A novel interface for first person shooter games on personal digital assistant devices

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-73).The main aim of this study is to enhance the playability of games on current standard PDA devices. The newly designed interface more effectively leverages current well-established devices, which solves the problem of rapidly and accurately executing a large number of gaming commands. The outcomes of this research are beneficial for interface design of mobile applications

Perception gaps and the adoption of information technology in the clinical healthcare environment

Implementation of information systems has lagged in many areas of clinical healthcare for a variety of reasons. Economics, data complexity and resistance are among the often quoted roadblocks. Research suggests that physicians play a major part in the adoption, use and diffusion of information technology (IT) in clinical settings. There are also other healthcare professionals, clinical and non-clinical, who play important roles in making decisions about the acquisition of information technology. In addition to these groups there are information technology professionals providing the services required within the healthcare field. Finally within this group are those IT professionals who have sufficient cross training to understand specific needs. Each member of these groups brings a different perspective to both needs assessments as well as implementation of clinical systems. This study considers the idea that there are preconceived differences of opinion of the information needs of clinical healthcare by the clinical community and the information technology professionals. Are these differences significant enough to create a barrier to implementation? A questionnaire was developed from preliminary data to assess multiple parameters which could impact implementation of a clinical information technology solution. A Web of System Performance (WOSP) model was created to map each of the following eight areas of concern: functionality, usability, extendibility, connectivity, flexibility, reliability, privacy and security. Responses to the questions were related to professional roles, age and experience. There were no differences seen in the perceived need for secure systems by either healthcare workers or IT professionals. The variance of perceived need was greatest among the various non-physician healthcare workers when compared to physicians or information technology professions. This was a consistent pattern for the otherparameters with the exception of the usability of the electronic health record. In this area all groups disagreed significantly. The study, though limited by its small sample, still suggests that the resistance by healthcare professionals is not a significant barrier to successful information technology implementation

Towards exploring future landscapes using augmented reality

With increasing pressure to better manage the environment many government and private organisations are studying the relationships between social, economic and environmental factors to determine how they can best be optimised for increased sustainability. The analysis of such relationships are undertaken using computer-based Integrated Catchment Models (ICM). These models are capable of generating multiple scenarios depicting alternative land use alternatives at a variety of temporal and spatial scales, which present (potentially) better Triple-Bottom Line (TBL) outcomes than the prevailing situation. Dissemination of this data is (for the most part) reliant on traditional, static map products however, the ability of such products to display the complexity and temporal aspects is limited and ultimately undervalues both the knowledge incorporated in the models and the capacity of stakeholders to disseminate the complexities through other means. Geovisualization provides tools and methods for disseminating large volumes of spatial (and associated non-spatial) data. Virtual Environments (VE) have been utilised for various aspects of landscape planning for more than a decade. While such systems are capable of visualizing large volumes of data at ever-increasing levels of realism, they restrict the users ability to accurately perceive the (virtual) space. Augmented Reality (AR) is a visualization technique which allows users freedom to explore a physical space and have that space augmented with additional, spatially referenced information. A review of existing mobile AR systems forms the basis of this research. A theoretical mobile outdoor AR system using Common-Of-The-Shelf (COTS) hardware and open-source software is developed. The specific requirements for visualizing land use scenarios in a mobile AR system were derived using a usability engineering approach known as Scenario-Based Design (SBD). This determined the elements required in the user interfaces resulting in the development of a low-fidelity, computer-based prototype. The prototype user interfaces were evaluated using participants from two targeted stakeholder groups undertaking hypothetical use scenarios. Feedback from participants was collected using the cognitive walk-through technique and supplemented by evaluator observations of participants physical actions. Results from this research suggest that the prototype user interfaces did provide the necessary functionality for interacting with land use scenarios. While there were some concerns about the potential implementation of "yet another" system, participants were able to envisage the benefits of visualizing land use scenario data in the physical environment

