The Mixed Reality Lab (MXR) aims to push the boundaries of research into interactive new media technologies through the combination of technology, art, and creativity.
情報経営イノベーション専門職大学（東京都墨田区、学長 中村伊知哉、http://www.i-u.ac.jp、以下「iU」）は、このほど海外大学との提携の第一段階として、米国カリフォルニア大学サン・ディエゴ校（The University of California, San Diego (UCSD)、米国イリノイ大学シカゴ校（The University of Illinois at Chicago Campus）、英国シェーフィールド大学（The University of Sheffield）、マレーシアラッフルズ大学(Raffles University Malaysia )、シンガポール国立大学（National University of Singapore）、英国ニコラ・テスラ大学院大学 (Nikola Tesla Graduate School)、アフリカアクレ連邦技術大学（The Federal University of Technology、Akure、 Ondo State、 Nigeria: FUTA）の7校との包括的提携に合意しました。
In the ever-changing world of education, the “Better Together” mindset is not just a trendy phrase—it is a transformative approach that can reshape the way we think about teaching and learning. As classrooms become more diverse and the demands on educators increase, the importance of collaboration among students, teachers, and the wider community has never been more critical. This article delves into why fostering a collaborative environment and Building Transformational Classrooms is essential for modern education, and how it can lead to richer learning experiences, greater student engagement, and the cultivation of vital life skills.
1. Fostering Deeper Understanding
Collaboration in the classroom enables students to approach learning from multiple perspectives. When students work together, they are exposed to different ideas, problem-solving strategies, and ways of thinking. This exchange of ideas helps deepen their understanding of the material as they challenge each other’s assumptions and build on each other’s knowledge. Rather than learning in isolation, students benefit from the collective wisdom of their peers, leading to a more comprehensive grasp of the subject matter.
2. Increasing Engagement
In a collaborative classroom, students are more likely to be actively engaged in their learning. Group activities, discussions, and peer teaching encourage participation from all students, making learning a more interactive and enjoyable experience. When students feel that their contributions are valued and that they are part of a team, they are more motivated to participate. This increased engagement often translates to better academic outcomes, as students are more likely to retain information and apply what they have learned in meaningful ways.
3. Developing Essential Life Skills
Collaboration is not just about academic success—it also plays a crucial role in developing essential life skills. Working together in groups teaches students how to communicate effectively, listen actively, and resolve conflicts constructively. These skills are vital not only in academic settings but also in the workplace and everyday life. By learning to collaborate, students develop empathy, adaptability, and the ability to work with others toward a common goal—skills that are highly valued in today’s interconnected world.
4. Empowering Teachers and Building Community
A “Better Together” mindset extends beyond student collaboration; it also involves teachers and the broader community. When teachers collaborate with each other, they share resources, strategies, and insights, leading to more effective teaching practices. Professional collaboration among educators fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, which ultimately benefits students.
Moreover, involving the community in the educational process enhances the learning experience. Parents, local businesses, and community organizations can provide valuable resources, support, and real-world connections that enrich the curriculum. When students see that their learning is supported by a network of caring adults, they are more likely to feel valued and supported in their educational journey.
5. Creating Inclusive and Supportive Learning Environments
A collaborative approach helps create inclusive classrooms where every student feels valued and supported. By working together, students learn to appreciate diverse perspectives and recognize the strengths that each individual brings to the group. This fosters a sense of belonging and reduces feelings of isolation, particularly for students who may struggle in traditional, competitive learning environments. When students work together, they not only learn from each other but also learn to support and uplift one another, creating a positive and inclusive classroom culture.
6. Preparing Students for the Future
In a world that increasingly values teamwork and collaboration, preparing students with these skills is more important than ever. The ability to work effectively with others is a key component of success in virtually every field. By embracing a “Better Together” mindset, educators are not only helping students succeed in school but are also equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in their future careers and in life.
Conclusion
The power of collaboration in modern classrooms cannot be overstated. A “Better Together” mindset transforms learning into a collective endeavor, where students, teachers, and the community work hand-in-hand to achieve common goals. By fostering collaboration, we create dynamic, inclusive, and supportive environments where every student has the opportunity to succeed. In embracing this approach, we are not just preparing students for academic achievement; we are helping them develop the skills they need to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
Replica watches are imitations of well-known luxury watch brands. These timepieces closely resemble their high-end counterparts in design and functionality but are produced at a fraction of the price. They allow watch enthusiasts to own a piece that mimics the appearance and features of prestigious watch models.
Why are they popular? Replica watches have gained popularity due to their affordability and accessibility. They provide an opportunity for individuals to wear stylish timepieces without paying a premium price. They also cater to those who admire the aesthetics of luxury watches but are unwilling or unable to invest in the original.
