Abstract
Human beings have developed a number of evolutionary mechanisms that allows the distinction between different objects and the triggering of events based on their perception of reality. Visual impairment has a significant impact on individuals' quality of life, including their ability to work and to develop personal relationships as they often feel cut off people and things around them, due to their impairment. The need for assistive technologies has long been a constant in the daily lives of people with visual impairments, and will remain a constant in future years. Cognitive mapping is of extreme importance for individuals in terms of creating a conceptual model of the surrounding space and objects around them, thereby supporting their interaction with the physical environment. This work describes the use of computer vision techniques, namely feature detectors and descriptors, to detect objects in the scene and help contextualize the user within the surrounding space, enhancing their mobility, navigation and cognitive mapping of a new environment.

Abstract
Three dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW) have experienced a large growth in number of users, and are being used for collaboration activities. In parallel, the research field of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) has developed taxonomies to classify systems that support collaboration. However, the CSCW perspective presents a bias towards traditional user interface paradigms, whose affordances are quite distinct from those of 3DVW, which include features such as the spatial environment, embodiment, and their dynamics. These are features which are regarded as significant factors in the research field of Presence, and yet, in our opinion, are not well appreciated from the perspective of CSCW analysis. Because of this, we question of the ability of CSCW taxonomies to properly describe the collaboration characteristics of 3DVW. By "properly", we mean to say that 3DVW bring to fore collaboration characteristics that are in fact distinctive of them as collaboration tools, impacting collaboration in ways that are seldom found in usual groupware, and yet CSCW taxonomies do not distinguish them. We posit that these features should be contemplated in CSCW taxonomies and their usefulness taken into account in the development of future systems that aim to support collaboration.

Abstract
Learning Management Systems (LMS) provide minimal support for educational use of virtual worlds. Integration efforts assume the educators are inside the virtual world, providing hooks to services in the external LMS, to setup and manage virtual world activities. We present the inverse approach, enabling educators to setup and manage virtual world activities using the traditional LMS Web interface as an integral part of the overall educational activities of a course. In our approach, the LMS enables the teacher/trainer to setup, control, track, and store virtual world activities and its elements. It is the result of a joint effort by academic and corporate teams, implemented in the Formare LMS for OpenSimulator and Second Life Grid virtual world platforms. We explain how the Multis architecture can be used for integration, with concrete cases, an approach that can be implemented in other LMS and virtual world platforms, to overcome the limitations of existing systems for organizational management of e-learning activities.

Abstract
There is a demand for new models of computation intelligence for the recognition of the environment and the obstacles in each moment and the sharing of this information with other users providing temporary dangers notifications, which can enhance blind navigation experience and autonomy. We identified an opportunity to contribute with an integrated strategy to develop a solution to improve the blind autonomy and quality of life. We are looking for solutions to problems that have emerged from the accumulated experience in blind navigation systems research. The main objective of this paper is to present a conceptual model that works based on data obtained from sensors on passive monitoring, worn by bystanders that can combine and correlate the inference patterns that match the obstacles and/or dangers. The model has retro-feedback mechanisms, allowing the sensors to search and pervasively validate the existence of obstacle, ensuring the temporary basis of these risks.

Abstract
In this paper an accessible Web application that uses icons instead of text to performed YouTube video search, called SAMi, is presented. With this iconic interaction Web application (SAMi), we aimed to develop universal access on the Web, by presenting an alternative way of Web search (without using text); to be a starting point for the definition of an accessible interaction metaphor, based on universal design iconography for digital environments; and ultimately, to contribute to the democratization of access to the Web for all users, regardless of the degree of literacy. The main results obtained with the user test evaluation were: first-rate performance, higher satisfaction and total autonomy in their interaction with SAMi.

Abstract
Gesture-controlled applications typically are tied to specific gestures, and also tied to specific recognition methods and specific gesture-detection devices. We propose a concern-separation architecture, which mediates the following concerns: gesture acquisition; gesture recognition; and gestural control. It enables application developers to respond to gesture-independent commands, recognized using plug-in gesture-recognition modules that process gesture data via both device-dependent and device-independent data formats and callbacks. Its feasibility is demonstrated with a sample implementation.