Real-Time Robotic Presentation Skill Scoring Using Multi-Model Analysis and Fuzzy Delphi-Analytic Hierarchy Process.

Existing methods for scoring student presentations predominantly rely on computer-based implementations and do not incorporate a robotic multi-classification model. This limitation can result in potential misclassification issues as these approaches lack active feature learning capabilities due to fixed camera positions. Moreover, these scoring methods often solely focus on facial expressions and neglect other crucial factors, such as eye contact, hand gestures and body movements, thereby leading to potential biases or inaccuracies in scoring. To address these limitations, this study introduces Robotics-based Presentation Skill Scoring (RPSS), which employs a multi-model analysis. RPSS captures and analyses four key presentation parameters in real time, namely facial expressions, eye contact, hand gestures and body movements, and applies the fuzzy Delphi method for criteria selection and the analytic hierarchy process for weighting, thereby enabling decision makers or managers to assign varying weights to each criterion based on its relative importance. RPSS identifies five academic facial expressions and evaluates eye contact to achieve a comprehensive assessment and enhance its scoring accuracy. Specific sub-models are employed for each presentation parameter, namely EfficientNet for facial emotions, DeepEC for eye contact and an integrated Kalman and heuristic approach for hand and body movements. The scores are determined based on predefined rules. RPSS is implemented on a robot, and the results highlight its practical applicability. Each sub-model is rigorously evaluated offline and compared against benchmarks for selection. Real-world evaluations are also conducted by incorporating a novel active learning approach to improve performance by leveraging the robot's mobility. In a comparative evaluation with human tutors, RPSS achieves a remarkable average agreement of 99%, showcasing its effectiveness in assessing students' presentation skills.

Rise of multiattribute decision-making in combating COVID-19: A systematic review of the state-of-the-art literature.

Considering the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the government and health sectors are incapable of making fast and reliable decisions, particularly given the various effects of decisions on different contexts or countries across multiple sectors. Therefore, leaders often seek decision support approaches to assist them in such scenarios. The most common decision support approach used in this regard is multiattribute decision-making (MADM). MADM can assist in enforcing the most ideal decision in the best way possible when fed with the appropriate evaluation criteria and aspects. MADM also has been of great aid to practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, MADM shows resilience in mitigating consequences in health sectors and other fields. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the rise of MADM techniques in combating COVID-19 by presenting a systematic literature review of the state-of-the-art COVID-19 applications. Articles on related topics were searched in four major databases, namely, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, from the beginning of the pandemic in 2019 to April 2021. Articles were selected on the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the identified systematic review protocol, and a total of 51 articles were obtained after screening and filtering. All these articles were formed into a coherent taxonomy to describe the corresponding current standpoints in the literature. This taxonomy was drawn on the basis of four major categories, namely, medical (n = 30), social (n = 4), economic (n = 13) and technological (n = 4). Deep analysis for each category was performed in terms of several aspects, including issues and challenges encountered, contributions, data set, evaluation criteria, MADM techniques, evaluation and validation and bibliography analysis. This study emphasised the current standpoint and opportunities for MADM in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and promoted additional efforts towards understanding and providing new potential future directions to fulfil the needs of this study field.