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Research Project
Laboratory for Robotics and Engineering Systems
Funder
Authors
Publications
Low-cost internet of things and snapshot geolocation pipeline in marine sensing
Publication . Pinto, Pedro José Gouveia; Radeta, Marko; Quintal, Filipe
Biologging and biotelemetry are commonly used as methods to assess marine biodiversity pop ulation. However, current state-of-the-art devices (commonly referred to as tags) remain at the
greater cost of production while geolocation and georeferencing methods use proprietary satellite
constellations, remain expensive and are prone to greater battery usage. This dissertation enhances
such state-of-the-art devices, providing affordable tags for multipurpose usage. Dissertation contri bution is two-fold. In first, it describes the design of low-cost telecommunication system comprised
from tag emitters and land receivers, evaluated during the sea-vessel field trips in pelagic area of
Madeira island. In second, it also describes the software pipeline for deducing the position of tags,
leveraging the raw signal from obtained GPS receivers.
Efficacy and brain imaging correlates of an immersive motor imagery BCI-driven VR system for upper limb motor rehabilitation: a clinical case report
Publication . Vourvopoulos, Athanasios; Jorge, Carolina; Abreu, Rodolfo; Figueiredo, Patrícia; Fernandes, Jean-Claude; Bermúdez i Badia, Sergi
To maximize brain plasticity after stroke, a plethora of rehabilitation strategies have been
explored. These include the use of intensive motor training, motor-imagery (MI), and
action-observation (AO). Growing evidence of the positive impact of virtual reality (VR)
techniques on recovery following stroke has been shown. However, most VR tools
are designed to exploit active movement, and hence patients with low level of motor
control cannot fully benefit from them. Consequently, the idea of directly training the
central nervous system has been promoted by utilizing MI with electroencephalography
(EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). To date, detailed information on which
VR strategies lead to successful functional recovery is still largely missing and very
little is known on how to optimally integrate EEG-based BCIs and VR paradigms for
stroke rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of an EEG based BCI-VR system using a MI paradigm for post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation
on functional assessments, and related changes in MI ability and brain imaging. To
achieve this, a 60 years old male chronic stroke patient was recruited. The patient
underwent a 3-week intervention in a clinical environment, resulting in 10 BCI-VR training
sessions. The patient was assessed before and after intervention, as well as on a
one-month follow-up, in terms of clinical scales and brain imaging using functional
MRI (fMRI). Consistent with prior research, we found important improvements in upper
extremity scores (Fugl-Meyer) and identified increases in brain activation measured by
fMRI that suggest neuroplastic changes in brain motor networks. This study expands
on the current body of evidence, as more data are needed on the effect of this type of
interventions not only on functional improvement but also on the effect of the intervention
on plasticity through brain imaging.
User experience of interactive technologies for people with dementia: comparative observational study
Publication . Ferreira, Luis Duarte Andrade; Ferreira, Henrique; Cavaco, Sofia; Cameirão, Mónica; Bermúdez i Badia, Sergi
Background: Serious games (SGs) are used as complementary approaches to stimulate patients with dementia. However, many
of the SGs use out-of-the-shelf technologies that may not always be suitable for such populations, as they can lead to negative
behaviors, such as anxiety, fatigue, and even cybersickness.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate how patients with dementia interact and accept 5 out-of-the-shelf technologies while
completing 10 virtual reality tasks.
Methods: A total of 12 participants diagnosed with dementia (mean age 75.08 [SD 8.07] years, mean Mini-Mental State
Examination score 17.33 [SD 5.79], and mean schooling 5.55 [SD 3.30]) at a health care center in Portugal were invited to
participate in this study. A within-subject experimental design was used to allow all participants to interact with all technologies,
such as HTC VIVE, head-mounted display (HMD), tablet, mouse, augmented reality (AR), leap motion (LM), and a combination
of HMD with LM. Participants’ performance was quantified through behavioral and verbal responses, which were captured
through video recordings and written notes.
Results: The findings of this study revealed that the user experience using technology was dependent on the patient profile; the
patients had a better user experience when they use technologies with direct interaction configuration as opposed to indirect
interaction configuration in terms of assistance required (P=.01) and comprehension (P=.01); the participants did not trigger any
emotional responses when using any of the technologies; the participants’performance was task-dependent; the most cost-effective
technology was the mouse, whereas the least cost-effective was AR; and all the technologies, except for one (HMD with LM),
were not exposed to external hazards.
Conclusions: Most participants were able to perform tasks using out-of-the-shelf technologies. However, there is no perfect
technology, as they are not explicitly designed to address the needs and skills of people with dementia. Here, we propose a set
of guidelines that aim to help health professionals and engineers maximize user experience when using such technologies for the
population with dementia.
The acceptance of energy monitoring technologies: the case of local prosumers
Publication . Barreto, Mary; Pereira, Lucas; Quintal, Filipe
With transformations happening in the electricity
sector, we need to ensure consumers have access to updated and
correct information to accompany such changes. Consumers need
to understand technologies available to them but also, learn how
to use them to optimize their personal investment in such types
of equipment. In this paper, we explore how a group of local pro sumers has adopted energy monitoring technologies, their day to-day strategies, and expectations when handling such systems.
We studied 11 prosumers and the technologies they have used
for three years, evaluated their satisfaction with the feedback
provided and analyzed how a more modern visualization of their
energy practices was introduced and adopted into their daily
lives. We conducted interviews and questionnaires to evaluate
their engagement with these tools. This initial work suggests this
particular group of users have already a high level of knowledge
about their systems, and as a result have integrated these into
their routines. However, more support would be needed from
other local actors to help them reach more benefits and as such,
more satisfaction as consumers. We conclude by reflecting on
barriers that need to be addressed to increase user satisfaction
with these systems.
MyTukxi: low cost smart charging for small scale EVs
Publication . Quintal, Filipe; Scuri, Sabrina; Barreto, Mary; Pereira, Lucas; Vasconcelos, Dino; Pestana, Daniel
As the electrification of the transportation sector grows the electric grid must handle the new load
resulting from electric vehicles (EV) charging. The integration of this new load in the grid has been
subject to work in the smart-charging research field, however, while normal-sized EVs often offer
chargers or other functions that support smart-charging, smaller EVs do not, which could be problem atic. Especially considering that the consumption of small EV when aggregated can be significant. This article presents the motivation and development behind the development of MyTukxi, a hardware and
software system that aims at implementing smart-charging algorithms for low consuming electric
vehicles (EV), interacting with drivers to compensate for the lack of charging control in such vehicles.
Organizational Units
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Funders
Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Funding Award Number
UID/EEA/50009/2019