Positive Technology Journal

RAVE 2010 - Real Actions in Virtual Environments - Call for Papers

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:39:00 +0100

RAVE 2010 - Real Actions in Virtual Environments - Call for Papers

See website: http://www.raveconference.com

* When: 3rd March, 2010.

* Where:

Palau de les Heures, University of Barcelona, Campus Mundet, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron, 171 08035 Barcelona.

* Keynote Speaker - Dr Hunter Hoffman,

http://www.hitl.washington.edu/people/hunter/, University of Washington, USA

* Papers - may be submitted directly for oral presentation at the conference and a special issue of PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, MIT Press, to be published in August 2010.

* Abstracts may be submitted for oral presentation at the conference or will presented as posters (see website for details).

***Deadline for paper submission: 8th January, 2010*** 23.59 Central European Time (Paris, Madrid)

Post-doc position Brain-Computer Interface

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:06:00 +0100

A post-doc position (funded for 3+ years) is available immediately in the field of Brain-Computer Interface/Neural Engineering research.

The successful candidate will be part of the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Research and Development Program at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, New York. The research will primarily involve the use of signals recorded from the surface of the brain (electrocorticography (ECoG)) in humans to decode specific aspects of human cognition or behavior from ECoG signals, and to use these signals for communication or control. The goal of this project is to build a system that extracts and uses these decoded signals in real time.

This real-time implementation will be based on our BCI2000 system (http://www.bci2000.org), which has become the standard in the field of BCI research and has already been provided to about 500 laboratories around the world.

Required expertise is a solid background in signal processing, in particular time series/spectral analyses, classification, and machine learning, and excellent programming expertise in Matlab. Please do not apply if you do not have this expertise. Additional desired expertise is a solid understanding of neuroscience, in particular in ECoG signals related to attentional/intentional/motor systems, and programming experience in C/C++.

Applicants should send a CV, a brief statement of background and goals, and two reference letters to Dr. Gerwin Schalk (http://www.wadsworth.org/resnres/bios/schalk.htm) at schalk@wadsworth.org. Review of applications will start immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The BCI program at the Wadsworth Center is recognized world-wide for its EEG-and ECoG-based BCI research. The Wadsworth Center has been named one of the "Best Places to Work for Postdocs" and one of the "Best Places to Work in Academia" by The Scientist magazine.

Contacts:

Gerwin Schalk, Ph.D.
Research Scientist V
Wadsworth Center, NYS Dept. of Health
Dept. of Neurology, Albany Medical College
Dept. of Neurosurgery, Washington Univ. in St. Louis
Dept. of Biomed. Eng., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Dept. of Biomed. Sci., State Univ. of New York at Albany
C650 Empire State Plaza
Albany, New York 12201
phone (518) 486-2559
fax (518) 486-4910
e-mail schalk@wadsworth.org

Social Media counts

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:34:00 +0100

The Green Watch

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:20:00 +0100

From the project's website

The project Green Watch/Citypulse aims at multiplying by 1000 the number of environmental sensors in the city, while encouraging people’s implication in measuring environmental indices, thus associating them directly to building a sustainable city.

The green watch comprizes a watch and two environmental sensors (ozone, noise). Data are regularly broadcasted via a mobile phone to an open platform called Citypulse which receives, stores and makes measure data available and anonymous. Data can then be used freely in order to be shown on maps, used in models.

30 prototypes of the green watch was tested in May 2009 by residents of the 2nd arrondissement of Paris (Digital District) and also during Futur en Seine, by highschool students of Montreuil (Maison Populaire), by researchers in the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie and by visitors of the wikiplaza, place de la Bastille.

NHS endorses Nintendo Wii Fit video game

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:34:00 +0100

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus, which goes on sale this Friday, got the permission to use the NHS’s Change4Life logo in its advertising on television and in shops. From next year, it is possible that the logo will be used on the product itself, an unprecedented partnership between a video game and the Government.

Change4Life is a public health programme in the UK which began in January 2009, organised by the Department of Health. The campaign aims to encourage people in Britain to lead healthier lives, using the slogan "eat well, move more, live longer"

A spokesman for the Department of Health told the Telegraph: "Active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving."

Towards Positive Technology

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:50:00 +0200

In the last days, I have been brainstorming non stop about the concept of Positive Technology.

After almost four years of gathering ideas in this blog, I feel it’s time for a summary...

As first step, I have tried to collect my thoughts in this presentation, which I gave last week at the Stensen Foundation in Florence.

