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Emerging augmented reality and tangible user interface techniques offer great opportunities towards delivering rich, interactive prototypes in product development. However, as most of these are evaluated outside the complexity of. Design practice, little is known about the impact of these prototypes on the resulting product or the process. As a part of a larger multiple-case study approach, this study attempts to explore cues to characterize and improve the design practice of information appliances by performing a retrospective case study. The development of a handheld digital oscilloscope was chosen as an exemplar, embodying complexity in both form giving, interaction and engineering aspects. Although some of the employed techniques have grown obsolete, reflection on this development project still forecasts interesting and useful issues that should be considered while developing new design support methods and techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In development of a handy information device, for example, a smart phone, the repetition of prototyping, evaluating and correcting are indispensable for ensuring stability of grasp, operationality and non-fragility. Because those properties are not able to be evaluated by common digital product development systems. In addition, operationality of these products greatly changes by shape of product, arrangement of buttons, output of implemented programmes etc. However, there is no system that makes the user evaluate efficiently and totally such a product. Therefore, the goal of this research is to develop the augmented reality system with the tangible interface that can tactually present the outline shape of the product model for efficiently product development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a pilot study to investigate participants' perceptions of usefulness and usability of our developed Plant Mixed Reality System (PMRS), designed for primary school children (11-12 years old). Preliminary results seemed to indicate participants' intention to use PMRS for learning. The paper concludes with a discussion on how the findings were used to formulate a second study based on the Technology Acceptance Model, and discuss implications on intention to use and acceptance of mixed reality systems for education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a 3D plant morpha modeling method based on projection image, and analyzes the influence calibration error on the precision of reconstruction. Mini-section algorithm and Ball B-spline are used to extract the skeleton of the reconstructed image and to fit the meshes respectively. The experiment shows that this method is high-speed and robust, and the reconstructed root, branch, haulm that are columnar is very vivid,. So it indicates that we can achieve a simple and practical plant modeling method that transforms image of entities to surface meshes of plant. And it is helpful for plant morpha digitization and visualization in agriculture digital museum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a new immersive first-person shooting (FPS) game. Our system provides an intuitive way for the users to interact with the virtual world by physically moving around the real world and aiming freely with tangible objects. This encourages physical interaction between the players as they compete or collaborate with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses methods of implementing 3D simulation technology of the cultural relics, brings forward 3D simulation technology to implement high-quality, high-precision and vivid texture of the ancient cultural relics by adopting range laser 3D scanner and CCD cameras; suggests the automatic registry methods of 3D laser scanning data, which can make 3D laser scanning data with different viewpoints as well as different resolutions into the same coordinate, so as to achieve the high-precision 3D cultural relic models; proposes to take the reflectivity map of 3D laser scanner as middle reference to realize the accurate mapping of planar images and 3D laser scanning data, so as to obtain simulated cultural relics with vivid texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Showing pictures of famous artists to students is a fundamental task to teach fine art history. Images found on the Internet are a major resource of such pictures that can replace older albums of fine art collections. The colours reproduced in Internet images are, however, in many instances not correct. Images have been collected both from museums' publications and from the Internet, and some critical areas of the images have been colorimetrically evaluated. Investigations have shown that in some databases the colours of the images are highly distorted. Before using pictures from one or the other database, one should compare the reproductions downloadable from different sources, and select - according to the aesthetic feeling of the user - the artefact that one can assume to come nearest to the original. It is a great pity that the artefacts in the databases are not accompanied with the necessary background information (metadata) that would provide some information on the taking illumination, the spectral sensitivity and gamma of the taking apparatus, and of any transformations the provider has performed. Without this information that is quite common in other areas of image databases, the user is unable to set the reproduction parameters of his or her equipment to get to a reasonable reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in clinical and research applications of virtual reality (VR). However, the adoption of this approach is still limited by the high costs of software development, lack of technical expertise among end-users, and the difficulty of adapting the contents of the virtual environments (VEs). To address these needs, we have designed and developed NeuroVR, (http://www.neurovr.org), a