The use of low cost virtual reality and digital technology to aid forensic scene interpretation and recording

© Cranfield University 2005. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owner.Crime scenes are often short lived and the opportunities must not be lost in acquiring sufficient information before the scene is disturbed. With the growth in information technology (IT) in many other scientific fields, there are also substantial opportunities for IT in the area of forensic science. The thesis sought to explore means by which IT can assist and benefit the ways that forensic information can be illustrated and elucidated in a logical manner. The central research hypothesis considers that through the utilisation of low cost IT, the visual presentation of information will be of significant benefit to forensic science in particular for the recoding of crime scenes and its presentation in court. The research hypothesis was addressed by first exploring the current crime scene documentation techniques; their strengths and weaknesses, giving indication to the possible niche that technology could occupy within forensic science. The underlying principles of panoramic technology were examined, highlighting its ability to express spatial information efficiently. Through literature review and case studies, the current status of the technology within the forensic community and courtrooms was also explored to gauge its possible acceptance as a forensic tool. This led to the construction of a low cost semi-automated imaging system capable of capturing the necessary images for the formation of a panorama. This provides the ability to pan around; effectively placing the viewer at the crime scene. Evaluation and analysis involving forensic personnel was performed to assess the capabilities and effectiveness of the imaging system as a forensic tool. The imaging system was found to enhance the repertoire of techniques available for crime scene documentation; possessing sufficient capabilities and benefits to warrant its use within the area of forensics, thereby supporting the central hypothesis

The use of low cost virtual reality and digital technology to aid forensic scene interpretation and recording

Crime scenes are often short lived and the opportunities must not be lost in acquiring sufficient information before the scene is disturbed. With the growth in information technology (IT) in many other scientific fields, there are also substantial opportunities for IT in the area of forensic science. The thesis sought to explore means by which IT can assist and benefit the ways that forensic information can be illustrated and elucidated in a logical manner. The central research hypothesis considers that through the utilisation of low cost IT, the visual presentation of information will be of significant benefit to forensic science in particular for the recoding of crime scenes and its presentation in court. The research hypothesis was addressed by first exploring the current crime scene documentation techniques; their strengths and weaknesses, giving indication to the possible niche that technology could occupy within forensic science. The underlying principles of panoramic technology were examined, highlighting its ability to express spatial information efficiently. Through literature review and case studies, the current status of the technology within the forensic community and courtrooms was also explored to gauge its possible acceptance as a forensic tool. This led to the construction of a low cost semi-automated imaging system capable of capturing the necessary images for the formation of a panorama. This provides the ability to pan around; effectively placing the viewer at the crime scene. Evaluation and analysis involving forensic personnel was performed to assess the capabilities and effectiveness of the imaging system as a forensic tool. The imaging system was found to enhance the repertoire of techniques available for crime scene documentation; possessing sufficient capabilities and benefits to warrant its use within the area of forensics, thereby supporting the central hypothesis.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Interactive Fiction in Cinematic Virtual Reality: Epistemology, Creation and Evaluation

This dissertation presents the Interactive Fiction in Cinematic Virtual Reality (IFcVR), an interactive digital narrative (IDN) that brings together the cinematic virtual reality (cVR) and the creation of virtual environments through 360\ub0 video within an interactive fiction (IF) structure. This work is structured in three components: an epistemological approach to this kind of narrative and media hybrid; the creation process of IFcVR, from development to postproduction; and user evaluation of IFcVR. In order to set the foundations for the creation of interactive VR fiction films, I dissect the IFcVR by investigating the aesthetics, narratological and interactive notions that converge and diverge in it, proposing a medium-conscious narratology for this kind of artefact. This analysis led to the production of an IFcVR functional prototype: \u201cZENA\u201d, the first interactive VR film shot in Genoa. ZENA\u2019s creation process is reported proposing some guidelines for interactive and immersive film-makers. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the IFcVR as an entertaining narrative form and a vehicle for diverse types of messages, this study also proposes a methodology to measure User Experience (UX) on IFcVR. The full evaluation protocol gathers both qualitative and quantitative data through ad hoc instruments. The proposed protocol is illustrated through its pilot application on ZENA. Findings show interactors' positive acceptance of IFcVR as an entertaining experience

Spatialising narrative pictures : transforming 2D narrative drawing/illustration to video installations