Audience feedback was pretty good - nobody was sleeping - so it looks a promising start.

Don't try this

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:36 +0200

Tweaking Your Neurons

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:09:00 +0200

This interesting article, recently appeared in hplusmagazine, reviews the emerging trends in "neuroenhancement"

http://hplusmagazine.com/articles/neuro/tweaking-your-neurons

The 'I' and the 'Me' in self-referential awareness: a neurocognitive hypothesis

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:47:23 +0200

The 'I' and the 'Me' in self-referential awareness: a neurocognitive hypothesis.

Cogn Process. 2009 Sep 11;

Authors: Tagini A, Raffone A

The nature of the 'self' and self-referential awareness has been one of the most debated issues in philosophy, psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Understanding the neurocognitive bases of self-related representation and processing is also crucial to research on the neural correlates of consciousness. The distinction between an 'I', corresponding to a subjective sense of the self as a thinker and causal agent, and a 'Me', as the objective sense of the self with the unique and identifiable features constituting one's self-image or self-concept, suggested by William James, has been re-elaborated by authors from different theoretical perspectives. In this article, empirical studies and theories about the 'I' and the 'Me' in cognition and self-related awareness are reviewed, including the relationships between self and perception, self and memory, the development of the self, self-referential stimulus processing, as well as related neuroimaging studies. Subsequently, the relations between self and different aspects of consciousness are considered. On the basis of the reviewed literature and with reference to Block's distinction between phenomenal and access consciousness, a neurocognitive hypothesis is formulated about 'I'-related and 'Me'-related self-referential awareness. This hypothesis is extended to metacognitive awareness and a form of non-transitive consciousness, characteristic of meditation experiences and studies, with particular reference to the notion of mindfulness and other Buddhist constructs.

Inducing a virtual hand ownership illusion through a brain-computer interface

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:43:00 +0200

Inducing a virtual hand ownership illusion through a brain-computer interface.

Neuroreport. 2009 Apr 22;20(6):589-594

Authors: Perez-Marcos D, Slater M, Sanchez-Vives MV

The apparently stable brain representation of our bodies is easily challenged. We have recently shown that the illusion of ownership of a three-dimensional virtual hand can be evoked through synchronous tactile stimulation of a person's hidden real hand and that of the virtual hand. This reproduces the well-known rubber-hand illusion, but in virtual reality. Here we show that some aspects of the illusion can also occur through motor imagery used to control movements of a virtual hand. When movements of the virtual hand followed motor imagery, the illusion of ownership of the virtual hand was evoked and muscle activity measured through electromyogram correlated with movements of the virtual arm. Using virtual bodies has a great potential in the fields of physical and neural rehabilitation, making the understanding of ownership of a virtual body highly relevant.

Nokia N900 hacks

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:22:00 +0200

Enjoy

Natural weelchair control

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:22:00 +0200

Have a look at this demo of an electric wheelchair under control of an Emotiv EEG/EMG headset. The control system developed by Cuitech, detects when the user winks or smiles, and translates these signals into commands to control the wheelchair.

Science 2.0 on Linkedin: 100+ members and growing

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:20:00 +0200

Science 2.0 professional group on Linkedin last week welcomed our 100th member.

If you are willing to know a bit more about how wikis, blogs and other collaborative web technologies are re-shaping research, and connect with interested scientists worldwide, join us here for membership!

Bionic Eye - Augmented Reality on the iPhone

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:59:12 +0200

Bionic Eye is the first augmented reality application developed for the iPhone 3GS. A brainchild of Dutch start-up Layar, Bionic Eye enables you to visualize Points of Interest (POI) located in your nearby environment in the US.

POI databases include restaurants, WiFi hotspots, subway stations (New York Subway, Washington Metro, Chicago L Rapid Transit), etc. Over 100.000 POI are already included in this application. Elements located at a distance less than 1km (0,621miles) only will be displayed on the screen.

Download link

Miruko Eyeball Robotic Eye

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:31:35 +0200

Via Pink Tentacle

Miruko is a camera robot in the shape of an eyeball capable of tracking objects and faces. Worn on the player’s sleeve, Miruko’s roving eye scans the surroundings in search of virtual monsters that are invisible to the naked human eye. When a virtual monster is spotted, the mechanical eyeball rolls around in its socket and fixes its gaze on the monster’s location. By following Miruko’s line of sight, the player is able to locate the virtual monster and “capture” it via his or her iPhone camera.

In this video, Miruko’s creators demonstrate how the robotic eyeball can be used as an interface for a virtual monster-hunting game played in a real-world environment.