cost-free virtual reality platform based on open-source software components. NeuroVR allows non-expert users to easily customize a VE by using a set of pre-designed virtual scenes, and to run them in an immersive or non-immersive modality. In this paper, we provide a description of the key functional features of the platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tangible Moyangsung is a collaborative virtual heritage environment that employs tangible interfaces to encourage group social interaction and cooperation. It is designed for a group of users to play fortification games for reconstructing a Korean war-defensive castle in virtual reality. This paper describes a historical background and cultural meanings of Moyangsung, and details in design, implementation and a user study of the Tangible Moyangsung system. The study results showed that collaborative work using tangible interfaces helped users to be more engaged in the task and learn cooperation to produce better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive 3D computer graphics technology is now extremely popular, seen in the increasing interest in and use of 3D digitization of cultural heritage contents. This paper introduces a digital interactive cultural heritage system which embeds Virtual-Reality (VR) technology within the Peranakan culture, the Peranakan culture being a Singaporean unique ethnic culture. A prototype has undergone the full developmental process of being implemented, tested, and evaluated. This paper will also discuss the results of the usability test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic buildings are important to many aspects of human, but most buildings are not protected well. The natural and man-made calamities are major destruction. The destruction of natural and some man-made destruction are unable to avoid. The laws about the preservation of historic building are too passive, because they need a lot of time to establish identity. But before the historic buildings establish identity and between the official documents make a round trip, the buildings are destroyed constantly. To face such problem, we are necessary to suggest new preservation concepts to assist preservation of historic building. Due to development of computer, we can protect the data of historic building by digitization. In this case, I will use virtools to do an interface to help people to build the buildings in the virtual reality. Making everyone can protect the historic buildings by it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We summarize three evaluations of an educational augmented reality application for geometry education, which have been conducted in 2000, 2003 and 2005 respectively. Repeated formative evaluations with more than 100 students guided the redesign of the application and its user interface throughout the years. We present and discuss the results regarding usability and simulator sickness providing guidelines on how to design augmented reality applications utilizing head-mounted displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we apply augmented reality to provide pottery design experiences to the user. Augmented reality offers natural 3D interaction, a tangible interface, and integration into the real environment. In addition, certain modeling techniques impossible in the real world can be realized as well. Using our AR system, the user can create a pottery model by deforming a virtual pottery displayed on a marker with another marked held by the user's hand. This interaction style allows the user to experience the traditional way of pottery making. Also provided are six interaction modes to facilitate the design process and an intuitive switching technique using occlusion-based interface. The AR pottery system can be used for virtual pottery prototyping and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an optical see-through (OST) Augmented Reality (AR) system for the treatment of phobia to small animals. Our group has already presented two AR systems for this treatment. The first system was a video see-through (VST) AR system. The second one was a markerless AR system. And now, we present a third version using an OST approach. To check whether the OST AR system is more or less effective than the OST AR system, we have carried out an experiment comparing both systems. In this paper we focus on the anxiety level of participants during the experiment. Results show that both systems provoke anxiety in participants even if they do not have fear to cockroaches/spiders. OST AR system provokes slightly more anxiety than the VST AR system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Videodope is an interactive digital environment that is meant to show the short-, medium- and long-run effects of psychoactive substances on the human organism. Its purpose is to increase the users' knowledge of these effects, which is often based on misconceptions and legends, and to provide a feedback on their level of information, with preventive purposes. These kind of educational games have the advantage of being more persistent, ubiquitous, informative, anonymous and multi-medial than a normal lecture. However, they have to be perceived as credible and plausible to the user in order to be persuasive, especially since the target is constituted of young people familiar both with the technology and with the subject. In this paper, we will describe the process of designing and evaluating the videogame in the field, as well as the insights provided by the participants who took part to the evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a concept of augmented reality haptics close to its vision equivalent, namely the blending of information between direct input, measured in the real world, with virtual ones, computed from a VR simulation, related to the explored real world. Hence, we propose blending functions enabling the transition of haptic features, applied for