PhD Thesis 3 DVD's of animations available in print thesis only (theses can be requested for consultation from the Newcastle University Library Search Catalogue)This Ph.D. thesis is an investigation of the processes and problems, both practical and conceptual, involved in the transformation of my small-scale two-dimensional narrative drawings into video installations. The aim of this transformation was to increase the active involvement and engagement of the viewer and to enhance and open up the narrative/s within the original drawings. I use the term ‘spatialise’ for this transformation, looking particularly at three major narrative factors - character, event and space. It became apparent through the investigation that scale and position were also crucial factors. These elements are examined through creative practice and a critical body of knowledge gained from firsthand practical experience, contextualised against the historical and theoretical backdrop relating to narrative images and how images relate to spaces. As an artist coming to this inquiry from a drawing/illustration background, the three key concerns and questions were: how to transform a two-dimensional narrative illustration into an installation without losing the drawing/painting quality? When transformed into a video installation, what changes happen to the narrative and to the audience’s engagement and self-awareness, and subsequently the audience’s understanding of the narrative? How can technology, sculpture, installation, and video projection be used to develop and enhance my drawings? This desire to search for a new medium and approach for my drawing/illustration practice is in the context of both my own artistic identity and the backdrop of dramatic social transformation in China. The research has led to new insights as well as new dialogues for me - between drawing practice, my cultural identity as an artist, the narrative content of my own hand-made drawings, and comparisons between the traditions of Western/European and Chinese art. A particularly important new element for me was the idea of an ‘open narrative’ gained through spatialisation. The research therefore contributes to the field of contemporary art practice, video installation and narrative drawing through bringing together experimental video installation and a cultural critique – and by directing the audience’s self-awareness through open narrative discourse

Pixelated Domes: Cinematic Code Changes through a Frank Lloyd Wright Lens

Panoramic 360-degree documentary videos continue to saturate the visual landscape. As practitioners\u27 experiment with a new genre, understanding meaning and making awaits the academic and marketplace landscape. The new media journey of 360-degree documentary storytelling is ripe for media archaeologist to explore. New media scholar Lev Manovich (2016) believes we are witnessing the new emergence of a cultural metalanguage, something that will be at least as significant as the printed word and cinema before it (p. 49) Considering the meta- development of this new media genre, my dissertation seeks to discuss the historical roots of the panoramic image, define 360-degree Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR) documentary video, establish production distinctions between 360-degree CVR and two-dimensional documentary video, and reveal the spatial cognitive abilities of 360-degree documentary video. The purpose of this dissertation study is to establish a media archaeological context of the 360-degree image and reveals the development of new cinematic code variations between 360 CVR modalities and two-dimensional documentary form. The theoretical framework developed within this study will inform current and future 360-degree documentary narrative engagement practices. Secondly, this project seeks to evaluate spatial cognition levels when viewing a Frank Lloyd Wright walking tour through 360 CVR modalities and examine the influence this has on narrative engagement comparative to traditional two-dimensional documentary form

Transforming the museum-community nexus with technology : a virtual museum infrastructure for participatory engagement and management

Museums play an important role in society as the custodians of heritage, and advances in technology have brought about opportunities for curating, preserving and disseminating heritage through virtual museums. However, this is not matched by an understanding of how these technologies can support these functions, especially given the varying levels of resources that museums have at their disposal. To address this problem, a hybrid methodology which combines underpinning theory and practice has been adopted. Initial investigation of the problem takes place through a contextualisation of museology and heritage studies, followed by exploratory case studies that yield design objectives for a Virtual Museum Infrastructure (VMI). A design of the VMI is proposed based on these objectives, and the VMI is instantiated, deployed and evaluated in real-world scenarios using a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques. The findings of this investigation demonstrate that the use of technology provides new opportunities for engagement with heritage, as experts and community members alike can create, curate and preserve content, which can then be disseminated in engaging ways using immersive, yet affordable technologies. This work therefore demonstrates how technology can be used to: (1) support museums in the creation, curation, preservation and dissemination of heritage, through a VMI that provides support for all the stages of the media life cycle, (2) facilitate active use, so that content that is created once can be reused on multiple platforms (for example on the web, on mobile apps and in on-site installations), and (3) encourage connectivity by linking up local museums using a location-aware interface and facilitates the consumption content using digital literacies available to the public. The aforementioned points, coupled with the system instantiations that demonstrate them, represent the contributions of this thesis

