Thomas E. Whalen

Behavior-based neuro-fuzzy controller for mobile robot navigation

The paper discusses a neuro-fuzzy controller for sensor-based mobile robot navigation in indoor environments. The control system consists of a hierarchy of robot behaviors.

Real-time 2 1/2 D head pose recovery for model-based video-coding

This paper discusses a 2(1/2)-D tracking method allowing real-time recovery of the three-dimensional (3-D) position and orientation of a head moving in its image plane. The described method uses a two-dimensional (2-D) elliptical head model, region- and edge-based matching algorithms, and a linear Kalman filter estimator. The resulting motion tracking system works in a realistic environment without makeup on the face, with an uncalibrated camera, normal lighting conditions, and an unknown background.

Hierarchical animation control of avatars in 3-D virtual environments

This paper reports the development of a three-layer hierarchical control system for the animation of anthropomorphic avatars in three-dimensional virtual environments. The lower layer controls the movement of the avatars joints, the second layer defines skills or basic behaviors (such as walk, run, and jump), and the highest layer executes a behavior-based script language that can be used to describe stories to be enacted by the avatars. In order to verify how flexible the proposed hierarchical approach is, the two lower control layers were implemented in two different ways, without affecting the script language layer.

3-D head pose recovery for interactive virtual reality avatars

This paper discusses a 3D tracking method allowing real-time recovery of the 3D position and orientation of a moving head. The described method uses a 3D wireframe model of the head, a 2D feature-based matching algorithm, and an extended Kalman filter estimator. The resulting motion tracking system works in a realistic environment without makeup on the face, with uncalibrated camera, and unknown fighting conditions and background.

Human Computer interaction for smart environment applications using hand gestures and facial expressions

The paper discusses two body-language Human Computer Interaction (HCI) modalities, namely facial expressions and hand gestures, for healthcare and smart environment applications. This is an expanded version of a paper presented at the 3rd IEEE International Workshop on Medical Measurements and Applications, 9 10 May 2008, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Human emotion and cognition recognition from body language of the head using soft computing techniques

To make a computer interface more usable, enjoyable, and effective, it should be able to recognize emotions of its human counterpart. This paper explores new ways to infer the user’s emotions and cognitions from the combination of facial expression (happy, angry, or sad), eye gaze (direct or averted), and head movement (direction and frequency). All of the extracted information is taken as input data and soft computing techniques are applied to infer emotional and cognitional states. The fuzzy rules were defined based on the opinion of an expert in psychology, a pilot group and annotators. Although the creation of the fuzzy rules are specific to a given culture, the idea of integrating the different modalities of the body language of the head is generic enough to be used by any particular target user group from any culture. Experimental results show that this method can be used to successfully recognize 10 different emotions and cognitions.

Distributed intelligent sensor agent system for environment mapping

This paper discusses a multi-agent system consisting of a limited set of mobile intelligent sensor agents that are exploring an environment with the goal of minimizing the environment mapping uncertainty, i.e. the entropy. A novel tree in-motion mapping method combining simplicity and speed of computation with low storage and communications requirements is proposed for the management of a network of robotic agents, each possessing limited sensing, processing and communicating operational entities. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed system architecture and mapping method.

Capturing Behaviour for the Use of Avatars in Virtual Environments

Avatars, representations of people in virtual environments, are subject to human control. However, for most applications, it is impractical for a person to directly control each joint in a complex avatar. Rather, people must be allowed to specify complex behaviours with simple instructions and the avatar permitted to select the correct movements in sequence to execute the instruction. This requires a variety of technologies that are currently available. Human behaviour must be captured and stored it so that it can be retrieved at a later time for use by the avatar. This has been done successfully with a variety of haptic interfaces, with visual observation of human head movements, and with verbal behaviour in natural language applications. The behaviour must be broken into atomic actions that can be sequenced with a regular grammar, and an appropriate grammar developed. Finally, a user interface must be developed so that a person can deliver instructions to the avatar.

Computer-controlled human operators

Since computers have become more powerful, the essential nature of the relationship between humans and computers has evolved. Today, computers have become essential to our daily economic and social lives to the extent that people are now often dependent on the computer; the computer has become a more demanding partner. This article examines a new paradigm for human-computer interaction: humans guided and controlled by the computer.

Script language for avatar animation in 3D virtual environments

This paper continues previous work by the authors on the animation of anthropomorphic avatars in virtual reality environments. An avatar animation control system was built in three hierarchical levels: joint control, basic behaviors and script language. This paper focuses on the grammar and parser for the script language, which was designed to be easy to extend and modify. Also, in order to verify how flexible the hierarchical approach is, the two lower control levels were implemented in two different ways, without affecting the script language level.