This book presents explorable XR environments-their rationale, concept, architectures as well as methods and tools for spatial-temporal composition based on domain knowledge, including geometrical, presentational, structural and behavioral elements. Explorable XR environments enable monitoring, analyzing, comprehending, examining and controlling users' and objects' behavior and features as well as users' skills, experience, interests and preferences. The E-XR approach proposed in this book relies on two main pillars. The first is knowledge representation technologies, such as logic programming, description logics and the semantic web, which permit automated reasoning and queries. The second is imperative programming languages, which are a prevalent solution for building XR environments. Potential applications of E-XR are in a variety of domains, e.g., education, training, medicine, design, tourism, marketing, merchandising, engineering and entertainment. The book's readers will understand the emerging domain of explorable XR environments with their possible applications. Special attention is given to an in-depth discussion of the field with taxonomy and classification of the available related solutions. Examples and design patterns of knowledge-based composition and exploration of XR behavior are provided, and an extensive evaluation and analysis of the proposed approach is included. This book helps researchers in XR systems, 3D modeling tools and game engines as well as lecturers and students who search for clearly presented information supported by use cases. For XR and game programmers as well as graphic designers, the book is a valuable source of information and examples in XR development. Professional software and web developers may find the book interesting as the proposed ideas are illustrated by rich examples demonstrating design patterns and guidelines in object-oriented, procedural and declarative programming.

This book explores the digitization of culture as a means of experiencing and understanding cultural heritage in Namibia and from international perspectives. It provides various views and perspectives on the digitization of culture, the goal being to stimulate further research, and to rapidly disseminate related discoveries. Aspects covered here include: virtual and augmented reality, audio and video technology, art, multimedia and digital media integration, cross-media technologies, modeling, visualization and interaction as a means of experiencing and grasping cultural heritage. Over the past few decades, digitization has profoundly changed our cultural experience, not only in terms of digital technology-based access, production and dissemination, but also in terms of participation and creation, and learning and partaking in a knowledge society. Computing researchers have developed a wealth of new digital systems for preserving, sharing and interacting with cultural resources. The book provides important information and tools for policy makers, knowledge experts, cultural and creative industries, communication scientists, professionals, educators, librarians and artists, as well as computing scientists and engineers conducting research on cultural topics.

Over the last decade, ultrasound mid-air haptic technology has emerged and rapidly advanced to engage multidisciplinary scientific communities within and adjacent to the haptics and HCI fields. Additionally, this haptic technology has been adopted by a number of industry sectors (e.g., automotive, virtual reality, digital signage, neuroscience research) who appear keen to exploit its unique value proposition: the ability to deliver rich haptic sensations from a distance, without the need to touch, wear or hold anything in order to enhance touchless interfaces, novel applications, and experiences. This book is the first, and currently the only one, that provides a comprehensive description of the technology, encapsulating almost all aspects relating to electronic prototyping, acoustics, haptics, psychology and perception, user experience and end-user HCI applications. Through its 18 chapters written by 30 expert co-authors, this book is therefore an excellent introduction to the technology for anyone coming from any of those fields. Specifically, the reader will benefit by getting a unique and multi-dimensional perspective on the state-of-the-art of this enabling haptic technology while also understanding its history, relevant best research practices, and an overview of the various open challenges and opportunities.

Control Systems Design of Bio-Robotics and Bio-Mechatronics with Advanced Applications delivers essential and advanced bioengineering information on the application of control and robotics technologies in the life sciences. Judging by what we have witnessed so far, this exciting field of control systems and robotics in bioengineering is likely to produce revolutionary breakthroughs over the next decade. While this book is intended for senior undergraduate or graduate students in both control engineering and biomedical engineering programs, it will also appeal to medical researchers and practitioners who want to enhance their quantitative understanding of physiological processes.

This book provides the reader with the knowledge necessary for comprehension of the field of Intelligent Audio Analysis. It firstly introduces standard methods and discusses the typical Intelligent Audio Analysis chain going from audio data to audio features to audio recognition. Further, an introduction to audio source separation, and enhancement and robustness are given. After the introductory parts, the book shows several applications for the three types of audio: speech, music, and general sound. Each task is shortly introduced, followed by a description of the specific data and methods applied, experiments and results, and a conclusion for this specific task. The books provides benchmark results and standardized test-beds for a broader range of audio analysis tasks. The main focus thereby lies on the parallel advancement of realism in audio analysis, as too often today's results are overly optimistic owing to idealized testing conditions, and it serves to stimulate synergies arising from transfer of methods and leads to a holistic audio analysis.

