Open talks Chapter 1

Open talks Chapter 1

Using design technologies in psychophysics, gamification, and digital phenotyping for mental health innovation

Using design technologies in psychophysics, gamification, and digital phenotyping for mental health innovation

According to the CDC, 40% of all US adults were struggling with adverse mental health and substance abuse issues in June 2020 during COVID 19 [1]; population prevalence of clinically significant levels of mental distress rose from 18·9% in 2018–19 to 27·3% in 2020, one month into the UK lockdown [2]; 2 studies investigating COVID-19 patients found a high level of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) (96.2%) and significantly higher level of depressive symptoms (p = 0.016) [3]. The authors found a lack of a systematic review on mental health in general populations; a general lack of solutions for quantifying mental health and accounting for self reporting biases; and decreasing accessibility of in-person traditional mental healthcare during the global pandemic, even as more people choose to spend greater time on online technology platforms: 44% of adult Gen Z (18-24) claim to have a Twitter account, 23% check it daily- and young adults in their late 20s and early 30s spent 2.6 hours a day on mobile video in 2019 [4]. The conference proceedings presented through this work will examine the specialized technologies in app-based and hardware solution developed at FullCircle for mental health [5]: digital biomarkers and phenotyping as a way to supplement early detection of mental health issues[6]; gamification of traditional mental health care and community building to increase engagement [7], and haptic and emotional cues to influence sociability and help seeking behaviors [8]. Initial findings made through FullCircle’s first implementation of a solution to variable sample size support recommendations made in cited studies that behaviorism patterns can be queued to elicit desirable responses in mental health.

XR for Discovery, Training, and Innovation

XR for Discovery, Training, and Innovation

This keynote presents the vision and experiences have driven Dr. Cruz-Neira’s professional trajectory in XR, both in academic research and in entrepreneurial activities.
She will address lessons learned, opportunities and challenges on using XR as a tool for:

  • 1) enabling discovery and insight in many research disciplines
  • 2) creating novel training environments in a wide range of situations;
  • 3) improving, accelerating, and advancing processes and product-to-market operations;
  • 4) opening new models for education, both formal and informal; and many other areas impacting human life.

She will also discuss her vision on how to collaborate with a wide range of research and industry groups to effectively use these technologies as a force of innovation.

Eyes on the Sky: Towards Space Environmentalism

Eyes on the Sky: Towards Space Environmentalism

There are half a million objects floating in space and only around two thousand function. With little regulation and monitoring, the space junk problem is exponentially growing.

Private companies must be held responsible for their actions. Just like your city streets, there are specific highways in space. Most of the time, objects remain on the path.
When a space object stops working, it drifts aimlessly into the cosmos. Rogue bits of metal and overcrowding in space highways pose a danger to the technologies we rely on and the future of space exploration.

We need an accountability program.

The space traffic footprint is a question of “What’s the burden that this object carries?.” This question serves as a sustainability metric. Near-Earth space is not within environmental protection standards. Also, near-earth space is a finite resource because of overcrowded specified lanes. Due to the lack of monitoring and legislation, the cosmic junkyard grows.

Eyes on the Sky is a UT Austin led project to raise awareness, educate the masses, crowdsource information about stuff in space, monitor space traffic, and address humanity’s next wicked environmental problem.

Visit : Eyes on the Sky for more info.

Applications of space sciences for  the development of Africa

Applications of space sciences for the development of Africa

Africa is a booming continent characterized by the dynamism of a youth at the heart of innovation and creativity. Africa is moving in all sectors thanks to technological innovations. Digital technology is changing the face of Africa because in all sectors there are digital applications and products and services from space science. Satellite observation has become a privileged tool for providing the necessary information on the territories, at different scales. But the low number of operational services on the African continent testifies to operational difficulties. These difficulties are of a technical nature (capacity to access and process images, adaptation of methods to local conditions, integration of local know-how, etc.), economic (cost of the equipment necessary for image processing) and organizational ( culture of spatial information, training, management of information flow, synergy between actors, sustainability of partnerships, etc.). Our presentation will focus on the challenges and difficulties of space technologies in Africa. We will also share some of our application experiences in Senegal.

The Burkina Faso spatial program : Burkina Sat

The Burkina Faso spatial program : Burkina Sat

For increasing or improving the fight again its principal problems, Burkina Faso decided to lunch its spatial program. This spatial program goals are to show on one hand Burkina Faso capabilities to lunch satellite and on the other hand to contribute to help its citizens and Africa citizens to solve their principal daily problems

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