A growing body of literature suggests that aging causes restrictions in mobility, gaze, and cognitive functions, increasing the risk of falls and adverse health events. A novel Dual-Task Treadmill walking (DT-TW) program was designed to train balance, gaze, cognition, and gait simultaneously. Eleven healthy community-dwelling older adults (age 70-80 yrs) were recruited to play a variety of computer games while standing on a sponge surface and walking on a treadmill. Data on centre of pressure (COP) excursion for core balance, spatio-temporal gait variability parameters, head tracking performances, and neuropsychological tests were collected pre and post intervention. A significant improvement in balance, gaze, cognition, and gait performance was observed under dual-task conditions. The study thus concludes that DT-TW is a novel intervention program which combines interactive games with exercises to train dual-task abilities in community dwelling older adults. / October 2015

The present dual field of view flexible colonoscope can provide both forward view and radial or backward view of the colon to improve detection of cancerous polyps. The colonoscope has its own illumination that illuminates the parts of the colon viewed by imaging optics. The optical system, limited only by the diffraction effects at the exit pupil over the entire visible spectrum, can provide high resolution and is suitable for color imaging. The flexible colonoscope has an on-board sensor at the proximal end of the colonoscope to improve resolution. The proximal end of colonoscope measures only 8 mm in diameter and 20 mm in length. The present colonoscope has the potential to be scaled down to as small as 6 mm inner diameter from the present 8 mm.

Biological studies always start from curious observations. This is exemplified by description of cells for the first time by Robert Hooke in 1665, observed using his microscope. Since then the field of microscopy and cell biology grew hand in hand, with one field pushing the growth of the other and vice-versa. From basic description of cells in 1665, with parallel advancements in microscopy, we have travelled a long way to understand sub-cellular processes and molecular mechanisms. With each day, our understanding of cells increases and several questions are being posed and answered. Several high-resolution microscopic techniques are being introduced (PALM, STED, STORM, etc.) that push the resolution limit to few tens of nm, taking us to a new era where ‘seeing is believing'. Having said this, it is to be noted that the world of cells is vast, with information spread from nanometers to millimetres, and also over extended time-period, implying that not just one microscopic technique could acquire all the available information. The knowledge in the field of cell biology comes from a combination of imaging and quantifying techniques that complement one another.Majority of modern-day microscopic techniques focuses on increasing resolution which, is achieved at the expense of cost, compactness, simplicity, and field of view. The substantial decrease in the field of observation limits the visibility to a few single cells at best. Therefore, despite our ability to peer through the cells using increasingly powerful optical instruments, fundamental biology questions remain unanswered at mesoscopic scales. A global view of cell population with significant statistics both in terms of space and time is necessary to understand the dynamics of cell biology, taking in to account the heterogeneity of the population and the cell-cell variability. Mesoscopic information is as important as microscopic information. Although the latter gains access to sub-cellular functions, it is the former that leads to high-throughput, label-free measurements. By focussing on simplicity, cost, feasibility, field of view, and time-lapse in-incubator imaging, we developed ‘Lensfree Video Microscope' based on digital in-line holography that is capable of providing a new perspective to cell culture monitoring by being able to capture the kinetics of thousands of cells simultaneously. In this thesis, we present our lensfree video microscope and its applications in in-vitro cell culture monitoring and quantification.We validated the system by performing more than 20,000 hours of real-time imaging, in diverse conditions (e.g.: 37°C, 4°C, 0% O2, etc.) observing varied cell types and culture conditions (e.g.: primary cells, human stem cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, 2D/3D cell culture, etc.). This permitted us to develop label-free cell based assays to study the major cellular events – cell adhesion and spreading, cell division, cell division orientation, cell migration, cell differentiation, network formation, and cell death. The results that we obtained respect the heterogeneity of the population, cell to cell variability (a raising concern in the biological community) and the massiveness of the population, whilst adhering to the standard cell culture practices - a rare combination that is seldom attained by existing real-time monitoring methods.We believe that our microscope and associated metrics would complement existing techniques by bridging the gap between mesoscopic and microscopic information. / Biological studies always start from curious observations. This is exemplified by description of cells for the first time by Robert Hooke in 1665, observed using his microscope. Since then the field of microscopy and cell biology grew hand in hand, with one field pushing the growth of the other and vice-versa. From basic description of cells in 1665, with parallel advancements in microscopy, we have travelled a long way to understand sub-cellular processes and molecular mechanisms. With each day, our understanding of cells increases and several questions are being posed and answered. Several high-resolution microscopic techniques are being introduced (PALM, STED, STORM, etc.) that push the resolution limit to few tens of nm, taking us to a new era where ‘seeing is believing'. Having said this, it is to be noted that the world of cells is vast, with information spread from nanometers to millimetres, and also over extended time-period, implying that not just one microscopic technique could acquire all the available information. The knowledge in the field of cell biology comes from a combination of imaging and quantifying techniques that complement one another.Majority of modern-day microscopic techniques focuses on increasing resolution which, is achieved at the expense of cost, compactness, simplicity, and field of view. The substantial decrease in the field of observation limits the visibility to a few single cells at best. Therefore, despite our ability to peer through the cells using increasingly powerful optical instruments, fundamental biology questions remain unanswered at mesoscopic scales. A global view of cell population with significant statistics both in terms of space and time is necessary to understand the dynamics of cell biology, taking in to account the heterogeneity of the population and the cell-cell variability. Mesoscopic information is as important as microscopic information. Although the latter gains access to sub-cellular functions, it is the former that leads to high-throughput, label-free measurements. By focussing on simplicity, cost, feasibility, field of view, and time-lapse in-incubator imaging, we developed ‘Lensfree Video Microscope' based on digital in-line holography that is capable of providing a new perspective to cell culture monitoring by being able to capture the kinetics of thousands of cells simultaneously. In this thesis, we present our lensfree video microscope and its applications in in-vitro cell culture monitoring and quantification.We validated the system by performing more than 20,000 hours of real-time imaging, in diverse conditions (e.g.: 37°C, 4°C, 0% O2, etc.) observing varied cell types and culture conditions (e.g.: primary cells, human stem cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, epithelial cells, 2D/3D cell culture, etc.). This permitted us to develop label-free cell based assays to study the major cellular events – cell adhesion and spreading, cell division, cell division orientation, cell migration, cell differentiation, network formation, and cell death. The results that we obtained respect the heterogeneity of the population, cell to cell variability (a raising concern in the biological community) and the massiveness of the population, whilst adhering to the standard cell culture practices - a rare combination that is seldom attained by existing real-time monitoring methods.We believe that our microscope and associated metrics would complement existing techniques by bridging the gap between mesoscopic and microscopic information.

