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Regular on-site inspection is crucial for promptly detecting faults in water supply networks (WSNs) and auxiliary facilities, significantly reducing leakage risks. However, the fragmentation of information and the separation between virtual and physical networks pose challenges, increasing the cognitive load on inspectors. Furthermore, due to the lack of real-time computation in current research, the effectiveness in detecting anomalies, such as leaks, is limited, hindering its ability to provide immediate and direct-decision support for inspectors. To address these issues, this research proposes a mixed reality (MR) inspection method that integrates multi-source information, combining building information modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), monitoring data, and numerical simulation technologies. This approach aims to achieve in situ visualization and real-time computational capabilities. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through case studies, with user feedback confirming its feasibility. The results indicate improvements in inspection task performance, work efficiency, and standardization compared to traditional mobile terminal-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed Reality (MR) technology possesses profound and extensive potential across a multitude of domains, including, but not limited to industry, healthcare, and education. However, prolonged use of MR devices to watch stereoscopic content may lead to visual fatigue. Since visual fatigue involves multiple brain regions, our study aims to explore the topological characteristics of brain networks derived from electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Because the Phase-Locked Value (PLV) is capable of effectively measuring the phase synchronization relationship between brain regions, it was calculated between all pairs of channels in both comfort and fatigue states. Subsequently, a sparse brain network was constructed based on PLV by applying an appropriate threshold. The node properties (betweenness centrality, clustering coefficient, node efficiency) and edge properties (characteristic path length) were calculated based on the corresponding brain network within specific frequency bands for both comfort and fatigue states. In analyzing the PLV of brain connectivity in comfort and fatigue states, a notable enhancement in brain connectivity is observed within the alpha, theta, and delta frequency bands during fatigue status. By analyzing the node and edge properties of brain networks, it is evident that the mean values of these properties in the fatigue state were higher than those in the comfort state. By analyzing the node and edge properties at a local level, the average difference in betweenness centrality, clustering coefficients, and nodal efficiency across the three EEG frequency bands was computed to find significant brain regions. The main findings are as follows: Betweenness centrality primarily differs in frontal and parietal regions, with minor involvement in temporal and central regions. The clustering Coefficient mainly varies in the frontal region, with slight differences being seen in the temporal and occipital regions. Nodal efficiency primarily varies in the frontal, temporal, and central regions, with minor differences being seen in the parietal and occipital regions. Edge property analysis indicates that there is a higher occurrence of long-distance connections among brain regions during the fatigue state, which reflects a loss of synaptic transmission efficiency on a global level. Our study plays a crucial role in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying visual fatigue, potentially providing insights that could be applied to high-demand cognitive fields where prolonged use of MR devices leads to visual fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabrication is highly recognized in construction due to its inherent cost efficiency, quality control, and sustainability benefits. However, the presence of uncertainties in prefabrication processes hinders the realization of these advantages, necessitating addressing production time uncertainty. Mixed reality (MR) has demonstrated promising outcomes in mitigating time uncertainties as an immersive visualization and simulation technology in different domains. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of MR-based approaches in prefabrication to reduce time uncertainty. The methodology comprises Discrete event simulation (DES) modeling, correlation analysis, and the development of an MR-based immersive visualization and simulation tool. Following an initial work study to measure standard times, visualizations of 13 processes in the prefabricated panel production were developed in the Unity environment and deployed on the HoloLens 2. Through several work studies before and after MR implementations, the study demonstrated a 10.8% reduction in the total completion times (P99) in correlated production activities. Findings emphasize that MR reduces time uncertainty by providing an immersive, interactive, and dynamic approach, ultimately improving efficiency in prefabrication. The study contributes to existing knowledge by quantifying the impact of MR on completion times and underscores the importance of addressing time uncertainties for sustainable lean prefabrication. The sensitivity analysis results prioritized the reinforcement trade in managerial decision-making, emphasizing the need for MR-based approaches for targeted improvement opportunities. Minimizing scheduling uncertainty is of practical importance in realizing prefabrication benefits. Practical Applications: This study emphasizes the practical applications of MR technology in the construction industry, specifically in the prefabrication process. By utilizing the developed MR-based approach as an immersive visualization and simulation tool, construction stakeholders can streamline their operations, reduce uncertainties, and achieve significant benefits. The MR-based approach enables real-time monitoring, analysis, and collaboration among project teams, empowering them to make informed decisions and adapt to dynamic production processes. By quantifying the impact of uncertainties and delays, stakeholders can prioritize MR-based approaches, particularly for skilled trade teams, to optimize resource allocation and improve production efficiency. Further, MR contributes to achieving lean production targets of prefabrication by optimizing resource usage, enhancing values, and reducing waste. The findings emphasize the importance of MR in managerial decision-making, providing insights that enable informed choices to maximize efficiency and productivity. The study demonstrates how MR can revolutionize prefabrication practices, making construction projects more sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering is the property of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Magazine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The metaverse represents a post-reality universe that seamlessly merges physical reality with digital virtuality. It provides a continuous and immersive social networking environment, enabling multi-user engagement and interaction through Extended Reality (XR) technologies, which include Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). As a novel solution distinct from traditional methods such as mobile-based applications, the technical affordance of XR technologies in shaping multi-user social experiences remains a complex, multifaceted, and multivariate issue that has not yet been thoroughly explored. Additionally, there is a notable absence of mature frameworks and guidelines for designing and developing these multi-user socio-technical systems. Enhancing multi-user social engagement through these technologies remains a significant research challenge. This systematic review aims to address this gap by establishing an analytical framework guided by the PRISMA protocol. It analyzes 88 studies from various disciplines, including computer science, social science, psychology, and the arts, to define the mechanisms and effectiveness of XR technologies in multi-user social engagement. Quantitative methods such as descriptive statistics, correlation statistics, and text mining are used to examine the manifestation of mechanisms, potential system factors, and their effectiveness. Meanwhile, qualitative case studies identify specific measures by which system factors enhance multi-user social engagement. The study provides a pioneering framework for theoretical research and offers practical insights for developing cross-spatiotemporal co-present activities in the metaverse. It also promotes critical reflection on the evolving relationship between humans and this emerging digital universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of DEPARCH Journal of Design Planning & Aesthetics Research is the property of DEPARCH Journal of Design Planning & Aesthetics Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