The legal aspect of replica watches The legal status of replica watches is a complex matter. While owning a replica watch is generally legal, manufacturing and selling them can infringe on trademark and copyright laws. Some countries have stricter regulations on replicas, so it’s essential to be aware of the legalities in your region.
Quality of Replica Watches When it comes to replica watches, quality varies significantly. Understanding the factors that influence the quality of these timepieces is crucial.
Materials and craftsmanship High-quality replicas often use materials that closely resemble those in the original watches. These replicas undergo careful craftsmanship to replicate the intricate details and functions of luxury watches.
The difference between high-quality and low-quality replicas Low-quality replicas may look appealing at first glance, but they tend to use cheaper materials and lack attention to detail. High-quality replicas, on the other hand, invest in precision, ensuring a closer resemblance to the original watch.
The cost factor Replica watches are available in a wide price range. The cost of a replica watch depends on its quality, brand reputation, and the complexity of its design. It’s essential to determine your budget and what you’re willing to compromise on.
Professor Adrian David Cheok, Chair Professor of University of London, has been invited to exhibit at the Ars Electronica Festival 2017. His work, Kissenger, has been selected by the Ars Electronica Festival committee to showcase for 5 days at one of the most prestigious media arts events to be held on 7-11 September 2017 in POSTCITY Linz, Austria.
Ars Electronica Festival is an international festival for Art, Technology & Society offering a distinct platform. Since 1979 it has provided an extraordinary meeting point. Artists, scientists, engineers, researchers and developers from all over the world are welcomed in Linz, to confront a specific, interdisciplinary theme in the context of exhibitions, conferences, workshops and interventions.
In the realm of entertainment and media, drones have revolutionized the way content is created and consumed. Filmmakers and photographers use drones to capture stunning aerial shots that were previously difficult or impossible to achieve. The flexibility and maneuverability of drones enable dynamic and creative perspectives, enhancing the visual storytelling of films, documentaries, and sports broadcasts. Additionally, drones are used in live event coverage, providing unique and engaging views of concerts, festivals, and sporting events, thereby enriching the viewer experience. The ability to capture high-quality aerial footage with relative ease and cost-efficiency has democratized access to advanced filming techniques, allowing more creators to produce professional-grade content.
Overall, the versatility and capabilities of drones have made them invaluable tools across various sectors. Their ability to provide real-time data, access difficult terrains, and perform tasks efficiently and safely underscores their growing importance in modern society the DJI Matrice 30t offers that ruggedness and toughness you need. As technology continues to advance, the applications and benefits of drones are likely to expand even further, driving innovation and improving outcomes in countless fields.
The theme of the 2017 Festival is AI –The Other I, ideas circulating here are innovative, radical, and eccentric in the best sense of that term, they influence our everyday, become integrated in our lifestyle and are our future way of life. One part of the exhibition will be dedicated to Artificial Intimacy, a special branch providing futuristic technical visions related to intimacy between humans and machines. Questions such as “Can a human love a robot?”, “Can a robot love a human?” will provoke your thoughts while exploring some of the latest technology in this area. https://www.aec.at/ai/en/artificial-intimacy/
The 5-day event is expected to welcome audiences of over 85,000. Ars Electronica Festival is supported by a prestigious list of 382 associates, including Intel, mobility partner Daimler, Animation Festival sponsor Maxon, scientific mentor MIT Media Lab and BioAustria. They make it possible for Ars Electronica to stage a festival characterized by huge dimensions and superb quality.
Date: August 7, 2017
Adrian David Cheok, Kasun Karunanayaka, Surina Hariri, Hanis Camelia, and Sharon Kalu Ufere Imagineering Institute, Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia & City, University of London,UK.
Email: contact@imagineeringinstitute.org
Phone: +607 509 6568
Fax: +607 509 6713
Here we are excited to introduce the world’s first computer controlled digital device developed to stimulate olfactory receptor neurons with the aim of producing smell sensations purely using electrical pulses. Using this device, now we can easily stimulate the various areas of nasal cavity with different kinds of electric pulses. During the initial user experiments, some participants experienced smell sensations including floral, fruity, chemical, and woody. In addition, we have observed a dif- ference in the ability of smelling odorants before and after the electrical stimulation. These results suggest that this technology could be enhanced to artificially create and modify smell sensations. By conducting more experiments with human subjects, we are expecting to uncover the patterns of electrical stimulations, that can effectively generate, modify, and recall smell sensations. This invention can lead to internet and virtual reality digital smell.
Figure 1: Concept of stimulating human olfactory receptor neurons using electric pulses.
