An Experimental Hybrid User Interface for Collaboration

We present EMMIE (Environment Management for Multi-user Information Environments), an experimental user interface to a collaborative augmented environment. Users share a 3D virtual space and manipulate virtual objects representing information to be discussed. This approach not only allows for cooperation in a shared physical space, but also addresses tele-collaboration in physically separate but virtually shared spaces. We refer to EMMIE as a hybrid user interface because it combines a variety of different technologies and techniques, including virtual elements such as 3D widgets, and physical objects such as tracked displays and input devices. See-through head-worn displays overlay the virtual environment on the physical environment. Our research prototype includes additional 2D and 3D displays, ranging from palm-sized to wall-sized, allowing the most appropriate one to be used for any task. Objects can be moved among displays (including across dimensionalities) through drag & drop. In analogy to 2D window managers, we describe a prototype implementation of a shared 3Denvironment manager that is distributed across displays, machines, and operating systems. We also discuss two methods we are exploring for handling information privacy in such an environment

Radar Detection of High Concentrations of Ice Particles - Methodology and Preliminary Flight Test Results

High Ice Water Content (HIWC) has been identified as a primary causal factor in numerous engine events over the past two decades. Previous attempts to develop a remote detection process utilizing modern commercial radars have failed to produce reliable results. This paper discusses the reasons for previous failures and describes a new technique that has shown very encouraging accuracy and range performance without the need for any hardware modifications to industrys current radar designs. The performance of this new process was evaluated during the joint NASA/FAA HIWC RADAR II Flight Campaign in August of 2018. Results from that evaluation are discussed, along with the potential for commercial application, and development of minimum operational performance standards for a future commercial radar product

Functions and Requirements of the CMS Centre at CERN

This report of the CMS Centre Requirements and Technical Assessment Group describes the functions of the CMS Centre on the CERN Meyrin site in terms of data quality monitoring, calibrations and rapid analysis and operations of the offline computing systems. It then defines the corresponding requirements for building space, computing consoles and other equipment, technical services and refurbishments, and communications systems

Light on horizontal interactive surfaces: Input space for tabletop computing

In the last 25 years we have witnessed the rise and growth of interactive tabletop research, both in academic and in industrial settings. The rising demand for the digital support of human activities motivated the need to bring computational power to table surfaces. In this article, we review the state of the art of tabletop computing, highlighting core aspects that frame the input space of interactive tabletops: (a) developments in hardware technologies that have caused the proliferation of interactive horizontal surfaces and (b) issues related to new classes of interaction modalities (multitouch, tangible, and touchless). A classification is presented that aims to give a detailed view of the current development of this research area and define opportunities and challenges for novel touch- and gesture-based interactions between the human and the surrounding computational environment. © 2014 ACM.This work has been funded by Integra (Amper Sistemas and CDTI, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) and TIPEx (TIN2010-19859-C03-01) projects and Programa de Becas y Ayudas para la Realización de Estudios Oficiales de Máster y Doctorado en la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 2010

Don't panic: Recursive interactions in a miniature metaworld

© 2019 Association for Computing Machinery. Metaworld is a new recursive interaction paradigm for virtual reality, where a miniature display (or 3D map) of the virtual world is presented to the user as a miniature model that itself lives inside the virtual world. The miniature model is interactive and every action which occurs on the miniature world similarly occurs to the greater virtual world and vice-versa. We implemented the metaworld concept in the virtual reality application MetaCity, a city designing sandbox where users can reach into a miniature model and move the cars and skyscrapers. Design considerations of how to display and interact with the miniature model are presented, and a technical implementation of the miniature world is described. The metaworld concept was informally and playfully tested in the MetaCity which revealed a number of novel interactions that enable the user to navigate quickly through large spaces, re-scale objects in the world and manipulate the very fabric of the world itself. These interactions are discussed within the context of four major categories-Experiential Planning, Interdimensional Transformations, Power of the Gods and Self Manipulation

Solving Organisational Problems with Intranet Technology

Information serves as an essential intermediate input in decision-making for any business process. It is an essential requirement not only for effective and efficient management but also for medium and long term planning. In this era of technological advancement the rapid growth of information flow has contributed significantly in the expansion of business, commercial, industrial, financial, educational and research organisations. Electronic communication provides the ability to overcome many organisational problems. In recent years, an easy and inexpensive access to information through the Internet and e-mail has created an atmosphere of strong competition among organisations. In this competitive environment, the organisations need an efficient, productive and competent internal set-up based on a well-informed workforce. In the absence of effective co-ordination, the expansion of an organisation may result in inter-group conflicts, unhealthy bureaucratic activities, and various complexities in decision-making [Telleen (1996)]. This applies even more to organisations in developing countries such as Pakistan that are in need of efficient ways to improve governance and enhance institutional reforms.

Reversing Cyber Loneliness

After more than thirty years we reopen the folder of immersivity in a social dimension enabling creatives to express themselves in open public spaces. Is “immersivity” an interesting and innovative “communicative experience” to be enjoyed together with other citizens, breaking cyber-isolation. This paper describes a interdisciplinary Horizon Europe research project aimed to design and develop a cost effective, hassle-free, easy to install and tune solution to setup a multi-user, multi- site, multi-platform non-invasive immersive and interactive users’ experiences, sorry for the long list of buzzwords identifying the key characteristics. The “users” are subdivided in two families: creative/authors and citizens. The first family is again subdivided by: authors without cyber skills and the couple creatives/programmers. The outcomes of the project includes specific training courses to enable both authors to express their creativity thanks to a simple procedure and already developed components or in case of cyber skilled users to integrate the open source platform with new ad-hoc created components