First-person VR- and MR-based Action Observation research has thus far yielded both positive and negative findings in studies observing such tools' potential to teach motor skills. Teaching drumming, particularly polyrhythms, is a challenging motor skill to learn and has remained largely unexplored in the field of Action Observation. In this contribution, a multimodal tool designed to teach rudimental and polyrhythmic drumming was developed and tested in a 20-subject study. The tool presented subjects with a first-person MR perspective via a head-mounted display to provide users with visual exposure to both virtual content and their physical surroundings simultaneously. When compared against a control group practicing via video demonstrations, results showed increased rhythmic accuracy across four exercises. Specifically, a difference of 239 ms (z-ratio = 3.520, p < 0.001) was found between the timing errors of subjects who practiced with our multimodal mixed reality development compared to subjects who practiced with video, demonstrating the potential of such affordances. This research contributes to ongoing work in the fields of Action Observation and Mixed Reality, providing evidence that Action Observation techniques can be an effective practice method for drumming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaverse, a burgeoning virtual reality realm, has garnered substantial attention owing to its multifaceted applications. Rapid advancements and widespread acceptance of metaverse technologies have birthed a dynamic and intricate digital landscape. As various platforms, virtual worlds, and social networks within the metaverse increase, there is a growing imperative for a comprehensive analysis of its implications across societal, technological, and business dimensions. Notably, existing review studies have, for the past decade, primarily overlooked a metaverse‐based multidomain approach. A meticulous examination encompassing 207 research studies delves into the technological innovation of the metaverse, elucidating its future trajectory and ethical imperatives. Additionally, the article introduces the term "MetaWarria" to conceptualize potential conflicts arising from metaverse dynamics. The study discerns that healthcare (45%) and education (22%) are pivotal sectors steering metaverse developments, while the entertainment sector (9%) reshapes the corporate landscape. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a 9% role in enhancing the metaverse's marketing and user experience. Security, privacy, and policy concerns (11%) are addressed due to escalating threats, yielding practical solutions. The analysis underscores the metaverse's profound influence (57%) on the digital realm, a phenomenon accelerated by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The article culminates in contemplating the metaverse's role in future warfare and national security, introducing "MetaWarria" as a conceptual framework for such discussions. This article is categorized under:Application Areas > Health CareApplication Areas > Science and TechnologyFundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Human Centricity and User Interaction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Romanian Journal of Information Technology & Automatic Control / Revista Română de Informatică și Automatică is the property of National Institute for Research & Development in Informatics - ICI Bucharest and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study critically reassesses existing Metaverse concepts and proposes a novel framework for inclusiveness of physically disabled artists. The purpose is to enable and inspire physically disabled users and content creators to participate in the evolving concept of the Metaverse. The article also highlights the need for standards and regulations governing the inclusion of people with disabilities in Metaverse projects. The study examines current information technologies and their relevance to the inclusion of physically disabled individuals in the Metaverse. We analyse existing Metaverse concepts, exploring emerging information technologies such as Virtual and Augmented Reality, and the Internet of Things. The emerging framework in the article is based on the active involvement of disabled creatives in the development of solutions for inclusivity. The review reveals that despite the proliferation of Blockchain Metaverse projects, the inclusion of physically disabled individuals in the Metaverse remains distant, with limited standards and regulations in place. The article proposes a concept of the Metaverse that leverages emerging technologies, to enable greater engagement of disabled creatives. This approach is designed to enhance inclusiveness in the Metaverse landscape. Active involvement of physically disabled individuals in the design and development of Metaverse platforms is crucial for promoting inclusivity. The framework for accessibility and inclusiveness in decentralised Metaverses provides a basis for the meaningful participation of disabled creatives. The article emphasises the importance of addressing the mechanisms for art production by individuals with disabilities in the emerging Metaverse landscape. This article addresses a global challenge related to helping disabled people operate in the modern society, targeting new and emerging technologies, and enabling early understanding of required actions for inclusiveness of people with disabilities in the Metaverse. The increased use of advanced technologies (e.g., AI and IoT) in the Metaverse, amplified the importance of this research being conducted. The aggregate impact from this research for science and society is a more inclusive, and unbiassed Metaverses that are compliant with regulations on anti-disability discrimination. This is followed by the secondary values, related to increased technological opportunities from a breakthrough in designing new, more inclusive, and autonomous devices. The research study presents a new framework for integrating new technologies in existing Metaverses, resulting with a stronger accessibility and inclusiveness of the Metaverse. This creates a new understanding on how new technologies can be used for disability discrimination prevention and early understanding of disability requirements. We also highlighted normative constraints and the need for further reflection and weighing to avoid dystopian futures for the physically disabled in relation to the Metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breathing is one of the most vital functions for being mentally and emotionally healthy. A growing number of studies confirm that breathing, although unconscious, can be under voluntary control. However, it requires systematic practice to acquire relevant experience and skillfulness to consciously utilize breathing as a tool for self-regulation. After the COVID-19 pandemic, a global discussion has begun about the potential role of emerging technologies in breath-control interventions. Emerging technologies refer to a wide range of advanced technologies that have already entered the race for mental health training. Artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, biofeedback, non-invasive neurofeedback, and other wearable devices provide new, but yet underexplored, opportunities in breathing training. Thus, the current systematic review examines the synergy between emerging technologies and breathing techniques for improving mental and emotional health through the lens of skills development. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology is utilized to respond to the objectives and research questions. The potential benefits, possible risks, ethical concerns, future directions, and implications are also discussed. The results indicated that digitally assisted breathing can improve various aspects of mental health (i.e., attentional control, emotional regulation, mental flexibility, stress management, and self-regulation). A significant finding of this review indicated that the blending of different technologies may maximize training outcomes. Thus, future research should focus on the proper design and evaluation of different digital designs in breathing training to improve health in different populations. This study aspires to provide positive feedback in the discussion about the role of digital technologies in assisting mental and emotional health-promoting interventions among populations with different needs (i.e., employees, students, and people with disabilities). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research currently focuses on immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). However, there is limited exploration of their application in sustainable smart cities with Building Information Modeling (BIM), and there remains a lack of interdisciplinary integration within this domain aimed at fostering sustainable smart city development. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the development status of immersive technology and BIM in sustainable smart cities, identifying trends and research hotspots by employing a triangulation research method mixed with a quantitative method via bibliometric analysis and a qualitative method via content analysis to investigate the relationship between immersive technologies and BIM in sustainable smart cities. The results reveal a fragmented nature in the research on immersive technology and BIM in sustainable smart cities, with rapidly changing hotspots and new technologies following a cyclical pattern every 3 to 5 years. Two distinct cycles of growth were observed in the field over the last 10 years (2014–2023). The first cycle, from 2014 to 2017, represented modest growth, while the second cycle, from 2018 to 2022, showed rapid expansion, with the keywords AR, VR, MR, BIM, smart city, and smart city concept indicating the research hotspots. Immersive technologies and BIM, developed since 2017, have contributed to sustainable smart city construction. The emerging keywords AR, MR, and 360-degree VR have become research hotspots since 2021, particularly in collaborative construction. Future research trends include artificial intelligence, digitalization, AR, and MR, while building sustainability and intelligent construction have emerged as real-world applications. Additionally, this paper employs software tools to generate multidimensional knowledge maps to form a knowledge universe map at a "macro-knowledge" level followed by a "micro-knowledge" level comprising a standard knowledge system, such as lifecycle analysis, enhancing the objectivity and organization of the results and providing innovative references for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape engineering plays a crucial role in urban construction and the development of ecological civilization in China. It actively designs and modifies natural elements, such as water and mountains, acting as the primary living infrastructure. This field continually receives great recognition and praise. Recent academic research has prioritized the use of extended reality (XR) technology to create a real-time interactive visual environment to tackle the issues presented by the dynamic nature of landscape engineering. This paper utilizes the PRISMA method to filter out 68 research documents related to XR in landscape engineering construction and management for bibliometric analysis. A comprehensive review is conducted on the precise and efficient utilization of XR to solve various issues in the field of landscape engineering. Using Cite Space 6.2.R6 (a visual bibliometric software) to visualize knowledge structures and research topics, the analysis includes temporal and spatial examination, application scenario analysis, and technological hierarchy analysis. The paper summarizes the current challenges that XR still faces in the landscape engineering field and envisions extensible application scenarios for XR, providing a reference roadmap for the implementation of XR in landscape engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for projects with collaborative robots, known as "cobots", underlines the need to efficiently address the execution of tasks with speed and flexibility, without neglecting safety in human–robot interaction. In general terms, this practice requires knowledge of robotics programming and skill in the use of hardware. The proposed solution consists of a mixed reality (MR) application integrated into a mixed reality head-mounted device (HMD) that accelerates the process of programming the complex manoeuvres of a cobot. This advancement is achieved through voice and gesture recognition, in addition to the use of digital panels. This allows any user, regardless of his or her robotics experience, to work more efficiently. The Robot Operating System (ROS) platform monitors the cobot and manages the transfer of data between the two. The system uses QR (Quick Response) codes to establish a precise frame of reference. This solution has proven its applicability in industrial processes, by automating manoeuvres and receiving positive feedback from users who have evaluated its performance. This solution promises to revolutionize the programming and operation of cobots, and pave the way for efficient and accessible collaborative robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical left culture and heritage—understood as incarnations of leftist artefacts and praxis both past and present—have taken risks in challenging hegemonic machinations often when it is unpopular to do so. To the ire of hegemons, leftist projects across the globe have marshalled places, spaces, and technologies into sites of empowerment and struggle utilising 'small' and 'big' acts of resistance and critical interventions to champion social justice—sometimes successfully, and at other times, less so. However, the preservation of projects' artefacts, praxis, and memory work has been anything but straightforward, owing primarily to institutional politics and infrastructural and resourcing issues. Taking The Freedom Archives (FA) as a case study, this article explores how FA is preserving the distinctive political education programme that underpinned the iconic liberation struggle in Guinea-Bissau that kickstarted the seismic, global decolonisation project in the late 1950s. The article argues that FA could substantially enhance the preservation and memorialisation of that programme in the Metaverse—if this materialises as a fully open, interoperable, and highly immersive space (1) unfettered by hegemonic regulation, and (2) characterised by 'strategic witnessing', 'radical recordkeeping', and user agency. In doing so, FA would serve as an exemplar for leftist projects globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary society, "Indoor Generation" is becoming increasingly prevalent, and spending long periods of time indoors affects well-being. Therefore, it is essential to research biophilic indoor environments and their impact on