3D-Stereoscopic Immersive Analytics Projects at Monash University and University of Konstanz

Immersive Analytics investigates how novel interaction and display technologies may support analytical reasoning and decision making. The Immersive Analytics initiative of Monash University started early 2014. Over the last few years, a number of projects have been developed or extended in this context to meet the requirements of semi- or full-immersive stereoscopic environments. Different technologies are used for this purpose: CAVE2™ (a 330 degree large-scale visualization environment which can be used for educative and scientific group presentations, analyses and discussions), stereoscopic Powerwalls (miniCAVEs, representing a segment of the CAVE2 and used for development and communication), Fishtanks, and/or HMDs (such as Oculus, VIVE, and mobile HMD approaches). Apart from CAVE2™ all systems are or will be employed on both the Monash University and the University of Konstanz side, especially to investigate collaborative Immersive Analytics. In addition, sensiLab extends most of the previous approaches by involving all senses, 3D visualization is combined with multi-sensory feedback, 3D printing, robotics in a scientific-artistic-creative environment

Stereoscopic bimanual interaction for 3D visualization

Virtual Environments (VE) are being widely used in various research fields for several decades such as 3D visualization, education, training and games. VEs have the potential to enhance the visualization and act as a general medium for human-computer interaction (HCI). However, limited research has evaluated virtual reality (VR) display technologies, monocular and binocular depth cues, for human depth perception of volumetric (non-polygonal) datasets. In addition, a lack of standardization of three-dimensional (3D) user interfaces (UI) makes it challenging to interact with many VE systems. To address these issues, this dissertation focuses on evaluation of effects of stereoscopic and head-coupled displays on depth judgment of volumetric dataset. It also focuses on evaluation of a two-handed view manipulation techniques which support simultaneous 7 degree-of-freedom (DOF) navigation (x,y,z + yaw,pitch,roll + scale) in a multi-scale virtual environment (MSVE). Furthermore, this dissertation evaluates auto-adjustment of stereo view parameters techniques for stereoscopic fusion problems in a MSVE. Next, this dissertation presents a bimanual, hybrid user interface which combines traditional tracking devices with computer-vision based "natural" 3D inputs for multi-dimensional visualization in a semi-immersive desktop VR system. In conclusion, this dissertation provides a guideline for research design for evaluating UI and interaction techniques

Virtual and augmented reality in social skills interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review

In the last decade, there has been an increase in publications on technology-based interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Virtual reality based assessments and intervention tools are promising and have shown to be acceptable amongst individuals with ASD. This scoping review reports on 49 studies utilizing virtual reality and augmented reality technology in social skills interventions for individuals with ASD. The included studies mostly targeted children and adolescents, but few targeted very young children or adults. Our findings show that the mode number of participants with ASD is low, and that female participants are underrepresented. Our review suggests that there is need for studies that apply virtual and augmented realty with more rigorous designs involving established and evidenced-based intervention strategies.publishedVersio

A Modular Approach to the Development of Interactive Augmented Reality Applications.

Augmented reality (AR) technologies are becoming increasingly popular as a result of the increase in the power of mobile computing devices. Emerging AR applications have the potential to have an enormous impact on industries such as education, healthcare, research, training and entertainment. There are currently a number of augmented reality toolkits and libraries available for the development of these applications; however, there is currently no standard tool for development. In this thesis we propose a modular approach to the organization and development of AR systems in order to enable the creation novel AR experiences. We also investigate the incorporation of the framework that resulted from our approach into game engines to enable the creation and visualization of immersive virtual reality experiences. We address issues in the development process of AR systems and provide a solution for reducing the time, cost and barrier of entry for development while simultaneously providing a framework in which researchers can test and apply advanced augmented reality technologies