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Virtual environment application that complements the treatment of dyslexia (VEATD) in children

2020 , Buele, Jorge , López, V.M. , Varela Aldas, José , Soria, A. , Palacios-Navarro, G.

The educational disorders that children present at an early age can cause them to not fully develop throughout their lives. In this research work a 3D virtual system that allows the child who has been diagnosed with dyslexia to complement the exercises performed in a conventional therapy is described. To achieve this an application was developed, the app consists of two games (each with three levels of difficulty), and that are part of the rehabilitation program. In each of these games virtual objects are combined with auditory messages to provide the user with an immersive experience, and to train more than one sense at a time. In the first game task, the activity asks the children to correctly locate the syllables that compose a word and for the second activity the children will listen to a word, after the games asks the children to select the correct word. This tool has been tested by a group of children (eight), with ages ranging from 8 to 12 years old, whose development can be supervised at home by their parents, since it is an intuitive and easy to use interface. The results obtained are stored in a database and in this way the medical specialist can monitor the progress of the child throughout his treatment. For the validation of this proposal the SUS usability test was used. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.

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Autonomous Learning Mediated by Digital Technology Processes in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

2020 , Fierro-Saltos W. , Sanz C. , Zangara A. , Guevara Maldonado, César Byron , Arias Flores, Hugo Patricio , Castillo Salazar, David Ricardo , Varela Aldas, José , Borja Galeas, Carlos , Rivera R. , Hidalgo-Guijarro J. , Yandún-Velasteguí M.

The concept of autonomous learning has been resignified in recent years as a result of the expansion of the different types of study. Online education in higher education institutions has become an effective option to increase and diversify opportunities for access and learning, however, high rates of dropout, reprisal and low averages still persist. academic performance. Recent research shows that the problem is accentuated because most students have difficulty self-regulating their own learning process autonomously. From this perspective, the purpose of the study was to examine and analyze, through a systematic review of the literature, on autonomous/self-regulated learning, theoretical models and determine which variables influence a learning process mediated by technology processes in the higher education. The findings indicate that: (1) autonomous learning is a synonym of self-regulation; (2) Pintrich’s self-regulatory model is the most used in digital contexts; and (3) the self-regulatory variables identified are wide and varied. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.

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Virtual Control of a Double Effect Evaporator for Teaching-Learning Processes

2021 , Garcés R.J. , Lomas J.F. , Pilatasig J.G. , Andaluz V.H. , Tutasig A.E. , Zambrano A.S. , Varela Aldas, José

This article presents the control and virtualisation of a double effect evaporator plant oriented to teaching-learning processes. A virtual process with similar characteristics to a real one is implemented using CAD tools and the Unity 3D graphic engine, with the aim of simulating the behaviour of an industrial process, specifically, a double effect evaporator; this allows the behaviour of the process to be evaluated and control manoeuvres to be implemented without putting the safety of the operator or the plant at risk. The result is an interactive and immersive virtual environment between the user and the industrial process. The dynamic modelling of the double effect evaporator is incorporated in the virtual environment, so that the virtual animation is similar to a real process. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Influence of Higher Education on IoT Acceptance through Hands-On Learning

2025 , Varela Aldas, José , Christian Junta , Elias Choque , Guillermo Palacios-Navarro

The Internet of Things (IoT) applications are pervasive across various sectors; however, there remains some resistance to its adoption. Education 4.0 promotes the full integration of new technologies, both as tools for learning and instruments for professional development. This work studies the influence of higher education on the willingness towards IoT adoption after hands-on learning experiences. The primary objective is to determine whether a correlation exists between IoT adoption and the education of university students from three distinct professional degrees. The methodology employed involves a practical class where students engage in developing applications for manual data collection. These applications are designed to send data to the Internet, which is then visualized through a web interface. Tailored to each respective degree, three similar applications are developed. For this research, M5 Stack Core2 kits are utilized, along with UIFLOW programming language and the ThingSpeak platform, operating under the MQTT protocol. Following the training, students complete a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) survey for IoT. The analysis of the influence of higher education on IoT acceptance employs ANOVA to identify differences between group means. The results reveal statistically significant differences in IoT acceptance between students in Industrial and Architecture degrees.

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Electric Monitoring System for Residential Customers Using Wireless Technology

2022 , Buele, Jorge , Morales-Sánchez J.C. , Varela Aldas, José , Palacios-Navarro G. , Ayala-Chauvin, Manuel Ignacio

Power grids continue to develop and it is increasingly difficult to guarantee the quality of service offered to the user. In several developing countries, consumption is calculated on the basis of visual inspection, which is prone to errors. Consequently, this document outlines the construction of electrical consumption telemetering equipment. This is designed to reduce human error through manual measures and have a web backup that can be accessed from anywhere. To develop the prototype voltage and current sensors are used, and the signal is conditioned for the control stage. The processing unit is the Arduino Mega embedded board, which incorporates a GPRS Shield (General Packet Radio Services) that handles communication with a LAMP server (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) connected to the Internet. It also incorporates a block of connection and disconnection of the electrical service that would leave the whole house without service. Two functionalities are used to present the data, one is local on the LCD display of the equipment installed in the home (user) and the second is remote access to a website (server). The results show that in comparison with a standard voltage device it presents an error of 0.28% and 4.12% in current. In this way, the use of this prototype for real-time monitoring of electricity consumption is validated, since it works similarly to a conventional one. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Impact of Distributed Energy Resources with Photovoltaic Self-Consumption on an Electrical Distribution Network