occupants. When it comes to existing building stocks, which hold significant social, economic, and environmental value, renovation should be considered before new construction. Providing swift feedback in the early stages of renovation can help stakeholders achieve consensus. Additionally, understanding proposed plans can greatly enhance the design of indoor environments. This paper presents a real-time system for architectural designers and stakeholders that integrates mixed reality (MR), diminished reality (DR), and generative adversarial networks (GANs). The system enables the generation of interior renovation drawings based on user preferences and designer styles via GANs. The system's seamless integration of MR, DR, and GANs provides a unique and innovative approach to interior renovation design. MR and DR technologies then transform these 2D drawings into immersive experiences that help stakeholders evaluate and understand renovation proposals. In addition, we assess the quality of GAN-generated images using full-reference image quality assessment (FR-IQA) methods. The evaluation results indicate that most images demonstrate moderate quality. Almost all objects in the GAN-generated images can be identified by their names and purposes without any ambiguity or confusion. This demonstrates the system's effectiveness in producing viable renovation visualizations. This research emphasizes the system's role in enhancing feedback efficiency during renovation design, enabling stakeholders to fully evaluate and understand proposed renovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

See‐through near‐eye displays, such as head‐mounted displays and augmented reality glasses, integrate physical environment with virtual digital contents to form a cohesive world that combines both realities. Field‐of‐view (FOV) is a critical parameter determines the optical performance of these displays. Here we evaluate the see‐through FOV of an optical see‐through near eye display. The evaluation is based on the standardized Michelson contrast method, which provides a unified metric for the measurement of see‐through FOV in near‐eye displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed reality offers unique opportunities to situate complex tasks within spatial environments. One such task is the creation and manipulation of intricate, threedimensional paths, which remains a crucial challenge in many fields, including animation, architecture, and robotics. This paper presents an investigation into the possibilities of spatially situated path creation using new virtual and augmented reality technologies and examines how these technologies can be leveraged to afford more intuitive and natural path creation. We present a formative study (n = 20) evaluating an initial path planning interface situated in the context of augmented reality and human-robot interaction. Based on the findings of this study, we detail the development of two novel techniques for spatially situated path planning and manipulation that afford intuitive, expressive path creation at varying scales. We describe a comprehensive user study (n = 36) investigating the effectiveness, learnability, and efficiency of both techniques when paired with a range of canonical placement strategies. The results of this study confirm the usability of these interaction metaphors and provide further insight into how spatial interaction can be discreetly leveraged to enable interaction at scale. Overall, this work contributes to the development of 3DUIs that expand the possibilities for situating path-driven tasks in spatial environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Health economic evaluations are required to best understand the value of interventions to the health economy. As extended reality technologies (an umbrella term including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) become cheaper and more accessible it is likely that they will be used more within healthcare. Objective: The aim of this study was to systematically review common practices within health economic evaluations of extended reality interventions in healthcare and to discuss the methods, outcomes, and methodological quality to inform future HEEs. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, NHSEED, PubMed, and the ACM Digital Library were searched, and studies retrieved and screened. We extracted descriptions of the population, intervention, comparator, outcomes, context, costs, and economic evaluation data from studies that fit our criteria. We included studies that involved healthcare patients who were provided extended reality interventions versus standard care, other types of care, or another extended reality application within the same setting where the outcome included both health outcomes and health economic evaluations. Results: The search identified 1,693 records in total, of which 1,271 were excluded after title and abstract screening. A total of 422 articles were retrieved and screened and the majority (n = 233) were excluded as they did not contain a health economic analysis or cost data. Fourteen articles were included in this review, all of which found that extended reality health interventions could provide cost savings. Our findings showed considerable heterogeneity between studies and a lack of clear descriptions of XR interventions, limiting their use within procurement. Conclusion: Extended reality in healthcare has the potential to offer significant clinical benefits and research has shown it to be promising at delivering cost-savings. We make recommendations based on the findings of our review for future health economic analyses to help ensure that health economic analyses can support decision-makers in procuring these technologies. Trial registration: PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022342110. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an extended prototype of a wearable force-feedback mechanism coupled with a Meta Quest 2 head-mounted display to enhance immersion in virtual environments. Our study focuses on the development of devices and virtual experiences that place significant emphasis on personal sensing capabilities, such as precise inside-out optical hand, head, and controller tracking, as well as lifelike haptic feedback utilizing servos and vibration rumble motors, among others. The new prototype addresses various limitations and deficiencies identified in previous stages of development, resulting in significant user performance improvements. Key enhancements include weight reduction, wireless connectivity, optimized power delivery, refined haptic feedback intensity, improved stylus alignment, and smooth transitions between stylus use and hand-tracking. Furthermore, the integration of a mixed reality pass-through feature enables users to experience a comprehensive and immersive environment that blends physical and virtual worlds. These advancements pave the way for future exploration of mixed reality applications, opening up new possibilities for immersive and interactive experiences that combine useful aspects of real and virtual environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is a vital skill of a human's life. People with different types of disabilities may have Complex Communication Needs and may need a wearable device to help them to communicate. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a term which refers to the methods of facilitating or replacing people's communication abilities. Brain–computer interfaces (BCI) and Eye-Gaze Technology (EGT) are two widely used access technologies in AAC devices. However, there are only a few studies that have investigated the utilisation of these technologies in a Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) environment. VR and AR are both modern technologies which provide immersive environments. In addition, the Mixed Reality (MR) environment combines virtual reality with real life and may offer extra benefits such as better immersion, better interaction, and more information. This paper proposed an MR-based wearable AAC device and compared the usability and acceptability between its Eye-Gaze (EG) and BCI interaction options. Eight neurotypical participants and two participants with cerebral palsy participated. The result showed high usability (accuracy = 93.30%, the information transfer rate was 8.55 selections per minutes) and acceptability (QUEST 2.0 = 4.30, NASA-TLX = 2.14) in the EG session. In contrast, the usability of the BCI system in the current design was questionable. This novel interaction method using Electroencephalogram signals is not sufficiently exploited at the moment, and more research is suggested in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, considering the novelty of Immersive Technologies (ImTs) associated with Digital Twin (DT), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) in the context of the metaverse and its rapid and ongoing development in Building Information Modeling (BIM), knowledge of specific possibilities and methods for integrating ImTs into building process workflows remains fragmented and scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the research progress and trends of immersive technology-driven BIM applications, providing a helpful reference for understanding the current knowledge system and stimulating future research. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to use macro-quantitative bibliometric analysis and micro-qualitative analysis methods to explore the research topic of ImTs-driven BIM. This study obtains 758 related studies in the past decade, year 2013 to 2022, through a series of keywords from the Web of Science Core Collection database and uses VOSviewer software to conduct keywords co-occurrence analysis and overlay visualisation to visualise the relationship between ImTs and BIM, which contains six clusters, namely VR, Internet of Things (IoT), DT, 3D model, design, and AR. The macro-quantitative analysis on ImTs-driven BIM applications throughout all the stages of the building lifecycle reveals the themes, content, and characteristics of the applications across the stages, which tend to be integrated with emerging advanced technology and tools, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, and deep learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this review was to analyze the evidence on the role of augmented reality (AR) in the improvement of minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A scoping literature search of the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases was performed to identify articles published in the last five years that addressed the direct impact of AR technology on MIS procedures or that addressed an area of education or clinical care that could potentially be used for MIS development. A total of 359 studies were screened and 31 articles were reviewed in depth and categorized into three main groups: Navigation, education and training, and user-environment interfaces. A comparison of studies within the different application groups showed that AR technology can be useful in various disciplines to advance the development of MIS. Although AR-guided navigation systems do not yet offer a precision advantage, benefits include improved ergonomics and visualization, as well as reduced surgical time and blood loss. Benefits can also be seen in improved education and training conditions and improved user-environment interfaces that can indirectly influence MIS procedures. However, there are still technical challenges that need to be addressed to demonstrate added value to patient care and should be evaluated in clinical trials with sufficient patient numbers or even in systematic reviews or meta-analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed Reality provides a powerful medium for transparent and effective human-robot communication, especially for robots with significant physical limitations (e.g., those without arms). To enhance nonverbal capabilities for armless robots, this article presents two studies that explore two different categories of mixed reality deictic gestures for armless robots: a virtual arrow positioned over a target referent (a non-ego-sensitive allocentric gesture) and a virtual arm positioned over the gesturing robot (an ego-sensitive allocentric gesture). In Study 1, we explore the tradeoffs between these two types of gestures with respect to both objective performance and subjective social perceptions. Our results show fundamentally different task-oriented versus social benefits, with non-ego-sensitive allocentric gestures enabling faster reaction time and higher accuracy, but ego-sensitive gestures enabling higher perceived social presence, anthropomorphism, and likability. In Study 2, we refine our design recommendations by showing that in fact these different gestures should not be viewed as mutually exclusive alternatives, and that by using them together, robots can achieve both task-oriented and social benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shanghai University / Shanghai Daxue Xuebao is the property of Journal of Shanghai University (Natural Sciences) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Mesiodentes are the most common supernumerary teeth. The cause is not fully understood, although proliferations of genetic factors and the dental lamina have been implicated. Mesiodentes can cause delayed or ectopic eruption of permanent incisors, which can further alter occlusion and appearance. Careful attention should be paid to the position and direction of the mesiodentes because of possible damage to adjacent roots in the permanent dentition period, errant extraction in the deciduous and mixed dentition periods, and damage to the permanent tooth embryo. To avoid these complications, we applied mixed reality (MR) technology using the HoloLens® (Microsoft, California). In this study, we report on three cases of mesiodentes extraction under general anesthesia using MR technology. Results: The patients ranged in age from 6 to 11 years, all three were boys, and the direction of eruption was inverted in all cases. The extraction approach was palatal in two cases and labial in one case. The average operative time was 32 min, and bleeding was minimal in all cases. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. An image was shared preoperatively with all the surgeons using an actual situation model. Three surgeons used Microsoft HoloLens® during surgery, shared MR, and operated while superimposing the application image in the surgical field. Conclusions: The procedure was performed safely; further development of MR surgery support systems in the future is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extended reality (XR) is rapidly gaining attention and popularity; however, scholars confuse what XR technologies are and how they can be applied in language education. This qualitative, exploratory study unveils language teachers’ perceptions of XR, which is an umbrella term for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Understanding teachers’ perceptions regarding XR is a necessary step toward successful integration, adaptation, and diffusion of these technologies. Based on 110 survey respondents and 10 focus group interviewees, we report on how language teachers apply XR and what potential benefits and barriers they face. This study contributes to the mutual understanding of XR in the computer-assisted language learning community, and it provides examples of practical applications of XR to facilitate language learning and teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in 3D clash detection during preconstruction, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) installations are still prone to the detection of unforeseen clashes during construction. These issues must be resolved as quickly as possible to prevent significant schedule delays. Through interviews and field observations, this case study investigates the impact of mixed reality (MR) on the inspection and resolution