forces and for position switch. Finally, to demonstrate our concept, a tele-operative system dedicated to the tele-touch-diagnosis, is presented and used for scenarios of comparison between real and virtual objects as well as experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method for cultural heritage exhibition. A design scheme of multi-projection screens based digital storytelling system for the Grand Canal Museum in China is introduced. The task of this system is to exhibit a famous Chinese painting on a large display wall dynamically. In order to display this painting in a large display wall, the painting have to be repainted with very high resolution and segmented into many smaller tiles for being projected onto the large wall. Additionally, in order to make this static painting attractive and charming, the technology of digital storytelling is used. So a script called water transportation story is composed elaborately by us to show the magnificent scene along the Grand Canal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) are no longer just games. "Metaverses," a variant of these games, which include Second Life and Active Worlds, represent some of the most immersive, interactive possibilities for learning, simulation, and digital design in use today. They also increasingly blur distinctions between work and play, as well as user and designer, prompting questions about the nature and practice of virtual design, that is, design that is practiced inside virtual reality by and on 3D avatars. This paper describes results from a qualitative study of collaborative design practices within Second Life, a popular metaverse and design environment. We analyze design processes, including the artifacts that avatar-designer create and use in the design activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving simulator is an important facility for driving safety study. This paper introduced three well-know large-scale moving-base driving simulators and two fixed-base simulators. Driving simulator has a broad range of applications of driving safety study, from driver's behavior study to vehicle device and technology study, the paper reviewed seven main research aspects including behavior study, driver education and training, transportation infrastructure, medicine and therapy, ergonomics, Intelligent Transportation System, and administrative method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an integrated virtual assembly simulation experiment environment of interactive workplace planning, assembly process simulation and ergonomics evaluation is built and it provides a new ways and means for interactive and visualized workplace design and process planning. A simple and effective method of measuring the movement manipulating data of operator is presented and can provide data source for ergonomics evaluation of the operator. In order to obtain these data in VE, movement data of the operator in real environment is transformed into VE and is related with virtual objects by the corresponding relation between VH and real hand (RH). Based on these data, the operator's fatigue index and energy consumption can be calculated. The conformability and fatigue of users for repetitive assembly operations are quantitatively evaluated to reduce the health problems of operators because of unreasonable layout and repetitive work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to get better rendering effect, we proposed a wavelet transform based image enhancement algorithm for real time multi-resolution texture mapping in this paper. In this algorithm, we proposed a concept of weighted pyramid. Texture images to be synthesized are weighted enhanced by wavelet transform. Comparing with original ones, the edges in this image is much clearer and the contrast of this image is more evident. And when dealing with the maps with their particular characteristics, we also proposed some method for algorithm improvement. By using this method, current multi-resolution texture mapping method will be much more improved. It can give us a more realistic and efficient rendering effect by using lower resolution image to replace higher resolution one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce an innovative application designed to make collaborative design review in the architectural and automotive domain more effective. For this purpose we present a system architecture which combines variety of visualization displays such as high resolution multi-tile displays, TabletPCs and head-mounted displays with innovative 2D and 3D Interaction Paradigms to better support collabo rative mobile mixed reality design reviews. Our research and development is motivated by two use scenarios: automotive and architectural design review involving real users from Page\Park architects and FIAT Elasis. Our activities are supported by the EU IST project IMPROVE aimed at developing advanced display techniques, fostering activities in the areas of: optical see-through HMD development using unique OLED technology, marker-less optical tracking, mixed reality rendering, image calibration for large tiled displays, collaborative tablet-based and projection wall oriented interaction and stereoscopic video streaming for mobile users. The paper gives an overview of the hardware and software developments within IMPROVE and concludes with results from first user tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the VTT PLAMOS (Plant Model Services for Mobile Process Maintenance Engineer) project new tools were developed for modern maintenance work carried out in industrial plants by either the plant personnel or personnel of an industrial service provider. To formulate the requirements for new tools the work of a maintenance man was studied with a particular method, the Core-Task Analysis which has its roots in study and development of work in complex settings. The aim was to develop and create concepts for novel tools that would