2024 , Pedro Torres , Kevin López-Eugenio , Varela Aldas, José

The sustainability of electrical distribution networks is essential for ensuring reliable supply and minimizing environmental impact. This study focuses on analyzing the impact of Distributed Energy Resources with photovoltaic selfconsumption systems on a real electrical distribution network, aiming to identify the benefits and challenges these systems present. The methodology employed includes collecting energy consumption data, selecting candidates for the implementation of photovoltaic systems, and modeling and simulating load flows using CYMDIST software. Data collection was carried out in an electric utility company in Ecuador, identifying users with the highest probability of adopting these systems. Subsequently, the photovoltaic systems were modeled in the electrical network, and the technical impacts were evaluated. The results show that the integration of photovoltaic systems alleviates the load on the distribution network, decreases energy losses, and facilitates a more flexible and adaptive management of energy demand. Finally, it is concluded that photovoltaic systems are expected to be a strong base for the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient electricity system

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Dynamics of a Unicycle-Type Wheeled Mobile Manipulator Robot

2020 , Varela Aldas, José , Chicaiza, F.A. , Andaluz V.H.

Mathematical modeling is widely used in robotics to display behaviors and design control algorithms; the dynamic model of a robot describes the movements considering the action of internal and external forces of the system. This paper presents the dynamics of a unicycle mobile manipulator robot using the Euler-Lagrange proposal and conditioning the model to obtain the output velocities in the robot from the desired velocities. Additionally, the dynamic model is complemented by the identification of parameters using experimental data obtained from the AKASHA robot. The results present the signals applied in the identification, the values of the dynamic constants are found and the validation data which indicate a correct performance of the proposal are graphically shown. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Salty Taste Intensity Classifier Through Multivariate Analysis

2022 , Fuentes E.M. , Varela Aldas, José , Verdú S. , Grau Meló R. , Barat J.M. , Alcañiz M.

Voltammetric electronic Tongues (VET) are widely used on the industry, especially when focused on sample classification, adulteration recognizement and quality control, a VET equipment developed by the Interuniversity Institute of Molecular Recognition and Technological Development of the UPV-UV (IDM) was employed to develop the study, the results of each test were 7920 data, and different Chloride of Sodium concentrations such as 1.25 mM, 2.5 mM, 5 mM and 10 mM were tested. This is a part of a series of studies related with basic flavor recognize though VET, so the aim of this work was to study the capability of the VET to recognize different intensity of salt concentrations, supported on multivariate analysis. The results showed a concordance of more than 70.31% in the separation of samples, allowing to conclude as acceptable the performance of the classifier and the data acquired through the voltammetric electronic tongues. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

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Effects of a dual intervention (motor and virtual reality-based cognitive) on cognition in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial

2024 , Buele, Jorge , Avilés-Castillo, Fátima , Carolina Del-Valle-Soto , Varela Aldas, José , Guillermo Palacios-Navarro

Abstract Background The increase in cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) underlines the urgency of finding effective methods to slow its progression. Given the limited effectiveness of current pharmacological options to prevent or treat the early stages of this deterioration, non-pharmacological alternatives are especially relevant. Objective To assess the effectiveness of a cognitive-motor intervention based on immersive virtual reality (VR) that simulates an activity of daily living (ADL) on cognitive functions and its impact on depression and the ability to perform such activities in patients with MCI. Methods Thirty-four older adults (men, women) with MCI were randomized to the experimental group (n = 17; 75.41 ± 5.76) or control (n = 17; 77.35 ± 6.75) group. Both groups received motor training, through aerobic, balance and resistance activities in group. Subsequently, the experimental group received cognitive training based on VR, while the control group received traditional cognitive training. Cognitive functions, depression, and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) were assessed using the Spanish versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-S), the Short Geriatric Depression Scale (SGDS-S), and the of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL-S) before and after 6-week intervention (a total of twelve 40-minutes sessions). Results Between groups comparison did not reveal significant differences in either cognitive function or geriatric depression. The intragroup effect of cognitive function and geriatric depression was significant in both groups (p < 0.001), with large effect sizes. There was no statistically significant improvement in any of the groups when evaluating their performance in ADLs (control, p = 0.28; experimental, p = 0.46) as expected. The completion rate in the experimental group was higher (82.35%) compared to the control group (70.59%). Likewise, participants in the experimental group reached a higher level of difficulty in the application and needed less time to complete the task at each level. Conclusions The application of a dual intervention, through motor training prior to a cognitive task based on Immersive VR was shown to be a beneficial non-pharmacological strategy to improve cognitive functions and reduce depression in patients with MCI. Similarly, the control group benefited from such dual intervention with statistically significant improvements. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06313931; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06313931.

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Control of a Security Door Through the Internet of Things

2022 , Toapanta J. , Miranda M. , Andaluz V.H. , Palacios-Navarro G. , Varela Aldas, José

Home security has increased in recent years with the help of technology. Even more, the appearance of the internet of things (IoT) allows it to control and monitor devices from anywhere in the world. This work develops a proposal that alerts the user about the status of a door through a mobile application using low-cost devices. For the electronic design, a magnetic contact sensor has been used that detects if the door is open. An electric lock is also used to control the door with the mobile application from anywhere in the user. The electronic system is based on an ESP32 board that has WiFi communication, this board sends the door status data to the mobile application. The electric lock can be activated in three ways: manually from the door, automatically according to a programmed routine, and remotely using the mobile app. The platform used for the IoT is Firebase, which allows the exchange of information between the local site and the remote site. The tests carried out around the prototype have responded correctly, the installed sensor continuously reports on the status of the door, and the control is executed according to the orders sent through the cloud. In addition, an acceptance test is used that guarantees the correct operation of the proposal. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.