There has been significant progress in the graphical realism of digital humans in recent years. This work investigates the realistic portrayal of emotions beyond facial expressions by analysing how skin colour changes when expressing different emotional states. The study combines existing knowledge from old painters, photogrammetry data, thermal imaging, and skin colouration maps to create an artistic guideline to portray emotions realistically, resulting in the proposal of a set of colour maps representing the six basic emotions. By using skin colour changes to represent emotional states, the proposed colour maps offer an alternative workflow for portraying emotions. During the experiment of this research four of these proposed colour maps, which represent neutrality, anger, disgust, and happiness, were preferred over traditional alternatives in terms of realism perception and likeability. The findings have implications for the development of digital human technology, particularly in the creation of more realistic and expressive digital characters.
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New technologies to create very real virtual humans in XR enter the market, providing new opportunities and challenges for the music industry. An important stepping stone to efficiently implement technologies to create new or resemble existing music artists, is to understand the hurdles and potential of these new XR technologies. Eighteen interviews with experts, artists and event visitors familiar with AR, revealed important possibilities and barriers to use Virtual Humans created by means of Volumetric Capturing. Seeing the potential and need of realistic virtual beings, participants prioritized necessary improvements within three themes: (1) Ease of Use, deals with technological complexity, connection issues (distraction and obstruction) and the need of new business models and lower production costs. (2) Usefulness, deals with new opportunities based on high realism digital twin opportunities and the changing perspective of ‘live performance. (3) Content, stressed the need for successful examples, the value of proximity, and disruption due to the lack of awareness and creativity.
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Annual rhythms in humans have been described for a limited number of behavioral and physiological parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate time-of-year variations in late arrivals, sick leaves, dismissals from class (attendance), and grades (performance). Data were collected in Dutch high school students across 4 academic years (indicators of attendance in about 1700 students; grades in about 200 students). Absenteeism showed a seasonal variation, with a peak in winter, which was more strongly associated with photoperiod (number of hours of daylight) compared with other factors assessed (e.g., weather conditions). Grades also varied with time of year, albeit differently across the 4 years. The observed time-of-year variation in the number of sick leaves was in accordance with the literature on the seasonality of infectious diseases (e.g., influenza usually breaks out in winter). The winter peak in late arrivals was unexpected and requires more research. Our findings could be relevant for a seasonal adaptation of school schedules and working environments (e.g., later school and work hours in winter, especially at higher latitudes where seasonal differences in photoperiod are more pronounced).
DOCUMENT
Alcoholgebruiksstoornis (AUD) is een groot probleem. Alleen al in de USA zijn er 15 miljoen mensen met een AUD en meer dan 950.000 Nederlanders drinkt overmatig. Wereldwijd is 3-8% van het aantal sterfgevallen en 5% van alle ziektes en letsels toe te schrijven aan AUD. Zorg staat voor uitdagingen. Zo krijgt meer dan de helft van de AUD-patiënten binnen een jaar na behandeling een terugval. Een oplossing hiervoor is de inzet van Cue-Exposure-Therapy (CET). Daarbij worden cliënten blootgesteld aan triggers d.m.v. objecten, mensen en omgevingen die zucht opwekken. Om op een realistische, veilige en gepersonaliseerde manier deze triggers te ervaren, wordt Virtual Reality ingezet (VRET). Op die manier worden coping-vaardigheden getraind om verlangen naar alcohol tegen te gaan. De effectiviteit van VRET is (klinisch) bewezen. De komst van AR-technologieën roept echter de vraag op om mogelijkheden van Augmented-Reality-Exposure-Therapy (ARET) te onderzoeken. ARET geniet dezelfde voordelen als VRET (zoals een realistische veilige ervaring). Maar omdat AR virtuele-componenten in de echte omgeving integreert, waarbij het lichaam zichtbaar is, roept het vermoedelijk een ander type ervaring op. Dit kan de ecologische validiteit van CET in de behandeling vergroten. Daarnaast is ARET goedkoper te ontwikkelen (minder virtuele elementen) en hebben cliënten/klinieken gemakkelijker toegang tot AR (via smartphone/tablet). Bovendien worden nieuwe AR-brillen ontwikkeld, die nadelen zoals een te klein smartphone-scherm oplossen. Ondanks de vraag vanuit behandelaars, is ARET nog nooit ontwikkeld en onderzocht rondom verslaving. In dit project wordt het eerste ARET-prototype ontwikkeld rondom AUD in de behandeling van alcoholverslaving. Het prototype wordt ontwikkeld op basis van Volumetric-Captured-Digital-Humans en toegankelijk gemaakt voor AR-brillen, tablets en smartphones. Het prototype wordt gebaseerd op RECOVRY, een door het consortium ontwikkelde VRET rondom AUD. Een prototype-test onder (ex)AUD-cliënten zal inzicht geven in behoeften en verbeterpunten vanuit patiënt en zorgverlener en in het effect van ARET in vergelijk met VRET.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major problem. In the USA alone there are 15 million people with an AUD and more than 950,000 Dutch people drink excessively. Worldwide, 3-8% of all deaths and 5% of all illnesses and injuries are attributable to AUD. Care faces challenges. For example, more than half of AUD patients relapse within a year of treatment. A solution for this is the use of Cue-Exposure-Therapy (CET). Clients are exposed to triggers through objects, people and environments that arouse craving. Virtual Reality (VRET) is used to experience these triggers in a realistic, safe, and personalized way. In this way, coping skills are trained to counteract alcohol cravings. The effectiveness of VRET has been (clinically) proven. However, the advent of AR technologies raises the question of exploring possibilities of Augmented-Reality-Exposure-Therapy (ARET). ARET enjoys the same benefits as VRET (such as a realistic safe experience). But because AR integrates virtual components into the real environment, with the body visible, it presumably evokes a different type of experience. This may increase the ecological validity of CET in treatment. In addition, ARET is cheaper to develop (fewer virtual elements) and clients/clinics have easier access to AR (via smartphone/tablet). In addition, new AR glasses are being developed, which solve disadvantages such as a smartphone screen that is too small. Despite the demand from practitioners, ARET has never been developed and researched around addiction. In this project, the first ARET prototype is developed around AUD in the treatment of alcohol addiction. The prototype is being developed based on Volumetric-Captured-Digital-Humans and made accessible for AR glasses, tablets and smartphones. The prototype will be based on RECOVRY, a VRET around AUD developed by the consortium. A prototype test among (ex)AUD clients will provide insight into needs and points for improvement from patient and care provider and into the effect of ARET compared to VRET.
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) involves uncontrollable drinking despite negative consequences, a challenge amplified in festivals. ARise is a project using Augmented Reality (AR) to prevent AUD by helping festival visitors refuse alcohol and other substances. Based on the first Augmented Reality Exposure Therapy (ARET) for clinical AUD treatment, ARise uses a smartphone app with AR glasses to project virtual humans that tempt visitors to drink alcohol. Users interact in a safe and personalized way with these virtual humans through phone, voice, and gesture interactions. The project gathers festival feedback on user experience, awareness, usability, and potential expansion to other substances.Societal issueHelping treatment of addiction and stimulate social inclusion.Benefit to societyMore people less patients: decrease health cost and increase in inclusion and social happiness.Collaborative partnersNovadic-Kentron, Thalamusa