Augmented reality device for first response scenarios

A prototype of a wearable computer system is proposed and implemented using commercial off-shelf components. The system is designed to allow the user to access location-specific information about an environment, and to provide capability for user tracking. Areas of applicability include primarily first response scenarios, with possible applications in maintenance or construction of buildings and other structures. Necessary preparation of the target environment prior to system\u27s deployment is limited to noninvasive labeling using optical fiducial markers. The system relies on computational vision methods for registration of labels and user position. With the system the user has access to on-demand information relevant to a particular real-world location. Team collaboration is assisted by user tracking and real-time visualizations of team member positions within the environment. The user interface and display methods are inspired by Augmented Reality1 (AR) techniques, incorporating a video-see-through Head Mounted Display (HMD) and fingerbending sensor glove.*. 1Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real world and computer generated data. At present, most AR research is concerned with the use of live video imagery which is digitally processed and augmented by the addition of computer generated graphics. Advanced research includes the use of motion tracking data, fiducial marker recognition using machine vision, and the construction of controlled environments containing any number of sensors and actuators. (Source: Wikipedia) *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Adobe Acrobat; Microsoft Office; Windows MediaPlayer or RealPlayer

Personalized location-sensing for context-aware applications.

Yu Sheung Fan.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-99).Abstracts in English and Chinese.Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1Chapter 1.1 --- Background: Context-Aware Applications --- p.2Chapter 1.1.1 --- Definitions of Context --- p.2Chapter 1.1.2 --- Existing Applications --- p.3Chapter 1.1.3 --- Review --- p.6Chapter 1.2 --- Research Motivation --- p.6Chapter 1.3 --- Research Contributions --- p.8Chapter 1.4 --- Thesis Outline --- p.8Chapter 2. --- Location-sensing Technologies --- p.9Chapter 2.1 --- Global Positioning System (GPS) --- p.9Chapter 2.2 --- Existing indoor Location-sensing Systems --- p.11Chapter 2.2.1 --- Active Badge --- p.11Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Bat System --- p.12Chapter 2.2.3 --- RADAR --- p.13Chapter 2.2.4 --- PinPoint 3D-iD --- p.14Chapter 2.2.5 --- Easy Living --- p.15Chapter 2.3 --- System Properties and Risks --- p.16Chapter 2.3.1 --- Accuracy --- p.17Chapter 2.3.2 --- Cost --- p.18Chapter 2.3.3 --- User Privacy --- p.18Chapter 2.3.4 --- Location Representation --- p.19Chapter 2.3.5 --- Other Limitations --- p.20Chapter 2.4 --- Design Goals --- p.20Chapter 2.4.1 --- Operate Inside Buildings --- p.21Chapter 2.4.2 --- Preserve User Privacy --- p.21Chapter 2.4.3 --- Low Cost --- p.22Chapter 2.4.4 --- Fast Response --- p.22Chapter 2.4.5 --- Spatial Recognition --- p.23Chapter 2.4.6 --- Easy Administration and Deployment --- p.23Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.23Chapter 3. --- System Design --- p.25Chapter 3.1 --- System Architecture --- p.25Chapter 3.2 --- Position-sensing Platform --- p.28Chapter 3.2.1 --- Platform Architecture --- p.29Chapter 3.2.2 --- Transmission Format --- p.30Chapter 3.2.3 --- Distance Measurement --- p.31Chapter 3.2.4 --- Position Estimation --- p.32Chapter 3.2.5 --- Noise Cancellation --- p.35Chapter 3.2.6 --- Location Inference --- p.36Chapter 3.3 --- Summary --- p.38Chapter 4. --- System Implementation --- p.39Chapter 4.1 --- Communication Technologies --- p.39Chapter 4.1.1 --- Ultrasound --- p.40Chapter 4.1.2 --- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) --- p.40Chapter 4.1.3 --- Infrared Data Association (IrDA) --- p.41Chapter 4.1.4 --- Bluetooth --- p.42Chapter 4.2 --- Technologies Overview --- p.43Chapter 4.2.1 --- Positioning --- p.44Chapter 4.2.2 --- Networking --- p.44Chapter 4.2.3 --- Communication Protocol --- p.45Chapter 4.2.4 --- Range --- p.45Chapter 4.2.5 --- Angle Dependency --- p.45Chapter 4.2.6 --- Hardware supports --- p.46Chapter 4.3 --- Hardware --- p.46Chapter 4.3.1 --- Mobile Receiver --- p.46Chapter 4.3.2 --- Transmitter --- p.47Chapter 4.4 --- Software --- p.47Chapter 4.4.1 --- Communication Protocol --- p.48Chapter 4.4.2 --- Programming Environment --- p.48Chapter 4.4.3 --- Signal Generation Routine --- p.48Chapter 4.4.4 --- Position Estimation Routine --- p.50Chapter 4.5 --- Summary --- p.53Chapter 5. --- Evaluation --- p.55Chapter 5.1 --- Platform Calibration --- p.55Chapter 5.1.1 --- Outliers Elimination --- p.56Chapter 5.1.2 --- Delay Determination --- p.58Chapter 5.1.3 --- Window Size Determination --- p.61Chapter 5.1.4 --- Revised Position Estimation Algorithm --- p.63Chapter 5.2 --- Platform Evaluation - IrDA Figure 5.9: Experimental setup for distance performance evaluation --- p.64Chapter 5.2.1 --- Distance Measurement Figure 5.10: IrDA horizontal distance measurement experiment results --- p.66Chapter 5.2.2 --- Position Estimation - Static --- p.66Chapter 5.2.3 --- Position Estimation - Mobile --- p.68Chapter 5.3 --- Platform Evaluation - Bluetooth --- p.69Chapter 5.3.1 --- Distance Measurement --- p.69Chapter 5.3.2 --- Position Estimation - Static --- p.70Chapter 5.3.3 --- Position Estimation ´ؤ Mobile --- p.71Chapter 5.4 --- Summary --- p.73Chapter 6. --- Applications --- p.74Chapter 6.1 --- Potential Applications --- p.74Chapter 6.1.1 --- Resource Tracking Systems --- p.75Chapter 6.1.2 --- Shopping Assistance System --- p.76Chapter 6.1.3 --- Doctor Tracking System --- p.77Chapter 6.1.4 --- Tourist Guide Application --- p.78Chapter 6.1.5 --- Other Applications --- p.79Chapter 6.2 --- System Limitations --- p.79Chapter 6.3 --- Summary --- p.79Chapter 7. --- Conclusion --- p.80Chapter 7.1 --- Summary --- p.80Chapter 7.2 --- Future Work --- p.81Chapter Appendix A: --- IrDA --- p.86Chapter A.1 --- IrDA Physical Layer --- p.86Chapter A.2 --- Physical Aspects of IrDA Physical Layer --- p.87Chapter A.3 --- Discovering Other IrDA Devices --- p.88Chapter A.4 --- Connection of IrDA Devices --- p.89Chapter Appendix B: --- Bluetooth --- p.91Chapter B.1 --- Bluetooth Stack --- p.91Chapter B.2 --- Radio --- p.92Chapter B.3 --- Frequency Hopping --- p.92Chapter B.4 --- Package Structure --- p.92Chapter B.5 --- The Link Controller --- p.93Chapter B.6 --- The Link Manager --- p.93Chapter B.7 --- Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol --- p.94Chapter B.8 --- The Service Discovery Protocol --- p.94Chapter B.9 --- Encryption and Security --- p.95Bibliography --- p.9