According to its creators, Miruko can be used for augmented reality games, security, and navigation.

Nokia Mixed Reality gadgets

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:20:00 +0200

Cool video by Nokia Future Tech lab on the next generation of Mixed Reality gadgets.. gaze-tracking eyewear that allows browsing and selecting with your eyes; 3-D audio to find and hear spatialized sounds... and more.

check it out:

HAL: New assistive walking device

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:10:00 +0200

Japanese company Cyberdyne, with the scientific support provided by Professor Sankai of Tsukuba University, have developed the Hybrid Assistive Limb - HAL - a device designed to help people walk or carry heavy loads. The assistive walking system weights 10 kilogram and has a battery at the back. Embedded sensors collects electric signals that are delivered to the brain through the skin surface. Thanks to these sensors, the system can help users to move in the direction they are thinking. The walking speed is 1.8 km p/h.

Watch the HAL in action in this video:

Driving dreams: cortical activations during imagined passive and active whole body movemen

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:52 +0200

Driving dreams: cortical activations during imagined passive and active whole body movement.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 May;1164:372-5

Authors: Flanagin VL, Wutte M, Glasauer S, Jahn K

It is unclear how subjects perceive and process self-motion cues in virtual reality environments. Movement could be perceived as passive, akin to riding in a car, or active, such as walking down the street. These two very different types of self-motion were studied here using motor imagery in fMRI. In addition, the relative importance of visual and proprioceptive training cues was examined. Stronger activations were found during proprioceptive motor imagery compared with visual motor imagery, suggesting that proprioceptive signals are important for successful imagined movement. No significant activations were found during active movement with proprioceptive training. Passive locomotion, however, was correlated with activity in an occipital-parietal and parahippocampal cortical network, which are the same regions found during navigation with virtual reality stimuli.

Reactivity to cannabis cues in virtual reality environments

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:59:32 +0200

Reactivity to cannabis cues in virtual reality environments.

J Psychoactive Drugs. 2009 Jun;41(2):105-12

Authors: Bordnick PS, Copp HL, Traylor A, Graap KM, Carter BL, Walton A, Ferrer M

Virtual reality (VR) cue environments have been developed and successfully tested in nicotine, cocaine, and alcohol abusers. Aims in the current article include the development and testing of a novel VR cannabis cue reactivity assessment system. It was hypothesized that subjective craving levels and attention to cannabis cues would be higher in VR environments with cannabis cues compared to VR neutral environments. Twenty nontreatment-seeking current cannabis smokers participated in the VR cue trial. During the VR cue trial, participants were exposed to four virtual environments that contained audio, visual, olfactory, and vibrotactile sensory stimuli. Two VR environments contained cannabis cues that consisted of a party room in which people were smoking cannabis and a room containing cannabis paraphernalia without people. Two VR neutral rooms without cannabis cues consisted of a digital art gallery with nature videos. Subjective craving and attention to cues were significantly higher in the VR cannabis environments compared to the VR neutral environments. These findings indicate that VR cannabis cue reactivity may offer a new technology-based method to advance addiction research and treatment.

The sensitivity of a virtual reality task to planning and prospective memory impairments

noreply@blogspirit.com (Andrea Gaggioli) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:57:17 +0200

The sensitivity of a virtual reality task to planning and prospective memory impairments: Group differences and the efficacy of periodic alerts on performance.

Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2009 Aug 26;:1-25

Authors: Sweeney S, Kersel D, Morris RG, Manly T, Evans JJ

Executive functions have been argued to be the most vulnerable to brain injury. In providing an analogue of everyday situations amenable to control and management virtual reality (VR) may offer better insights into planning deficits consequent upon brain injury. Here 17 participants with a non-progressive brain injury and reported executive difficulties in everyday life were asked to perform a VR task (working in a furniture storage unit) that emphasised planning, rule following and prospective memory tasks. When compared with an age and IQ-matched control group, the patients were significantly poorer in terms of their strategy, their time-based prospective memory, the overall time required and their propensity to break rules. An examination of sensitivity and specificity of the VR task to group membership (brain-injured or control) showed that, with specificity set at maximum, sensitivity was only modest (at just over 50%). A second component to the study investigated whether the patients' performance could be improved by periodic auditory alerts. Previous studies have demonstrated that such cues can improve performance on laboratory tests, executive tests and everyday prospective memory tasks. Here, no significant changes in performance were detected. Potential reasons for this finding are discussed, including symptom severity and differences in the tasks employed in previous studies.