support the development of good work practices in a situation where the work is concurrently undergoing several transformations. Hence, the new tools should have potential to enable and affect new ways of working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aircraft maintenance and inspection is a complex system wherein humans play a key role in ensuring the worthiness of the aircraft. Traditional visual inspection training consisted mainly of on-the-job training (OJT). While OJT provides novice inspectors with the hands-on experience critical to effective transfer, it lacks the ability to provide real-time feedback and exposure to various scenarios in which to inspect. With advances in technology, computer simulators have been developed to train the novice inspector and reduce the learning curve inherent with transitioning from the classroom to the workforce. Advances in graphics and virtual reality (VR) technology have allowed for an increase the sense of involvement in using these simulators. Though these simulators are effective, their deployment in aircraft maintenance training schools is limited by the high cost of VR equipment. This research investigates the effectiveness of different interaction devices for providing projector based simulated aircraft maintenance inspection training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how a ‘learning‘ algorithm can be added to UGV's by giving it the ability to test the terrain through ‘feeling‘ using incorporated sensors, which would in turn increase its situational awareness. Once the conditions are measured the system will log the results and a database can be built up of terrain types and their properties (terrain classification), therefore when it comes to operating autonomously in an unknown, unpredictable environment, the vehicle will be able to cope by identifying the terrain and situation and then decide on the best and most efficient way to travel over it by making adjustments, which would greatly improve the vehicles ability to operate autonomously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) based skill training simulators are highly interactive computer systems that allow for training of e.g. manipulation skills. In the most complex domains, such as in surgery, teaching correct manipulation requires expert's judgement and instructions. Video annotation has enabled presentation of explicit principles of manipulation that are highlighted on a recorded demonstration of an expert. In VR, similar annotation methods have been applied even though interactivity of VR allows for novel kinds of representations of annotated data. This paper presents an annotation model and an interface that uses interactivity of VR as an advantage on reading the annotations, which has potential to convey the principles of manipulation through multiple modalities to novices. The design of the model is based on behavioural parameters of the simulation - features which cannot be accessed in the real world. This approach has potential to enhance efficiency of VR simulator based skill training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple and rapid prototyping is important for collaborative design where end users are involved in the design process from the early phase. This paper presents a collaborative design prototyping tool for hardware software integrated information appliances, such as mobile phones and digital cameras. It supports the collaboration between designers and users for identification of user needs and evaluation of design. The tool consists of STCtools (State Transition Chart tools) software, hardware modeling materials, physical user interface toolkits for software hardware integration, and Augmented Reality desk (ARdesk) for interactive simulation. STCtools allow users to prototype the behavioral aspect of information appliances using states and events. Using the hardware modeling materials and the physical user interface toolkit, designers and end-users explore hardware aspects together. ARdesk is a workbench where the interactive sketch display is projected onto an invisible paper marker of the hardware model using the projection based augmented reality technique. Three collaborative design workshops of designing a portable device for theme park users were accomplished with the prototyping tool for qualitative evaluation. The results suggested that the tool supported collaborative design by iterative concept development and active interactions between designers and end users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We simulate the application of facial makeup in 3D by means of multi-sensory interaction which integrates a haptic interface with stereo visual perception. We aim to allow a user to simulate the facial makeup within an immersive virtual environment. To allow interactive 3D makeup process, we start by acquiring surface elements of a face which is enhanced by adjusting its texture and skin tone. Then the user can begin a virtual makeup session using 2D pixel-based paint model by grasping a haptic handle and looking at an auto-stereoscopic display. The use of this model avoids the texture distortion seen in existing 3D painting systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visiting the outer space freely was the human imagination until recently. Virtual environments of the space will be the way for people to "visit" the space to study their motion and interrelationships. This paper assembles a scalable, immersive virtual environment system called the Virtual Space Environment Simulation System (VSESS) that allows users to visualize objects and physical phenomena in near-earth space and provides a brief sketch of the design thinking of such system. The software architecture of the VSESS is designed incorporate the various simulation, analysis and visualization elements of the system into a single, integrated environment. The system employs a VR system with double projector to build