VELOS : a VR platform for ship-evacuation analysis

Virtual Environment for Life On Ships (VELOS) is a multi-user Virtual Reality (VR) system that aims to support designers to assess (early in the design process) passenger and crew activities on a ship for both normal and hectic conditions of operations and to improve ship design accordingly. This article focuses on presenting the novel features of VELOS related to both its VR and evacuation-specific functionalities. These features include: (i) capability of multiple users’ immersion and active participation in the evacuation process, (ii) real-time interactivity and capability for making on-the-fly alterations of environment events and crowd-behavior parameters, (iii) capability of agents and avatars to move continuously on decks, (iv) integrated framework for both the simplified and advanced method of analysis according to the IMO/MSC 1033 Circular, (v) enrichment of the ship geometrical model with a topological model suitable for evacuation analysis, (vi) efficient interfaces for the dynamic specification and handling of the required heterogeneous input data, and (vii) post-processing of the calculated agent trajectories for extracting useful information for the evacuation process. VELOS evacuation functionality is illustrated using three evacuation test cases for a ro–ro passenger ship

Perception of space through representation media: a comparison between 2D representation techniques and 3D virtual environments

Thesis (Master)--İzmir Institute of Technology, Architecture, İzmir, 2005Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 109-113)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxii, 122 leavesFor centuries, 2D drawing techniques such as plans, sections and elevations have been the main communication media for the profession of architecture. Addition to these techniques, for two decades, computer based representation techniques and 3D virtual environments (VE) have also entered to the profession of architecture. Effects of these computer based techniques on perception of space have always been interrogated by several researches.Although these researches generally regarded these computerized techniques as better and proper than conventional techniques, in some cases conventional techniques can be more effective to depict architectural space. Main aim of this thesis is to compare and evaluate the positive effects and shortcomings of 3D virtual environments and 2D conventional representation techniques in the context of perception of architectural space. Parallel to this objective, the thesis also aims to show the differentiation in perception of space with the change of representation media. To show these differences, a comparative method is used. As the main step of the application of this method, an experimental case study and survey has been constituted for comparing 2D conventional techniques and 3D computer based techniques. In this survey, 38 first yearstudents from Izmir Institute of technology have taken place as test subject.According to the results of this comparative case study, contributions and shortcomings of 2D conventional representation techniques and 3D computer based techniques on improving the capability of architects on perception of the space have been determined

Low-fi skin vision: A case study in rapid prototyping a sensory substitution system

We describe the design process we have used to develop a minimal, twenty vibration motor Tactile Vision Sensory Substitution (TVSS) system which enables blind-folded subjects to successfully track and bat a rolling ball and thereby experience 'skin vision'. We have employed a low-fi rapid prototyping approach to build this system and argue that this methodology is particularly effective for building embedded interactive systems. We support this argument in two ways. First, by drawing on theoretical insights from robotics, a discipline that also has to deal with the challenge of building complex embedded systems that interact with their environments; second, by using the development of our TVSS as a case study: describing the series of prototypes that led to our successful design and highlighting what we learnt at each stage

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Application for a Section of Bologna’s Red Tramway Line

New technologies such as the I-BIM (Infrastructure Building Information Modeling) are radically changing the infrastructure design and construction sector. In this study, the I-BIMapproach has been used for the design of a portion of the future Bologna’s Red Tramway Line. Starting from the topographical survey of the area, a “federated” model was created, aggregating in a single digital environment all the models inherent to the individual disciplines involved. Interference analysis (Clash Detection) between the various disciplines was performed, subject to the preparation of a coordination matrix and the temporal simulation of the worksite phases (BIM4D). The results have shown that the I-BIMapproach represents a powerful tool for optimizing and validating infrastructure design, allowing users to see how the infrastructure integrates and fits into the real 3D environmental context

NASA space station automation: AI-based technology review

Research and Development projects in automation for the Space Station are discussed. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based automation technologies are planned to enhance crew safety through reduced need for EVA, increase crew productivity through the reduction of routine operations, increase space station autonomy, and augment space station capability through the use of teleoperation and robotics. AI technology will also be developed for the servicing of satellites at the Space Station, system monitoring and diagnosis, space manufacturing, and the assembly of large space structures

Freeform User Interfaces for Graphical Computing

報告番号: 甲15222 ; 学位授与年月日: 2000-03-29 ; 学位の種別: 課程博士 ; 学位の種類: 博士(工学) ; 学位記番号: 博工第4717号 ; 研究科・専攻: 工学系研究科情報工学専