of field-detected MEP issues from product, organization, and process (POP) perspectives. For the product impact, preliminary findings from the field interviews show that MR-based inspection would increase the quality of MEP installation by identifying errors easily and resolving them faster. For the organizational impact, we modeled and compared the current (as-is) and MR-integrated (to-be) MEP field issue resolution workflows using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and determined that MR-based inspections can decrease the coordination overhead between MEP engineers and superintendents by up to 75%. This translates into at least a 50% faster resolution of an MEP issue for the process impact. The paper contributes to the practice of MR-based field inspection by providing a method to quantify potential time savings by integrating MR into the MEP field issue resolution workflow and field interview questions for MEP engineers and superintendents to further examine the use of MR during inspection activities in construction projects. Our observations of MEP superintendents and engineers during field inspection showed that not all building information visualized in MR is useful for their inspection tasks. We developed a classification for building information usefulness to help construction project managers who are deploying MR determine useful information for the task at hand that needs to be integrated into the 3D MR model for MR-based inspections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safe and effective construction management requires tools for reducing delays, eliminating reworks, and avoiding accidents. Unfortunately, challenges still exist in current construction practices for enabling real-time interactions among project participants, field discoveries, and massive data. Extended reality (i.e., XR) could help to establish immersive and interactive virtual environments that enable real-time information exchange among humans, cyber processes, and physical environments during construction. However, limited studies have synthesized potentials, challenges, and scenarios of XR for ensuring construction safety and efficiency. This study provides a critical review that synthesizes XR in construction management. First, the authors used the PRISMA method to screen studies related to XR in construction management. Seventy-nine studies were selected and comprehensively analyzed. The authors conducted a bibliometric analysis to comprehend the spatiotemporal distributions of the selected studies. Then, the selected studies were classified into three categories: (1) progress control, (2) quality control, and (3) safety management. The authors also synthesized information for XR applications in various construction management scenarios and summarized the challenges related to XR applications. Finally, this review shed light on future research directions of XR for safe and effective construction management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a widespread approach in general surgery. Computer guiding software, such as the augmented reality (AR), the virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR), has been proposed to help surgeons during MIS. This study aims to report these technologies' current knowledge and diffusion during surgical training in Italy. A web-based survey was developed under the aegis of the Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery (SICE). Two hundred and seventeen medical doctors' answers were analyzed. Participants were surgeons (138, 63.6%) and residents in surgery (79, 36.4%). The mean knowledge of the role of the VR, AR and MR in surgery was 4.9 ± 2.4 (range 1–10). Most of the participants (122, 56.2%) did not have experience with any proposed technologies. However, although the lack of experience in this field, the answers about the functioning of the technologies were correct in most cases. Most of the participants answered that VR, AR and MR should be used more frequently for the teaching and training and during the clinical activity (170, 80.3%) and that such technologies would make a significant contribution, especially in training (183, 84.3%) and didactic (156, 71.9%). Finally, the main limitations to the diffusion of these technologies were the insufficient knowledge (182, 83.9%) and costs (175, 80.6%). Based on the present study, in Italy, the knowledge and dissemination of these technologies are still limited. Further studies are required to establish the usefulness of AR, VR and MR in surgical training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that is performed by viewing endoscopic camera images. However, the limited field of view of endoscopic cameras makes laparoscopic surgery difficult. To provide more visual information during laparoscopic surgeries, augmented reality (AR) surgical navigation systems have been developed to visualize the positional relationship between the surgical field and organs based on preoperative medical images of a patient. However, since earlier studies used preoperative medical images, the navigation became inaccurate as the surgery progressed because the organs were displaced and deformed during surgery. To solve this problem, we propose a mixed reality (MR) surgery navigation system in which surgical instruments are tracked by a motion capture (Mocap) system; we also evaluated the contact between the instruments and organs and simulated and visualized the deformation of the organ caused by the contact. This paper describes a method for the numerical calculation of the deformation of a soft body. Then, the basic technology of MR and projection mapping is presented for MR surgical navigation. The accuracy of the simulated and visualized deformations is evaluated through basic experiments using a soft rectangular cuboid object. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike the traditional environment, VR and MR environments provide novel, natural, lifelike 3D user interfaces, which can stimulate the imagination of users. Whether VR and MR environments can influence the creativity and its impact factors (flow, attention, and relaxation) of future teachers' scene expansion in instruction design are the focus of the study. Moreover, the differences between the impacts of VR and MR environments on creativity and its impact factors are also questions worth exploring. In this study, we developed VR and MR experiment environments as creativity support systems to stimulate future teachers' creativity before they carry out the instruction design of experimental courses. The results show that the creativity, flow, and attention of future teachers which use the VR and MR environments were higher than in the traditional environment. Moreover, the future teachers' creativity of scene expansion in MR environment was higher than VR environment, the future teachers' attention of VR environment was higher than MR environment, and the future teachers.' relaxation of VR environment was lower than the traditional environment. These findings provide a useful inspiration, i.e. too high concentration or too high relaxation is not conducive to the production of creativity. The MR creativity support system that provides moderate and balanced attention and relaxation can good stimulate the creativity of future teachers in the instruction design. We expect these findings to inspire the design of creativity support systems and foster future teachers' creativity level in instructional design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades, both the amount and quality of geoinformation in the geosciences field have improved substantially due to the increasingly more widespread use of techniques such as Laser Scanning (LiDAR), digital photogrammetry, unmanned aerial vehicles, geophysical reconnaissance (seismic, electrical, geomagnetic), and ground-penetrating radar (GPR), among others. Furthermore, the advances in computing, storage and visualization resources allow the acquisition of 3D terrain models (surface and underground) with unprecedented ease and versatility. However, despite these scientific and technical developments, it is still a common practice to simplify the 3D data in 2D static images, losing part of its communicative potential. