Bibliographical References

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:26:10 +0000

Bajaj C., Schaefer S., Warren J., Xu G., A Subdivision Scheme for Hexahedral Meshes The Visual Computer, special issue on subdivision, vol. 18, pp. 343-356, 2002
Bertram M., Duchaineau M.A., Hamann B., Joy K.I., Generalized B-spline Subdivision-surface Wavelets for Geometry Compression, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 10(3):326 – 338, 2004
Chai J., Hodgins J., Constrained-based Optimisation Using a Statistical Dynamic Model, International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM SIG, 2007
Chang E., Jenkins O. C., Sketching articulation and pose for facial animation, In Proceedings of ACM SIGGRAPH/Eurographics Symposium on Computer Animation, pp 271–280, 2006
Cooper S., Hertzmann A., Popovic Z., Active Learning for Real-Time Motion Controllers, International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM SIG, 2007
Ekman P., Friesen W. V., Facial Action Coding System (Investigator’s Guide) Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc., 1978
Loizides A., Loizidou Himona S., Chrysanthous Y., Visualisation Tool for Representing Synthetic Facial Emotional Expressions, 12th International Conference on Information Visualisation (IV08), London, UK, 8-11th July 2008
Loizides A., Slater M., Langdon W. B., Measuring Facial Emotional Expressions Using Genetic Programming, In Soft Computing and Industry Recent Applications (WSC6), pp 545–554, Springer-Verlag, 2001
Loizidou Himona S., Chrysanthous Y., Loizides A., Human Figure Animation: A Historical Perspective, 22nd European Conference on Modelling and Simulation (ECMS), Nicosia, Cyprus, 3-6th June 2008
Parke F. I. , Waters K., Computer Facial Animation, A K Peters, Ltd, ISBN 1-56881-014-8, 1996
Safanova A., Hodgins J., Construction and optimal search of interpolated motion graphs, International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM SIG, 2007
Savva A., Stylianou V., Assembling the human body using a solution to the problem of surface branching, IASTED International Conference Visualization, Imaging and Image Processing (VIIP 2001), Marbella, Spain, pp 128-133, September 2001
Seo H., Magnenat-Thalmann N., An automatic modeling of human bodies from sizing parameters, Proceedings of the 2003 symposium on Interactive 3D graphics, April 27-30, 2003
Shapiro A., Pighin F., Faloutsos P., Hybrid control for interactive character animation, Computer Graphics and Applications, 2003
Slater,M., Pertaub,D-P., Barker,C., Clark,D.M., An Experimental Study on Fear of Public Speaking Using a Virtual Environment, CyberPsychology & Behavior 9(5), 627-633. ISSN: 1094-9313, 2006
Sok K. W., Kim M., Lee J., Simulating Biped Behaviours from Human Motion Data, International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM SIGGRAPH, 2007
Theonas G., Hobbs D., Rigas D., The Effect of Facial Expressions on Students in Virtual Educational Environments, International Journal of Social Sciences, Vol(2), Num(1), 2007
Treuille A., Lee Y., Popovic Z., Near-optimal Character Animation with Continuous Control, International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM SIG, 2007
Vinayagamoorthy, V., Steed, A., Slater , M., The Impact of a Character Posture Model on the Communication of Affect in an Immersive Virtual Environment, IEEE Transactions on Visualization & Computer Graphics (in press), 2008
Waters K., A Muscle Model for Animating Three-Dimensional Facial Expression In Siggraph’87 Conference Proceedings, Computer Graphics, pp17–24, Vol(21), Num(4), 1987
Yin K.K., Loken K., van de Panne M., SIMBICON: Simple Biped Locomotion Control, International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, ACM SIGGRAPH, 2007
Zordan V., Majkowska A., Chiu B., Fats Matthew, Dynamic Response for Motion Capture Animation, ACM Transactions on Graphics, 2005
Zordan V., Hodgins J., Tracking and modifying upper-body human motion data with dynamic simulation, Computer Animation and Simulation, 1999

WP7

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:09:46 +0000

Once the integration of the full system is completed, the work will proceed to implement its initial application, basically the training of the police force on how to deal and react to different scenarios that they experience in their everyday police-patrol excursions. A small number of different scenarios – samples – are going to be implemented for the beginning, so that the testing could be initialised. Extended interaction with the police force will have to take place in this phase of the work. Demonstrations of this pilot system and analysis of its current and future capabilities with the appropriate department of the police force will be performed. Furthermore, a crucial part of this phase will have to be the flexibility of changing the scenarios dynamically based on the trainee’s behaviour and/or interaction. Experiments will be carried out with the potential user groups in order to validate the methodology. In particular we will focus on the extent to which people respond realistically to events and situations that they experience within the virtual environment [15,19]. The more that events are responded to as if they were real, the greater the likelihood that training carried out in the virtual reality will transfer to real life. People’s responses will be assessed behaviourally, with physiological responses to measure their stress, and also interviews.

WP6

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:08:44 +0000

Once the capabilities of the Hybrid method are fully examined, the smooth transition between its methods is done automatically and the design of the platform to be used in the application is set up, the project will proceed to be integrated with full-body models [1,2,12,13] for the realistic representation of the avatars. This is going to be achieved using smoothing of the surfaces by employing splines (existing work of one of the partners – PA2). Furthermore, the addition of realistic facial expressions based on the emotions of the avatars [4,6,7,8,10,17,20] are going to be included in the system. Mathematically modelled muscle deformations are going to be used, based on the existing work of another partner, PA3.

