Bernd Bruegge

Design of a component-based augmented reality framework

The authors propose a new approach to building augmented reality (AR) systems using a component-based software framework. This has advantages for all parties involved with AR systems. A project manager can reuse existing components in new applications; an end user can reconfigure his system by plugging modules together, an application developer can view the system at a high level of abstraction; and a component developer can focus on technical problems. Our proposed framework consists of reusable distributed services for key subproblems of AR, the middleware to combine them, and an extensible software architecture. We have implemented services for tracking, modeling real and virtual objects, modeling structured navigation or maintenance instructions, and multimodal user interfaces. As a working proof of our concept, we have built an indoor and outdoor campus navigation system using different modes of tracking and user interaction.

Generalized path expressions: A high-level debugging mechanism

This paper introduces a modified version of path expressions called Path Rules which can be used as a debugging mechanism to monitor the dynamic behavior of a computation. Path rules have been implemented in a remote symbolic debugger running on the Three Rivers Computer Corporation PERQ computer under the Accent operating system.

User involvement in software evolution practice: a case study

User involvement in software engineering has been researched over the last three decades. However, existing studies concentrate mainly on early phases of user-centered design projects, while little is known about how professionals work with post-deployment end-user feedback. In this paper we report on an empirical case study that explores the current practice of user involvement during software evolution. We found that user feedback contains important information for developers, helps to improve software quality and to identify missing features. In order to assess its relevance and potential impact, developers need to analyze the gathered feedback, which is mostly accomplished manually and consequently requires high effort. Overall, our results show the need for tool support to consolidate, structure, analyze, and track user feedback, particularly when feedback volume is high. Our findings call for a hypothesis-driven analysis of user feedback to establish the foundations for future user feedback tools.

Sysiphus: Enabling informal collaboration in global software development

In global software projects, informal communication across sites is severely hampered, making it difficult to disseminate implicit knowledge. Participants have a partial view of the overall organization, do not have access to the complete rationale behind decisions, and when changes arise, participants from other sites are surprised. Consequently, issues that could be clarified almost immediately require days until the relevant stakeholders are identified, the issues are understood, and a resolution is agreed upon. We focus on the specific problem of externalizing issues with their context, stakeholders, and organizational roles in distributed settings. The challenge is to capture sufficient knowledge as a side effect of development, while structuring it for long-term use. We describe Sysiphus, a distributed environment providing a uniform framework for system models, collaboration artifacts, and organizational models. Sysiphus encourages participants to make communication and issues explicit in the context of system models and become aware of relevant stakeholders

A framework for dynamic program analyzers

Abstract BEE++ is an object-oriented application framework for the dynamic analysis of distributed programs. The main objective of BEE++ is to provide a common platform for monitoring and debugging. BEE++’s class library consists of a rich set of classes for event processing to support a variety of visualization, monitoring and debugging needs. It also provides for customizability of event processing through inheritance. Users can derive customized graphi-cal debugging and visualization systems from a set of base classes. BEE++’s other design goals are the support of dynamic program analysis for distributed heterogenous target applications at runtime with predictable overhead. The design is based on a symmetric peer-to-peer architec-ture, including the ability to dynamically configure target applications and monitoring tools. The dynamic analysis tools can be distributed across nodes, which provides sig-nificant performance gains for visualization applications. In addition, the framework can be instantiated for a variety of communication protocols.A TCP/IP based instance of the framework has been ported to several machine archi-tectures including Sun, Vax and Cray-YMP. BEE++ is based on BEE[10], a portable platform for monitoring implemented in C but has been completely reengineered in C++ using the object-oriented design methodology OMT. Performance measurements indicate that the runtime over-head of the object-oriented version is not significant when compared with the C version.

Generalized path expressions: a high level debugging mechanism

This paper introduces a modified version of path expressions called Path Rules which can be used as a debugging mechanism to monitor the dynamic behaviour of a computation. Path rules have been implemented in a remote symbolic debugger running on the Three Rivers Computer Corporation PERQ computer under the Accent operating system.