immense 3-D environment and applied to some actual space projects and they demonstrate the efficacy of the concept and the processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executing user-test of information appliances costs much due to fabrication of physical functional mockups, the securing of human subjects for the test, and preparation of testing facilities. Results of the user test have to be manually analyzed by usability engineers, and the analysis takes a couple of weeks. In this paper, we propose an integrated software and hardware environment for prototyping and assessing usability of information appliances where the users can operate a user-interface either of a 2D digital mockup or 3D digital mockup or a physical-mockup of the appliance under the test. This function enables engineers to test and evaluate the usability of the appliances both from the cognitive aspect and from the physical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual and Augmented Reality have been widely used in many scientific fields for the last two decades in order to visualize complex data and information. Although both techniques are oriented to show users complex 3D environments by means of an intuitive and easy mechanism, they use to become useless to manipulate the information in an intuitive and realistic way. In this paper, we present SOROLLA, a new concept of workbench designed for virtual and augmented reality purposes and specially oriented to the fields of tele-education and engineering. Unlike other proposals, SOROLLA not only allows an easy utilization and configuration, but also shows a cost-effective immersive visualization system based on off-the-shelf elements. The initial results using our workbench and wall-system show that both efficiency and user satisfaction are higher than the ones obtained using conventional devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Test plays a very important role in manufacturing, but the general practice so far cannot fully meet the demands of flexibility and efficiency required by a fast-changing market. To supply a new and flexible approach to the solution of various complex engineering testing problems, the concept of "VR-based virtual test technology" was put forward in the authors' previous works, which can be regarded as the combination of these three technologies: virtual reality (VR), test technology and computer simulation. This paper is the deepening of the authors' previous works. After elucidating the theoretical model of VR-based virtual test technology, its application in instrument development is discussed, and finally a prototype VR-based instrument development system is given to show the initial effects of the approach. The conclusion is that VR-based virtual test technology can play a very important and active role in testing and instrument development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In emergency operations centers, operators are challenged with managing and analyzing massive amounts of information in a timely manner. With the advent of motion tracking systems and low-cost, high-performance graphics workstations, novel spatial augmented reality (AR) interfaces are becoming technologically feasible. AR interfaces have very unique characteristics as compared to other media and computer interfaces: users interact with the computer system through body motion in a volumetric space, instead of via a two-dimensional surface. We have created three prototype immersive AR computing interfaces for emergency operation center. User interacts with the information using a pair of motion tracked pinch gloves, and information is displayed through a head-tracked optical see-though head mounted display. The emergency operator uses intuitive grab and release gesture to move and manipulate the digital information in the environment analogous to interaction of everyday life objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of computer graphics is greatly increasing its overall performance enabling consequently the implementation of most of the product design process phases into virtual environments. The deriving benefits of using virtual practices in product development have been proved intrinsically highly valuable, since they foster the reduction of time to market, process uncertainty, and the translation of most prototyping activities into the virtual environment. In this paper we present the developed platform in mixed environment for ergonomic validation. Specifically we defined a methodology for testing both aspects related to design and ergonomic validation by allowing the tester to interact visually and physically with the car dashboard control devices and related interface by the mean of a rotatory haptic device. By experimental session it has been highlighted that it is possible gathering qualitative data about the design, and finding typical occlusion problems, but also quantitative data can be collected by testing the infotainment interface and the consequent users' distraction during the device use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some results of a research project aiming at developing haptic tools for virtual shape modeling resembling the real tools like rakes and sandpaper used by modelers and designers in the real workshop. The developed system consists of a CAS (Computer Aided Styling) system enhanced with intuitive designer-oriented interaction tools and modalities. The system requirements have been defined on the basis of the observation of designers during their daily work and translating the way they model shapes using hands and craft tools into specifications for the modeling system based on haptic tools. The haptic tool and the interaction modality developed for exploring and sanding a surface is presented in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the design process of the external form of a product, sketching is applied for creating and embodying idea. Sketches