Component-Based Tools for Educational Simulations

e-Learning is an effective medium for delivering knowledge and skills. In spite of improvements in electronic delivery technologies, e-Learning is still a long way away from offering anything close to efficient and effective learning environments. To improve e-Learning experiences, much literature supports simulation based e-Learning. This thesis begins identifying various types of simulation models and their features that induce experiential learning. We focus on designing and constructing an easy-to-use Discrete Event Simulation (DES) tool for building engaging and informative interactive DES models that allow learners to control the models’ parameters and visualizations through runtime interactions. DES has long been used to support analysis and design of complex systems but its potential to enhance learning has not yet been fully utilized. We first present an application framework and its resulting classes for better structuring DES models. However, importing relevant classes, establishing relationships between their objects and representing lifecycles of various types of active objects in a language that does not support concurrency demand a significant cognitive workload. To improve this situation, we utilize two design patterns to ease model structuring and logic representation (both in time and space) through a drag and drop component approach. The patterns are the Delegation Event Model, used for linking between components and delegating tasks of executing and updating active objects’ lifecycles, and the MVC (Model-View-Controller) pattern, used for connecting the components to their graphical instrumentations and GUIs. Components implementing both design patterns support the process-oriented approach, can easily be tailored to store model states and visualizations, and can be extended to design higher level models through hierarchical simulation development. Evaluating this approach with both teachers and learners using ActionScript as an implementation language in the Flash environment shows that the resulting components not only help model designers with few programming skills to construct DES models, but they also allow learners to conduct various experiments through interactive GUIs and observe the impact of changes to model behaviour through a range of engaging visualizations. Such interactions can motivate learners and make their learning an enjoyable experience

DYNAMIC VISUALIZATIONS: Developing a Framework for Crowd-Based Simulations

Since its conception in the 1960s, digital computation has experienced both exponential growth in power and reduction in cost. This has allowed the production of relatively cheap electronics, which are now integrated ubiquitously in daily life. With so much computational data and an ever-increasing accessibility to intelligent objects, the potential for integrating such technologies within architectural systems becomes increasingly viable. Today, dynamic architecture is already emerging across the world; it is inevitable that one day computation will be fully integrated within the infrastructures of our cities. However, as these new forms of dynamic architecture becomes increasingly commonplace, the standard static medium of architectural visualization is no longer satisfactory for representing and visualizing these dynamic spaces, let alone the human interactions within them. Occupancy within a space is already inherently dynamic and becomes even more so with the introduction of these new forms of architecture. This in turn challenges our conventional means of visualizing spaces both in design and communication. To fully represent dynamic architecture, the visualization must be dynamic as well. As such, current single image rendering methods within most existing architectural design pipelines becomes inadequate in portraying both the architectural dynamics of the space, as well as the interaction and influences these dynamics will have with the occupants. This thesis aims to mitigate these shortcomings in architectural visualization by investigating the creation of a crowd simulation tool to facilitate a foundation for a visualization framework that can be continuously built upon based on project needs, which answers the question of how one can utilize current technologies to not only better represent responsive architecture but also to optimize existing visualization methodologies. By using an interdisciplinary approach that brings together architecture, computer science, and game design, it becomes possible to establish a more powerful, flexible, and efficient workflow in creating architectural visualizations. Part One will establish a foundation to this thesis by looking at the state of the current world, its buildings in the sense of dynamic, and the current state of visualization technologies that are being utilized both within architectural design as well as outside of it. Part Two will investigate complex systems and simulation models, as well as investigating ways of integrating them with human behaviors to establish a methodology for creating a working crowd simulation system. Part Three will take the methodology developed within Part Two and integrate it within modern game engines, with the intent of creating an architectural visualization pipeline that can utilize the game engine for both crowd analytics as well as visualization. Part Four will look at some of the various spatial typologies that can be visualized with this tool. Finally, Part Five will speculate on various future directions to improve this tool beyond the current scope of this thesis