This book introduces a computationally feasible, cognitively inspired formal model of concept invention, drawing on Fauconnier and Turner's theory of conceptual blending, a fundamental cognitive operation. The chapters present the mathematical and computational foundations of concept invention, discuss cognitive and social aspects, and further describe concrete implementations and applications in the fields of musical and mathematical creativity. Featuring contributions from leading researchers in formal systems, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, computational creativity, mathematical reasoning and cognitive musicology, the book will appeal to readers interested in how conceptual blending can be precisely characterized and implemented for the development of creative computational systems.

This research monograph brings AI to the field of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to make a customer experience with a product or service smart and enjoyable. AI is here to help customers to get a refund for a canceled flight, unfreeze a banking account or get a health test result. Today, CRM has evolved from storing and analyzing customers' data to predicting and understanding their behavior by putting a CRM system in a customers' shoes. Hence advanced reasoning with learning from small data, about customers' attitudes, introspection, reading between the lines of customer communication and explainability need to come into play. Artificial Intelligence for Customer Relationship Management leverages a number of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), simulation and reasoning techniques to enable CRM with intelligence. An effective and robust CRM needs to be able to chat with customers, providing desired information, completing their transactions and resolving their problems. It introduces a systematic means of ascertaining a customers' frame of mind, their intents and attitudes to determine when to provide a thorough answer, a recommendation, an explanation, a proper argument, timely advice and promotion or compensation. The author employs a spectrum of ML methods, from deterministic to statistical to deep, to predict customer behavior and anticipate possible complaints, assuring customer retention efficiently. Providing a forum for the exchange of ideas in AI, this book provides a concise yet comprehensive coverage of methodologies, tools, issues, applications, and future trends for professionals, managers, and researchers in the CRM field together with AI and IT professionals.

Not long ago, projections of how office technologies would revolutionize the production of documents in a high-tech future carriedmany promises. The paper less office and the seamless and problem-free sharing of texts and other work materials among co-workers werejust around the corner, we were told. To anyone who has been involved in putting together a volume of the present kind, such forecasts will be met with considerable skepticism, if not outright distrust. The diskette, the email, the fax, the net, and all the other forms of communication that are now around are powerful assets, but they do not in any way reduce the flow of paper or the complexity of coordinating activities involved in producing an artifact such as a book. Instead, the reverse seems to be true. Obviously, the use of such tools requires considerable skill at the center of coordination, to borrow an expression from a chapter in this volume. As editors, we have been fortunate to have Ms. Lotta Strand, Linkoping University, at the center of the distributed activity that producing this volume has required over the last few years. With her considerable skill and patience, Ms. Strand and her work provide a powerful illustration of the main thrust of most of the chapters in this volume: Practice is a coordination of thinking and action, and many things had to be kept in mind during the production of this volume."

This book investigates a new interactive data visualisation concept that employs traditional Chinese aesthetics as a basis for exploring contemporary digital technological contexts. It outlines the aesthetic approach, which draws on non-Western aesthetic concepts, specifically the Yijing and Taoist cosmological principles, and discusses the development of data-based digital practices within a theoretical framework that combines traditional Taoist ideas with the digital humanities. The book also offers a critique of the Western aesthetics underpinning data visualisation, in particular the Kantian sublime, which prioritises the experience of power over the natural world viewed at a distance. Taoist philosophy, in contrast, highlights the integration of the surface of the body and the surface of nature as a Taoist body, rather than promoting an opposition of mind and body. The book then explores the transformational potential between the human body and technology, particularly in creating an aesthetic approach spanning traditional Chinese aesthetics and gesture-based technology. Representing a valuable contribution to the digital humanities, the book helps readers understand data-based artistic practices, while also bringing the ideas of traditional Chinese aesthetics to Western audiences. In addition, it will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of digital art and data visualisation seeking new models.

This work aims at understanding behavior around location information, including why users share such information, why they protect the data, and what kind of other factors influence the decision to behave in a certain way. This book explores privacy in the context of location data, and answers questions such as what are the privacy related behaviors in this context, and what are the factors influencing such behaviors. The book gives an overview to what privacy means for users in terms of understandings, attitudes and valuations. This book discusses reasons for why research around this topic is challenging, and presents various methods for diving into the topic through empirical studies. The work is relevant for professionals, researchers, and users of technology.

This new edition of the book covers Tailwind 3.0, which changes the way Tailwind generates its CSS. Tailwind 3.0 has a large number of new features powered by the new system, including the ability to use arbitrary values with most Tailwind class patterns, and a new syntax for combining color and opacity in a single class. This book also covers the new standalone command-line tools for Tailwind. With CSS, you can do amazing things to the basic text and images on your website, and with just a little bit of client-side code to add and remove CSS classes, you can do exponentially more. In the latest edition of this book, you'll learn how to use Tailwind 3.0 and the new way it generates CSS. You'll code your way through Tailwind's newest features, including the ability to use arbitrary values with most Tailwind class patterns and a new syntax for combining color and opacity in a single class. You'll even dive into the new standalone command-line tools for Tailwind. The Tailwind setup is extremely explicit and makes it possible to understand the display just by looking at the HTML markup. Start by designing the typographic details of the individual elements, then placing and manipulating those elements in "the box" using a flexbox or grid design. Finally, move those elements around the page with helpful small animations and transitions. With Tailwind, it's easy to prototype, iterate, and customize your display, use prefixes to specify behavior, change defaults, add new behavior, and integrate with legacy CSS. Use Tailwind to make extraordinary web designs without extraordinary effort. What You Need: This book is about Tailwind 3.0. You should have a basic knowledge of CSS and HTML.