WP5

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:07:51 +0000

Once the Hybrid method for motion control is set up the next stage will be the smooth, automatic transition from one method to the other. Until now, no claims have been made in the relevant literature for this to be achieved automatically [11,14,16,22,23]; however it is identified as one of the most important steps for realistic motion control and left as future work [3,5,16,18,21]. For example, issues like when it is best to use the motion capture method and when the dynamics should become clear, as well as how to switch between them with the minimum user-intervention possible; i.e. automatically.

WP4

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:06:44 +0000

In the first part of this work package, the extended study of the latest research bibliography will take place. This will allow the researchers (and particularly the new researcher) to first of all identify exactly what has been done so far in the area of motion control with particular emphasis on the combination of the motion capture and the dynamics methods [3,5,11,14]. Secondly, it will lead the way as for the preparation of the rest of the project.

Exploitation results of the capabilities of the two methods will then take place as well as their combination [9,16].

In the last part of this work package, the identification of when it is best to use the first method with regards to the second will become clear, with the clear objective of the full utilisation of the two methods.

WP3

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:05:37 +0000

In this work package, the design of the software that will have to be used for the development of the application of the police force tool will be performed. Firstly, the existing system will need to be fully studied. Thereafter, the requirements of the new system will need to be identified, mostly thought the interviewing method to the trainers of the current system.

WP2

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:03:46 +0000

The dissemination of the results is going to be achieved through a number of different ways. Throughout the work, a minimum of three scientific papers are proposed to be written for publication in both conferences and well-established scientific journals in the area of computer graphics and animation. Furthermore, from the application side of the work, the installation of the software development results to the appropriate department of the police force will take place. In addition, a website will be implemented, which will be continuously updated with information and results about the project, eventually becoming another channel of communication between the parties in the consortium involved. An ‘open-day’ event is proposed to take place for demonstrations of the final results to the public. Future possible commercial utilisation of the results might also be considered.

WP1

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:02:33 +0000

Organising the communication between all the team members through both physical meetings and through the use of technology for communication (e.g. internet, email, teleconferencing).
Setting up the quality criteria and standards.
Supervision of the team and management of the crises.

Contacts

Admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:05:54 +0000

Project Coordinator

Stephania Loizidou Himona

email: com.ls@frederick.ac.cy
web: http://staff.fit.ac.cy/com.ls/

____________________________________________________________________________

Web Master

Andreas Ayre
email: a.ayre@faculty.pacollege.ac.cy

Partners & Sponsor

Admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:33:24 +0000

H.O. – Frederick Research Center (FRC)

The host organisation for the proposed work is Frederick Research Center, established in 1995 by Frederick University in an effort to further promote research activities. Through its multidimensional research and scientific activities, FRC has succeeded in establishing a wide collaboration network with international Universities and research centers, as well as with private enterprises in Cyprus and abroad. Through this collaboration, scientific knowledge is advanced and the study and solution of real life problems is facilitated. During the last few years more than 45 research projects were finalised or are under development. Most of these projects receive external financial support from sources such as the E.U. and the R.P.F. of Cyprus. Today, more than 50 scientists are actively involved in basic and applied research projects with a number of those engaged in research related issues in the areas of Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality. The HO will be mainly responsible for the management of the project as well as the bulk of work related to realistic human figure animation with experienced researchers in the field.

PA1 – University of Cyprus (UCY)

The Computer Science Department of the University of Cyprus with only sixteen years of operation has already managed to establish itself within the international research community. It has tight collaborations with universities and research centers abroad, regularly obtains funding from European and local sources and produces high standard research, published at respected international journals and conferences. UCY will be the partner responsible for the platform development in the project. More specifically, the Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality Lab (VRL) of the Computer Science Department at UCY will be involved. The lab has its own Graphics/Virtual Reality infrastructure where the final system of the project can be developed and tested. It has coordinated or been involved in several related research projects (European and local) such as FP5 IST CREATE, INTUITION Network of Excellence, REALSIMOS, KIKIPEZ, TONEMAP and SCOLIOSIS (the last four were funded by RPF). The framework that was developed at the TONEMAP project for military training will be used at this project as a basis for developing the new training platform. VRL has already developed, in collaboration with Cypriot organizations, applications for the public benefit such as for training purposes (army – completed, police – in preparation), culture heritage purposes (museums) and others.

PA2 – Cyprus Academic Research Institute (CARI)

CARI has been established as a non-profit research organisation by the University of Nicosia. All its profits are reinvested to its main research activities and to the dissemination of its research projects’ results. The main goal of the organisation is to conduct fundamental, industrial, and experimental research and to disseminate all research outcomes through publications, seminars, etc., and/or transfer of the knowledge and technologies created. The center will be involved in integrating realistic human figures to the moving avatars with experienced staff members from the field of Geometric Modeling.

PA3 – P.A. Research (PAR)

PAR has been established as a non-profit research organisation by the P.A. College. All the profits from research and consulting services are reinvested to its main research activities and to the dissemination of its research projects’ results. The main goal of the organisation is to conduct fundamental and industrial research and to establish collaborations with local and international Universities and research centers, as well as with private enterprises in Cyprus and abroad. The outcome of this research will be disseminated to the academic community via publications and seminars and to the industrial world via transferring of knowledge and technologies created. The center will be involved in integrating realistic facial expressions to the avatars with the contribution of an experienced researcher in the field of interest.

PA4 – Cyprus Police Emergency Response Unit (CPERU)

CPERU is considered to be an important partner for the implementation and successful completion of this project work. It is the partner with the know-how on the functionality of the training system to be implemented here. They have the appropriate personnel, i.e. the constables who are constantly on the beat; and the training personnel that will be evaluating and monitoring the development of the platform. Furthermore, the existing training system will be investigated to acknowledge its deficiencies.

SPONSOR: Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation