The design-by-adaptation approach to universal access: learning from videogame technology

This paper proposes an alternative approach to the design of universally accessible interfaces to that provided by formal design frameworks applied ab initio to the development of new software. This approach, design-byadaptation, involves the transfer of interface technology and/or design principles from one application domain to another, in situations where the recipient domain is similar to the host domain in terms of modelled systems, tasks and users. Using the example of interaction in 3D virtual environments, the paper explores how principles underlying the design of videogame interfaces may be applied to a broad family of visualization and analysis software which handles geographical data (virtual geographic environments, or VGEs). One of the motivations behind the current study is that VGE technology lags some way behind videogame technology in the modelling of 3D environments, and has a less-developed track record in providing the variety of interaction methods needed to undertake varied tasks in 3D virtual worlds by users with varied levels of experience. The current analysis extracted a set of interaction principles from videogames which were used to devise a set of 3D task interfaces that have been implemented in a prototype VGE for formal evaluation

Analysis of the hands in egocentric vision: A survey

Egocentric vision (a.k.a. first-person vision - FPV) applications have thrived over the past few years, thanks to the availability of affordable wearable cameras and large annotated datasets. The position of the wearable camera (usually mounted on the head) allows recording exactly what the camera wearers have in front of them, in particular hands and manipulated objects. This intrinsic advantage enables the study of the hands from multiple perspectives: localizing hands and their parts within the images; understanding what actions and activities the hands are involved in; and developing human-computer interfaces that rely on hand gestures. In this survey, we review the literature that focuses on the hands using egocentric vision, categorizing the existing approaches into: localization (where are the hands or parts of them?); interpretation (what are the hands doing?); and application (e.g., systems that used egocentric hand cues for solving a specific problem). Moreover, a list of the most prominent datasets with hand-based annotations is provided

The design-by-adaptation approach to universal access: learning from videogame technology

This paper proposes an alternative approach to the design of universally accessible interfaces to that provided by formal design frameworks applied ab initio to the development of new software. This approach, design-byadaptation, involves the transfer of interface technology and/or design principles from one application domain to another, in situations where the recipient domain is similar to the host domain in terms of modelled systems, tasks and users. Using the example of interaction in 3D virtual environments, the paper explores how principles underlying the design of videogame interfaces may be applied to a broad family of visualization and analysis software which handles geographical data (virtual geographic environments, or VGEs). One of the motivations behind the current study is that VGE technology lags some way behind videogame technology in the modelling of 3D environments, and has a less-developed track record in providing the variety of interaction methods needed to undertake varied tasks in 3D virtual worlds by users with varied levels of experience. The current analysis extracted a set of interaction principles from videogames which were used to devise a set of 3D task interfaces that have been implemented in a prototype VGE for formal evaluation

Understanding egocentric human actions with temporal decision forests

Understanding human actions is a fundamental task in computer vision with a wide range of applications including pervasive health-care, robotics and game control. This thesis focuses on the problem of egocentric action recognition from RGB-D data, wherein the world is viewed through the eyes of the actor whose hands describe the actions. The main contributions of this work are its findings regarding egocentric actions as described by hands in two application scenarios and a proposal of a new technique that is based on temporal decision forests. The thesis first introduces a novel framework to recognise fingertip writing in mid-air in the context of human-computer interaction. This framework detects whether the user is writing and tracks the fingertip over time to generate spatio-temporal trajectories that are recognised by using a Hough forest variant that encourages temporal consistency in prediction. A problem with using such forest approach for action recognition is that the learning of temporal dynamics is limited to hand-crafted temporal features and temporal regression, which may break the temporal continuity and lead to inconsistent predictions. To overcome this limitation, the thesis proposes transition forests. Besides any temporal information that is encoded in the feature space, the forest automatically learns the temporal dynamics during training, and it is exploited in inference in an online and efficient manner achieving state-of-the-art results. The last contribution of this thesis is its introduction of the first RGB-D benchmark to allow for the study of egocentric hand-object actions with both hand and object pose annotations. This study conducts an extensive evaluation of different baselines, state-of-the art approaches and temporal decision forest models using colour, depth and hand pose features. Furthermore, it extends the transition forest model to incorporate data from different modalities and demonstrates the benefit of using hand pose features to recognise egocentric human actions. The thesis concludes by discussing and analysing the contributions and proposing a few ideas for future work.Open Acces

A Survey of Interaction Techniques for Interactive 3D Environments

International audienceVarious interaction techniques have been developed for interactive 3D environments. This paper presents an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the state of the art of non-immersive interaction techniques for Navigation, Selection & Manipulation, and System Control, including a basic introduction to the topic, the challenges, and an examination of a number of popular approaches. We hope that this survey can aid both researchers and developers of interactive 3D applications in having a clearer overview of the topic and in particular can be useful for practitioners and researchers that are new to the field of interactive 3D graphics

Image Retrieval within Augmented Reality

Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht das Potenzial von Augmented Reality zur Verbesserung von Image Retrieval Prozessen. Herausforderungen in Design und Gebrauchstauglichkeit wurden für beide Forschungsbereiche dargelegt und genutzt, um Designziele für Konzepte zu entwerfen. Eine Taxonomie für Image Retrieval in Augmented Reality wurde basierend auf der Forschungsarbeit entworfen und eingesetzt, um verwandte Arbeiten und generelle Ideen für Interaktionsmöglichkeiten zu strukturieren. Basierend auf der Taxonomie wurden Anwendungsszenarien als weitere Anforderungen für Konzepte formuliert. Mit Hilfe der generellen Ideen und Anforderungen wurden zwei umfassende Konzepte für Image Retrieval in Augmented Reality ausgearbeitet. Eins der Konzepte wurde auf einer Microsoft HoloLens umgesetzt und in einer Nutzerstudie evaluiert. Die Studie zeigt, dass das Konzept grundsätzlich positiv aufgenommen wurde und bietet Erkenntnisse über unterschiedliches Verhalten im Raum und verschiedene Suchstrategien bei der Durchführung von Image Retrieval in der erweiterten Realität.:1 Introduction 1.1 Motivation and Problem Statement 1.1.1 Augmented Reality and Head-Mounted Displays 1.1.2 Image Retrieval 1.1.3 Image Retrieval within Augmented Reality 1.2 Thesis Structure 2 Foundations of Image Retrieval and Augmented Reality 2.1 Foundations of Image Retrieval 2.1.1 Definition of Image Retrieval 2.1.2 Classification of Image Retrieval Systems 2.1.3 Design and Usability in Image Retrieval 2.2 Foundations of Augmented Reality 2.2.1 Definition of Augmented Reality 2.2.2 Augmented Reality Design and Usability 2.3 Taxonomy for Image Retrieval within Augmented Reality 2.3.1 Session Parameters 2.3.2 Interaction Process 2.3.3 Summary of the Taxonomy 3 Concepts for Image Retrieval within Augmented Reality 3.1 Related Work 3.1.1 Natural Query Specification 3.1.2 Situated Result Visualization 3.1.3 3D Result Interaction 3.1.4 Summary of Related Work 3.2 Basic Interaction Concepts for Image Retrieval in Augmented Reality 3.2.1 Natural Query Specification 3.2.2 Situated Result Visualization 3.2.3 3D Result Interaction 3.3 Requirements for Comprehensive Concepts 3.3.1 Design Goals 3.3.2 Application Scenarios 3.4 Comprehensive Concepts 3.4.1 Tangible Query Workbench 3.4.2 Situated Photograph Queries 3.4.3 Conformance of Concept Requirements 4 Prototypic Implementation of Situated Photograph Queries 4.1 Implementation Design 4.1.1 Implementation Process 4.1.2 Structure of the Implementation 4.2 Developer and User Manual 4.2.1 Setup of the Prototype 4.2.2 Usage of the Prototype 4.3 Discussion of the Prototype 5 Evaluation of Prototype and Concept by User Study 5.1 Design of the User Study 5.1.1 Usability Testing 5.1.2 Questionnaire 5.2 Results 5.2.1 Logging of User Behavior 5.2.2 Rating through Likert Scales 5.2.3 Free Text Answers and Remarks during the Study 5.2.4 Observations during the Study 5.2.5 Discussion of Results 6 Conclusion 6.1 Summary of the Present Work 6.2 Outlook on Further WorkThe present work investigates the potential of augmented reality for improving the image retrieval process. Design and usability challenges were identified for both fields of research in order to formulate design goals for the development of concepts. A taxonomy for image retrieval within augmented reality was elaborated based on research work and used to structure related work and basic ideas for interaction. Based on the taxonomy, application scenarios were formulated as further requirements for concepts. Using the basic interaction ideas and the requirements, two comprehensive concepts for image retrieval within augmented reality were elaborated. One of the concepts was implemented using a Microsoft HoloLens and evaluated in a user study. The study showed that the concept was rated generally positive by the users and provided insight in different spatial behavior and search strategies when practicing image retrieval in augmented reality.:1 Introduction 1.1 Motivation and Problem Statement 1.1.1 Augmented Reality and Head-Mounted Displays 1.1.2 Image Retrieval 1.1.3 Image Retrieval within Augmented Reality 1.2 Thesis Structure 2 Foundations of Image Retrieval and Augmented Reality 2.1 Foundations of Image Retrieval 2.1.1 Definition of Image Retrieval 2.1.2 Classification of Image Retrieval Systems 2.1.3 Design and Usability in Image Retrieval 2.2 Foundations of Augmented Reality 2.2.1 Definition of Augmented Reality 2.2.2 Augmented Reality Design and Usability 2.3 Taxonomy for Image Retrieval within Augmented Reality 2.3.1 Session Parameters 2.3.2 Interaction Process 2.3.3 Summary of the Taxonomy 3 Concepts for Image Retrieval within Augmented Reality 3.1 Related Work 3.1.1 Natural Query Specification 3.1.2 Situated Result Visualization 3.1.3 3D Result Interaction 3.1.4 Summary of Related Work 3.2 Basic Interaction Concepts for Image Retrieval in Augmented Reality 3.2.1 Natural Query Specification 3.2.2 Situated Result Visualization 3.2.3 3D Result Interaction 3.3 Requirements for Comprehensive Concepts 3.3.1 Design Goals 3.3.2 Application Scenarios 3.4 Comprehensive Concepts 3.4.1 Tangible Query Workbench 3.4.2 Situated Photograph Queries 3.4.3 Conformance of Concept Requirements 4 Prototypic Implementation of Situated Photograph Queries 4.1 Implementation Design 4.1.1 Implementation Process 4.1.2 Structure of the Implementation 4.2 Developer and User Manual 4.2.1 Setup of the Prototype 4.2.2 Usage of the Prototype 4.3 Discussion of the Prototype 5 Evaluation of Prototype and Concept by User Study 5.1 Design of the User Study 5.1.1 Usability Testing 5.1.2 Questionnaire 5.2 Results 5.2.1 Logging of User Behavior 5.2.2 Rating through Likert Scales 5.2.3 Free Text Answers and Remarks during the Study 5.2.4 Observations during the Study 5.2.5 Discussion of Results 6 Conclusion 6.1 Summary of the Present Work 6.2 Outlook on Further Wor

