Perceived synchronization of olfactory multimedia

This is the post-print version of this Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IEEEThe concept of synchronization is of fundamental importance in multimedia systems and applications. The focus of this this paper is on olfaction-enhanced multimedia, which concerns itself with associating computer-generated smell with other media. However, the lingering nature of smell, as opposed to the transitory nature of other media objects that multimedia applications are accustomed to, such as video and audio, means that specific attention needs to be given when synchronizing other media content with olfactory data. Consequently, this paper presents the results of an experimental study carried out to explore and investigate the temporal boundaries within which olfactory-data output in an olfaction-enhanced multimedia application can be successfully synchronized with other media objects from an end-user perspective. Results show the presence of two main synchronization regions, and that olfaction ahead of audiovisual content is more tolerable than olfaction behind content

Synchronization of Olfaction-enhanced multimedia

This paper presents the results of an experimental study carried out to explore, from an end user perspective, the temporal boundaries within which olfactory data can be used to enhance multimedia applications. Results show the presence of two main synchronization regions, and that olfaction ahead of audiovisual content is more tolerable than olfaction behind content

Olfaction-enhanced multimedia: Perspectives and challenges

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 Springer VerlagOlfaction—or smell—is one of the last challenges which multimedia and multimodal applications have to conquer. Enhancing such applications with olfactory stimuli has the potential to create a more complex—and richer—user multimedia experience, by heightening the sense of reality and diversifying user interaction modalities. Nonetheless, olfaction-enhanced multimedia still remains a challenging research area. More recently, however, there have been initial signs of olfactory-enhanced applications in multimedia, with olfaction being used towards a variety of goals, including notification alerts, enhancing the sense of reality in immersive applications, and branding, to name but a few. However, as the goal of a multimedia application is to inform and/or entertain users, achieving quality olfaction-enhanced multimedia applications from the users’ perspective is vital to the success and continuity of these applications. Accordingly, in this paper we have focused on investigating the user perceived experience of olfaction-enhanced multimedia applications, with the aim of discovering the quality evaluation factors that are important from a user’s perspective of these applications, and consequently ensure the continued advancement and success of olfaction-enhanced multimedia applications

The sweet smell of success: Enhancing multimedia applications with olfaction

This is the Post-Print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2012 ACMOlfaction, or smell, is one of the last challenges which multimedia applications have to conquer. As far as computerized smell is concerned, there are several difficulties to overcome, particularly those associated with the ambient nature of smell. In this article, we present results from an empirical study exploring users' perception of olfaction-enhanced multimedia displays. Findings show that olfaction significantly adds to the user multimedia experience. Moreover, use of olfaction leads to an increased sense of reality and relevance. Our results also show that users are tolerant of the interference and distortion effects caused by olfactory effect in multimedia

Audio masking effect on inter-component skews in olfaction-enhanced multimedia presentations

Media-rich content plays a vital role in consumer applications today, as these applications try to find new and interesting ways to engage their users. Video, audio, and the more traditional forms of media content continue to dominate with respect to the use of media content to enhance the user experience. Tactile interactivity has also now become widely popular in modern computing applications, while our olfactory and gustatory senses continue to have a limited role. However, in recent times, there have been significant advancements regarding the use of olfactory media content (i.e., smell), and there are a variety of devices now available to enable its computer-controlled emission. This paper explores the impact of the audio stream on user perception of olfactory-enhanced video content in the presence of skews between the olfactory and video media. This research uses the results from two experimental studies of user-perceived quality of olfactory-enhanced multimedia, where audio was present and absent, respectively. Specifically, the paper shows that the user Quality of Experience (QoE) is generally higher in the absence of audio for nearly perfect synchronized olfactory-enhanced multimedia presentations (i.e., an olfactory media skew of between {−10,+10s}); however, for greater olfactory media skews (ranging between {−30s;−10s} and {+10s, +30s}) user QoE is higher when the audio stream is present. It can be concluded that the presence of the audio has the ability to mask larger synchronization skews between the other media components in olfaction-enhanced multimedia presentations

