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Publications

Publications by Maria Teresa Andrade

2020

Humanoid Robot Kick in Motion Ability for Playing Robotic Soccer

Authors
Teixeira, H; Silva, T; Abreu, M; Reis, LP;

Publication
2020 IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AUTONOMOUS ROBOT SYSTEMS AND COMPETITIONS (ICARSC 2020)

Abstract
This work seeks to design and implement a humanoid robotic kick for situations where the robot is moving for the RoboCup simulation 3D robotic soccer league. It employs Reinforcement Learning (RL) techniques, namely the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm to create fast and reliable skills. The kick was divided into 6 cases according to initial conditions and separately trained for each of the cases. A series of kicks, both static and in motion, using two different gaits were developed. The kicks obtained show very high reliability and, when compared to state of the art kicks, displayed a very high time performance improvement. This opens the door to more dynamic games with faster kicks in the RoboCup simulation 3D league.

2021

A Systematic Survey of ML Datasets for Prime CV Research Areas-Media and Metadata

Authors
Castro, HF; Cardoso, JS; Andrade, MT;

Publication
DATA

Abstract
The ever-growing capabilities of computers have enabled pursuing Computer Vision through Machine Learning (i.e., MLCV). ML tools require large amounts of information to learn from (ML datasets). These are costly to produce but have received reduced attention regarding standardization. This prevents the cooperative production and exploitation of these resources, impedes countless synergies, and hinders ML research. No global view exists of the MLCV dataset tissue. Acquiring it is fundamental to enable standardization. We provide an extensive survey of the evolution and current state of MLCV datasets (1994 to 2019) for a set of specific CV areas as well as a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results. Data were gathered from online scientific databases (e.g., Google Scholar, CiteSeerX). We reveal the heterogeneous plethora that comprises the MLCV dataset tissue; their continuous growth in volume and complexity; the specificities of the evolution of their media and metadata components regarding a range of aspects; and that MLCV progress requires the construction of a global standardized (structuring, manipulating, and sharing) MLCV "library". Accordingly, we formulate a novel interpretation of this dataset collective as a global tissue of synthetic cognitive visual memories and define the immediately necessary steps to advance its standardization and integration.

2020

Ubiquitous Framework for High Quality Audiovisual Production

Authors
Andrade, MT; Santos, P; Costa, TS; Freitas, L; Golestani, S; Viana, P; Rodrigues, J; Ulisses, A;

Publication
Proceedings - 2020 TRON Symposium, TRONSHOW 2020

Abstract
The media sector is constantly evolving and, in the last few years, such evolution has been driven by a number of convergence paradigms, notably, that between broadband and broadcast technologies with the introduction of IT and IP technology. The present trend is to switch totally from a closed niche that uses highly specialized equipment to off-the-shelf IT-centric solutions, offering easy configuration and remote operation. The aim is to enable common computers to be turned into highly capable media devices and act as connected objects adopting an IoT-like paradigm. This vision, though, is not implemented easily, given that most media industry professionals do not yet feel comfortable operating in the IT technology space and also due to the stringent requirements that exist in this industry. The Joint Task Force on Networked Media is defining specifications that aim at overcoming such existing barriers. In this article we present a novel solution that follows the guidelines delivered by this group to set up a remotely operated media production facility, totally based on IP and IT technology, constituting a step forward the realization of the IoT concept in professional media environments. The focus is on two complementary components, namely, the GUI Agent and the MW Agent, which are not covered by the defined specifications but that are crucial to speed up the deployment of concrete solutions that can be easily operated by non-IT and non-IP experts in a transparent and ubiquitous way. © 2020 TRON Forum.

2020

Learning Low-Level Behaviors and High-Level Strategies in Humanoid Soccer

Authors
Simoes, D; Amaro, P; Silva, T; Lau, N; Reis, LP;

Publication
FOURTH IBERIAN ROBOTICS CONFERENCE: ADVANCES IN ROBOTICS, ROBOT 2019, VOL 2

Abstract
This paper investigates the learning of both low-level behaviors for humanoid robot controllers and of high-level coordination strategies for teams of robots engaged in simulated soccer. Regarding controllers, current approaches typically hand-tune behaviors or optimize them without realistic constraints, for example allowing parts of the robot to intersect with others. This level of optimization often leads to low-performance behaviors. Regarding strategies, most are hand-tuned with arbitrary parameters (like agents moving to pre-defined positions on the field such that eventually they can score a goal) and the thorough analysis of learned strategies is often disregarded. This paper demonstrates how it is possible to use a distributed framework to learn both low-level behaviors, like sprinting and getting up, and high-level strategies, like a kick-off scenario, outperforming previous approaches in the FCPortugal3D Simulated Soccer team.

2021

SmoothMV: Seamless Content Adaptation through Head Tracking Analysis and View Prediction

Authors
da Costa, TS; Andrade, MT; Viana, P;

Publication
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON IMMERSIVE MIXED AND VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS (MMVE '21)

Abstract
Multi-view has the potential to offer immersive viewing experiences to users, as an alternative to 360 degrees and Virtual Reality (VR) applications. In multi-view, a limited number of camera views are sent to the client and missing views are synthesised locally. Given the substantial complexity associated to view synthesis, considerable attention has been given to optimise the trade-off between bandwidth gains and computing resources, targeting smooth navigation and viewing quality. A still relatively unexplored field is the optimisation of the way navigation interactivity is achieved, i.e. how the user indicates to the system the selection of new viewpoints. In this article, we introduce SmoothMV, a multi-view system that uses a non-intrusive head tracking approach to enhance navigation and Quality of Experience (QoE) of the viewer. It relies on a novel Hot&Cold matrix concept to translate head positioning data into viewing angle selections. Streaming of selected views is done using MPEG-DASH, where a proposed extension to the standard descriptors enables to achieve consistent and flexible view identification.

2020

Inferring Contextual Data from Real-World Photography

Authors
Costa, TS; Andrade, MT; Viana, P;

Publication
Intelligent Systems Design and Applications - 20th International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications (ISDA 2020) held December 12-15, 2020

Abstract

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