are able to reflect the aesthetic sense of designers the most easily, making them the most efficient design tool. Sketches can be classified into thumbnail sketches, rough sketches, and rendering sketches according to the embodied idea. Rough sketches are used for developing the idea. In this paper, a system to support the rough sketching process and evaluate the designed product shape using 3D models constructed from the rough sketch is described. This system has a function for extracting and generating sketch lines drawn by a designer, a function for interactively modifying sketch lines, and a function for constructing 3D models from rough sketches. In order to support rough sketching, algorithms which automatically extract/generate the desired sketch-lines are proposed and implemented as a system. A method to construct 3D models form sketch lines is also proposed and implemented as a system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of facial expression recognition methods generally use single feature extraction method currently. These methods can not extract effective features for each feature area. A method of facial expression recognition based on hybrid features and fusing discrete HMMs is presented in this paper. In this method, texture feature for the eye area is extracted by using Gabor wavelet transformation, and shape variety feature for the mouth area is extracted by using AAM. In the process of recognition, discrete HMM is adopted for expression recognition in each expression area respectively. The recognition results are fused by means of integrating the probability of each expression in each area with its weight obtained by contribution analysis algorithm, and the final expression is determined as which with the maximal probability. Experiments show that our method can get high recognition rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sums up the previous research on Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) individualization for three-dimensional (3D) virtual auditory display. Papers which involve experiment research, theoretical computation research, and applications of 3D virtual auditory display based on HRTFs have been reviewed. The necessity of HRTF individualization is discussed based on the review of previous experimental comparison between non-individual and individual HRTFs. At last the seven potential methods of individualization of HRTFs are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present evaluation results of an innovative application designed to make collaborative design review in the architectural and automotive domain more effective. Within IMPROVE, a European research project in the area of advanced displays, we are combining high resolution multi-tile displays, TabletPCs and head-mounted displays with innovative 2D and 3D Interaction Paradigms to better support collaborative mobile mixed reality design reviews. Our research and development is motivated by application scenarios in the automotive domain involving FIAT Elasis from Naples, Italy and in the architectural domain involving Page/Park architects from Glasgow, Scotland. User evaluation took place at Glasgow (UK), Naples (ITA) and Darmstadt (GER), where we tested the integrated IMPROVE prototype application. The tests were conducted based on several heuristics such as ergonomics and psychomotorial factors and they were conducted based on guidelines recommended by ISO 9241 to verify whether the developed interfaces were suitable for the applications scenarios. Evaluation results show that there is a strong demand for more interactive design review systems, allowing users greater flexibility and greater choice of input and visualization modalities as well as their combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the effect of global motion combinations on visually induced motion sickness, presenting global motion analyzed from the video movies that induced the VIMS incident in Japan in 2003. The stimulus movie was presented on LC displays, whose size was either 20 or 37 inch with viewing distance of one meter. The results showed that when the extent of pitch and yaw motion was reduced to one third of from the original motion of the movie had larger effect than when other types of motion was reduced the same ratio of extent. This may be related to the fact that the original movie included larger amount of yaw motion. Moreover, we found that the lager display pro-duced larger total scores, and also larger "Disorientation" sub-socres, of SSQ than the smaller display. This may suggest the discomfort for the larger and smaller displays are produced by mainly different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an experiment conducted to study the effects of changing scene color inside a virtual environment on the rated levels of nausea among sixty-four viewers. Current theory on visually induced motion sickness suggests that changing the color of dynamically moving visual stimuli, while keeping everything equals, will not affect the rated sickness symptoms of the viewers. Interestingly, a recent study by another authors reported that color do affect levels of visually induced motion sickness. Preliminary results of this experiment suggest that while exposure duration to the visual stimuli significantly increased the rated levels of nausea and simulator sickness questionnaire scores (p<0.001, ANOVAs), changes of color did not affect the levels of sickness. Reasons for the conflicting results are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the optimization of the mechanical platform of a virtual reality system involving a haptic device, this paper introduces two tools in order to help the designer for obtaining the best positioning of the device respect to the application workspace. With this purpose we have defined a measure called Average Volumetric Manipulability, of how the application workspace fits in with the volume where haptic device