The book reports on advanced topics in the areas of wearable robotics research and practice. It focuses on new technologies, including neural interfaces, soft wearable robots, sensors and actuators technologies, and discusses important regulatory challenges, as well as clinical and ethical issues. Based on the 4th International Symposium on Wearable Robotics, WeRob2018, held October 16-20, 2018, in Pisa, Italy, the book addresses a large audience of academics and professionals working in government, industry, and medical centers, and end-users alike. It provides them with specialized information and with a source of inspiration for new ideas and collaborations. It discusses exemplary case studies highlighting practical challenges related to the implementation of wearable robots in a number of fields. One of the focus is on clinical applications, which was encouraged by the colocation of WeRob2018 with the International Conference on Neurorehabilitation, INCR2018. Additional topics include space applications and assistive technologies in the industry. The book merges together the engineering, medical, ethical and political perspectives, thus offering a multidisciplinary, timely snapshot of the field of wearable technologies.

The robots are coming! So too is the 'age of automation', the march of 'invasive' species, more intense natural disasters, and a potential cataclysm of other unprecedented events and phenomena of which we do not yet know, and cannot predict. This book is concerned with how to account for these non-humans and their effects within theories of social practice. In particular, this provocative collection tackles contemporary debates about the roles, relations and agencies of constantly changing, disruptive, intelligent or otherwise 'dynamic' non-humans, such as weather, animals and automated devices. In doing so contributors challenge and take forward existing understandings of dynamic non-humans in theories of social practice by reconsidering their potential roles in everyday life. The book will benefit sociology, geography, science and technology studies, and human- (and animal-) computer interaction design scholars seeking to make sense of the complex entanglement of non-human phenomena and things in the performance of social practices.

Organisational Semiotics occupies an important niche in the research community of human communication and information systems. It opens up new ways of understanding the functioning of information and information resources in organised behavior.

Coordination And Communication Using Signs: Studies in Organisational Semiotics is a cutting-edge volume that bridges the gap between the technical and social aspects of information systems and information technology. The chapters in the book are divided into two major sections. The first section deals with Communication and Pragmatics, and Organisational Systems. In this section the following topics are examined:

• the semiotic framework and natural language;
• coordination and communication using natural language and other artifacts in a real-life setting;
• substantive-level issues of information systems and business processes from several theoretical perspectives;
• language as action;
• communication quality in the context of systems and business processes;
• organisational action and Greimas' semiotics.

Section Two concentrates on organisational systems, which may or may not include a computer system as a component and examines the following topics:

• semiotic strategies and semiotic models of organisational structures;
• the impact of information technology with instructive case studies;
• the impact of information technology with a particular focus on sense-making in the work floor context;
• the design of computer information systems;
• improving the design quality of agent-based information systems;
• the design ofinformation systems, in terms of capacity, and data scheme.

All the chapters in the volume have been submitted to a review process of discussants and peer reviews.

This book features the latest research in the area of immersive technologies, presented at the 5th International Augmented and Virtual Reality Conference, held in Munich, Germany in 2019. Bridging the gap between academia and industry, it presents the state of the art in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies and their applications in various industries such as marketing, education, healthcare, tourism, events, fashion, entertainment, retail and the gaming industry. The volume is a collection of research papers by prominent AR and VR scholars from around the globe. Covering the most significant topics in the field of augmented and virtual reality and providing the latest findings, it is of interest to academics and practitioners alike.

The three volume set provides a systematic overview of theories and technique on social network analysis.Volume 2 of the set mainly focuses on the formation and interaction of group behaviors. Users' behavior analysis, sentiment analysis, influence analysis and collective aggregation are discussed in detail as well. It is an essential reference for scientist and professionals in computer science.

This book explores how gamification techniques are used to leverage users' natural desires for achievement, competition, collaboration, learning and more. Compared to other books on this topic, it gives more than just an introduction and develops the readers understanding through frameworks and models, based on research to make it easier to develop gamified systems. The concept of gamification achieved increased popularity in 2010 when a number of softwares and services started explaining their products as a 'gamification' design. Gamification Mindset explains how game elements and mechanics are important, how video games are learning systems and examines how video game aesthetics are vital in the development of gamification. The book will challenge some common beliefs when it comes to gamifications' abilities to immerse and change the user's intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Gamification Mindset aims to develop new models in gamification to enable easier gamification scenarios. It is a comprehensive analysis and discussion about gamification and serves as a useful tool, since it acquaints readers with gamification and how to use it, through illustrated practical theoretical models. Academic researchers, students, educators and professional game and gamification designers will find this book invaluable.

