IPT/EGVE 2003: 7th International Workshop on Immersive Projection Technology, 9th Eurographics Workshop on Virtual Enviroments

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https://diglib.eg.org/handle/10.2312/374

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Gearbox Widget for Fine Adjustments by Hand Motion
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) OSAWA, Noritaka; REN, Xiangshi; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
manipulation by hand is not suitable for making fine adjustments to virtual objects in an immersive environment because it is difficult to hold an unsupported hand in midair and then to release an object at a fixed point. Therefore we propose a virtual 3D gearbox widget. This gearbox widget enables the user to adjust a value precisely. A combination technique of this widget and hand manipulation can move virtual objects and place them in a target position quickly and precisely. For a comparison, we tested the usability of four techniques. Experiments showed that using the proposed gearbox in combination with direct manipulation was the best of the four techniques in terms of both performance data and subjective preference.
PHANToM Haptic Device Implemented in a Projection Screen Virtual Environment
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Fischer, A.; Vance, J. M.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
This research combines the PHANToM 1.5 haptic device with a six-sided projection screen virtual environment in order to explore the benefits haptic devices bring to this type of immersive environment. The PHANToM is placed on a specially designed and constructed work stand which allows the device to be moved anywhere in the virtual environment. An algorithm has been developed which maps the size of the CAD model represented in the virtual environment, or the movement of the CAD model, to the working space of the PHANToM. Two applications are explored which illustrate using the PHANToM for different tasks: exploring a large NURBS surface and installing an aircraft rudder pedal assembly.
A vision-based head tracking system for fully immersive displays
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Hogue, A.; Robinson, M.; Jenkin, M. R.; Allison, R. S.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
Six-sided fully immersive projective displays present complex and novel problems for tracking systems. Existing tracking technologies typically require tracking equipment that is placed in locations or at- tached to the user in a way that is suitable for typical displays of five or less walls but which would interfere with the immersive experience within a fully enclosed display. This paper presents a novel vision-based tracking technology for fully-immersive projective displays. The technology relies on the operator wearing a set of laser diodes arranged in a specific configuration and then visually tracking the projection of these lasers on the external walls of the display outside of the user's view. This approach places minimal hardware on the user and no visible tracking equipment is placed within the immersive environment. This paper describes the basic visual tracking system including the hardware and software infrastructure.
Fast Approximate Visible Set Determination for Point Sample Clouds
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Mantler, Stephan; Fuhrmann, Anton L.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
We present a fast, efficient method to determine approximate visible sets for vegetation rendered as point sample clouds. A hardware accelerated preprocessing step is used to determine exact visibility for a selected set of views; at runtime the current view is rendered using an approximate visible set constructed from the three closest precalculated views. We will further demonstrate how this method leads to a significant per-frame reduction of the original data size.
Interactive Augmented Reality Techniques for Construction at a Distance of 3D Geometry
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Piekarski, Wayne; Thomas, Bruce H.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
This paper presents a series of new augmented reality user interaction techniques to support the capture and creation of 3D geometry of large outdoor structures, part of an overall concept we have named construction at a distance. We use information about the user s physical presence, along with hand and head gestures, to allow the user to capture and create the geometry of objects that are orders of magnitude larger than themselves, with no prior information or assistance. Using augmented reality and these new techniques, users can enter geometry and verify its accuracy in real time. This paper includes a number of examples showing objects that have been modelled in the physical world, demonstrating the usefulness of the techniques.
A Comprehensive Calibration and Registration Procedure for the Visual HapticWorkbench
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Ikits, Milan; Hansen, Charles D.; Johnson, Christopher R.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
We present a simple yet efficient calibration and registration procedure for improving the overall static display accuracy of the Visual Haptic Workbench. The procedure is used for precisely colocating the visual and haptic workspaces of the system and is divided into three stages. First, we calibrate and register the PHANToM to the display surface of the workbench. Second, we calibrate the tracking system by attaching a rigid extension between the tracker sensor and the PHANToM stylus. Third, we interactively find the remaining unknown display parameters including eye and hotspot offsets as well as a local reference frame. Initial evaluation of the approach indicates that it is possible to improve static display accuracy by at least an order of magnitude for this system.
Extending the Working Volume of Projection-based Mixed Reality Systems
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Splechtna, R.C.; Fuhrmann, A.L.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
The working volume of a Mixed Reality (MR) system - which superimposes the real environment with computer- generated virtual content - strongly depends upon the output/display device used. Single screen projection systems like the Barco Baron Table or the FakeSpace ImmersaDesk M seem rather limited regarding their working volume when compared with the CAVE, which is the only projection-based MR installation providing a wide range of viewing directions. We show how the working volume of such projection based MR systems can be extended by tracking not only the user, but also the projection screen and demonstrate how the tilting mechanism of a standard Barco Baron Table can be used to enlarge the range of usable viewing directions of the system. We also give a description of the complete calibration procedure and set-up necessary to employ this concept with any movable back projection system.