Decentralized Synergetic Control of Power Systems

The objective of this dissertation is to design decentralized controllers to enhance the transient stability of power systems. Due to the nonlinearities and complexities of the system, nonlinear control design techniques are required to improve its dynamic performance. In this dissertation a synergetic control technique is being proposed to design supplementary controller that is added to the exciter of the generation unit of the system. Although this method has been previously applied to a Single Infinite Machine Bus (SMIB) system with high degree of success, it has not been employed to systems with multi machine. Also, the method has good robust characteristic like that of the popular Sliding Mode Control (SMC) technique. But the latter technique introduces steady state chattering effect which can cause wear and tear in actuating system. This gives the proposed technique a major advantage over the SMC. In this work, the method is employed for systems with multi machine. Each of the machines is considered to be a subsystem and decentralized controller is designed for each subsystem. The interconnection term of each subsystem with the rest of the system is estimated by a polynomial function of the active power generated by the subsystem. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique is employed for optimum tuning of the controller\u27s parameters. To further enhance the performance of the system by widening its range of operation, Reinforcement Learning (RL) technique is used to vary the gains of the decentralized synergetic supplementary controller in real time. The approach is illustrated with several case studies including a SMIB system with or without a Static Var Compensator (SVC), a Two Area System (TAS) with or without an SVC, a three --machines-nine-bus system and a fifty machine system. Results show that the proposed control technique provides better damping than the conventional power system stabilizers and synergetic controllers with fixed gains

User perception of media content association in olfaction-enhanced multimedia

Olfaction is an exciting challenge facing multimedia applications. In this article we have investigated user perception of the association between olfactory media content and video media content in olfactory-enhanced multimedia. Results show that the association between scent and content has a significant impact on the user-perceived experience of olfactory-enhanced multimedia

A tutorial for olfaction-based multisensorial media application design and evaluation.

Recently, multimedia researchers have added several so-called new media to the traditional multimedia components (e.g., olfaction, haptic, and gustation). Evaluating multimedia user-perceived Quality of Experience (QoE) is already non-trivial and the addition of multisensorial media components increases this challenge. No standardized methodology exists to conduct subjective quality assessments of multisensorial media applications. To date, researchers have employed different aspects of audiovisual standards to assess user QoE of multisensorial media applications and thus, a fragmented approach exists. In this article, the authors highlight issues researchers face from numerous perspectives including applicability (or lack of) existing audiovisual standards to evaluate user QoE and lack of result comparability due to varying approaches, specific requirements of olfactory-based multisensorial media applications, and novelty associated with these applications. Finally, based on the diverse approaches in the literature and the collective experience of authors, this article provides a tutorial and recommendations on the key steps to conduct olfactory-based multisensorial media QoE evaluation.ye

A tutorial for olfaction-based multisensorial media application design and evaluation

© ACM, 2017. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of ACM for your personal use. Not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in PUBLICATION, {VOL50, ISS5, September 2017} https://doi.org/10.1145/310824

Inter-Destination Multimedia Synchronization; Schemes, Use Cases and Standardization

Traditionally, the media consumption model has been a passive and isolated activity. However, the advent of media streaming technologies, interactive social applications, and synchronous communications, as well as the convergence between these three developments, point to an evolution towards dynamic shared media experiences. In this new model, geographically distributed groups of consumers, independently of their location and the nature of their end-devices, can be immersed in a common virtual networked environment in which they can share multimedia services, interact and collaborate in real-time within the context of simultaneous media content consumption. In most of these multimedia services and applications, apart from the well-known intra and inter-stream synchronization techniques that are important inside the consumers playout devices, also the synchronization of the playout processes between several distributed receivers, known as multipoint, group or Inter-destination multimedia synchronization (IDMS), becomes essential. Due to the increasing popularity of social networking, this type of multimedia synchronization has gained in popularity in recent years. Although Social TV is perhaps the most prominent use case in which IDMS is useful, in this paper we present up to 19 use cases for IDMS, each one having its own synchronization requirements. Different approaches used in the (recent) past by researchers to achieve IDMS are described and compared. As further proof of the significance of IDMS nowadays, relevant organizations (such as ETSI TISPAN and IETF AVTCORE Group) efforts on IDMS standardization (in which authors have been and are participating actively), defining architectures and protocols, are summarized.This work has been financed, partially, by Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV), under its R&D Support Program in PAID-05-11-002-331 Project and in PAID-01-10, and by TNO, under its Future Internet Use Research & Innovation Program. The authors also want to thank Kevin Gross for providing some of the use cases included in Sect. 1.2.Montagud, M.; Boronat Segui, F.; Stokking, H.; Van Brandenburg, R. (2012). Inter-Destination Multimedia Synchronization; Schemes, Use Cases and Standardization. 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