Distance learning has provided an excellent platform for students in geographically remote locations while enabling them to learn at their own pace and convenience. A number of technologies are currently being utilized to conceptualize, design, enhance and foster distance learning. Teleconferences, electronic field trips, podcasts, webinars, video conferencing and online courses are among such technologies used in providing distance learning opportunities. However limitations in those existing technologies have affected to the increase of distance learners dropout rates. As an attempt to overcome the limitations in the currently adopted distance learning practices, the study aims to utilize 3D Hologram Technology (3DHT) in the Engineering discipline. 3D hologram facilitates live and life size 3D telepresence that can interact with remote audiences.A survey had been conducted, using Delphi Technique to gather data from the experts in the field to evaluate the potential of 3DHT over existing technologies. Results of the survey suggested that 3DHT as a good distance learning technology and have the potential of overcoming existing limitations. Lack of infrastructure, High initial cost of infrastructure and Lack of technical know how are the main encounters identified by the experts in the sample. It is expected to develop a classroom environment with 3DHT and to evaluate its effectiveness for the distance learning in the next stage of the study.

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Beyond the conventional playlists organized based on genre, artist, or album, the study attempts to visualize a music library on a 2D plane enabling the users for emotion based navigation. A dataset constructed for this research purpose, comprising of music stimuli which associate Sri Lankan folk melodies has been utilized in the study. Using the method miremotion defined in MATLAB MIRToolbox, the objective predictions for the discrete emotions/emotion dimensions have been obtained. Subjective emotion ratings were collected through a listening experiment. By running a Principal Component Analysis on the data matrix combining subjective and objective measures, music library is mapped on to a 2D plane while identifying the correlations among each measures. Several directions have been identified for extending the research whereas the cultural specificity in emotional expression in music and the subjectivity in emotion perception have made the emotion based music recommendation a challenging task.

Abstract:We developed a bio-signal interactive virtual reality (VR) system to investigate the impression of users as a pilot study. In this study, three different VR scenes were given to the subjects of 20 healthy university students: bonfire (regulated with Electrocardiogram), firefly and butterfly (regulated with respiration signal). The subjective outcomes were assessed using the visual analogue scale. For the purpose of comparison, each subject also experienced the same scenes regulated with sinewave and random signals. The experiment was conducted by within-subject design: each subjects experienced three VR scenes and three input signals (bio-signal, sinewave, and random) in a counter-balanced order. As a result of the experiment, bio-signal interactive VRs can be observed as most comfortable and natural for subjects compared with the sinewave and random conditions.