Real-Time Representation of Complex Lighting Data in a Nightdrive Simulation
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Berssenbrügge, J.; Gausemeier, J.; Grafe, M.; Matysczok, C.; Pöhland, K.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
For the development of new automobile lighting systems, special raytracing methods are used to completely simulate the illumination properties of the new product. For further evaluation, real test drives with real prototypes are still necessary. But changing weather and lighting conditions make the test drive results not fully comparable. Therefore, a high number of test drives have to be performed. This leads to a time-consuming and cost-intensive development process. Virtual test drives at night combined with a realistic simulation of a lighting system s illumination characteristics can minimize the number of real nightdrives and allow reproducible testing conditions as well as comparable results. A close-to-reality simulation poses high demands on the real-time method for calculating and displaying illumination data in a virtual scene. This paper introduces a real-time illumination method for use in a nightdrive simulation.
Comparative Visualization of FEM-Based Cutting Simulations in a Virtual Environment
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Klocke, Fritz; Straube, Andreas M.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
As one of the final steps in the industrial manufacturing chain, machining operations require significant economic consideration. At this stage, design components have already passed through several steps of this value-added manufacturing process. Industrial companies today are using Finite Element Simulations to optimize manufacturing processes, such as mechanical cutting. In order to obtain an increased understanding of the cutting process, several simulations with different input parameters are performed. A new method for comparing these results has been developed and has many potential benefits. In this poster abstract, the comparative visualization of cutting chip formation and distribution of data values, such as tool and work piece temperatures, is investigated using a Virtual Environment.
Haptic Rendering Techniques for the Interactive Exploration of CFD Datasets in Virtual Environments
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Reimersdahl, T. van; Bley, F.; Kuhlen, T.; Bischof, C.H.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
In pure CFD visualization tools, some flow features are hard to visualize such as the properties of a local flow probe. Haptic rendering techniques offer an intuitive understanding and allow more detailed insights than the visual perception solely. In our application framework ViSTA FlowLib for the interactive visualization and exploration of unsteady flows in virtual environments we implemented haptic rendering techniques as an add-on feature for the commonly used visualization algorithms for scalar and vector fields. We extended the ideas of Pao and Lawrence and developed new promising techniques.
A Survey and Performance Analysis of Software Platforms for Interactive Cluster-Based Multi-Screen Rendering
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Staadt, Oliver G.; Walker, Justin; Nuber, Christof; Hamann, Bernd; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
We present a survey of different software architectures designed to render on a tiled display. We provide an in-depth analysis of three selected systems, including their implementation of data distribution, sort-first rendering, and overall usability. We use various test cases to analyze the performance of these three systems.
A Virtual Environment for Conceptual Design in Architecture
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Anderson, Lee; Esser, James; Interrante, Victoria; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
We present a virtual environment application that has been developed for conceptual design in architecture and seeks to emulate aspects of a typical designer's work area. The environment provides a means of creating and manipulating basic geometry using a kiosk toolbox. More importantly, the environment provides simple means for using imagery and videos developed outside of the environment for use within the environment for both information and design. A DesignStation is provided within the environment to create a work area for the designer, concentrating imagery and information associated with the design as well as an area for reflecting upon, presenting and critiquing the design process. A unique aspect of the environment is the ability to work in more than one scale simultaneously.
Virtual Reality in Web-Based Training Programs
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Leibl, P.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
This paper illustrates the use of a virtual environment (VE) in universities and private industry educational programs and training. The principles are demonstrated in the field of the design of plastic moulded parts under special consideration of product manufacturability and cost. The main focus of this paper is to illustrate how those in education can understand the concepts associated with such projects more easily.
Color Consistency for Digital Multi-Projector Stereo Display Systems : The HEyeWall and The Digital CAVE
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Kresse, W.; Reiners, D.; Knöpfle, C.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
Digital projectors have a significant advantage over CRTs for IPT setups: brightness. But they also have a number of disadvantages, one of which is color consistency. This problem is exacerbated when using the Infitec method for stereo separation, which in itself has some strong advantages for CAVE and tiled wall setups. In this paper we will describe a method for color and brightness correction of multi-projector display systems. The method itself is used in two new projection systems, which are currently under construction at Fraunhofer-IGD: The HEyewall and the Digital CAVE. The HEyeWall is the first stereo capable tiled display worldwide. The Digital CAVE is the first CAVE with digital projectors and stereo separation based on Infitec(tm). In this paper we present these new IPTs in more detail and also present our experience with digital projectors. To calibrate all the involved projectors photometric measurements of the different projectors are used to calculate a common gamut in a linear colorspace. Input colors are mapped into this gamut and from there mapped into the individual projector's colorspace. This method allows to adjust the rendering output of two or more projectors with different color gamuts in such a way that the projected images are photometrically calibrated. Since the correction has to be done for each pixel, a straightforward implementation would be very slow and far away from realtime. Consequently we will outline a method how to improve performance and overcome this limitation.