Computer Simulation of Multidimensional Archaeological Artefacts

[EN] The main purpose of this ongoing research is to understand possible function(s) of archaeological artefacts through Reverse Engineering processes. In addition, we intend to provide new data, as well as possible explications of the archaeological record according to what it expects about social activities and working processes, by simulating the potentialities of such actions in terms of input-output relationships.Our project focuses on the Neolithic lakeside site of La Draga (Banyoles, Catalonia). In this presentation we will begin by providing a clear overview of the major guidelines used to capture and process 3D digital data of several wooden artefacts. Then, we shall present the use of semi-automated relevant feature extractions. Finally, we intend to share preliminary computer simulation issues.[ES] El principal propósito de esta investigación consiste en comprender la(s) función(es) más probable(s) de los artefactos arqueológicos a través de un proceso de Ingeniería Inversa. Además, intentamos proporcionar nuevos datos y, en la medida de lo posible, explicaciones, del registro arqueológico de acuerdo con lo quesabemos de las actividades sociales y procesos de trabajo, por medio de la simulación de las potencialidades de esas acciones en términos de relaciones input-output. Nuestro proyecto se centra en el sitio lacustre neolítico de La Draga (Banyoles, Girona). En este artículo empezamos proporcionando un resumen exhaustivo de losprocedimientos usados para capturar y procesar datos digitales 3D de diversos objetos de madera. A continuación presentamos el uso de métodos semi-automáticos de extracción de rasgos relevantes. Finalmente, se discuten cuestiones preliminares acerca de simulación computacional.This research is part of the project PADICAT ("Patrimoni Digital Arqueològic de Catalunya), funded by the Obra Social la Caixa and the Asociació d'Universitats Catalanes (Programa RecerCaixa, RECER2010-05), as well as of the project "Social and environmental transitions: Simulating the Past to understand human behaviour", funded by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation, under the program CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010, CSD2010-00034. This research also benefits from Vera Moitinho’s Ph. D. grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal.Moitinho De Almeida, V.; Barceló, JA. (2012). Computer Simulation of Multidimensional Archaeological Artefacts. Virtual Archaeology Review. 3(7):77-81. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2012.4392OJS778137D-COFORM (2009): "D.2.1 - Initial version of 'User Requirement analysis and Functional Specifications' (version 8)". 3DCOFORM Consortium.http://www.3d-coform.eu/downloads/D_2_1_User_Req_and_Fnctl_Specs_online.pdf [View: 12-03-2012].BOSCH, Angel, CHINCHILLA, Julia, TARRUS, Josep et al (2006): "Els objectes de fusta del poblat neolític de la Draga. Excavacions de 1995- 2005", in Monografies del CASC, 6. Girona.FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY (1999): "Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material". Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Madison, WI.KAMAT, Vineet, MARTINEZ, Julio (2007): "Variable-speed object motion in 3D visualizations of discrete-event construction simulation models", in ITcon, 12: 293-303. http://www.itcon.org/2007/20 [View: 12-03-2012].MOITINHO, Vera, BARCELO, Juan Anton (2012): "3D Scanning and Computer Simulation of Archaeological Artefacts", in Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Best Practices in World Heritage: Archaeology (in press). Menorca.MOITINHO, Vera, BARCELO, Juan Anton (2011): "Understanding Virtual Objects through Reverse Engineering", in Proceedings of the III Congreso Internacional de Arqueología e Informática Gráfica, Patrimonio e Innovación, Arqueológica 2.0 (in press). Seville.PADICAT (2010): "Patrimoni Digital Arqueològic de Catalunya". http://www.recercaixa.cat/ca/ArxiuDeVideos/Video_JuanAntonioBarceloAlvarez.html [View: 12-03-2012].PAPATHEODOROU, Christos et al. (2012): "The CARARE metadata schema". Europeana CARARE project.http://www.carare.eu/eng/Resources/CARARE-metadata-schema-outline-v1.0 [View: 12-03-2012].PERROS, Harry (2009): "Computer Simulation Techniques: The definitive introduction!". Computer Science Department - NC State University, Raleigh, NC. http://www4.ncsu.edu/~hp/simulation.pdf [View: 12-03-2012].REICHENBACH, Tomislav, KOVAČIĆ, Zdenko (2003): "Derivation of Kinematic Parameters from a 3D Robot Model Used for Collision-free Path Planning", in Proceedings of the 11th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation, MED '03. http://med.ee.nd.edu/MED11/pdf/papers/t2-039.pdf [View: 12-03-2012].SOLIDWORKS (2012): Solidworks. Dassault Systemes. http://www.solidworks.com/ [View: 12-03-2012].TARRUS, Josep (2008): "La Draga (Banyoles, Catalonia), an Early Neolithic Lakeside Village in Mediterranean Europe", in Catalan Historical Review, 1:17-33. Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Barcelona. http://revistes.iec.cat/chr/ [View: 12-03-2012]