Background. Graphical projection methods define how virtual 3D environments are depicted on 2D monitors. No projection method provides a flawless reproduction, and the look of the resulting projections vary considerably. Field of view is a parameter of these projection methods, it determines the breadth of vision of the virtual camera used in the projection process. Field of view is represented by a degree, that defines the angle from the left to the right extent of the projection, as seen from the camera. Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived quality of high degrees of field of view, using different graphical projection methods. The Perspective, the Panini, and the Stereographic projection methods were evaluated at 110, 140, and 170 degrees of field of view. Methods. To evaluate the perceived quality of the three projection methods at varying degrees of field of view; a user study was conducted in which 24 participants rated 81 tests each. This study was held in a conference room where the participants sat undisturbed, and could experience the tests under consistent conditions. The tests took three different usage scenarios into account, presenting scenes in which the camera was still, where it moved, and where the participants could control it. Each test was rated separately, one at a time, using every combination of projection method and degree of field of view. Results. The perceived quality of each projection method dropped at an exponential rate, relative to the increase in the degree of field of view. The Perspective projection method was always rated the most favorably at 110 degrees of field of view, but unlike the other projections, it would be rated much more poorly at higher degrees. The Panini and the Stereographic projections received favorable ratings at up to 140-170 degrees, but the perceived quality of these projection methods varied significantly, depending on the usage scenario and the virtual environment displayed. Conclusions. The study concludes that the Perspective projection method is optimal for use at up to 110 degrees of field of view. At higher degrees of field of view, no consistently optimal choice remains, as the perceived quality of the Panini and the Stereographic projection method vary significantly, depending on the usage scenario. As such, the perceived quality becomes a function of the graphical projection method, the degree of field of view, the usage scenario, and the virtual environment displayed.