Landscapes of ephemeral embrace : a painter's exploration of immersive virtual space as a medium for transforming perception

The following text has been written to illuminate the research embodied In Ephemere, a fullyimmersive virtual environment which integrates stereoscopic 3D computer-generated images and spatialized 3D sound, with a user interface based on breathing, balance, and gaze. This artwork was begun when I entered the doctoral program at CAiNA (Centre of Advanced Inquiry Into the Interactive Arts) in 1997, and was completed in 1998. The work Ephemere is grounded in a very personal vision, developed over more than 25 years of artistic practice, including, most significantly, painting. Ephemere follows on its predecessor Osmose, and as such, Is a continuation of my efforts to: (I) explore and communicate my sensibility of what it means to be embodied, here now, in the living Rowing world; and (ii) use the medium of immersive virtual space to do so, necessarily subverting its culturally-biased conventions to achieve this goal. The contents of this text are most clearly indicated by its title: Landscapes of Ephemeral Embrace: A Painter's Exploration of the Medium of Immersive Virtual Space for Transforming Perception. And further, by its chapter headings: (I) Context: Rethinking Technology in the "Reign of King Logos ; (II) Defining Terms: Key Concepts and Concerns in the Work; (III) Origins of the Work in Prior Artistic Practice: Emergence of Key Concerns and Strategies; (IV) First Explorations in Immersive Virtual Space: Osmose; (V) Continuing Explorations In Immersive Virtual Space: Ephemere; and (VI) Strategies and Their Implications In the Immersive Experience. In this text, I have focused my discussion on artistic Intent, rather than on whether I have been successful, for this can only be evaluated with the passing of time

Interdependent Compositions Employed in Sonic Ecosystems: Integrating the Listener in the Evolving Soundscape

A presente dissertação explora a integração de ouvintes na paisagem sonora em transformação enquanto compositores do ambiente sónico, no formato de instalações áudio.A investigação é motivada pela necessidade de promover e discutir a identidade do património aural da cidade do Porto e a sua crescente transformação.O desenho metodológico seguido é o practice-led research/research-led practice, e foca-se na compreensão e no desenvolvimento de ecossistemas sonoros e das relações interdependentes entre os agentes internos e externos do sistema.Os participantes exploram cartografias sonoras generativas, transformando iterativamente a natureza composicional das paisagens ao navegarem por motivos abrangentes ou focarem em elementos específicos da experiência.Palavras-chave: Identidade, Transformação, Ecossistema, Composição de Paisagens Sonoras, Interatividade.This dissertation explores the integration of listeners in the evolving soundscape as compositional agents of the sonic environment, presented as an audio installation.The investigation is motivated by the need to promote and discuss the sonic landscape identity of Porto and its rapid transformation. A method of practice-led research/research-led practice is followed, focusing on the development and understanding of sonic ecosystems and the interdependent relationships between its internal and external agents.Participants explore generative aural cartographies, transforming iteratively the nature of compositions by expanding into wider motifs or focusing on small and specific elements of the experience.Keywords: Identity, Transformation, Ecosystem, Soundscape Composition, Interactivity

3D SEM Surface Reconstruction: An Optimized, Adaptive, and Intelligent Approach

Structural analysis of microscopic objects is a longstanding topic in several scientific disciplines, including biological, mechanical, and material sciences. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), as a promising imaging equipment has been around to determine the surface properties (e.g., compositions or geometries) of specimens by achieving increased magnification, contrast, and resolution greater than one nanometer. Whereas SEM micrographs still remain two-dimensional (2D), many research and educational questions truly require knowledge and information about their three-dimensional (3D) surface structures. Having 3D surfaces from SEM images would provide true anatomic shapes of micro samples which would allow for quantitative measurements and informative visualization of the systems being investigated. In this research project, we novel design and develop an optimized, adaptive, and intelligent multi-view approach named 3DSEM++ for 3D surface reconstruction of SEM images, making a 3D SEM dataset publicly and freely available to the research community. The work is expected to stimulate more interest and draw attention from the computer vision and multimedia communities to the fast-growing SEM application area