Understanding Virtual Objects through Reverse Engineering

[EN] The main objective of our research is to develop a new methodology, based on Reverse Engineering processes – 3D scan, quantitative data analysis and Artificial Intelligence techniques, in particular simulation – to study the relationship between form and function of artefacts. Furthermore, we aim to provide new data, as well as possible explanations of the archaeological record according to what it expects about social activity, including working processes, by simulating the potentialities of such actions in terms of input-output relationships.[ES] El principal objetivo de nuestra investigación consiste en desarrollar una nueva metodología de análisis e interpretación de artefactos arqueológicos para el estudio de la relación entre forma y función de los artefactos. El fundamento de nuestra propuesta es un enfoque basado en técnicas de Ingeniería Inversa que partiendo de datos visuales procedentes de escaneo 3D, los pone en relación con las consecuencias esperadas de las acciones sociales que tuvieron lugar en el pasado en un enfoque de Inteligencia Artificial y análisis cuantitativo de datos. Además, nuestro trabajo está basado en la nueva manera de “ver” la realidad arqueológica. El procedimiento consiste en la “simulación” computacional de la cinemática de esas acciones y ele estudio de las características geométricas y visuales de sus consecuencias potenciales, expresando los resultados en términos de relaciones entrada-salida.This research is funded by the Spanish Ministry for Scienc and Innovation, under grant No. HAR2009-12258, and it is a part of the joint research team “Social and environmental transitions: Simulating the past to understand human behaviour (SimulPast)” (www.simulpast.es), funded by the same national agency under the program CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010, CSD2010-00034. This research also benefits from Vera Moitinho’s Ph. D. grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal.Moitinho De Almeida, V.; Barceló, JA. (2012). Understanding Virtual Objects through Reverse Engineering. Virtual Archaeology Review. 3(7):14-17. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2012.4372OJS141737BARCELO, J. A. (2010): "Visual Analysis in Archaeology. An Artificial Intelligence Approach", in Morphometrics for Nonmorphometricians, edited by E.M.T. Elewa. Springer.http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-95853-6_5BATHOW, Christiane and WACHOWIAK, Mel (2008): "3D Scanning in Truly Remote Areas", in Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference - CMSC, Charlotte, NC. http://www.accurexmeasure.com/applicationpages/3d%20scanning%20in%20remote%20areas.pdf [View: 24-03-2011].BERALDIN, J.-A. (2004): "Integration of Laser Scanning and Close-range Photogrammetry - The last Decade and Beyond". http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXV/congress/comm5/papers/188.pdf [View: 24-03-2011].DENNET, Daniel (1991): "Cognitive Science as Reverse Engineering: Several Meanings of 'Top-Down' and 'Bottom-Up'", final draft for Proceedings of the 9th International Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science. http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/harnad/Papers/Py104/dennett.eng.html [View: 24-03-2011].EILAM, Eldad (2005): Reversing: Secrets of Reverse Engineering. Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis.GEORGOPOULOS, Andreas et al. (2010): "Assessing the Performance of a Structured Light Scanner", in Commission V Symposium. International Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 38(5). http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXVIII/part5/papers/177.pdf [View: 24-03-2011].KAMAT, V. R. and MARTINEZ, J. C. (2007): "Variable-speed object motion in 3D visualizations of discrete-event construction simulation models". ITcon, Vol. 12, pp. 293-303, http://www.itcon.org/2007/20 [View: 24-03-2011].MARA, Hubert et al. (2004): "The Uniformity of Wheel Produced Pottery Deduced from 3D Image Processing and Scanning", in Proceedings of the 28th Workshop of the Austrian Association for Pattern Recognition - OAGM/AAPR, Digital Imaging in Media and Education. W. Burger, J. Scharinger (ed.). Schriftenreihe der OCG, no 179, pp. 197-204.MOITINHO, Vera (2007): "Virtual Archaeology: Work in Progress", in Proceedings of the 35th Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology Congress, CAA 2007.PERROS, Harry (2009): "Computer Simulation Techniques: The definitive introduction!". Computer Science Department - NC State University, Raleigh, NC. http://www4.ncsu.edu/~hp/simulation.pdf [View: 24-03-2011].RAJA, Vinesh and FERNANDES, K. J. (ed.) (2008): Reverse Engineering: An Industrial Perspective. Springer-Verlag, London.REICHENBACH, Tomislav and KOVAČIĆ, Zdenko (2003): "Derivation of Kinematic Parameters from a 3D Robot Model Used for Collision-free Path Planning", in Proceedings of the 11th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation, MED '03. http://med.ee.nd.edu/MED11/pdf/papers/t2-039.pdf [View: 24-03-2011].USAIT: "Glossary", in U. S. Army Information Technology Agency, http://ita.army.mil/CatalogService.aspx?service_Id=122&serviceGroup_Id=9 [View: 24-03-2011].WANG, Wego (2011): Reverse Engineering: Technology of Reinvention. CRC Press

