Ronan Querrec

École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Brest | ENIB

The project is located in the field of knowledge engineering, virtual reality and digital humanities on the theme of human activity versus history and heritage of industrial cultural landscapes. Our objectives are to develop and validate virtual laboratories, cross-disciplinary research methods, collaborative methods involving institutions or other...

In emergency medical procedures, positive and trusting interactions between followers and leaders are imperative. That interaction is even more important when a virtual agent assumes the leader role and a human assumes the follower role. In order to manage the human-computer interaction, situational leadership is employed to match the human followe...

We propose a virtual medical assistant to guide both novice and expert caregivers through a procedure without the direct help of medical professionals. Our medical assistant uses situational leadership to handle all interaction with a caregiver, which works by identifying the readiness level of the caregiver in order to match them with an appropria...

In a medical emergency in which an amateur caregiver is separated from medical experts by space and/or time, a virtual assistant could be useful in order to guide the caregiver through the required procedure successfully. A successful procedure is one that preserves and improves the health of the patient and maintains a positive interaction between...

In emergency medical procedures, positive and trusting interaction between followers and leaders are imperative. That relationship is even more important when a virtual agent assumes the leader role and a human assumes the follower role. In order to manage the human-computer interaction, situational leadership is employed to match the human to an a...

In order to present the results of their work to the general public, historians of science and technology represent technical systems, the activities associated to them and their temporal evolutions in Virtual Reality. The immersed user can then navigate spatially to observe the studied technical systems and temporally according to 2 time scales to...

This paper presents a new taxonomy of non-technical skills, communicative intentions, and behavior for an individual acting as a medical coordinator. In medical emergency situations, a leader among the group is imperative to both patient health and team emotional and mental health. Situational Leadership is used to make clear and easy-to-follow gui...

In this article we introduce our work in progress aiming at providing tools of temporal navigation within a Virtual Environments by applying them to the field of history of science and technology. The objective of our work is to allow a user to navigate through time according to two scales (procedure and period) in order to observe changes in human...

In a medical environment, coordination between medical staff is imperative. In cases in which a human doctor or medical coordinator is not present, patient care, particularly from non-experts, becomes more difficult. The difficulty increases when care is completed at a remote site, for example, on a manned mission to Mars. Communication capability...

This research work introduce virtual embodied tutors in Virtual Environments for learning devoted to learning of procedures for industrial systems. We present a communicative behavior which, integrated in pedagogical scenario, permits on the one hand to realize the pedagogical communicative actions at a semantic level (e.g., the tutor explains the...

Our research work proposes an adaptive and embodied virtual tutor based on intelligent tutoring systems. The domain model is represented in our work by a virtual environment meta-model and the interface by an embodied conversational agent. Our main contribution concerns the tutor model, that is able to adapt the execution of a pedagogical scenario...

Virtual reality is a frequently used tool in vocational training. Nevertheless its efficiency has not been systematically tested. The main goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a virtual environment (VE) for learning a complex procedure in the biomedical domain. Two experiments were performed. The first one assessed internal validity...

In the last decades, the industry has profoundly integrated the use of digital resources in their production process. However, these assets are rarely re-used for the training of the users, operators and technicians that have to interact with these objects. Furthermore, although training and learning environments are classical applications of virtu...

Cet article présente un travail de recherche qui vise à améliorer les agents conversationnels animés ayant un comportement de tuteur, en les munissant de la capacité à générer des rétroactions, en anglais feedbacks, lors d'interactions pédagogiques avec des apprenants. Les feedback de l'agent virtuel et l'interprétation des feedbacks de l'utilisate...

This paper introduces a new research work that aims to improve embodied conversational agents with tutor behavior by endowing them with the capability to generate feedback in pedagogical interactions with learners. The virtual agent feedback and the interpretation of the user’s feedback are based on the knowledge of the environment (informed virtua...

This research work aims to define a model for real-time simulation of multimodal and social behavior of virtual agents when interacting with a learner in an informed virtual environment. We present the main ideas of a cognitive feedback model based on the knowledge of the environment.

The EAST (Scientific and technical learning environments) project aims at stimulating the interest of young people for science through virtual reality environments, based on professional industrial assets. Although training and learning environments are classical applications of virtual reality, the design of these environments is generally ad hoc,...