Software Engineering Project Courses with Industrial Clients

There is an acknowledged need for teaching realistic software development in project courses. The design space for such courses is wide, ranging from single-semester to two-semester courses, from single-client to multicustomer courses, from local to globally distributed courses, and from toy projects to projects with real clients. The challenge for a nontrivial project course is how to make the project complex enough to enrich students’ software engineering experience, yet realistic enough to have a teaching environment that does not unduly burden students or the instructor. We describe a methodology for project courses that is realizable for instructors, improves students’ skills, and leads to viable results for industry partners. In particular, recent advances in release management and collaboration workflows reduce the effort of students and instructors during delivery and increase the quality of the deliverables. To enable release and feedback management, we introduce Rugby, an agile process model based on Scrum that allows reacting to changing requirements. To improve early communication, we use Tornado, a scenario-based design approach that emphasizes the use of informal models for the interaction between clients and students. The combination of Rugby and Tornado allows students to deal with changing requirements, produce multiple releases, and obtain client feedback through the duration of the course. We describe our experience with more than 300 students working on 40 projects with external clients over a 4-year period. In the latest instance of our course, the students have produced more than 7000 builds with 600 releases for eleven clients. In an evaluation of the courses, we found that the introduction of Rugby and Tornado significantly increased students’ technical skills, especially with respect to software engineering, usability engineering, and configuration management, as well as their nontechnical skills such as communication with the client, teamwork, presentation, and demo management. Finally, we discuss how other instructors can adapt the course concept.

Pinocchio: conducting a virtual symphony orchestra

We present a system that allows users of any skill to conduct a virtual orchestra. Tempo and volume of the orchestras performance are influenced with a baton. Pinocchio works with several types of batons, differing in tracking method and in algorithms for gesture recognition. The virtual orchestra can be configured, allowing the muting, hiding and positioning of individual musicians or instrument groups in 3D space. The audio and video material is based on a professional recording session with the Bavarian symphony orchestra. Pinocchios long-term goal is the creation of a multi-modal, device independent framework for gesture-based applications which require motor skills or the control and operation of a complex set of sensors in intelligent house or car driver assistance systems. In this paper, we describe the current development status of the project, detail its usage and finally give an overview over our future project goals.

Software Cinema-Video-based Requirements Engineering

The dialogue between end-user and developer presents several challenges in requirements development. One issue is the gap between the conceptual models of end-users and formal specification/analysis models of developers. This paper presents a novel technique for the video analysis of scenarios, relating the use of video-based requirements to process models of software development. It uses a knowledge model-an RDF graph-based on a semiotic interpretation of film language, which allows mapping conceptual into formal models. It can be queried with RDQL, a query language for RDF. The technique has been implemented with a tool which lets the analyst annotate objects as well as spatial or temporal relationships in the video, to represent the conceptual model. The video can be arranged in a scenario graph effectively representing a multi-path video. It can be viewed in linear time order to facilitate the review of individual scenarios by end-users. Each multi-path scene from the conceptual model is mapped to a UML use case in the formal model. A UML sequence diagram can also be generated from the annotations, which shows the direct mapping of film language to UML. This sequence diagram can be edited by the analyst, refining the conceptual model to reflect deeper understanding of the application domain. The use of the software cinema technique is demonstrated with several prototypical applications. One example is a loan application scenario for a financial services consulting firm which acted as an end-user

Applications of wireless research to real industrial problems. Applications of mobile computing and communication

In its Wireless Initiative, the Information Networking Institute deliberately seeks out innovative wireless and mobile application areas in the expectation that hands-on experience with real applications will keep all research work grounded in reality. Since the beginning of the Initiative three applications have been pursued, each incorporating the concepts of one or more researchers, and each addressing an acute problem for a customer organization. The three applications are: The FRIEND System-an application to provide distributed wireless access to different levels of emergency response personnel. These personnel may be first responders (police, fire, emergency medical), field dispatchers, or dispatched personnel. The Health-link System-an application for home health care support. The application initially targets the processes of agency referral and management of regularly scheduled visits by home health care nurses. Later versions will support management of emergency situations. The AMEFS System-an innovative maintenance system for Daimler-Benz (AEG Transportation Systems Inc. Maintenance and Engineering Feedback System-AMEFS) which includes making vehicles able to diagnose and report their operating conditions and a model technician support system. The system will not only simplify access to corporate-wide maintenance knowledge but also feed the technicians experience back into the maintenance system.