provides its best performance. Also, we have defined other measure called Useful Manipulability which takes in account the frequency with which each zone of the application workspace is visited during the simulation process. The practical use of these measures is demonstrated using them during the design and development of a real application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In stereo vision, the measurement of depth perception remains an enigmatic question. On the basis of geometric optics, numerous hypothesis and mathematical formulations have been proposed for explaining the mechanism of depth perception responsible of vertical exaggeration, although none of them have shown to be entirely satisfactory. We believe that stereo vision is not merely determined by geometry elements but also by mental factors that interact through a psychophysical process. Our initial observations refer to stereo-drawings that suggest a logarithmic correlation between real depth (stimulus) and perceptual depth (sensation), according to the psychophysical Fechner's law. On this new approach, experimental data is being obtained in order to determine the Fechner's constant for the sensorial modality of stereo vision, and to establish the logarithmic equation that rules the stereoscopic relationships between real and sensorial space. This equation might involve possibilities for technological developments, and it is the next step of our current research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Navigation is a fundamental task in virtual environments. Some of the metaphors that are used to determine where users want to be placed at each moment are based on physical locomotion. Usually, these techniques require the use of several sensors and complex algorithms. In this paper, we present Super-Feet, a wireless navigation system controlled by natural movements without requiring invasive methods or devices. It uses a low-cost infra-red system to detect the instantaneous position of both feet and this information is translated into a walking and rotation velocity in the environment. Preliminary results show that Super-Feet navigation is more accurate but slower than joypad based navigation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a framework for VR application based on 3 different kinds of hierarchical structures for spatial, temporal, and semantic relationship. To achieve this, we incorporate scene graph, time graph, and ontology into the framework. This approach will enable to integrate synthetic space, real space, and knowledge seamlessly as a new way of developing immersive tangible space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we describe our experiences and lessons learned from two user studies about the effects of short-term memory on data analysis tasks with graphical user interface and virtual environment. Visualization is a powerful tool for representing scientific data for analysis purpose. Current research progress enables us to create a high fidelity visual representation of scientific data. However, the value of traditional graphical user interface and Virtual Reality (VR) as human computer interface in data analysis via visualization tool is questioned by the domain scientists. We carried out two user studies that asked users to perform data analysis tasks. The first user study compared the user performance on selecting and manipulating transfer function (TF) with different graphical user interfaces in volume visualization to search certain structures within a 3D data set. The second user study investigated the performance difference of immersive VR, fish tank VR and haptic-based fish tank VR systems on four generic visualization tasks. The two user studies indicates that short-term memory plays an important role in 3D user interaction during data analysis task. The pitfall of 3D user interface design for scientific visualization is that too many efforts have been put into the interface itself or technology, rather than designing user interface to match or amplify human capabilities, for instance the limit amount of short term memory and its importance in data analysis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a new visual tag system for enhancing real world media interaction using handheld camera devices. This paper also described performance evaluations of the prototype, and its applications. C-Band is based on a ring with a color pattern code. A C-Band tag can provide a self-contained URL, and is flexible enough to allow various aesthetic designs for the tag's surface. Furthermore, the tag's structure is useful for building interactive techniques. Taken together, these features suggest that C-Band is an effective method to build various attractive camera-based media interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights some of the current problems in CVE development. These problems are mainly due to a lack of a good interaction model guiding the behaviour of the environments. This paper introduces the definition of a model based on the idea of the interaction views. The key concepts for understanding interaction views are also given during the explanation of the model. The paper also describes a reference architecture based on this model which can be found useful for the design of modelling tools, and a prototype application that helps understanding both the architecture and the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is proposed that the concept of transparent telepresence can be closely approached through high fidelity technological mediation. It is argued that the matching of the system capabilities to those of the human user will yield a strong sense of immersion and presence at a remote site. Some applications of such a system are noted. The concept is explained and critical system elements are described together with an overview of some of the necessary system specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]