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the possibilities of extended reality (XR) for communication and sharing of 3D geoinformation in the field of geosciences. A brief review of the different variants within XR is followed by the presentation of the design and functionalities of headset-type mixed reality (MR) devices, which allow the 3D models to be investigated collaboratively by several users in the office environment. The specific focus is on the functionalities of Microsoft's HoloLens 2 untethered holographic head mounted display (HMD), and the ADA Platform App by Clirio, which is used to manage model viewing with the HMD. We demonstrate the capabilities of MR for the visualization and dissemination of complex 3D information in geosciences in data rich and self-directed immersive environment, through selected 3D models (most of them of the Montserrat massif). Finally, we highlight the educational possibilities of MR technology. Today MR has an incipient and reduced use; we hope that it will gain popularity as the barriers of entry become lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With technological development and industrial transformation, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, comprising architecture, engineering, and construction, has shifted from a traditional drawing-based design mode to a digital and computer-based mode. In recent years, the application of extended reality (XR) technology, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technology, emphasizes the immersive and interactive experiences between reality and virtuality, bringing breakthrough developments to architectural projects. This study proposes a new design process mode—the BIM-based XR system—and compares it with the traditional design process mode through an actual stadium design project. Three evaluation perspectives including aesthetics, gaze tracking, and perceived usefulness assessment are used to compare the differences between the two modes. The result showed that the use of the BIM-based XR system could bring users more immersive experience and aesthetic assessment preference, and perceived usefulness in design decision-making, communication, and spatial cognition. The gaze tracking result also revealed that the BIM-based XR system can implement the design process more efficient. It is expected that XR and BIM technologies can be effectively integrated to enhance the integrity of industrial applications and establish a new design collaboration mode for the AEC industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tele-conference systems are widely used as a form of communication media between remote sites. In order to overcome the limitations of video-based tele-conference systems with the continued technological innovations in mixed reality (MR), the use of a three-dimensional teleported avatar, in which a remote participant is teleported into a local environment, would be an effective future tele-conference system that would allow natural movement and interaction in the same location. However, technical difficulties must be resolved to enable control of the teleported avatar adapted to the environmental differences of the remote location and the user's situation. This paper presents a novel method to adjust automatic gaze alignment of the teleported avatar with matching in the local site for MR collaborative environments. We ran comparative validation experiments to measure spatial accuracy of the gaze and evaluate the user's communication efficiency using our method. In a quantitative experiment, the degree of gaze matching error in various environments was found to form a mirror-symmetrical U-shape, and the necessity of gaze matching gain was also recognized. Additionally, our experimental study showed that participants felt a greater co-presence during communication than in an idle situation without conversation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital engineering can fundamentally change the construction and operation of complex projects. Traditional engineering teams operate in siloed tools and disparate teams. Throughout a project lifecycle, data is translated manually or over brittle point‐to‐point connections, which increases the risk of silent errors. These potential errors can cascade across the effort, resulting in significant project delays and cost overruns. Furthermore, traditional engineering projects are not designed for the rapid digitization that allows for advanced analytic tools. Digital engineering can create a cohesive data "source of truth" to ensure a project is designed for the digital future. There is a need for a standard toolset to normalize and integrate project datasets. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has developed DeepLynx, a crucial tool to mitigate this data management problem. This paper introduces INL's digital engineering approach and provides a concrete example of a digital engineering design effort currently taking place with Beartooth, a new nuclear material processing testbed project. This paper will provide the benefits, challenges, and lessons learned in using digital engineering on this complex system. The digital engineering approach is utilizing model‐based systems engineering, extended reality, and a digital twin. Finally, this paper will discuss the new possibilities provided by using a digital thread and twin during future operation of a nuclear fuel cycle testbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There have been numerous works proposed to merge augmented reality/mixed reality (AR/MR) and Internet of Things (IoT) in various ways. However, they have focused on their specific target applications and have limitations on interoperability or reusability when utilizing them to different domains or adding other devices to the system. This paper proposes a novel architecture of a convergence platform for AR/MR and IoT systems and services. The proposed architecture adopts the oneM2M IoT standard as the basic framework that converges AR/MR and IoT systems and enables the development of application services used in general-purpose environments without being subordinate to specific systems, domains, and device manufacturers. We implement the proposed architecture utilizing the open-source oneM2M-based IoT server and device platforms released by the open alliance for IoT standards (OCEAN) and Microsoft HoloLens as an MR device platform. We also suggest and demonstrate the practical use cases and discuss the advantages of the proposed architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial published in Frontiers in Virtual Reality explores the potential for supernatural enhancements in mixed reality (MR). The article highlights six original research articles that focus on supernatural perception, communication, and interaction in MR. The research covers topics such as simulating different perspectives, collaborative gaze, and gesture interaction techniques. The editorial concludes by emphasizing the impact of supernatural enhancements on MR and the need for further research. In a separate document presented at the SIGCHI conference, the authors discuss user-defined gestures in surface computing, providing insights into their design, implementation, and potential applications. The research contributes to the advancement of surface computing technology and its usability for diverse user groups. [Extracted from the article]

