Gary R. Bertoline

Virtual reality-based spatial skills assessment and its role in computer graphics education

One element of using contemporary computer graphics tools is the creation of accurate 3D geometry for a variety of purposes. As part of developing effective instructional experiences for students engaged in such activities, computer graphics educators must take into account a persons spatial abilities and skills. Literature has shown these abilities are widely considered to be a significant predictor of the probability of a persons success in computer graphics-related professions. Typical spatial skills assessments examine such abilities as mental rotations, spatial visualization, and spatial perception all of which are involved in the creation of 3D computer graphics. However, most of these assessment instruments are paper-based, and the nature of the human ability being measured is such that the paper-and-pencil format currently used has no mapping to the target construct domain - namely 3D computer graphics in the real world.This lack of authenticity puts into serious question not only the perceived validity (face validity) of the test, but also the purposes for which test scores from the assessment instruments are put to use (construct validity). One such instrument is The Mental Cutting Test (MCT) which is commonly used to measure spatial visualization skills relative to a cutting plane passing through an object, which are critical in the use of many contemporary computer graphics tools. In an effort to minimize validity issues, the cognitive psychology and computer graphics communities have begun developing virtual reality-based versions of mental rotations instruments to examine various constructs. But a mental rotations assessment does not provide a complete coverage of a persons spatial abilities. This paper outlines the relationship to spatial abilities and computer graphics education and a methodology for pilot testing a working prototype of a virtual reality-based version of a spatial abilities assessment instrument which uses the MCT as a model.

Spatial abilities and virtual technologies: examining the computer graphics learning environment

Research in the area of spatial visualization enjoys a long tradition in the discipline of cognitive psychology. However, the computer graphics profession, particularly the educational component, takes into account a persons spatial abilities as a means for designing effective instructional experiences and assessments. It builds on a learners visual or haptic abilities. This paper outlines a brief history of visualization assessments instruments and strategies and their use within computer graphics-related learning environments. The use of virtual reality technologies to enable the learning process is discussed, as well as an introduction to visual science as a discipline.

Force Amplitude Perception in Six Orthogonal Directions

This paper presents three psychophysical experiments that attempt to determine whether human perception of force amplitude is isotropic in a virtual environment (VE). Participants employed passive or active forces in the same or different directions. Our results indicate that, regardless of whether stimulus presentation and response are active or passive, human perception of force amplitude is in fact anisotropic. Implications of these results for design of VR systems are briefly discussed.

A distributed rendering environment for teaching animation and scientific visualization

This article outlines the development of a DRE at Purdue University. Faculty and students are currently beta testing the DRE. The projects goal is to make DREs available to faculty and students throughout the US at no cost. The design addresses several pedagogical paradigms that are critical for enhanced positive learning outcomes. Critical to the development of Purdues DRE is the notion of an enhanced positive user experience. To address this goal, the project team is focusing on engineering methods for one-touch job deployment; ease of job status monitoring; anywhere, anytime job submission; rendering and animation error correction; and reduced job wait times.

An initial study of visuohaptic simulation of point-charge interactions

We report an initial study on the use of visuohaptic simulation in teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) topics, with particular emphasis on physics concepts related to the learning of nanotechnology at the undergraduate level. Visuohaptic simulations of point charges and their interactions were developed. Thirty-eight undergraduate students from a physics lab course were recruited to participate in an educational study. Half of the students were assigned to a visuohaptic (VH) group where they could see as well as feel interaction forces rendered with a Falcon force-feedback device. The other half of the students were assigned to a visual (V) group where they could interact with the same simulation via a computer mouse but did not feel any forces. Results from a 10-question content test showed that both groups benefited from the computer simulation. There were no statistical differences between the VH and V groups, presumably due to the relatively small number of participants who completed quantitative assessments. However, qualitative results from observations and interviews indicated that students in the VH groups were more motivated and engaged in the lab activities, reported more positive attitude towards learning, and felt more confident about their understanding and retention of knowledge. Our findings have been used to design a larger-scale study that will further investigate the use of visuohaptic technology in nanotechnology education.

Portable Haptic Display for Large Immersive Virtual Environments

This paper introduces Portable Haptic Display (PHD), a novel platform-independent haptic rendering system that can be conveniently integrated into a large immersive virtual environment while maximizing the individual reusability of haptic interfaces and visual displays. The PHD has an architecture of distributed rendering where two computers (or clusters of computers) are in charge of all computations needed for rendering with corresponding displays and share necessary information via network. We report the architecture, implementation details, and performance evaluation results of the PHD in this paper. The PHD is especially useful in places that have multiple haptic interfaces and large immersive visual displays and that need to use them together as well as individually, such as research laboratories, companies, and hospitals.