Context-aware gestural interaction in the smart environments of the ubiquitous computing era

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyTechnology is becoming pervasive and the current interfaces are not adequate for the interaction with the smart environments of the ubiquitous computing era. Recently, researchers have started to address this issue introducing the concept of natural user interface, which is mainly based on gestural interactions. Many issues are still open in this emerging domain and, in particular, there is a lack of common guidelines for coherent implementation of gestural interfaces. This research investigates gestural interactions between humans and smart environments. It proposes a novel framework for the high-level organization of the context information. The framework is conceived to provide the support for a novel approach using functional gestures to reduce the gesture ambiguity and the number of gestures in taxonomies and improve the usability. In order to validate this framework, a proof-of-concept has been developed. A prototype has been developed by implementing a novel method for the view-invariant recognition of deictic and dynamic gestures. Tests have been conducted to assess the gesture recognition accuracy and the usability of the interfaces developed following the proposed framework. The results show that the method provides optimal gesture recognition from very different view-points whilst the usability tests have yielded high scores. Further investigation on the context information has been performed tackling the problem of user status. It is intended as human activity and a technique based on an innovative application of electromyography is proposed. The tests show that the proposed technique has achieved good activity recognition accuracy. The context is treated also as system status. In ubiquitous computing, the system can adopt different paradigms: wearable, environmental and pervasive. A novel paradigm, called synergistic paradigm, is presented combining the advantages of the wearable and environmental paradigms. Moreover, it augments the interaction possibilities of the user and ensures better gesture recognition accuracy than with the other paradigms

Multimodal metaphors for generic interaction tasks in virtual environments

Virtual Reality (VR) Systeme bieten zusätzliche Ein- und Ausgabekanäle für die Interaktion zwischen Mensch und Computer in virtuellen Umgebungen. Solche VR Technologien ermöglichen den Anwendern bessere Einblicke in hochkomplexe Datenmengen, stellen allerdings auch hohe Anforderungen an den Benutzer bezüglich der Fähigkeiten mit virtuellen Objekten zu interagieren. In dieser Arbeit werden sowohl die Entwicklung und Evaluierung neuer multimodaler Interaktionsmetaphern für generische Interaktionsaufgaben in virtuellen Umgebungen vorgestellt und diskutiert. Anhand eines VR Systems wird der Einsatz dieser Konzepte an zwei Fallbeispielen aus den Domänen der 3D-Stadtvisualisierung und seismischen Volumendarstellung aufgezeigt

Image and Evidence: The Study of Attention through the Combined Lenses of Neuroscience and Art

: Levy, EK 2012, ‘An artistic exploration of inattention blindness’, in Frontiers Hum Neurosci, vol. 5, ISSN=1662-5161.Full version unavailable due to 3rd party copyright restrictions.This study proposed that new insights about attention, including its phenomenon and pathology, would be provided by combining perspectives of the neurobiological discourse about attention with analyses of artworks that exploit the constraints of the attentional system. To advance the central argument that art offers a training ground for the attentional system, a wide range of contemporary art was analysed in light of specific tasks invoked. The kinds of cognitive tasks these works initiate with respect to the attentional system have been particularly critical to this research. Attention was explored within the context of transdisciplinary art practices, varied circumstances of viewing, new neuroscientific findings, and new approaches towards learning. Research for this dissertation required practical investigations in a gallery setting, and this original work was contextualised and correlated with pertinent neuroscientific approaches. It was also concluded that art can enhance public awareness of attention disorders and assist the public in discriminating between medical and social factors through questioning how norms of behaviour are defined and measured. This territory was examined through the comparative analysis of several diagnostic tests for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), through the adaptation of a methodology from economics involving patent citation in order to show market incentives, and through examples of data visualisation. The construction of an installation and collaborative animation allowed participants to experience first-hand the constraints on the attentional system, provoking awareness of our own “normal” physiological limitations. The embodied knowledge of images, emotion, and social context that are deeply embedded in art practices appeared to be capable of supplementing neuroscience’s understanding of attention and its disorders