AHCI RESEARCH GROUP
Publications
Papers published in international journals,
proceedings of conferences, workshops and books.
OUR RESEARCH
Scientific Publications
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You can use the tag cloud to select only the papers dealing with specific research topics.
You can expand the Abstract, Links and BibTex record for each paper.
2025
Zhao, P.; Wei, X.
The Role of 3D Virtual Humans in Communication and Assisting Students' Learning in Transparent Display Environments: Perspectives of Pre-Service Teachers Proceedings Article
In: Chui, K. T.; Jaikaeo, C.; Niramitranon, J.; Kaewmanee, W.; Ng, K. -K.; Ongkunaruk, P. (Ed.): pp. 319–323, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025, ISBN: 9798331595500 (ISBN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: 3D virtual human, Assistive technology, CDIO teaching model, Collaborative learning, Collaborative practices, Display environments, E-Learning, Educational Technology, Engineering education, feedback, Integration, Knowledge delivery, Knowledge transfer, Learning algorithms, Natural language processing systems, Preservice teachers, Psychology computing, Student learning, Students, Teaching, Teaching model, Transparent display environment, Transparent displays, Virtual Reality
@inproceedings{zhao_role_2025,
title = {The Role of 3D Virtual Humans in Communication and Assisting Students' Learning in Transparent Display Environments: Perspectives of Pre-Service Teachers},
author = {P. Zhao and X. Wei},
editor = {K. T. Chui and C. Jaikaeo and J. Niramitranon and W. Kaewmanee and K. -K. Ng and P. Ongkunaruk},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105015746241&doi=10.1109%2FISET65607.2025.00069&partnerID=40&md5=08c39b84fa6bd6ac13ddbed203d7b1d9},
doi = {10.1109/ISET65607.2025.00069},
isbn = {9798331595500 (ISBN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
pages = {319–323},
publisher = {Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.},
abstract = {The integration of transparent display and 3D virtual human technologies into education is expanding rapidly; however, their systematic incorporation into the CDIO teaching model remains underexplored, particularly in supporting complex knowledge delivery and collaborative practice. This study developed an intelligent virtual teacher assistance system based on generative AI and conducted a teaching experiment combining transparent display and 3D virtual human technologies. Feedback was collected through focus group interviews with 24 pre-service teachers. Results show that the virtual human, through natural language and multimodal interaction, significantly enhanced classroom engagement and contextual understanding, while its real-time feedback and personalized guidance effectively supported CDIO-based collaborative learning. Nonetheless, challenges remain in contextual adaptability and emotional feedback accuracy. Accordingly, the study proposes a path for technical optimization through the integration of multimodal emotion recognition, adaptive instructional algorithms, and nonintrusive data collection, offering empirical and theoretical insights into educational technology integration within the CDIO framework and future intelligent learning tools. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.},
keywords = {3D virtual human, Assistive technology, CDIO teaching model, Collaborative learning, Collaborative practices, Display environments, E-Learning, Educational Technology, Engineering education, feedback, Integration, Knowledge delivery, Knowledge transfer, Learning algorithms, Natural language processing systems, Preservice teachers, Psychology computing, Student learning, Students, Teaching, Teaching model, Transparent display environment, Transparent displays, Virtual Reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The integration of transparent display and 3D virtual human technologies into education is expanding rapidly; however, their systematic incorporation into the CDIO teaching model remains underexplored, particularly in supporting complex knowledge delivery and collaborative practice. This study developed an intelligent virtual teacher assistance system based on generative AI and conducted a teaching experiment combining transparent display and 3D virtual human technologies. Feedback was collected through focus group interviews with 24 pre-service teachers. Results show that the virtual human, through natural language and multimodal interaction, significantly enhanced classroom engagement and contextual understanding, while its real-time feedback and personalized guidance effectively supported CDIO-based collaborative learning. Nonetheless, challenges remain in contextual adaptability and emotional feedback accuracy. Accordingly, the study proposes a path for technical optimization through the integration of multimodal emotion recognition, adaptive instructional algorithms, and nonintrusive data collection, offering empirical and theoretical insights into educational technology integration within the CDIO framework and future intelligent learning tools. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Tian, Y.; Li, X.; Cheng, Z.; Huang, Y.; Yu, T.