Precision Motion Systems: Modeling, Control, and Applications presents basic dynamics and the control knowledge needed for the daily challenges of researchers and professionals working in the field. The book explains accurate dynamics and control algorithms, along with experimental validation of precision systems in industrial, medical, airborne and spaceborne applications. By using the proposed experimental designs, readers will be able to make further developments and validations.

Presents a strategic perspective and design methodology that guide the process of developing digital products and services that provide 'real experience' to users. Only when the material experienced runs its course to fulfilment is it then regarded as 'real experience' that is distinctively senseful, evaluated as valuable, and harmoniously related to others. Based on the theoretical background of human experience, the book focuses on these three questions: How can we understand the current dominant designs of digital products and services? What are the user experience factors that are critical to provide the real experience? What are the important HCI design elements that can effectively support the various UX factors that are critical to real experience? Design for Experience is intended for people who are interested in the experiences behind the way we use our products and services, for example designers and students interested in interaction, visual graphics and information design or practitioners and entrepreneurs in pursuit of new products or service-based start-ups.

Advances in hardware and networking have made possible a wide use of augmented reality (AR) technologies. However, simply putting those hardware and technologies together does not make a "good" system for end users to use. New design principles and evaluation methods specific to this emerging area are urgently needed to keep up with the advance in technologies.

"Human Factors in Augmented Reality Environments" is the first book on human factors in AR, addressing issues related to design, development, evaluation and application of AR systems. Topics include surveys, case studies, evaluation methods and metrics, HCI theories and design principles, human factors and lessons learned and experience obtained from developing, deploying or evaluating AR systems. The contributors for this cutting-edge volume are well-established researchers from diverse disciplines including psychologists, artists, engineers and scientists.

"Human Factors in Augmented Reality Environments" is designed for a professional audience composed of practitioners and researchers working in the field of AR and human-computer interaction. Advanced-level students in computer science and engineering will also find this book useful as a secondary text or reference.

The role of UX manager is of vital importance -- it means leading a productive team, influencing businesses to adopt user-centered design, and delivering valuable products customers. Few UX professionals who find themselves in management positions have formal training in management. More often than not they are promoted to a management position after having proven themselves as an effective and successful practitioner.Yet as important as the position of manager is to the advancement of the field there are no books that specifically address the needs of user experience managers. Though information is available on the Web, nothing ties that advice together in the way a manager would need to integrate it in their work.

"User Experience Management"speaks directly to the UX manager and to the unique challengesone mayface. It outlines the robust framework for how to be an effective UX manager, from creating a team, to orchestrating product development, to ensuring UX is not compromised, to achieving company buy-in on results. This acts as a checklist readers can use to make sure they have covered the bases as they think about how to build their own user experience programs. Written by an experienced UX manager, and containing testamonials from many leading managers in the field, managers both current and aspiring will find this an invaluable reference loaded with ideas and techniques for managing user experience.

*Gives a UX leadership boot-camp from putting together a winning team, to giving them a driving focus, to acting as their spokesman, to handling difficult situations

*Full of practical advice and experiences for managers and leaders in virtually any area of the user experience field

*Contains best practices, real-world stories, and insights from UX leaders at IBM, Microsoft, SAP, and many more "

Tools and technologies have long complemented and extended our physical abilities: from pre-historic spearheads to steam-propelled ploughs and high-tech prosthetics. While the development of lenses granted us insights into the micro and macrocosms, new sensors and technologies increasingly augment our cognitive abilities, including memory and perception. This book integrates current research efforts, results, and visions from the fields of computer science, neuroscience, and psychology. It provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art and future applications of how technologies assist and augment human perception and cognition. Experts in the field share their research and findings on: Working memory enhancements Digitization of memories through lifelog archives The consequences of technology-induced disruptions and forgetting The creation and utilization of new human senses Ethical and security concerns that arise with augmentation technologies. As technology weaves itself ever deeper into our lives, careful examination of its capabilities, risks and benefits is warranted. While this book focuses on the complementation and augmentation of human capabilities, it serves as a foundation for students, researchers and designers of technologies that push the boundaries of perception and cognition.

*The most comprehensive up-to-date student-friendly guide to translation tools and technologies *Translation Tools and Technologies are an essential component of any translator training programme, following European Masters in Translation framework guidelines *Unlike the competition, this textbook offers comprehensive and accessible explanations of how to use current translation tools, illustrated by examples using a wide range of languages, linked to task-oriented, self-study training materials