Mya Sithu

QoE assessment of joint haptic drum performance: Effect of local lag control

This paper investigates the effect of local lag control on the synchronization quality of sound, interactivity, and comprehensive quality as QoE (Quality of Experience) in a networked haptic drum system. We handle joint performance in the system, where two users play a drum set in a 3D virtual space with the same rhythm at the same tempo. As a result, we illustrate that QoE depends on the network delay, and there exists the optimum value of local lag according to the network delay.

Trade-off Relationship Between Operability and Fairness in Networked Balloon Bursting Game Using Haptic Interface Devices

This paper investigates the trade-off relationship between the operability of haptic interface device and the fairness between players by carrying out subjective and objective QoE (Quality of Experience) assessments in a networked balloon bursting game. In the game, two players burst balloons in a 3D virtual space by using haptic interface devices, and they compete for the number of burst balloons. As a result, we confirm that there exists a trade-off relationship between the operability and fairness; that is, if we try to improve the fairness, the operability is degraded when the network delays are different from terminal to terminal; if we try to improve the operability, the fairness is damaged. We also find that the contribution of the fairness is larger than that of the operability to the comprehensive quality (i.e., the weighted sum of the operability and fairness). Assessment results further show that the output timing of terminals should be adjusted to the terminal which has the slowest output timing to maintain the fairness when the difference in network delay between the terminals is large. In this way, the comprehensive quality at each terminal can also be maintained as high as possible.

Media Synchronization in Networked Multisensory Applications with Haptics

In this chapter, we explain the present status of studies for media synchronization in networked multisensory applications with haptics. We also specify the characteristics of haptic media and different features of haptic media from other media such as olfactory, auditory, and visual media. By using such other media together with haptic media, we can get higher realistic sensation when we use the applications for various purposes such as remote education, entertainment, and networked games. When multisensory media streams are transmitted over a network like the Internet, the temporal relationships among the media streams may be disturbed owing to the network delay, delay jitter, and packet loss. Thus, the quality of experience (QoE) may seriously be degraded. To solve this problem, we need to carry out media synchronization control. To achieve a high quality of media synchronization, a number of media synchronization algorithms have been proposed so far. Especially, in networked multisensory applications, we need to take account of human perception of media synchronization errors in the algorithms. This is because the requirements of media synchronization quality depend on types of media. Some algorithms such as Virtual-Time Rendering (VTR) take human perception of the errors into account. For example, VTR tries to accomplish the synchronization by changing the buffering time of each media stream dynamically according to the network delay jitter with several threshold values about the errors. In the algorithms, instead of synchronizing the output timings of media streams exactly, ranges of human perception such as the allowable range, in which users feel that the synchronization error is allowable, the imperceptible range, in which users cannot perceive the error, and the operation range, which is narrower than the imperceptible range and should be kept usually, are taken into account for the sake of high synchronization quality. In this chapter, we explain the algorithms taking account of human perception of the media synchronization errors and enhance other algorithms such as the group (or inter-destination) synchronization control and the adaptive ∆-causality control algorithms for simultaneous output-timing control among multiple terminals by taking account of the perception. It is indispensable to clarify the ranges by QoE assessment in networked multisensory applications. In this chapter, we further make a survey of studies on the assessment. Finally, we discuss the future directions of media synchronization in networked multisensory applications with haptics.

Influence of olfactory and auditory senses on fairness between players in networked virtual 3D object identification game with haptics

By using haptic and olfactory senses as well as visual and auditory senses, it is expected that we are able to play networked games with high sense of presence. Fairness among players is important for the games, but we sometimes cannot use some senses by sickness, injury, and so on. In this paper, we assess the influence of olfactory and auditory senses on fairness for a networked virtual 3D object identification game with haptics by switching whether olfactory and auditory senses are employed or not.

Ikebana competition in networked virtual environment with haptic and olfactory senses

In this paper, we present an ikebana (i.e., Japanese traditional art of flower arrangement) competition system in a networked virtual environment with haptic and olfactory senses. In the system, each user can hold a flower, adjust the length of the held flowers stem with a pair of scissors, and impale the flower on a flower pin-holder in a 3D virtual space over a network. After the server of the system has received arrangements from users, the best arrangements are selected by votes of users and/or ikebana experts at remote locations.