidence in pervasive computing systems. We begin by describing the issue of security and privacy in pervasive computing systems before introducing the notion of Role Based Access Control. Such access control methods depend on strict policies that can lead to a loss of flexibility and usability. To overcome this we show how by employing the concept of trust and reputation it is possible to strike a better balance between usability and security. This work is ongoing but we present an architectural diagram showing our novel Trust & Role Based Access control system together with reporting on initial results. Finally we discuss how this work is consistent with our wider approaches to intelligent environments such as evidential learning, promiscuous association, end-user programming and discuss the future directions we are planning.
There are many arguments for and against the use of autonomous-agents in intelligent environments... more There are many arguments for and against the use of autonomous-agents in intelligent environments. Some researchers maintain that it is of utmost importance to give complete control to users, and hence greatly restrict autonomy of agents; whereas, others believe that is it preferable to increase user convenience by allowing agents to operate autonomously on the user’s behalf. While both of these approaches have their distinct merits, they are not suitable for all users. As people’s opinions and concerns regarding agent autonomy are highly individual, depending on a wide range of factors and often changing over time, a much more dynamic approach to agent autonomy is needed. Keywords Intelligent environments; agent autonomy; adjustable autonomy; pervasive computing 1.
Abstract. Today networked appliances and controllers are being incorporated into domestic environ... more Abstract. Today networked appliances and controllers are being incorporated into domestic environments via standards such as X10, Lonworks and IP. However, the future promises to revolutionise home technology by introducing distributed computing systems enabling non-technical home users to create their own virtual appliances and applications where appliance functionality can be shared. The future of do- it-yourself (DIY) home decoration may lie more in ‘electronics and computing ’ than ‘paint and wallpaper’. At the heart of this vision is the need for lay home users to be able to configure, program and command pervasive technology for personal ends. In this chapter we describe three approaches to this challenge based on Task-Computing, Pervasive Interactive Programming (PiP) and theoretical work on combining, formalising and visualising these processes. In addition we report on user evaluations that demonstrate that non-expert home users find these methods to be simple, enjoyable an...
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Papers by Victor Callaghan