Automated Testing of Virtual Reality Application Interfaces
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Bierbaum, Allen; Hartling, Patrick; Cruz-Neira, Carolina; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
We describe a technique for supporting testing of the interaction aspect of virtual reality (VR) applications. Testing is a fundamental development practice that forms the basis of many software engineering methodologies. It is used to ensure the correct behavior of applications. Currently, there is no common pattern for automated testing of VR application interaction. We review current software engineering practices used in testing and explore how they may be applied to the specific realm of VR applications. We then discuss the ways in which current practices are insufficient to test VR application interaction and propose a testing architecture for addressing the problems. We present an implementation of the design written on top of the VR Juggler platform. This system allows VR developers to employ standard software engineering techniques that require automated testing methods.
Interacting with real time simulations - virtual reality in industry applications
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Jönsson, A.; Bathelt, J.; Broman, G.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
Modern manufacturing machines are highly multidisciplinary, and with demands on short time-to-market, product development based on traditional prototype testing has become impractical. By using virtual models, it is possible to test large numbers of variants and optimise the product with the aid of a minimum of physical prototypes. Due to the immense development of software and hardware for simulation and visualisation it should today be possible also for small and medium sized enterprises to use methods that just few years ago were too expensive and complicated. There is however still a great need for building knowledge and competence. This work is an early step in a project aiming at a virtual water jet cutting machine to be used by the industrial partner for optimisation during the development process. The possibility of performing real-time simulations of this machine in a virtual environment, using a normal PC and commercial software, will be investigated. Initially strongly simplified models of the system components are used and the focus is on the overall system model and the interaction between the operator and the virtual machine. It is shown that realtime interaction is possible with this system and with the obtained flexibility of the overall virtual model it should be easy to include more realistic component models for improved accuracy in future work. Preliminary results indicate however that to include, for example, flexibility within the mechanic structure, component modelling will be delicate. These models must describe relevant characteristics accurately enough while still being computationally effective enough for real-time interaction and systems optimisation to be possible. This will probably be a challenge in the continuation of the project, even with an expected continued strong development of computer capacity.
Seamless Multi-Projector Display on Curved Screens
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Baar, Jeroen van; Willwacher, Thomas; Rao, Srinivas; Raskar, Ramesh; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
We describe a new technique to display seamless images using overlapping projectors on curved surfaces. Our method addresses issues such as automatic registration, smooth intensity blending and efficient render-ing. Previous techniques for automatically registered seamless displays have focused mainly on planar dis-plays. Techniques for curved screens currently involve cumbersome manual alignment to make the installation conform to the intended design.
Advancements in 3D Interactive Devices for Virtual Environments
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Wormell, D.; Foxlin, E.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
New commercially available interactive 3D tracking devices and systems for use in virtual environments are discussed. InterSense originally introduced the IS-900 scalable-area hybrid tracking system for virtual environments in 1999. In response to customer requests, we have almost completely revamped the system over the past two years. The major changes include a drastic 3-fold reduction in the size and weight of the wearable sensor devices, introduction of wireless tracking capability, a standardized I2C interface to allow OEM system integrators to add additional custom controls, and evolution of the system software interfaces, the performance, and the price. This paper will briefly describe the underlying technology changes that have allowed these advances to occur, and will outline some of the configuration possibilities that are now supported. Specific examples of how these devices and systems are being used to improve productivity in oil & gas seismic analysis & well field planning; automotive design & test; and, industrial/military training applications will be used to illustrate. Customization standards and future developments are discussed.
The blue-c Distributed Scene Graph
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Naef, Martin; Lamboray, Edouard; Staadt, Oliver; Gross, Markus; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
In this paper we present a distributed scene graph architecture for use in the blue-c, a novel collaborative immersive virtual environment. We extend the widely used OpenGL Performer toolkit to provide a distributed scene graph maintaining full synchronization down to vertex and texel level. We propose a synchronization scheme including customizable, relaxed locking mechanisms. Our distributed scene graph includes both locally stored nodes for static scene data as well as nodes shared across multiple sites, thus minimizing synchronization overhead. We discuss the performance and demonstrate the functionality of our toolkit with two prototype applications in our high-performance virtual reality and visual simulation environment.
The Metaverse - A networked collection of inexpensive, self-configuring, immersive environments
(The Eurographics Association, 2003) Jaynes, C.; Seales, W. B.; Calvert, K.; Fei, Z.; Griffioen, J.; Andreas Kunz and Joachim Deisinger
Immersive projection-based display environments have been growing steadily in popularity. However, these systems have, for the most part, been confined to laboratories or other special-purpose uses and have had relatively little impact on human-computer interaction or user-to-user communication/collaboration models. Before large-scale deployment and adoption of these technologies can occur, some key technical issues must be resolved. We address these issues in the design of the Metaverse. In particular, the Metaverse system supports automatic self-calibration of an arbitrary number of projectors, thereby simplifying system's setup and maintenance. The Metaverse also supports novel communication models that enhance the scalability of the system and facilitate collaboration between Metaverse portals. Finally, we describe a prototype implementation of the Metaverse.

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