Convergence Accelerator Phase I(RAISE): Empowering Neurodiverse Populations for Employment through Inclusion AI and Innovation Science

融合加速器第一阶段（RAISE）：通过包容性人工智能和创新科学为神经多样化人群提供就业机会

• 批准号: 1936970
• 负责人: Nilanjan Sarkar
• 金额: $ 100万
• 依托单位: Vanderbilt University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2021-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1936970&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Convergence; Accelerator; Phase; RAISE; Empowering

The NSF Convergence Accelerator supports team-based, multidisciplinary efforts that address challenges of national importance and show potential for deliverables in the near future. The broader impact/potential benefit of this Convergence Accelerator Phase I project is to dramatically increase the engagement of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the workforce. While approximately two-thirds of 2.5 million adults with ASD in the US have average intelligence, more than 50% of them remain unemployed or underemployed. Many individuals with ASD have unique capabilities that are in high demand across many job sectors; optimizing workforce engagement for these individuals holds the potential to transform great societal cost into great societal value. This project utilizes convergent expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI), virtual reality, robotics, together with expertise in neuroscience, and behavioral and organizational psychology, to develop intelligent tools and systems to facilitate employment of individuals with ASD that have high potential for rapid commercialization and deployment. Specifically, the proposed research will develop intelligent training systems for interviews and other job relevant social interaction skills for individuals with ASD, and skill assessment tools for employers to enhance recruitment and retention. The entire project is based on the foundational idea that many people with ASD have the potential to participate in the workforce in ways that contribute to society while also sustaining personal success and well-being. This Convergence Accelerator Phase I project presents a comprehensive research plan to create new AI tools, systems, and predictive models, inclusive of employer and stakeholder input, to connect people with ASD to employers via embedded, technologically based, research-informed supports for individuals and organizations alike. For people with ASD, inherent challenges related to social initiation, engagement, and communication impede their adaptive independence, including finding and keeping jobs. This issue has become a top priority of the National Institutes of Health Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. The project involves six convergent, mutually reinforcing research components: (1) a pipeline to employment for people with ASD; (2) an affect-sensitive, closed-loop virtual reality interview training platform to assess and intervene on skill deficits while also gathering aggregate data relevant to employer training; (3) opportunities for home assessment and practice outside of traditional educational settings through the use of AI-agent mediated collaborative virtual environments and (4) closed-loop interactive socially assistive robots; (5) novel computer vision and wearable computing tools for assessment of real-world generalization of skills learned within VR and robotic systems; and (6) customizable, innovative assessment tools using data-driven visual AI to identify strengths, talents, and job-relevant skills.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF融合加速器支持基于团队的多学科努力，这些努力应对国家重要性的挑战，并在不久的将来显示出可交付成果的潜力。 该融合加速器I期项目的更广泛的影响/潜在优势是显着增加自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）在劳动力中的个人的参与。尽管在美国有250万名ASD的成年人中，大约三分之二的人具有平均的情报，但其中超过50％的人仍然失业或就业不足。许多ASD具有独特能力的人在许多工作领域的需求都很高。优化这些人的劳动力参与具有将巨大的社会成本转变为巨大的社会价值的潜力。该项目利用人工智能（AI），虚拟现实，机器人技术以及在神经科学以及行为和组织心理学方面的专业知识来开发智能工具和系统，以促进具有快速商业化和部署潜力的ASD的个人。 具体而言，拟议的研究将开发智能培训系统，用于访谈和其他工作相关的社会互动技能，并为使用ASD的人以及雇主的技能评估工具，以增强招聘和保留。整个项目基于这样的基本思想，即许多ASD的人都有潜力以促进社会的方式参与劳动力，同时还可以维持个人的成功和福祉。该融合加速器I期项目提出了一项全面的研究计划，以创建新的AI工具，系统和预测模型（包括雇主和利益相关者的意见），通过嵌入式，基于技术的，基于技术的，研究信息的支持将ASD的人与雇主与雇主联系起来。对于有ASD的人来说，与社会启动，参与和沟通有关的固有挑战阻碍了他们的适应性独立性，包括寻找和保持工作。这个问题已成为美国国立卫生研究院间自闭症协调委员会的重中之重。该项目涉及六个收敛的，相互加强的研究组成部分：（1）ASD患者就业的管道； （2）情感敏感的，闭环的虚拟现实访谈培训平台，以评估和干预技能不足，同时还收集与雇主培训相关的汇总数据； （3）通过使用AI-Agent Sedied协作虚拟环境和（4）闭环互动社会辅助机器人，在传统教育环境之外进行家庭评估和实践的机会； （5）新型的计算机视觉和可穿戴计算工具，用于评估VR和机器人系统中学到的技能的现实概括； （6）使用数据驱动的视觉AI进行定制的创新评估工具来确定优势，才能和与工作相关的技能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子评估来支持的，并具有更广泛的影响。

项目成果

Design and Validation of a Stress Detection Model for Use with a VR Based Interview Simulator for Autistic Young Adults

与基于 VR 的自闭症年轻人访谈模拟器一起使用的压力检测模型的设计和验证

• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-78092-0_40
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII
• 作者: Migovich, M;Korman, A;Wade, J;Sarkar, N.
• 通讯作者: Sarkar, N.

2D and 3D Visualization of Eye Gaze Patterns in a VR-Based Job Interview Simulator: Application in Educating Employers on the Gaze Patterns of Autistic Candidates

基于 VR 的工作面试模拟器中眼睛注视模式的 2D 和 3D 可视化：在对自闭症候选人的注视模式进行雇主教育中的应用

• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-78092-0_36
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII
• 作者: Breen, M;McClarty, J;Langley, C;Farzidayeri, J;Trevethan, K;Swenson, B;Sarkar, M;Wade, J;Sarkar, N.
• 通讯作者: Sarkar, N.

A Social Robot for Improving Interruptions Tolerance and Employability in Adults with ASD

• DOI: 10.1109/hri53351.2022.9889383
• 发表时间: 2022-03
• 期刊: 2022 17th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
• 作者: Rebecca Ramnauth;Emmanuel Adéníran;Timothy Adamson;Michael A. Lewkowicz;Rohit Giridharan;Caroline Reiner;B. Scassellati