Ioannis Karaseitanidis

Human centred design of 3-D interaction devices to control virtual environments

It is commonly acknowledged that user needs should drive design, but often technical influences prevail. Currently, there are no standard interaction devices or interfaces used in 3-D environments, and there is a lack of specific best practice guidelines to develop these. This paper discusses the process of collecting feedback on prototype designs for VR/VE interaction devices from both expert users and non-expert users, and demonstrates how the information gained from human centred evaluation can be used to further the design process. Experiment 1 examined the usability of two magnetically tracked interaction devices with three different types of menus (Sphere, Linear and Fan). Quantitative and qualitative analysis was carried out on the results, and usability problems with the menus and devices are discussed. The findings from this experiment were translated into general design guidance, in addition to specific recommendations. A new device was designed on the basis of some of these recommendations and its usability was evaluated in Experiment 2. Feedback from participants in Experiment 2 demonstrated that the design recommendations emerging from Experiment 1 were successfully applied to develop a more usable and acceptable device.

Designing 3D input devices for immersive environments

In this paper we describe the end user driven development process of input devices for magnetic tracking in virtual immersive environments. Based on pretests with expert users we defined criteria for testing and found out about the preferences for handles of input devices. For this trial period we designed a new set of functional prototypes for magnetic tracking. Having taken the views of expert users into consideration, a controlled experiment was then conducted with novice users to compare the usability of an existing and a new device. Based on the results of this experiment we defined criteria to design input devices for immersive systems. A second controlled experiment was carried out to evaluate the revised device regarding its general design and the proposed design criteria. In this paper we would give a detailed presentation of the results of this experiment. From the results of this experiment we conclude that most of the applied design criteria have led to an improved input device.

Situation refinement for in-vehicle platforms in vehicular networks

The advanced situation awareness of the driver in the road environment is very important for vehicular safety applications, especially for mitigating the harmful effects of collisions. Nowadays, advanced driver assistance systems are based on on-board sensors. The evolution of wireless networks lead to the exploitation of cooperation among vehicles to enhance road safety. In this paper the benefits from using wireless communications for enhancing the situation awareness of the driver are highlighted. The situation around the vehicle is analyzed based on information coming from both on-board sensors and wireless LAN messages. Every equipped vehicle broadcasts twice per second a message including information about its global position (WGS84), velocity, acceleration, heading, yaw rate and other useful parameters. This information in combination with advanced digital maps is very useful for enhancing safety in road environments. The work described here is part of the work carried out for the European integrated research project SAFESPOT.

Demonstration: VR-HYPERSPACE — The innovative use of virtual reality to increase comfort by changing the perception of self and space

Our vision is that regardless of future variations in the interior of airplane cabins, we can utilize ever-advancing state-of-the-art virtual and mixed reality technologies with the latest research in neuroscience and psychology to achieve high levels of comfort for passengers. Current surveys on passengers experience during air travel reveal that they are least satisfied with the amount and effectiveness of their personal space, and their ability to work, sleep or rest. Moreover, considering current trends it is likely that the amount of available space is likely to decrease and therefore the passengers physical comfort during a flight is likely to worsen significantly. Therefore, the main challenge is to enable the passengers to maintain a high level of comfort and satisfaction while being placed in a restricted physical space.

Editorial to Special Issue INTUITION

This special issue contains a selection of papers presented at the 4th INTUITION International VR/VE Conference. The papers selected in this special issue have been reviewed by the INTUITION conference program committee members and the papers reflect experimental work in the field of AR and VR. INTUITION is one of the largest European Networks of Excellence dealing with VR and AR in Europe and the readers will surely appreciate to read some work being developed in this area.

Future scenarios of mixed reality: the INTUITION roadmap scenarios

INTUITION is a Network of Excellence that aims to integrate the European research efforts on the scientific and technological field of Virtual and Mixed Reality. To perform that, a series of activities have taken place in order to gather knowledge regarding actors and research profiles, projects and research results, products and patents. Having a clear view of research needs and technology trends the Network has envisioned the research goals that need to be pursued within the years to come. The starting point is a set of visionary scenarios which set out the picture for the technological and scientific advances that need to take place. Within this paper a set of indicative scenarios on a higher and descriptive level are provided and the way they contribute to the roadmap definition is explained. With this report we want to share these scenarios and our initial thoughts to stimulate a broader discussion and invite people from all relevant backgrounds to enter the knowledge creation process. The paper is a collective production of the INTUITION Consortium.