Robotic manipulators have become part of manufacturing systems in recent decades. However, in the realm of Industry 4.0, a new type of manufacturing cell has been introduced—the so-called collaborative manufacturing cell. In such collaborative environments, communication between a human operator and robotic manipulators must be flawless, so that smooth collaboration, i.e., human safety, is ensured constantly. Therefore, engineers have focused on the development of suitable human–robot interfaces (HRI) in order to tackle this issue. This research work proposes a closed-loop framework for the human–robot interface based on the utilization of digital technologies, such as Mixed Reality (MR). Concretely, the framework can be realized as a methodology for the remote and safe manipulation of the robotic arm in near real-time, while, simultaneously, safety zones are displayed in the field of view of the shop-floor technician. The method is based on the creation of a Digital Twin of the robotic arm and the setup of a suitable communication framework for continuous and seamless communication between the user interface, the physical robot, and the Digital Twin. The development of the method is based on the utilization of a ROS (Robot Operating System) for the modelling of the Digital Twin, a Cloud database for data handling, and Mixed Reality (MR) for the Human–Machine Interface (HMI). The developed MR application is tested in a laboratory-based machine shop, incorporating collaborative cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research has outlined the potential of augmented, mixed, and virtual reality applications. However, little attention has been paid to scalability enhancements fostering practical adoption. In this paper, we introduce the concept of scalable extended reality (XR S ), i.e., spaces scaling between different displays and degrees of virtuality that can be entered by multiple, possibly distributed users. The development of such XR S spaces concerns several research fields. To provide bidirectional interaction and maintain consistency with the real environment, virtual reconstructions of physical scenes need to be segmented semantically and adapted dynamically. Moreover, scalable interaction techniques for selection, manipulation, and navigation as well as a world-stabilized rendering of 2D annotations in 3D space are needed to let users intuitively switch between handheld and head-mounted displays. Collaborative settings should further integrate access control and awareness cues indicating the collaborators' locations and actions. While many of these topics were investigated by previous research, very few have considered their integration to enhance scalability. Addressing this gap, we review related previous research, list current barriers to the development of XR S spaces, and highlight dependencies between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural user interfaces based on hand gestures are becoming increasingly popular. The need for expensive hardware left a wide range of interaction possibilities that hand tracking enables largely unexplored. Recently, hand tracking has been built into inexpensive and widely available hardware, allowing more and more people access to this technology. This work provides researchers and users with a simple yet effective way to implement various one-handed gestures to enable deeper exploration of gesture-based interactions and interfaces. To this end, this work provides a framework for design, prototyping, testing, and implementation of one-handed gestures. The proposed framework was implemented with two main goals: First, it should be able to recognize any one-handed gesture. Secondly, the design and implementation of gestures should be as simple as performing the gesture and pressing a button to record it. The contribution of this paper is a simple yet unique way to record and recognize static and dynamic one-handed gestures. A static gesture can be captured with a template matching approach, while dynamic gestures use previously captured spatial information. The presented approach was evaluated in a user study with 33 participants and the implementable gestures received high accuracy and user acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a generative model-based point cloud generation method using deep adversarial local features. The proposed generative adversarial network (GAN) can reduce computational load and increase the accuracy in three-dimensional (3D) acquisition, reconstruction, and rendering processes. To train the proposed GAN, we first optimize the latent space using an autoencoder to extract local features. The training process provides an accurate estimation of local context from the latent variables and robust point cloud generation. The main contribution of this work is a novel deep learning-based 3D point cloud generation, which significantly reduces computational load to render augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) contents. Additional contribution in the deep learning field is twofold: i) The autoencoder in the proposed network avoids the vanishing gradient problem using hierarchically linked features in different layers, and ii) the complexity of the network is significantly reduced by removing the transformation network that estimates the affine transformation matrix of the point cloud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many new network-oriented services have been developed in recent years, and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) has been standardized to improve the responsiveness of services. When deploying services in a MEC environment, it is necessary to consider a service structure that can flexibly switch service behaviors to meet various user requests and that can change service behaviors according to the real-world environment at a low implementation cost. In this paper, we introduce a core/periphery structure for service components, which is known as a model for flexible behavior in biological systems, and design and implement a network-oriented mixed reality service based on this structure. We investigate what kinds of functions should be developed to accommodate user requests in conjunction with various types of devices and real-world environments in which users and devices are located. To utilize the flexibility of a core/periphery structure, we regard core functions as those whose behaviors remain unchanged even when there are changes in user requests or the environment. In contrast, peripheral functions are those whose behaviors can change under such circumstances. Experiments reveal that implementation costs are reduced while retaining increases in service response time to less than 31 ms. These results show that taking advantage of a core/periphery structure allows appropriate division of service functions and placement of functions in a MEC environment, with only small penalties on latency and at a low implementation cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the increased importance of telework systems in economies affected by COVID-19, telexistence technologies for remote guidance and navigation in general human activities are widely expected to prove beneficial in various applications, including plant maintenance, infrastructure inspection, and medical services. In prior work, we have proposed a behavior navigation system (BNS) using augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies to provide remote assistance. Resembling a conventional gesture-based remote assistance system, our previously proposed motion guidance technology was designed to ensure that the motion of a non-expert user followed the motion of a remote expert sequentially and in a relatively accurate manner, similar to that of telexistence robots. As yet, the poor performance of head-mounted displays (HMDs) has presented major obstacles to the commercialization of BNSs. Enabled by the introduction of practical, modern HMDs, we present a novel BNS configuration and detail our implementation of the proposed system with an assessment of its performance. Experimental results show that compared to a conventional remote assistance system, our proposed approach achieved reduced working time, equal or increased task success rate (not statistically significant), and a higher subjective user evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]