Ahmad Rafi

Practising mental rotation using interactive Desktop Mental Rotation Trainer (iDeMRT).

An experimental study involving 30 undergraduates (mean age = 20.5 years) in mental rotation (MR) training was conducted in an interactive Desktop Mental Rotation Trainer (iDeMRT). Stratified random sampling assigned students into one experimental group and one control group. The former trained in iDeMRT and the latter trained in conventional condition. A multifactorial pretest posttest design procedure was used and data were analysed using two-way analysis of covariance. Overall, there was substantial improvement in MR accuracy. Main effects of training and gender were observed, indicating that iDeMRT group and boys outperformed the control group and girls respectively. In addition, an interaction between training method and gender was present, indicating that boys were more accurate when trained in iDeMRT and performed moderately in conventional method. Female participants achieved equivalent improvement gain in MR accuracy regardless of the training conditions used. For the speed measure of MR, no appreciable improvement was observed after training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of Internet-enabled computer-aided design in the construction industry

Abstract The advent of the Internet has opened up and given, particularly, the developing countries and the world in general, a transformation into collective intelligence [P. Levy, Becoming Virtual: Reality in the Digital Age, 1998, Plenum Publishing] 1 societies linked to digital communication [A. Rafi M.E., Design creativity in emerging technologies, H. Von. Ars Electronica 2001: Takeover: Whos Doing the Art of Tomorrow, 2001. Springer Wein, New York] 2 . Apart from large corporations, the rapid evolution of borderless communication has also synergies between the art and science expertise to form low-cost internet-based networks that have become multi-million dollar companies within a short period of time (e.g. Linux) [A. Rafi M.E., Design creativity in emerging technologies, H. Von. Ars Electronica 2001: Takeover: Whos Doing the Art of Tomorrow, 2001. Springer Wein, New York]. In the context of architectural designs and construction industries, the birth of Internet-based computer-aided design (iCAD) solutions has offered a new dimension to architectural practice. The function of CAD has expanded as a tool to communicate and collaborate as well as to better control all phases of the architectural practices. This paper will review the current available iCAD tools and explore the possible utilisation of iCAD in architectural practices. The opportunities for modifying current professional practice standards to best use iCAD will be rationalised as well as the elements in ensuring the effectiveness of iCAD implementation. The final component of the paper will be an evaluation framework to measure the value of iCAD in an architectural practice. The framework will become an early platform for an architectural practice to decide and plan their future in utilising and applying iCAD in the most efficient way.

Students' 'Uses and Gratification Expectancy' conceptual framework in relation to e-learning resources

This paper presents the systematic development of a ‘Uses and Gratification Expectancy’ (UGE) conceptual framework which is able to predict students’ ‘Perceived e-Learning Experience. ’ It is argued that students’ UGE as regards e-learning resources cannot be implicitly or explicitly explored without first examining underlying communication theories and learning perspectives. As such, the theoretical framework is grounded in the confluence of theories from communication theories and learning perspectives. The integration of Expectancy-value Theory, and the Uses and Gratification Theory serves to accommodate the suggestion that elearning resources offer gratifications that are expected and valued by students. The key theoretical and practical assumptions of the UGE approach are highlighted and consistently implemented in the conceptual edifice.

Modeling optimization for real-time virtual heritage visualization content: A research on e-Warisan SENIBINA

This research suggests a concept of virtual heritage experience within the field of architecture in a collaborative virtual environment. A real-time virtual reality application is adopted based on the fundamentals of virtual heritage metadata structure suggested by the UNESCO guidelines that encompassed both cultural and natural heritage of a digital dataset and are thus useful as a starting point for most virtual heritage application. This paper focuses on the technical challenges and requirement particularly on the optimization of modeling for real-time visualization to represent heritage buildings of the pre-independence period in architecture built within the period of 80 to 200 years. This e-Content Fund research awarded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Malaysian named e-Warisan SENIBINA will demonstrate the early finding results of two shortlisted buildings that influenced the direction of traditional Malay Muslim architecture in Peninsular Malaysia.

Training in Technologically Enabled Environments: Do Training Method and Gender Matter?

The paper reports the findings from an experimental research study based on the pretest-posttest control group design, which examined the differential outcomes of spatial ability training attributed to training condition and gender. The study sample was comprised of 98 eighth graders 36 girls, 62 boys. The first experimental group EG1 trained in interaction condition, the second experimental group EG2 trained in animation condition, and the control group CG used printed materials. The groups underwent eight 2-hour weekly sessions, and the Spatial Visualization test and a survey questionnaire were used to collect the research data. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 16.0. The findings reveal that spatial ability can be trained and interaction is the most effective condition. An interaction effect is observed with boys, who attained performance gains differentially, whereas girls are condition-neutral. Implications of the findings are also discussed.