In: Sensors, vol. 25, no. 15, 2025, ISSN: 14248220 (ISSN), (Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: 3D faces, 3d facial model, 3D facial models, 3D modeling, adaptation, adult, Article, Audience perception evaluation, benchmarking, controlled study, Cross-modal, Face generation, Facial modeling, facies, Feature extraction, feedback, feedback system, female, Geometry, High-fidelity, human, illumination, Immersive media, Lighting, male, movie, Neural radiance field, Neural Radiance Fields, perception, Quality control, Rendering (computer graphics), Semantics, sensor, Three dimensional computer graphics, Virtual production, Virtual Reality
@article{tian_design_2025,
title = {Design of Realistic and Artistically Expressive 3D Facial Models for Film AIGC: A Cross-Modal Framework Integrating Audience Perception Evaluation},
author = {Y. Tian and X. Li and Z. Cheng and Y. Huang and T. Yu},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105013137724&doi=10.3390%2Fs25154646&partnerID=40&md5=8508a27b693f0857ce7cb58e97a2705c},
doi = {10.3390/s25154646},
issn = {14248220 (ISSN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Sensors},
volume = {25},
number = {15},
abstract = {The rise of virtual production has created an urgent need for both efficient and high-fidelity 3D face generation schemes for cinema and immersive media, but existing methods are often limited by lighting–geometry coupling, multi-view dependency, and insufficient artistic quality. To address this, this study proposes a cross-modal 3D face generation framework based on single-view semantic masks. It utilizes Swin Transformer for multi-level feature extraction and combines with NeRF for illumination decoupled rendering. We utilize physical rendering equations to explicitly separate surface reflectance from ambient lighting to achieve robust adaptation to complex lighting variations. In addition, to address geometric errors across illumination scenes, we construct geometric a priori constraint networks by mapping 2D facial features to 3D parameter space as regular terms with the help of semantic masks. On the CelebAMask-HQ dataset, this method achieves a leading score of SSIM = 0.892 (37.6% improvement from baseline) with FID = 40.6. The generated faces excel in symmetry and detail fidelity with realism and aesthetic scores of 8/10 and 7/10, respectively, in a perceptual evaluation with 1000 viewers. By combining physical-level illumination decoupling with semantic geometry a priori, this paper establishes a quantifiable feedback mechanism between objective metrics and human aesthetic evaluation, providing a new paradigm for aesthetic quality assessment of AI-generated content. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.},
note = {Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)},
keywords = {3D faces, 3d facial model, 3D facial models, 3D modeling, adaptation, adult, Article, Audience perception evaluation, benchmarking, controlled study, Cross-modal, Face generation, Facial modeling, facies, Feature extraction, feedback, feedback system, female, Geometry, High-fidelity, human, illumination, Immersive media, Lighting, male, movie, Neural radiance field, Neural Radiance Fields, perception, Quality control, Rendering (computer graphics), Semantics, sensor, Three dimensional computer graphics, Virtual production, Virtual Reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The rise of virtual production has created an urgent need for both efficient and high-fidelity 3D face generation schemes for cinema and immersive media, but existing methods are often limited by lighting–geometry coupling, multi-view dependency, and insufficient artistic quality. To address this, this study proposes a cross-modal 3D face generation framework based on single-view semantic masks. It utilizes Swin Transformer for multi-level feature extraction and combines with NeRF for illumination decoupled rendering. We utilize physical rendering equations to explicitly separate surface reflectance from ambient lighting to achieve robust adaptation to complex lighting variations. In addition, to address geometric errors across illumination scenes, we construct geometric a priori constraint networks by mapping 2D facial features to 3D parameter space as regular terms with the help of semantic masks. On the CelebAMask-HQ dataset, this method achieves a leading score of SSIM = 0.892 (37.6% improvement from baseline) with FID = 40.6. The generated faces excel in symmetry and detail fidelity with realism and aesthetic scores of 8/10 and 7/10, respectively, in a perceptual evaluation with 1000 viewers. By combining physical-level illumination decoupling with semantic geometry a priori, this paper establishes a quantifiable feedback mechanism between objective metrics and human aesthetic evaluation, providing a new paradigm for aesthetic quality assessment of AI-generated content. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Yu, A.; Lee, G.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, M.; Jung, S.; Park, J.; Rhee, J.; Cho, K.