The convergence of technologies currently observed in the field of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, robotics and consumer electronic reinforces the trend of new applications appearing every day. But when transferring knowledge acquired from research to businesses, research laboratories are often at a loss because of a lack of knowledge of the de...

Le projet EAST (Environnements d’apprentissage scientifiques et techniques), retenu par le ministère de l’éducation nationale dans le cadre du second volet e-éducation du programme national investissements d'avenir, ambitionne de redonner de l’intérêt aux jeunes pour les sciences et de revaloriser l’enseignement professionnel et technologique, grâc...

L’objectif général de cette étude est l’élaboration de recommandations ergonomiques relatives au guidage de l’apprenant lors de son apprentissage en environnement virtuel (EVAH). Après avoir évalué l’utilité de l’environnement virtuel pour l’apprentissage d’une procédure de lancement de tests sanguins, deux expériences ont été menées afin de déterm...

La communication proposée rend compte des premiers résultats d’une recherche en cours, menée dans le cadre d’un projet labellisé par Cap Digital, retenu par le ministère de l’Education Nationale et financé au titre du programme national « Investissements d’avenir », le projet EAST. Cette recherche vise à répondre aux questions suivantes : Quelle mé...

Cet article présente une application basée sur l'instrument de diagnostic STA-R®. Cette application utilisant la réalité virtuelle a pour but la formation de professionnels de santé. Son efficacité a été prouvée à travers plusieurs expérimentations évaluant la possibilité d'apprendre une procédure à l'aide de cet environnement virtuel et de la tran...

Bien qu’il existe de nombreux travaux sur les critères d’évaluation ergonomique afin de « concevoir et réaliser des interfaces hommes-machine pour un travail efficace » (Long, 1989), il n’existe pas aujourd’hui de démarche universelle régissant la conception et le développement d’interfaces de formation. Parmi les principaux modèles d’évaluation er...

Training to learn the use and maintenance of biomedical devices have various constraints. In order to complete these trainings, we proposed to use virtual reality based on pedagogical scenarios and Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). In this paper, we first established the existing pedagogical scenario models and ITS. Subsequently we presented our...

La question du transfert est fondamentale pour les environnements virtuels (EV) de formation. Si leur objectif premier est l’acquisition de nouvelles connaissances exécutables, ils ne sont réellement utiles que si ces connaissances sont réutilisables dans un autre contexte que celui du virtuel, le contexte réel (Butterfield et Nelson, 1989 ; Lalibe...

Procedural learning is a complex learning situation that may induce a high cognitive load. At the beginning of learning, individuals have to transform declarative knowledge, from instructions being consulted, to procedural knowledge through the development of several levels of mental representations (Kieras & Bovair, 1986; Bovair & Kieras, 1991) in...

L’objectif du travail de recherche présenté ici est d’évaluer l’utilité d’un environnement virtuel pour l’apprentissage d’une procédure de lancement de tests sanguins sur un automate d’analyses biologiques. Pour cela deux études ont été menées. La première évalue l’utilité par le biais d’une tâche de rappel de la procédure sept jours après son appr...

The convergence of technologies currently observed in the field of VR, AR, robotics and consumer electronic reinforces the trend of new applications appearing every day. But when transferring knowledge acquired from research to businesses, research laboratories are often at a loss because of a lack of knowledge of the design and integration process...

The design process for a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) such as that put forward in the SIFORAS project (SImulation FOR training and ASsistance) means that system specifications can be differentiated from pedagogical specifications. System specifications can also be obtained directly from the specialists' expertise; that is to say directly from...

The various existing agent models do not cover all the possible uses we consider for virtual reality applications. In this paper, we present an agent metamodel (Behave) based on an environment metamodel (Veha). This metamodel allows defining agents and organizing teams of agents in a virtual environment. The use of this metamodel is illustrated by...

This study is concerned with semantic modelling of virtual environments (VEs). A semantic model of a VE provides an abstract and high level representation of main aspects of the environment: ontological structures, behaviours and interactions of entities, etc. Furthermore, such a semantic model can be explored by artificial agents to exhibit human-...

Recent cultural heritage applications have been based on rich-content virtual environment (VE), in which virtual humans can communicate with visitors and other agents using natural language (NL). The conceptualisation of these dialogues are dependent on the contents of the application. Hence, we propose to use the semantic modelling of the VE and t...