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-10-24T11:31:17Z No. of bitstreams: 0 / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-10-24T15:48:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-24T15:48:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-08-08 / O objetivo do trabalho foi quantificar, em imagens de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico (TCFC) obtidas com diferentes protocolos, os artefatos metálicos produzidos por implantes de titânio instalados em diferentes regiões da mandíbula. Os implantes foram instalados em quatro diferentes regiões (incisivo, canino, pré-molar e molar) de um phamtom e submetidos a exames de TCFC com variação da posição do objeto no interior do FOV (central, anterior, posterior, direita e esquerda), variação do FOV (6 x 13 e 12 x 13 cm) e do tamanho do voxel (0,25 e 0,30 mm). Um corte axial da região cervical de cada implante foi selecionado para quantificação. Os testes de Kruskal-Wallis e Student-Newman-Keuls foram utilizados para comparação das regiões dos dentes e entre as diferentes posições do phantom dentro do FOV. O teste de Wilcoxom foi utilizado para comparar a variação de tamanho do FOV e voxel. O teste ANOVA fatorial para avaliar a interação entre as variáveis do estudo. A região de incisivo apresentou a maior quantidade de artefatos, em comparação as outras regiões (p=0,0315). Não houve diferença significativa na variação da posição do phantom dentro do FOV (p=0,7418). O FOV menor produziu mais artefatos (p<0,0001). Ao comparar as imagens produzidas com diferentes resoluções, o menor voxel produziu mais artefatos (p<0,0001). Os artefatos metálicos sofrem influência do tamanho do FOV e do voxel, além da região anatômica. A variação da localização do phantom no interior do FOV não alterou a quantidade de artefatos. / O objetivo do trabalho foi quantificar, em imagens de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico (TCFC) obtidas com diferentes protocolos, os artefatos metálicos produzidos por implantes de titânio instalados em diferentes regiões da mandíbula. Os implantes foram instalados em quatro diferentes regiões (incisivo, canino, pré-molar e molar) de um phamtom e submetidos a exames de TCFC com variação da posição do objeto no interior do FOV (central, anterior, posterior, direita e esquerda), variação do FOV (6 x 13 e 12 x 13 cm) e do tamanho do voxel (0,25 e 0,30 mm). Um corte axial da região cervical de cada implante foi selecionado para quantificação. Os testes de Kruskal-Wallis e Student-Newman-Keuls foram utilizados para comparação das regiões dos dentes e entre as diferentes posições do phantom dentro do FOV. O teste de Wilcoxom foi utilizado para comparar a variação de tamanho do FOV e voxel. O teste ANOVA fatorial para avaliar a interação entre as variáveis do estudo. A região de incisivo apresentou a maior quantidade de artefatos, em comparação as outras regiões (p=0,0315). Não houve diferença significativa na variação da posição do phantom dentro do FOV (p=0,7418). O FOV menor produziu mais artefatos (p<0,0001). Ao comparar as imagens produzidas com diferentes resoluções, o menor voxel produziu mais artefatos (p<0,0001). Os artefatos metálicos sofrem influência do tamanho do FOV e do voxel, além da região anatômica. A variação da localização do phantom no interior do FOV não alterou a quantidade de artefatos.

The thesis is focused on geographic information systems and geographic data analyses tools. Examples of spatial analyses and tools for their creation are presented in ArcGIS at work. The main goal was to create a simulation camera system in the 3D urban model and to create spatial analyzes resulting in the camera's field of vision being intersected with the 3D model of the city. The result is 3D visualization, which shows the range of camera shooting areas. The results obtained were evaluated at the end.

The diploma thesis deals with the issue of controlling the situation behind the vehicle. The first part of the thesis summarizes the knowledge about drivers, their reaction time and vehicle response, the construction characteristics of vehicles designed to control what is happening behind the vehicle, and the possibilities of measuring the duration of glances in the form of eye tracking. The analytical part contains an analysis of the duration of glances in the rear view mirrors depending on the mirror, the situation and also the driving manoeuvre during the day time. The data was obtained from video recordings of 12 drivers in normal traffic conditions. The duration of the saccades and fixations of glances was evaluated depending on the mirror used, in individual situations and also for selected driving manoeuvres. The conclusion of the analytical part is devoted to the comparison of the duration of glances during selected driving manoeuvres when exposed to stimuli as well as to the comparison of the differences in individual age groups of tested drivers.

In this work we study a depth prediction problem where we provide a narrow field of view depth image and a wide field of view RGB image to a deep network tasked with predicting the depth for the entire RGB image. We show that by providing a narrow field of view depth image, we improve results for the area outside the provided depth compared to an earlier approach only utilizing a single RGB image for depth prediction. We also show that larger depth maps provide a greater advantage than smaller ones and that the accuracy of the model decreases with the distance from the provided depth. Further, we investigate several architectures as well as study the effect of adding noise and lowering the resolution of the provided depth image. Our results show that models provided low resolution noisy data performs on par with the models provided unaltered depth. / I det här arbetet studerar vi ett djupapproximationsproblem där vi tillhandahåller en djupbild med smal synvinkel och en RGB-bild med bred synvinkel till ett djupt nätverk med uppgift att förutsäga djupet för hela RGB-bilden. Vi visar att genom att ge djupbilden till nätverket förbättras resultatet för området utanför det tillhandahållna djupet jämfört med en existerande metod som använder en RGB-bild för att förutsäga djupet. Vi undersöker flera arkitekturer och storlekar på djupbildssynfält och studerar effekten av att lägga till brus och sänka upplösningen på djupbilden. Vi visar att större synfält för djupbilden ger en större fördel och även att modellens noggrannhet minskar med avståndet från det angivna djupet. Våra resultat visar också att modellerna som använde sig av det brusiga lågupplösta djupet presterade på samma nivå som de modeller som använde sig av det omodifierade djupet.

