A Precise Controllable Projection System for Projected Virtual Characters and Its Calibration

In this paper we describe a system to project virtual characters that shall live with us in the same environment. In order to project the characters' visual representations onto room surfaces we use a controllable projector

Contributions to virtual reality

153 p.The thesis contributes in three Virtual Reality areas: ¿ Visual perception: a calibration algorithm is proposed to estimate stereo projection parameters in head-mounted displays, so that correct shapes and distances can be perceived, and calibration and control procedures are proposed to obtain desired accommodation stimuli at different virtual distances.¿ Immersive scenarios: the thesis analyzes several use cases demanding varying degrees of immersion and special, innovative visualization solutions are proposed to fulfil their requirements. Contributions focus on machinery simulators, weather radar volumetric visualization and manual arc welding simulation.¿ Ubiquitous visualization: contributions are presented to scenarios where users access interactive 3D applications remotely. The thesis follows the evolution of Web3D standards and technologies to propose original visualization solutions for volume rendering of weather radar data, e-learning on energy efficiency, virtual e-commerce and visual product configurators

KAVE - Kinect Cave: design, tools and comparative analysis with other VR technologies

Virtual reality has been delivered through many different forms and iterations. One of them is the CAVE. CAVE systems have developed over the yearsbuttheyarestillhaveprohibitivecostsandarerathercomplextoimplement. In this thesis we propose our own low-cost CAVE system - comprised of details about the setup as well as a calibration software that was developedtohelpachievethegoalsofthisthesis-andcompareittootherlost-cost CAVEsfoundintheliterature. Thisthesisalsoencompassesapresencestudy that was performed as a result of assessing the resulting CAVE. This study compared CAVE, PC and Head-Mounted Display in terms of presence and workloadthroughtheuseofvalidatedquestionnairesfoundintheliterature. The resulting data showed HMD induced higher sense of presence than the CAVE, and CAVE induced higher sense of presence than the PC. Regarding workloadofthesystem,thedataalsoshowednostatisticallymeaningfuldifferences between the three technologies except for the physical demand of performing a task in a CAVE compared to performing the same task in the PC

Interactive natural user interfaces

For many years, science fiction entertainment has showcased holographic technology and futuristic user interfaces that have stimulated the world\u27s imagination. Movies such as Star Wars and Minority Report portray characters interacting with free-floating 3D displays and manipulating virtual objects as though they were tangible. While these futuristic concepts are intriguing, it\u27s difficult to locate a commercial, interactive holographic video solution in an everyday electronics store. As used in this work, it should be noted that the term holography refers to artificially created, free-floating objects whereas the traditional term refers to the recording and reconstruction of 3D image data from 2D mediums. This research addresses the need for a feasible technological solution that allows users to work with projected, interactive and touch-sensitive 3D virtual environments. This research will aim to construct an interactive holographic user interface system by consolidating existing commodity hardware and interaction algorithms. In addition, this work studies the best design practices for human-centric factors related to 3D user interfaces. The problem of 3D user interfaces has been well-researched. When portrayed in science fiction, futuristic user interfaces usually consist of a holographic display, interaction controls and feedback mechanisms. In reality, holographic displays are usually represented by volumetric or multi-parallax technology. In this work, a novel holographic display is presented which leverages a mini-projector to produce a free-floating image onto a fog-like surface. The holographic user interface system will consist of a display component: to project a free-floating image; a tracking component: to allow the user to interact with the 3D display via gestures; and a software component: which drives the complete hardware system. After examining this research, readers will be well-informed on how to build an intuitive, eye-catching holographic user interface system for various application arenas

SEAPAK user's guide, version 2.0. Volume 1: System description

The SEAPAK is a user interactive satellite data analysis package that was developed for the processing and interpretation of Nimbus-7/Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) and the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. Significant revisions were made to version 1.0 of the guide, and the ancillary environmental data analysis module was expanded. The package continues to emphasize user friendliness and user interactive data analyses. Additionally, because the scientific goals of the ocean color research being conducted have shifted to large space and time scales, batch processing capabilities for both satellite and ancillary environmental data analyses were enhanced, thus allowing large quantities of data to be ingested and analyzed in background

The Shadow Mirror

The shadow mirror project is an interactive art installation which mimics user motions and displays them in the form of a a puppet\u27s shadow. In order to accomplish the shadow effect, a motion capture solution is needed alongside a puppet with a controllable motion system and lighting effects. This piece is open to a wide range of audiences both age-wide and culture-wide, allowing us to achieve our goal of bringing forth a universal bond and introducing a new way of interaction through the blending of technology and art