Development and Evaluation of an Immersive Metaverse-Based Meditation System for Psychological Well-Being Using LLM-Driven Scenario Generation Journal Article
In: Systems, vol. 13, no. 9, 2025, ISSN: 20798954 (ISSN), (Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: AI in healthcare, Artificial intelligence, Digital mindfulness intervention, feedback, Health care, Health technology, Immersive, Language Model, Mental health, Mental health technology, Metaverse, Metaverses, Mindfulness meditation, Scenarios generation, user experience, Virtual Reality
@article{yu_development_2025,
title = {Development and Evaluation of an Immersive Metaverse-Based Meditation System for Psychological Well-Being Using LLM-Driven Scenario Generation},
author = {A. Yu and G. Lee and Y. Liu and M. Zhang and S. Jung and J. Park and J. Rhee and K. Cho},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105017237114&doi=10.3390%2Fsystems13090798&partnerID=40&md5=553f0ecfd99de729fe0ff9c777c07dda},
doi = {10.3390/systems13090798},
issn = {20798954 (ISSN)},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-01-01},
journal = {Systems},
volume = {13},
number = {9},
abstract = {The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders highlights the need for innovative and accessible interventions. Although existing digital meditation applications offer valuable basic guidance, they often lack interactivity, real-time personalized feedback, and dynamic simulation of real-life scenarios necessary for comprehensive experiential training applicable to daily stressors. To address these limitations, this study developed a novel immersive meditation system specifically designed for deployment within a metaverse environment. The system provides mindfulness practice through two distinct modules within the virtual world. The experience-based module delivers AI-driven social interactions within simulated everyday scenarios, with narrative content dynamically generated by large language models (LLMs), followed by guided inner reflection, thereby forming a scenario–experience–reflection cycle. The breathing-focused module provides real-time feedback through a breath-synchronization interface to enhance respiratory awareness. The feasibility and preliminary effects of this metaverse-based system were explored in a two-week, single-group, pre-test/post-test study involving 31 participants. The participants completed a battery of validated psychological questionnaires assessing psychological distress, mindfulness, acceptance, self-compassion, and self-esteem before and after engaging in the intervention. This study provides exploratory evidence supporting the feasibility and potential of immersive metaverse environments and LLM-based scenario generation for structured mental health interventions, providing initial insights into their psychological impact and user experience. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.},
note = {Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)},
keywords = {AI in healthcare, Artificial intelligence, Digital mindfulness intervention, feedback, Health care, Health technology, Immersive, Language Model, Mental health, Mental health technology, Metaverse, Metaverses, Mindfulness meditation, Scenarios generation, user experience, Virtual Reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders highlights the need for innovative and accessible interventions. Although existing digital meditation applications offer valuable basic guidance, they often lack interactivity, real-time personalized feedback, and dynamic simulation of real-life scenarios necessary for comprehensive experiential training applicable to daily stressors. To address these limitations, this study developed a novel immersive meditation system specifically designed for deployment within a metaverse environment. The system provides mindfulness practice through two distinct modules within the virtual world. The experience-based module delivers AI-driven social interactions within simulated everyday scenarios, with narrative content dynamically generated by large language models (LLMs), followed by guided inner reflection, thereby forming a scenario–experience–reflection cycle. The breathing-focused module provides real-time feedback through a breath-synchronization interface to enhance respiratory awareness. The feasibility and preliminary effects of this metaverse-based system were explored in a two-week, single-group, pre-test/post-test study involving 31 participants. The participants completed a battery of validated psychological questionnaires assessing psychological distress, mindfulness, acceptance, self-compassion, and self-esteem before and after engaging in the intervention. This study provides exploratory evidence supporting the feasibility and potential of immersive metaverse environments and LLM-based scenario generation for structured mental health interventions, providing initial insights into their psychological impact and user experience. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
2024
Taheri, M.; Tan, K.