This diploma thesis deals with the issue of the driver's view from the vehicle, respectively the measurement of the field of views and blind spots. This thesis takes into account the 360° view around the vehicle. The first part of the thesis is devoted to the theoretical outlook of the vehicle. The reader becomes acquainted with the progressive development of the 360° view in a vehicle, beginning with the past and leading up to the present enhancements in today's vehicles. The reader will also understand, the position and movement of the eyes in a vehicle, the detailed description of the direct forward look, and the indirect reverse look. Subsequently, the theoretical part is devoted to the methodology of visibility measurements according to the prescribed standards of SAE and EHK. The theoretical part concludes with a chapter explaining how the theory is used in the practical part of the thesis. The practical part is devoted to the design of the 360° views of the vehicle and the description of the methodology. Another element of the practical part is the measurement protocol. This section deals with all the calculations for the complete driver's view, which was shown as an example on one of the sixteen vehicles measured. The last chapter compares, evaluates and reviews the results of all measured 360° views and blind spots around the vehicle.

Les environnements virtuels, et en particulier les simulateurs de conduite à plate-forme dynamique, posent la délicate question de la restitution multisensorielle en vue de générer la bonne "illusion" pour leurs utilisateurs. Si la réalité virtuelle est reconnue pour la limitation des coûts, le gain temporel et la contrôlabilité et reproductibilité des situations étudiées, la problématique de la validité de ces outils de recherche (ou de formation) est cruciale pour la transférabilité des connaissances produites.Constituant une première étape dans le processus de validation du simulateur IFSTTAR, ce travail s’appuie sur une démarche originale reposant sur une double évaluation, par élément et globale. Il s’agit (i) de configurer de manière optimale les caractéristiques immersives et interactives du simulateur liées au mouvement de roulis afin de produire une illusion d’inclinaison crédible et acceptée, et (ii) d’évaluer, de manière globale, différentes configurations du simulateur (modèles dynamiques de véhicule) au moyen de mesures objectives (temps de familiarisation) et subjectives (présence, mal du simulateur).Prises dans leur ensemble, les sept études menées durant cette thèse ont permis de valider une plage de restitution du mouvement de roulis pertinente pour produire une sensation d’inclinaison sans entraîner de déséquilibre critique ou de sensation de chute. Un angle d’inclinaison du simulateur au-delà de 11,4 degrés est ainsi déconseillé pour éviter toute sensation de chute, néanmoins cette valeur est susceptible d’être influencée par divers facteurs (e.g., présence d’informations visuelles, positionnement de l’axe de roulis). Ces études ont également permis d’identifier, en conduite passive, les paramètres nécessaires ainsi que les contributions relatives des informations visuelle et inertielle pour la production d’une sensation d’inclinaison crédible. En conduite active, l’évaluation du degré de contrôle des participants en fonction du modèle dynamique de véhicule (virtuel) a permis de pointer les faiblesses actuelles du simulateur IFSTTAR afin de proposer plusieurs pistes de développement. / Virtual environments, and specifically motion-based driving simulators, raise the delicate question of multisensory cueing in order to produce the good "illusion" to the users. If virtual reality is well acknowledged for cost limitation, validity issue of these research (or training) tools is critical for knowledge transfer of new results.As a first step in the validation process of the IFSTTAR motorcycle simulator, this work relies upon an original design based on a double approach : by element and global. It consists in (i) optimal balancing of simulator’s immersive and interactive characteristics linked to roll motion so as to yield a believable and embraced leaning illusion, and (ii) evaluating more generally different simulator configurations (vehicle dynamic models) through objective (training length) and subjective measures (presence, simulator sickness).Taken as a whole, the seven studies conducted during this thesis enable the validation of the relevant range of roll motion cueing to produce a leaning sensation without leading to a critical unbalance or fall sensation. A leaning angle of the simulator beyond 11.4 degrees is not recommended to avoid any fall sensation, however this figure can be influenced by various factors (e.g., visual informations, roll axis location). These studies also allow to identify, in passive driving situations, the necessary parameters as well as the relative contribution of visual and inertial informations for the production of a believable leaning sensation. In an active driving situation, the evaluation of the degree of users control through different (virtual) vehicles dynamic models has permitted to highlight the weaknesses of IFSTTAR simulator in order to set several guidelines for further development.