To date, almost all smell regeneration methods used in both academia and industry are based on chemicals. These methods have several limitations such as being expensive for long term use, complex, need of routine maintenance, require refilling, less controllability, and non-uniform distribution in the air. More importantly, these chemical based smells cannot be transmitted over the digital networks and regenerate remotely, as we do for the visual and auditory data. Therefore, discovering a method to produce smell sensations without us- ing chemical odorants is a necessity for digitizing the sense of smell. Our concept is illustrated in the Figure 1, which is electrically stimulating the olfactory receptor neurons (ORN) and study whether this approach can produce or modify smell sensations. During a medical experiment in 1973, electrical stimulation of olfactory receptors reported some smell sensations including almond, bitter almond, and vanilla [1]. However, three other similar experiments that used electrical stimulation failed to reproduce any smell sensations [2, 3, 4]. Therefore, finding a proper method to electrically reproduce smell sensations was still undiscovered.
Figure 2: The digital olfactory receptor stimulation device: It has a current controller circuit, endoscope camera, a pair of silver electrodes, a microcontroller, a power supply, a low current multimeter, and a laptop.
Our approach is different from the previous research mentioned above. Our main objective is to develop a controllable and repeatable digital technology, a device that connects to computers and be easily able to programmed and controlled. Also this device needs to generate electric pulses of different frequencies, cur- rents, pulse widths and stimulation times. To provide more stimulation possibilities, we wanted this device to be capable of stimulating diverse sites at the ventral surface of the inferior, middle, and superior nasal concha. Fig. 2 shows the computer controlled digital device we have developed to stimulate olfactory receptors. The amount of current output by the circuit can be controlled using one of the five push buttons shown in Figure 2 and the respective LED near the push button will lights up after the selection. The frequency of the stimulation pulses and stimulation time is controlled by the microcontroller program. It is possible to vary the stimulation frequency from 0Hz to 33kHz and pulse width using the programming. The pair of silver electrodes combined with the endoscopic camera was used to stimulate olfactory receptor neurons, and during the stimulation, one electrode is configured as the positive and the other electrode as the ground. Fig 3 and Fig 4 shows testing our device with human subjects.
Figure 3: This image shows the user study setup and stimulating the nasal cavity targeting the middle and superior concha regions using the device
During our first user study, we have stimulated the 30 subjects using 1mA to 5mA range with frequencies 2Hz, 10Hz, 70Hz, and 180Hz. 1mA at 10Hz and 1mA at 70Hz were the stimulation parameters which gave most prominent results for the smell related responses. Electrical stimulation with 1mA and 70Hz induced the highest odor perceptions. 27% of the participants reported the perceived fragrant and chemical sensa- tions. Other smell sensations that are reported for include, 20% fruity, 20% sweet, 17% tosted and nutty, 10% minty, and 13% woody. Stimulation parameters 1mA/10Hz reported 17% fragrant, 27% sweet 27%, chemical 10%, woody 10%. Meanwhile, results for the 4mA/70Hz reported 82% for pain and 64% reported pressure sensations. We have also probed the effect of electrical stimulation on the nose after stimulation. Therefore, we asked participants to repeat the sniffing of known odorants immediately after stimulation and rate the intensity. Most of the participants reported higher intensity after stimulation. This showed that the electrical stimulation increased the intensity of the odorants in the nose.
Figure 4: This image shows a person is testing the Electric Smell Interface in the lab environment
We are planning to extend this user experiment with more number of participants. The effects of the differ- ent electrical stimulation parameters such as frequency, current, and stimulation period will be more closely studied in future. By analyzing the results, we plan to identify various stimulation patterns that can produce different smell sensations. If the electrical stimulation of olfactory receptors effectively produce smell sen- sations, it will revolutionize the field of communication. Multisensory communication is currently limited to text, audio and video contents. Digitizing touch sense are already been achieved experimentally in the research level and will be embedded to daily communication near future. If the digitization of smell be- comes possible it will paved the way for sensing, communicating and reproducing flavor sensations over the internet. This will create more applications in the fields such as human computer interaction, virtual reality, telepresence, and internet shopping.
References
1.Uziel, A.: Stimulation of human olfactory neuro-epithelium by long-term continuous electrical currents. Journal de physiologie 66(4) (1973) 409422
2.Weiss, T., Shushan, S., Ravia, A., Hahamy, A., Secundo, L., Weissbrod, A., Ben-Yakov, A., Holtzman, Y., Cohen- Atsmoni, S., Roth, Y., et al.: From nose to brain: Un-sensed electrical currents applied in the nose alter activity in deep brain structures. Cerebral Cortex (2016)
3.Straschill, M., Stahl, H., Gorkisch, K.: Effects of electrical stimulation of the human olfactory mucosa.Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery 46(5-6) (1984) 286289
4.Ishimaru, T., Shimada, T., Sakumoto, M., Miwa, T., Kimura, Y., Furukawa, M.: Olfactory evoked potential produced by electrical stimulation of the human olfactory mucosa. Chemical senses 22(1) (1997) 7781