Empirical Analysis of Mobile Augmented Reality Games for Engaging Users’ Experience

This paper presents the results of an empirical analysis of mobile augmented reality (AR) games focusing on elements of user engagement. The area covered in the analysis was based on the user engagement literature review in classical games as well as AR technology. The results showed that five major elements that affected the user engagement were social, perceived usability, challenge, satisfaction and clear goals. This finding is suggested as one of the key considerations prior in developing mobile AR game.

Motion capture and computer art

Current advancement in computer-generated animation in particular motion capture has changed the nature of digital animation as a form for designers and digital artists to re-look more than just manipulating a digital tool. This article discusses briefly the relationship between art and science through the ages and discusses their relatively recent re-convergence. Then, this is followed by the current arguments of motion capture technology and relates this to computer art and creativity. A few real projects using motion capture will be demonstrated to give a clearer picture on the utilisation of the technology, skill sets required and the direction of this emerging technology.

A systematic survey of martial art using motion capture technologies: the importance of extrinsic feedback

The number of research papers on Motion Capture technologies published in conferences and journals has been rapidly increasing due to the emerging of new technologies, software and hardware which create new challenges and opportunities for Martial Arts research. Current trend of the Martial Arts using Motion Capture technologies (MAMoCap) researches consists of phases of MoCap-Processing and Post-MoCap-Processing; contexts of algorithms, performance and system development; and feedbacks of intrinsic and extrinsic. The purpose of this paper is to study and explore the potential future trend of research and publications pertaining to MAMoCap researches. A systematic survey of research publications was conducted through the topic of Martial Art (MA) and Motion Capture (MoCap) in order to retrieve the scientific articles published in FOUR (4) established publishers including SPRINGERLINK, SCIENCEDIRECT, IEEE and ACM. Search refinements were done by the inclusions criteria of document types of academic journals and conference proceedings; and by the exceptions criteria of letters, editorials and book reviews. The findings show that only 27% of the publications have been selected while other 73% have been classified as irrelevant contents due to none significance and relevance to the MAMoCap researches. Analysis on the research phases, contexts and feedbacks has been conducted and discussed in detailed for pertaining knowledge gaps and future research agenda. Based on the preliminary study, a framework of EFs-Based Automated Evaluation System for the martial arts should be proposed.

A theoretical framework of extrinsic feedback based-automated evaluation system for martial arts

Martial arts (MAs) are considered as a preserved heritage primarily due to the fact that it promotes certain level of identities of a culture. MA refers to the art of combat and self-defense which normally combines offensive and defensive techniques. Technology advancements have made motion capture (MoCap) to be widely used in MA to capture and evaluate human performance. Nevertheless, researches on extrinsic feedbacks (EFs) of MA through the developed evaluation system are scarce. Furthermore, there is no complete framework of evaluation system suggested for MA. This paper presents the theoretical framework of EF-based automated evaluation system in the context of traditional local MA. The framework contains three modules including MoCap, recognition and evaluation. The MoCap module tracks human body accurately in order to generate skeleton, tune focused target, and record human movements. Recognition module develops a script of motion for templates and classification purposes using Reverse-Gesture Description Language (R-GDL) and GDL respectively. Evaluation module produces the extrinsic feedback in terms of pattern and score for the performed movements. This theoretical framework will be used in the development of the digital tool to measure the accuracy and effectiveness of motions performed by one of the traditional local MAs.

Crowd Simulation in 3D Virtual Environments

Realistic animation of agents’ activities in a 3D virtual environment has many useful applications, for examples, creative industries, urban planning, military simulation and disaster management. It is tedious to manually pre-program each agent’s actions, its interactions with other agents and with the environment. Simulation is a good approach in this kind of domain since complex global behaviors emerge from the local interactions. We simulate a crowd movement using a multi-agent approach where each agent is situated in the virtual environment. An agent can perceive and interact with other agents and with the environment. Complex behaviors emerging from these interactions are from local rules and without any central control. These behaviors reveal the complexity of the domain without explicitly programming the system. In this work, we investigate (i) the navigation of the agents and (ii) the corresponding animations of each agent’s behaviors. Simulation results under different parameters are presented and discussed.