Matti Gröhn

Navigation with auditory cues in a virtual environment

The authors use 3D sound to help navigate an immersive virtual environment and report results of user tests obtained with a game-like application. The results show that auditory cues help in navigation, and auditory navigation is possible even without any visual feedback. The best performance is obtained in audiovisual navigation where auditory cues indicate the approximate direction and visual cues help in the final approach.

Comparison of auditory, visual, and audiovisual navigation in a 3D space

A navigation test was carried out in a spatially immersive virtual environment. The test was a gamelike experience where the task of subjects was to find as many gates as possible while they navigated through a track guided by auditory and/or visual cues. The results are presented as a function of the number of found gates, searching times, and normalized path lengths. Audiovisual navigation was clearly the most efficient. Visual navigation was second and the auditory navigation the least efficient. Further analysis of travel paths indicate that auditory cues were utilized in the beginning to locate the next gate; a visual cue was the most important in the final approach to the gate.

Is audio useful in immersive visualization

In this article I provide from localization experiments in virtual environment. I define common tasks (orientation, localization, and navigation) in immersive visualization. The above mentioned tasks will be examined with user tests. Two localization experiments have been accomplished. In the first localization experiment the localization accuracy was significantly better (p<<0.01 in ANOVA) with loudspeaker reproduction than with headphone reproduction (nonindividualized HRTFs). The second experiment indicated, that localization accuracy is depending on signal (P<<0.01 in ANOVA). Although the absolute lower limit for auditory localization accuracy in front is one degree for the azimuth, the reality is much worse. For example the screens and room reverberation deteriorate loudspeaker reproduction accuracy. Current results suggest that at least in some tasks the audio is useful addition to immersive visualization tasks.In this article I provide results from localization experiments in virtual environment. I de ne common tasks (orientation, localization, and navigation) in immersive visualization. The above mentioned tasks will be examined with user tests. Two localization experiments have been accomplished. In the rst localization experiment the localization accuracy was signi cantly better (p 0.01 in ANOVA) with loudspeaker reproduction than with headphone reproduction (nonindividualized HRTFs). The second experiment indicated, that localization accuracy is depending on signal (p 0.01 in ANOVA). Although the absolute lower limit for auditory localization accuracy in front is one degree for the azimuth, the reality is much worse. For example the screens and room reverberation deteriorate loudspeaker reproduction accuracy. Current results suggest that at least in some tasks the audio is useful addition to immersive visualization tasks.

Possibilities of Multimedia in Business Process Modeling and Simulation

This paper discusses present solutions and future possibilities of multimedia in the Enterprise Simulation Laboratory at Helsinki University of Technology. Important challenges are addressed concerning the visualization, real time interaction and telepresence in complex, group mode business process modeling and simulation for organizational learning.

Integration and utilization of different visualization methods and devices in a structure-based drug design process

Molecular visualization techniques are used in various stages in the computer-aided drug design process. Here, we report on utilization of a four wall immersive virtual room in the visualization of protein - drug complexes. The advantage of a virtual room compared to desktop graphics is that it provides a high-resolution large field of view, helping the observers of the visualization to dissect the individual important structural features more easily than while using only conventional molecular graphics visualizations.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.Molecular visualization techniques are used in various stages in the computer-aided drug design process. Here, we report on utilization of a four wall immersive virtual room in the visualization of protein drug complexes. The advantage of a virtual room compared to desktop graphics is that it provides a high-resolution large eld of view, helping the observers of the visualization to dissect the individual important structural features more easily than while using only conventional molecular graphics visualizations.

Author's comments on Gröhn, Lokki, and Takala, ICAD 2003

Historical background and motivation for ICAD2003 paper is presented. In addition, the research results followed up is briefly overviewed and future work is elaborated.

Front Matter: Volume 6809

This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE-IS&T Proceedings Volume 6809, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, and the Conference Committee listing.© (2008) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

From Manual to Multimedia: Development of an Enterprise Game

The paper describes an on-going process of developing a generic, modular Enterprise Game. The game integrates conceptual, computational, visual and social enterprise models into a comprehensive ‘virtual enterprise’, in which the participants can jointly operate and experience business processes. Enterprise Game One focuses on the order-to-delivery process. Its increasing level of computerization and visualization towards a multimedia supported game is described, comparing the different game prototypes.