A Fast and Scalable System to Visualize Contour Gradient from Spatio-temporal Data

Changes in geological processes that span over the years may often go unnoticed due to their inherent noise and variability. Natural phenomena such as riverbank erosion, and climate change in general, is invisible to humans unless appropriate measures are taken to analyze the underlying data. Visualization helps geological sciences to generate scientific insights into such long-term geological events. Commonly used approaches such as side-by-side contour plots and spaghetti plots do not provide a clear idea about the historical spatial trends. To overcome this challenge, we propose an image-gradient based approach called ContourDiff. ContourDiff overlays gradient vector over contour plots to analyze the trends of change across spatial regions and temporal domain. Our approach first aggregates for each location, its value differences from the neighboring points over the temporal domain, and then creates a vector field representing the prominent changes. Finally, it overlays the vectors (differential trends) along the contour paths, revealing the differential trends that the contour lines (isolines) experienced over time. We designed an interface, where users can interact with the generated visualization to reveal changes and trends in geospatial data. We evaluated our system using real-life datasets, consisting of millions of data points, where the visualizations were generated in less than a minute in a single-threaded execution. We show the potential of the system in detecting subtle changes from almost identical images, describe implementation challenges, speed-up techniques, and scope for improvements. Our experimental results reveal that ContourDiff can reliably visualize the differential trends, and provide a new way to explore the change pattern in spatiotemporal data. The expert evaluation of our system using real-life WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model output reveals the potential of our technique to generate useful insights on the spatio-temporal trends of geospatial variables

Tangible user interfaces : past, present and future directions

In the last two decades, Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) have emerged as a new interface type that interlinks the digital and physical worlds. Drawing upon users' knowledge and skills of interaction with the real non-digital world, TUIs show a potential to enhance the way in which people interact with and leverage digital information. However, TUI research is still in its infancy and extensive research is required in or- der to fully understand the implications of tangible user interfaces, to develop technologies that further bridge the digital and the physical, and to guide TUI design with empirical knowledge. This paper examines the existing body of work on Tangible User In- terfaces. We start by sketching the history of tangible user interfaces, examining the intellectual origins of this field. We then present TUIs in a broader context, survey application domains, and review frame- works and taxonomies. We also discuss conceptual foundations of TUIs including perspectives from cognitive sciences, phycology, and philoso- phy. Methods and technologies for designing, building, and evaluating TUIs are also addressed. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limita- tions of TUIs and chart directions for future research