Leveraging eXtented Reality & Human-Computer Interaction for User Experi- ence in 360◦ Video

EXtended Reality systems have resurged as a medium for work and entertainment. While 360o video has been characterized as less immersive than computer-generated VR, its realism, ease of use and affordability mean it is in widespread commercial use. Based on the prevalence and potential of the 360o video format, this research is focused on improving and augmenting the user experience of watching 360o video. By leveraging knowledge from Extented Reality (XR) systems and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), this research addresses two issues affecting user experience in 360o video: Attention Guidance and Visually Induced Motion Sickness (VIMS). This research work relies on the construction of multiple artifacts to answer the de- fined research questions: (1) IVRUX, a tool for analysis of immersive VR narrative expe- riences; (2) Cue Control, a tool for creation of spatial audio soundtracks for 360o video, as well as enabling the collection and analysis of captured metrics emerging from the user experience; and (3) VIMS mitigation pipeline, a linear sequence of modules (including optical flow and visual SLAM among others) that control parameters for visual modi- fications such as a restricted Field of View (FoV). These artifacts are accompanied by evaluation studies targeting the defined research questions. Through Cue Control, this research shows that non-diegetic music can be spatialized to act as orientation for users. A partial spatialization of music was deemed ineffective when used for orientation. Addi- tionally, our results also demonstrate that diegetic sounds are used for notification rather than orientation. Through VIMS mitigation pipeline, this research shows that dynamic restricted FoV is statistically significant in mitigating VIMS, while mantaining desired levels of Presence. Both Cue Control and the VIMS mitigation pipeline emerged from a Research through Design (RtD) approach, where the IVRUX artifact is the product of de- sign knowledge and gave direction to research. The research presented in this thesis is of interest to practitioners and researchers working on 360o video and helps delineate future directions in making 360o video a rich design space for interaction and narrative.Sistemas de Realidade EXtendida ressurgiram como um meio de comunicação para o tra- balho e entretenimento. Enquanto que o vídeo 360o tem sido caracterizado como sendo menos imersivo que a Realidade Virtual gerada por computador, o seu realismo, facili- dade de uso e acessibilidade significa que tem uso comercial generalizado. Baseado na prevalência e potencial do formato de vídeo 360o, esta pesquisa está focada em melhorar e aumentar a experiência de utilizador ao ver vídeos 360o. Impulsionado por conhecimento de sistemas de Realidade eXtendida (XR) e Interacção Humano-Computador (HCI), esta pesquisa aborda dois problemas que afetam a experiência de utilizador em vídeo 360o: Orientação de Atenção e Enjoo de Movimento Induzido Visualmente (VIMS). Este trabalho de pesquisa é apoiado na construção de múltiplos artefactos para res- ponder as perguntas de pesquisa definidas: (1) IVRUX, uma ferramenta para análise de experiências narrativas imersivas em VR; (2) Cue Control, uma ferramenta para a criação de bandas sonoras de áudio espacial, enquanto permite a recolha e análise de métricas capturadas emergentes da experiencia de utilizador; e (3) canal para a mitigação de VIMS, uma sequência linear de módulos (incluindo fluxo ótico e SLAM visual entre outros) que controla parâmetros para modificações visuais como o campo de visão restringido. Estes artefactos estão acompanhados por estudos de avaliação direcionados para às perguntas de pesquisa definidas. Através do Cue Control, esta pesquisa mostra que música não- diegética pode ser espacializada para servir como orientação para os utilizadores. Uma espacialização parcial da música foi considerada ineficaz quando usada para a orientação. Adicionalmente, os nossos resultados demonstram que sons diegéticos são usados para notificação em vez de orientação. Através do canal para a mitigação de VIMS, esta pesquisa mostra que o campo de visão restrito e dinâmico é estatisticamente significante ao mitigar VIMS, enquanto mantem níveis desejados de Presença. Ambos Cue Control e o canal para a mitigação de VIMS emergiram de uma abordagem de Pesquisa através do Design (RtD), onde o artefacto IVRUX é o produto de conhecimento de design e deu direcção à pesquisa. A pesquisa apresentada nesta tese é de interesse para profissionais e investigadores tra- balhando em vídeo 360o e ajuda a delinear futuras direções em tornar o vídeo 360o um espaço de design rico para a interação e narrativa