http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/7900 2013-06-18T22:31:05Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79331 Low dimensionality spectral sensing for low cost material discrimination and identification Bardagjy, Andrew Matthew Spectroscopy is a powerful tool in material identification, characterization and discrimination. Unfortunately industrial and laboratory spectrometers are typically very large, costly, and inconvenient. The aim of this thesis is to broaden the awareness and appeal of spectroscopic sensing modalities by exploring specialized, rather than general purpose instruments. Rather than sensing the entire spectrum, these devices work by observing just the particular spectral features needed to perform identification or discrimination. This approach greatly simplifies the instrument reducing the cost, size, power consumption, and analysis complexity by many orders of magnitude. In this work the anatomy of such specialized sensors is explored by way of a thorough discussion of illuminators, current sources, photodetectors, photodiode amplifiers, control systems and part selection. In the following chapters, instruments are designed and fabricated, and their tradeoffs are enumerated and discussed. Finally, these building-blocks are combined to construct several working prototypes which are informally characterized. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2013.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-193). 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79308 WristQue : a personal sensor wristband for smart infrastructure and control Mayton, Brian D. (Brian Dean) Despite the rapid expansion of computers beyond desktop systems into devices and systems in the environment around us, the control interfaces to these systems are often basic and inadequate, particularly for infrastructure systems. WristQue is a wearable interface for interacting with computerized systems in the environment, providing both explicit remote control with buttons, touch, and gestural interfaces, and automatic closed-loop control using environmental sensors on the device, fused with precise indoor location for context. By placing these sensors and controls on the wrist, they are generally able to sense the environment unobstructed and are conveniently within reach at all times. WristQue is able to continuously collect and stream sensor data through a wireless network infrastructure, including temperature, humidity, activity, light, and color. A 9-DoF inertial/ magnetic measurement unit can be enabled to use the WristQue as a wrist-based gestural interface to nearby devices. Location and orientation data is used to implement a pointing interface that the user can use to indicate a device to control. This interface was implemented and tested using the WristQue and a commercial UWB localization system. The other sensors on the WristQue were validated by collecting several days of environmental data and conducting several controlled experiments. With these capabilities, the WristQue can be used in a number of sensing and control applications, such as lighting and comfort control. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, February 2013.; "February 2013." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 67-72). 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79307 SparkInfo : designing a social space for co-creation of multimedia contents Hwang, Jee Yeon People can have more insights and social experiences when they collaborate on collecting, revisiting, and utilizing their contents, such as images and videos; however, designing a social space that offers rich co-creation and exploration of multimedia contents remains a challenge. I propose a new system, SparkInfo, which enables users to create, exchange and augment their multimedia elements in ways that are personally unique and sociable. SparkInfo is designed for a group of people, who have created multimedia elements for the same purpose or at the same event, to collect their elements in one place and have a meaningful experience of their co-created media resources. SparkInfo provides a social space for the co-creation of multimedia resources. In the process of exploring and embellishing their materials, SparkInfo users can create new ideas, stories, and information. By utilizing this process, the users are able to experience how SparkInfo can embody the cycle of knowledge building, re-mixing, and sharing. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, February 2013.; "February 2013." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-87). 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/78207 "This is the fluffy robot that only speaks French" : language use between preschoolers, their families, and a social robot while sharing virtual toys Freed, Natalie Anne This thesis proposes an approach to language learning for preschool aged children using social robots as conversation partners within a shared play context for children and their families. It addresses an underserved age for language learning, where early learning can greatly impact later educational success, but that cannot benefit from text-based interventions. With the goal of establishing a shared physical context between multiple participants without absorbing all of the children's focus onto digital content, a hybrid physical and digital interface was iteratively designed and play-tested. This interface took the form of a "café table" on which the child and robot could share food. A robot was programmed to introduce itself and name foods in French, eat some foods and express dislike towards others, respond with distress to a new object, show its focus of attention through gaze, and in one experimental condition, express feedback about its comprehension when spoken to in French or English. The study found that some children as young as 3 years old would treat a social robot as an agent capable of understanding them and of perceiving a shared physical context, and would spontaneously modify their use of language and gesture in order to communicate with it - particularly when the robot communicated confusion. The study also found that parents tended to frame their scaffolding of the children's behavior with the robot in a social context, and without prompting aligned their guidance and reinforcement with language learning goals. After one exposure to the robot and new French vocabulary, children did not retain the robot's utterances, but engaged in communicative and social behaviors and language mimicry throughout the interaction. The system appeared to support multi-user social participation, including both caretakers and siblings of the participants. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2012.; Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-68). 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z