Many Virtual Reality (VR) applications, such as Virtual Learning Environments or Interactive Virtual Tours, are based on a rich se-mantic description of the environment and tasks that users have to perform. These applications are built upon Virtual Environments (VEs) in which artificial agents act autonomously while interacting in realtime with use...

Spatial objects and relationships between them, compose a spatial model that is the backbone of virtual environments (VEs). However, due to the natural complexity of both spatial objects and spatial information, the modeling of such spatial relationships is still a difficult task. This paper presents a novel approach for representing semantic spati...

The context of this research is the creation of human learning environments using virtual reality. We propose the integration of a generic and adaptable intelligent tutoring system (Pegase) into a virtual environment. The aim of this environment is to instruct the learner, and to assist the instructor. The proposed system is created using a multi-a...

Virtual environments constitute the support platform for various teaching and learning activities. Instead of a local application for this purpose, this paper explores the effects of using distributed virtual reality environments in the educational process. The architecture of the presented system is based on the recently developed web-based techno...

This work takes place in the framework of the design of a training environment using virtual reality. In this context, we defend the thesis that it is possible to integrate a generic and adaptive intelligent tutoring system (called PEGASE) in a virtual environment, in order to provide pedagogical aid for the learner and pedagogical assistance for t...

VEHA (Virtual Environment supporting Human Activities) is a metamodel for informed and structured virtual environments, defined as an extension of UML 2.1. VEHA aims to define domain-specific models of virtual environments (platform independant models), which can afterwards be executed on different virtual reality platforms. VEHA is used for modell...

This study focuses on the notion of erroneous actions realized by human learners in Virtual Environments for Training. Our principal objective is to develop an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) suggesting pedagogical assistances to the hu-man teacher. For that, the ITS must obviously detect and classify erroneous actions produced by learners during...

This paper focuses on learning scenario modeling for Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLE). Learning scenario models used in computer-supported learning environments are usually not able to describe educational activities implying interaction of learners with a virtual environment. In this paper, we propose an IMS-LD extension making it poss...

This study concerns virtual environments for training in operational conditions. The principal developed idea is that these environments are heterogeneous and open multi-agent systems. The MASCARET model is proposed to organize the interactions between agents and to provide them reactive, cognitive and social abilities to simulate the physical and...

To provide for its needs, the French Navy plans to build a second aircraft carrier. With this intention, the navy draws up a list of its functional requirements and delegates to DCNS the development of the technical specifications focusing on the fact that the ship fulfills those requirements. The principal difficulty lies in the specification of t...

In the following, by considering the communication and the interaction within collaborative multi-cultural virtual environments as the most important motivational dimensions of user (children in particular) experience, we discuss the use of two metaphors, the virtual theater and the virtual classroom, in order to support collaborative learning. The...

This study concerns virtual environments for training in operational conditions. The principal developed idea is that these environments are heterogeneous and open multi-agent systems. The MASCARET model is proposed to organize the interactions between agents and to provide them reactive, cognitive and social abilities to simulate the physical and...

In the framework of decisional behaviour training within collaborative procedures, we define the implementation, by the way of agents, of basic models of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). The objective is to assist a teacher to take pedagogical decision, suggesting pedagogical assistances. Considering information on the learner and on the simulat...

This study concerns virtual environments for training in operational conditions. The principal developed idea is that these environments are heterogeneous and open multi-agent systems. The MASCARET model is proposed to organize the interactions between agents and to provide them reactive, cognitive and social abilities to simulate the physical and...

The goal of this project is to build a virtual reality platform to educate fire fighters officers. Virtual reality allows to immerse users (teacher and learners) in a universe where the physical environment and human actors behavior are simulated. We propose an architecture where everything is an agent: reactive agents (natural phenomena), cognitiv...

This article describes how to use MASCARET model, a multiagent system for virtual environment for training (VET), to help for firemen training. This VET, called SecuReVi is designed for officers. They have to manage and order teams to solve incidents that they can't have in real situation for training exercises. In this environment the learner has...

This study concerns virtual environments for training in operationnal conditions. The principal developed idea is that these environments are heterogeneous and open multiagent systems. The MASCARET model is proposed to organize the interactions between agents and to give them reactives, cognitives and socials abilities to simulate the physical and...

This article takes place in the formalization of processes for the development of differentiated virtual environments for training. It defines the implementation, by the way of agents, of basic models of Intelligent Tutoring Systems, considering the training of decisional behaviour within collaborative procedures. It specifies the behavioural and f...