Technology 2003: The Fourth National Technology Transfer Conference and Exposition, volume 2

Proceedings from symposia of the Technology 2003 Conference and Exposition, Dec. 7-9, 1993, Anaheim, CA, are presented. Volume 2 features papers on artificial intelligence, CAD&E, computer hardware, computer software, information management, photonics, robotics, test and measurement, video and imaging, and virtual reality/simulation

Montage As A Participatory System: Interactions with the Moving Image

Full version unavailable due to 3rd party copyright restrictionsRecent developments in network culture suggest a weakening of hierarchical narratives of power and representation. Online technologies of distributed authorship appear to nurture a complex, speculative, contradictory and contingent realism. Yet there is a continuing deficit where the moving image is concerned, its very form appearing resistant to the dynamic throughputs and change models of real-time interaction. If the task is not to suspend but encourage disbelief as a condition in the user, how can this be approached as a design problem? In the attempt to build a series of design projects suggesting open architectures for the moving image, might a variety of (pre-digital) precursors from the worlds of art, architecture and film offer the designer models for inspiration or adaptation? A series of projects have been undertaken. Each investigates the composite moving image, specifically in the context of real-time computation and interaction. This arose from a desire to interrogate the qualia of the moving image within interactive systems, relative to a range of behaviours and/or observer positions, which attempt to situate users as conscious compositors. This is explored in the thesis through reflecting on a series of experimental interfaces designed for real time composition in performance, exhibition and online contexts