Enhancing Presentation Skills: A Virtual Reality-Based Simulator with Integrated Generative AI for Dynamic Pitch Presentations and Interviews Proceedings Article
In: L.T., De Paolis; P., Arpaia; M., Sacco (Ed.): Lect. Notes Comput. Sci., pp. 360–366, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024, ISBN: 03029743 (ISSN); 978-303171706-2 (ISBN).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Adversarial machine learning, AI feedback, Contrastive Learning, Digital elevation model, Dynamic pitch, Federated learning, feedback, Generative adversarial networks, Iterative practice, Language Model, Open source language, Open source software, Presentation skills, Simulation Design, Spoken words, Trial and error, Virtual environments, Virtual reality based simulators
@inproceedings{taheri_enhancing_2024,
title = {Enhancing Presentation Skills: A Virtual Reality-Based Simulator with Integrated Generative AI for Dynamic Pitch Presentations and Interviews},
author = {M. Taheri and K. Tan},
editor = {De Paolis L.T. and Arpaia P. and Sacco M.},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85204618832&doi=10.1007%2f978-3-031-71707-9_30&partnerID=40&md5=fd649ec5c0e2ce96593fe8a129e94449},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-71707-9_30},
isbn = {03029743 (ISSN); 978-303171706-2 (ISBN)},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
booktitle = {Lect. Notes Comput. Sci.},
volume = {15027 LNCS},
pages = {360–366},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH},
abstract = {Presenting before an audience presents challenges throughout preparation and delivery, necessitating tools to securely refine skills securely. Interviews mirror presentations, showcasing oneself to convey qualifications. Virtual environments offer safe spaces for trial and error, crucial for iterative practice without emotional distress. This research proposes a Virtual Reality-Based Dynamic Pitch Simulation with Integrated Generative AI to effectively enhance presentation skills. The simulation converts spoken words to text, then uses AI to generate relevant questions for practice. Benefits include realistic feedback and adaptability to user proficiency. Open-source language models evaluate content, coherence, and delivery, offering personalized challenges. This approach supplements learning, enhancing presentation skills effectively. Voice-to-text conversion and AI feedback create a potent pedagogical tool, fostering a prompt feedback loop vital for learning effectiveness. Challenges in simulation design must be addressed for robustness and efficacy. The study validates these concepts by proposing a real-time 3D dialogue simulator, emphasizing the importance of continual improvement in presentation skill development. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.},
keywords = {Adversarial machine learning, AI feedback, Contrastive Learning, Digital elevation model, Dynamic pitch, Federated learning, feedback, Generative adversarial networks, Iterative practice, Language Model, Open source language, Open source software, Presentation skills, Simulation Design, Spoken words, Trial and error, Virtual environments, Virtual reality based simulators},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Presenting before an audience presents challenges throughout preparation and delivery, necessitating tools to securely refine skills securely. Interviews mirror presentations, showcasing oneself to convey qualifications. Virtual environments offer safe spaces for trial and error, crucial for iterative practice without emotional distress. This research proposes a Virtual Reality-Based Dynamic Pitch Simulation with Integrated Generative AI to effectively enhance presentation skills. The simulation converts spoken words to text, then uses AI to generate relevant questions for practice. Benefits include realistic feedback and adaptability to user proficiency. Open-source language models evaluate content, coherence, and delivery, offering personalized challenges. This approach supplements learning, enhancing presentation skills effectively. Voice-to-text conversion and AI feedback create a potent pedagogical tool, fostering a prompt feedback loop vital for learning effectiveness. Challenges in simulation design must be addressed for robustness and efficacy. The study validates these concepts by proposing a real-time 3D dialogue simulator, emphasizing the importance of continual improvement in presentation skill development. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.