Learning force concepts using visual trajectory and haptic force information at the elementary school level

The present study investigated the use of visual trajectory and haptic force information in learning concepts involving force. Specifically, learning modules for instructing buoyant forces were developed for use with a computer monitor and a force feedback device. Students from an elementary school at the fourth and sixth grades were recruited to participate in the study. The students were separated into visual and visuohaptic groups to measure the possible benefits haptic feedback might provide as compared to the vision-alone condition. A 10-question content test was developed and administered before and after the learning activities. The pretest and posttest scores showed that all students benefited from the computer simulations. The visuohaptic group did not perform significantly better than the visual group. An important finding was that the fourth graders learned as much as the sixth graders, despite their younger age and little prior exposure to concepts such as density and volume, which are important for understanding buoyancy. Future work will design instructional and assessment materials that focus more on the haptic modality.

A knowledge base for the computer graphics discipline

Computer graphics is a powerful medium used to communicate information and knowledge. It is a discipline whose time has come. Until recently it was a mysterious specialty involving expensive display hardware, considerable computing resources, and specialized software. In the last few years, computer graphics has found its way into the mainstream of society, from entertainment, to engineering design, to the web, and virtually every industry. Much of this has been the result of spectacular improvements in the price and performance of computer graphics hardware and software. Interactive computer graphics is finding its way into nearly every discipline, industry, home, hospital, theatre, football stadium, automobile, appliance, and engineering office. Computer graphics is or will have an impact on nearly everything we do. The discipline of computer graphics is like a wide-open frontier where no matter which direction you move you will find more opportunities and undiscovered applications. Computer graphics is the pictorial synthesis of real or imagined objects from their computer-based models. A related field is image processing which is the reconstruction of models of 2D and 3D objects from their pictures (Foley, et al, 1996). Traditionally, computer graphics is contained within the well-recognized disciplines of computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and art and design. The discipline of computer graphics has traditionally focused on developing new software algorithms (computer science) and hardware innovations (electrical and computer engineering) with an attempt to force art and design principles into the mix. Those types of developments will continue but the discipline is beginning to mature to a point where it is more than just about hardware and software developments and innovations. More attention must be given to the effective and novel use of the hardware and software developments in the context of graphics communication. This is a much more holistic approach to computer graphics as a discipline. This holistic approach is more focused on the end user and how these tools can be used in much more profound and revolutionary ways. Obviously there have been many major and profound applications of computer graphics in its short history. However, the recent past of computer graphics is but a prelude of what is to come. Computer graphics can and will touch every human in a number of ways from entertainment to assisting in finding the cure of the most dreaded diseases. Computer graphics can and will have a profound effect on every type of business, industry, government, education, and the home. But it will take a very special type of education to prepare this next generation of computer graphics specialists. Computer graphics is a powerful medium but only if combined with the principles of information design. The principles of information design are universal, like mathematics, and are not bound to unique features of a particular language or culture. The universal nature of the graphic language makes it a powerful tool in todays society where collecting, analyzing, and communicating all the available information is so important. Information becomes knowledge and knowledge can be communicated more efficiently through computer graphics. Knowledge can become power and is the catalyst for stunning new developments in virtually every field. The pure computer graphics discipline of the future will not be in computer science, art and design, technology, or electrical and computer engineering. The computer graphics discipline of the future will have its legacy in all these disciplines but will look to merge the software and hardware technology with the human communication process, which will result in novel ways of solving problems and disseminating information. As shown in Figure 1, computer graphics is the overlap between art, science and technology, and psychology. The ideal student of this emerging discipline is bright, articulate, visual, analytic, and motivated by a passion for computer graphics. This student uses both sides of their brain but is keenly focused on the visual mode to solve problems. They are the modern-day Da Vincis, capable of visualizing what is nonexistent and finding solutions to complex problems. New opportunities are unfolding that require special talents and abilities for people with high visualization abilities who can use computer graphics tools to visualize scientific concepts and for the analysis and manipulation of complex three-dimensional information. As these new opportunities continue to unfold, the skill in manipulating and creating imagery may become more important than skill with words and numbers. Different kinds of tools may require different talents and favor a different type of discipline.

An engineering graphics curriculum model with multidisciplinary implications

This paper reports on a funded project to develop a conceptual model for an engineering graphics curriculum. The analysis lead to a framework that defined the body of knowledge appropriate for engineering graphics and and a model useful for multidisciplinary applications. It is based on the premise that computer tools available for design and research in visualization and creativity play important but not controlling roles in many visually based disciplines.

Internet Child Pornography, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and the Role of Internet Service Providers

The following review will provide a historical recap of the United States response to child pornography as it relates to the ever-evolving technological world. Specifically, a review of the child pornography laws, at the federal level, as well as the sentencing guidelines will reveal the delicate balance between criminalizing child pornography and upholding the United States’ constitution. In addition, discussing the role of Internet Service Providers will expose a trend toward using the same technology, which has proliferated the child pornography industry, to identify and censor the illegal content on the Internet. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of the current laws and regulation tactics, as well as, the suggested amendments will be discussed.