Antonio E. Uva

Tangible Interfaces for Augmented Engineering Data Management

embeds all the engineering knowledge about a product into its CAD model. Tools and process to efficiently manage, distribute, and modify this information are essential. The digital master, which virtually eliminates the stacks of technical drawings, is not yet completely adopted in industrial practice, mainly because engineering software do not support at best all phases of the virtual product development process. At present time, Engineering Data Management (EDM) tools use standard desktop-based GUI, which demonstrated the following limits: scarce usability for not CAD professionals, low cooperation level, limited management for different expertises and low integration between real and virtual models. As far as regards usability, current Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) in EDM are mainly based on part features tree view and spreadsheets operations. This GUI may not be user friendly to navigate and perceive complex CAD models or to be used in manufacturing environments. Moreover desktop GUI does not facilitate team working, because of the physical barrier of the computer screens (called “immediate individual environment”). Effective EDM tools should provide a better digital cooperative workspace similar to a meeting table and should improve communication among experts in different fields. Another issue to face in current EDM systems is the information overload. A new generation of software tools is needed to simplify the visualization and database access according to users’ roles and expertises. An additional drawback of current EDM software is the lack of a unique workspace where virtual models, technical drawings and physical products can coexist for discussion. This scenario is common in industry because a virtual shape (i.e. CAD model) often needs to be compared with physical mock-ups. According to the authors’ vision, the ideal collaborative drawing-less workspace for EDM could benefit from Augmented Reality (AR) technology (Fig. 1). Born in military and aerospace applications to augment information-dense environments with digital data, AR can provide an ideal solution for

Enhanced 3D object snap for CAD modelling on large stereo displays

Large stereo displays and 3D input devices have proved significant productivity benefits in CAD, but they have also shown interaction weaknesses. We present a novel approach for pointing CAD entities with a 3D cursor on a wall-like stereoscopic display. We proved that the user error is affected by anisotropy, hence we present an enhanced snap tool called eSnap. This tool uses an elliptic metric for 3D cursor proximity. The provided results demonstrate a significant improvement in user performances and can be used as a guide for the development of user interfaces in emerging 3D displays.

Design of a Projective AR Workbench for Manual Working Stations

We present the design and a prototype of a projective AR workbench for an effective use of the AR in industrial applications, in particular for Manual Working Stations. The proposed solution consists of an aluminum structure that holds a projector and a camera that is intended to be mounted on manual working stations. The camera, using a tracking algorithm, computes in real time the position and orientation of the object while the projector displays the information always in the desired position. We also designed and implemented the data structure of a database for the managing of AR instructions, and we were able to access this information interactively from our application.

Experiencing the Sights, Smells, Sounds, and Climate of Southern Italy in VR

This article explores what it takes to make interactive computer graphics and VR attractive as a promotional vehicle, from the points of view of tourism agencies and the tourists themselves. The authors exploited current VR and human-machine interface (HMI) technologies to develop an interactive, innovative, and attractive user experience called the Multisensory Apulia Touristic Experience (MATE). The MATE system implements a natural gesture-based interface and multisensory stimuli, including visuals, audio, smells, and climate effects.

A Comprehensive Method for Assessing the Blepharospasm Cases Severity

Blepharospasm is characterized by bilateral, synchronous, and symmetric involuntary orbicularis oculi muscle spasms leading to partial/total eyelid closure. We proposed a comprehensive method for assessing the severity of blepharospasm cases, based on expert observation of fixed-length video recordings and natural feature detection algorithms. The developed software detects involuntary spasms and blinks in order to evaluate BSP severity. In this work we have considered a new BSP severity scale to realize an objective evaluation of BSP severity.