Assisted Viewpoint Interaction for 3D Visualization

Many three-dimensional visualizations are characterized by the use of a mobile viewpoint that offers multiple perspectives on a set of visual information. To effectively control the viewpoint, the viewer must simultaneously manage the cognitive tasks of understanding the layout of the environment, and knowing where to look to find relevant information, along with mastering the physical interaction required to position the viewpoint in meaningful locations. Numerous systems attempt to address these problems by catering to two extremes: simplified controls or direct presentation. This research attempts to promote hybrid interfaces that offer a supportive, yet unscripted exploration of a virtual environment.Attentive navigation is a specific technique designed to actively redirect viewers' attention while accommodating their independence. User-evaluation shows that this technique effectively facilitates several visualization tasks including landmark recognition, survey knowledge acquisition, and search sensitivity. Unfortunately, it also proves to be excessively intrusive, leading viewers to occasionally struggle for control of the viewpoint. Additional design iterations suggest that formalized coordination protocols between the viewer and the automation can mute the shortcomings and enhance the effectiveness of the initial attentive navigation design.The implications of this research generalize to inform the broader requirements for Human-Automation interaction through the visual channel. Potential applications span a number of fields, including visual representations of abstract information, 3D modeling, virtual environments, and teleoperation experiences

VB2: an architecture for interaction in synthetic worlds

This paper describes the VB2 architecture for the construction of three-dimensional interactive applications. The system's state and behavior are uniformly represented as a network of interrelated objects. Dynamic components are modeled by active variables, while multi-way relations are modeled by hierarchical constraints. Daemons are used to sequence between system states in reaction to changes in variable values. The constraint network is efficiently maintained by an incremental constraint solver based on an enhancement of SkyBlue. Multiple devices are used to interact with the synthetic world through the use of various interaction paradigms, including immersive environments with visual and audio feedback. Interaction techniques range from direct manipulation, to gestural input and three-dimensional virtual tools. Adaptive pattern recognition is used to increase input device expressiveness by enhancing sensor data with classification information. Virtual tools, which are encapsulations of visual appearance and behavior, present a selective view of manipulated models' information and offer an interaction metaphor to control it. Since virtual tools are first class objects, they can be assembled into more complex tools, much in the same way that simple tools are built on top of a modeling hierarchy. The architecture is currently being used to build a virtual reality animation system.167-17

Advanced Visualization and Intuitive User Interface Systems for Biomedical Applications

Modern scientific research produces data at rates that far outpace our ability to comprehend and analyze it. Such sources include medical imaging data and computer simulations, where technological advancements and spatiotemporal resolution generate increasing amounts of data from each scan or simulation. A bottleneck has developed whereby medical professionals and researchers are unable to fully use the advanced information available to them. By integrating computer science, computer graphics, artistic ability and medical expertise, scientific visualization of medical data has become a new field of study. The objective of this thesis is to develop two visualization systems that use advanced visualization, natural user interface technologies and the large amount of biomedical data available to produce results that are of clinical utility and overcome the data bottleneck that has developed. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a tool used to study the quantities associated with the movement of blood by computer simulation. We developed methods of processing spatiotemporal CFD data and displaying it in stereoscopic 3D with the ability to spatially navigate through the data. We used this method with two sets of display hardware: a full-scale visualization environment and a small-scale desktop system. The advanced display and data navigation abilities provide the user with the means to better understand the relationship between the vessel\u27s form and function. Low-cost 3D, depth-sensing cameras capture and process user body motion to recognize motions and gestures. Such devices allow users to use hand motions as an intuitive interface to computer applications. We developed algorithms to process and prepare the biomedical and scientific data for use with a custom control application. The application interprets user gestures as commands to a visualization tool and allows the user to control the visualization of multi-dimensional data. The intuitive interface allows the user to control the visualization of data without manual contact with an interaction device. In developing these methods and software tools we have leveraged recent trends in advanced visualization and intuitive interfaces in order to efficiently visualize biomedical data in such a way that provides meaningful information that can be used to further appreciate it