| Editorial | | BIB | Full-Text | 1-2 | |
| Dave Snowdon; Elizabeth Churchill | |||
| Collaborative virtual environments: An introductory review of issues and systems | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 3-15 | |
| E. F. Churchill; D. Snowdon | |||
| A Collaborative Virtual Environment or CVE is a distributed, virtual reality
that is designed to support collaborative activities. As such, CVEs provide a
potentially infinite, graphically realised digital landscape within which
multiple users can interact with each other and with simple or complex data
representations. CVEs are increasingly being used to support collaborative work
between geographically separated and between collocated collaborators. CVEs
vary in the sophistication of the data and embodiment representations employed
and in the level of interactivity supported. It is clear that systems which are
intended to support collaborative activities should be designed with explicit
consideration of the tasks to be achieved and the intended users' social and
cognitive characteristics. In this paper, we detail a number of existing
systems and applications, but first discuss the nature of collaborative and
cooperative work activities and consider the place of virtual reality systems
in supporting such collaborative work. Following this, we discuss some future
research directions. Keywords: Virtual environments; Virtual spaces; Collaboration and communication;
Virtual embodiments; Computer supported co-operative work (CSCW) | |||
| On the linguistic nature of cyberspace and virtual communities | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 16-24 | |
| A. Cicognani | |||
| This paper argues for a linguistic explanation of the nature of Virtual
Communities. Virtual Communities develop and grow in electronic space. or
'cyberspace'. Authors such as Benedikt Meyrowitz and Mitchell have theorised
about the nature of electronic space whilst Lefebvre. Popper, Hakim Bey (aka
Lamborn Wilson) and Kuhn have theorised more generally about the nature of
space. Extending this tradition and the works of these authors, this paper
presents a language based perspective on the nature of electronic spaces.
Behaviour in cyberspace is based on and regulated by hardware, software tools
and interfaces. A definition of electronic space cannot be given beyond its
linguistic characteristics, which underlie and sustain it. The author believes
that the more users and developers understand the relationship between language
and cyberspace, the more they will be able to use specific metaphors for
dwelling and inhabiting it. In particular, MUDs/MOOs and the Web are
interesting places for testing and observing social behaviours and dynamics. Keywords: Virtual communities; Cyberspace; Speech acts; Linguistics | |||
| Shared space: An augmented reality approach for computer supported collaborative work | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 25-36 | |
| M. Billinghurst; S. Weghorst; T., III Furness | |||
| Virtual Reality (VR) appears a natural medium for three-dimensional computer
supported collaborative work (CSCW). However the current trend in CSCW is to
adapt the computer interface to work with the user's traditional tools, rather
than separating the user from the real world as does immersive VR. One solution
is through Augmented Reality, the overlaying of virtual objects on the real
world. In this paper we describe the Shared Space concept -- the application of
Augmented Reality for three-dimensional CSCW. This combines the advantages of
Virtual Reality with current CSCW approaches. We describe a collaborative
experiment based on this concept and present preliminary results which show
that this approach may be better for some applications. Keywords: Augmented Reality; Virtual Reality; Computer Supported Collaborative Work | |||
| "Studierstube": An environment for collaboration in augmented reality | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 37-48 | |
| Z. Szalavári; D. Schmalstieg; A. Fuhrmann; M. Gervautz | |||
| We propose an architecture for multi-user augmented reality with
applications in visualisation, presentation and education, which we call
"Studierstube". Our system presents three-dimensional stereoscopic graphics
simultaneously to a group of users wearing light weight see-through head
mounted displays. The displays do not affect natural communication and
interaction, making working together very effective. Users see the same
spatially aligned model, but can independently control their viewpoint and
different layers of the data to be displayed. The setup serves computer
supported cooperative work and enhances cooperation of visualisation experts.
This paper presents the client-server software architecture underlying this
system and details that must be addressed to create a high-quality augmented
reality setup. Keywords: Augmented reality; Multi-user applications; Collaboration; Distributed
graphics | |||
| A collaborative environment for role-playing in object space | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 49-58 | |
| C. Hand; S. Lingard; M. Skipper | |||
| We present some experiences from the development and early use of CRCMOO, a
Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE) which supports the CRC cards software
design technique, implemented initially using a MOO. After briefly describing
CRC, we discuss how CRCMOO differs from other collaborative environments for
software engineering. The role playing metaphor is discussed, followed by the
results of an analysis of the CRC task and a description of how the results
were incorporated into a second prototype system, this time using a graphical
user interface. Keywords: CRC cards; MOO; Role-playing; Spatial understanding; Views | |||
| Collaborative configuration in virtual environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 59-70 | |
| T. Axling | |||
| Most collaborative work in virtual environments involves creating and
changing objects according to some rules which correspond to what is known as
configuration tasks in the field of knowledge based systems. Also, tasks such
as presenting information as 3D objects in a virtual environment or dynamically
changing (reconfiguring) embodiments to adapt to an environment are
configuration tasks. These tasks can be supported by a generic tool, a
configuration engine. However collaborative configuration requires a high level
of interactivity to be meaningful which hence must be supported by the engine.
We are, therefore, utilising our previous experiences in developing
configuration engines to develop one, 3dObelics, that is suited for the highly
interactive tasks of collaborative configuration in virtual environments. The
engine is built on the idea of viewing configuration as a pure constraint
satisfaction problem and that a well-defined modelling language can overcome
the difficulties that are associated with constraint programming. 3dObelics
uses DIVE, a tool kit for building collaborative virtual environments, and a
system for speech control of agents in DIVE labelled 'Talking Agents'.
3dObelics is meant to act as a platform for building multi-user configuration
applications with a minimum of programming. To our knowledge, 3dObelics is the
first general tool for this. Keywords: Collaborative work; Configuration; Constraints; Virtual environments | |||
| A conversational agent to help navigation and collaboration in virtual worlds | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 71-82 | |
| O. Bersot; P. -O. El Guedj; C. Godéreaux; P. Nugues | |||
| This paper describes the prototype of a conversational agent embedded within
a collaborative virtual environment. This prototype -- Ulysse -- accepts spoken
utterances from a user enabling him or her to navigate within relatively
complex virtual worlds. It also accepts and executes commands to manipulate
objects in the virtual world. We are beginning to adapt our agent to parse
certain written descriptions of simultaneous actions of world entities and to
animate these entities according to the given description.
The paper first describes what we can expect from a spoken interface to improve the interaction quality between a user and virtual worlds. Then it describes Ulysse's architecture, which includes a speech recognition device together with a speech synthesiser. Ulysse consists of a chart parser for spoken words, a semantic analyser, a reference resolution system, a geometric reasoner, a dialogue manager, and an animation manager, and has been integrated in the DIVE virtual environment. Ulysse can be 'personified' using a set of behavioural rules. A number of tests have demonstrated its usefulness for user navigation. We are currently developing simulations of written reports of car accidents within Ulysse; such simulations provide dynamic recreations of accident scenarios for individual and collaborative reviewing and assessment. Keywords: Conversational agents; Spoken navigation; Simulation; Semantics of space;
Planning | |||
| Virtual surfaces and the influence of cues to surface shape on grasp | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 85-101 | |
| F. E. Pollick | |||
| This research compared grasps to real surfaces with grasps to virtual
surfaces, and used virtual surfaces to examine the role of cues to surface
shape in grasp. The first experiment investigated the kinematics of overhand
grasps to real and virtual objects. The results showed that, compared with
grasps to real surfaces, grasps to virtual objects were different in the
deceleration phase of the grasp movement and were more variable in their
endpoint position. The second experiment used several measures to examine the
relationship between the visual perception of a surface and the decision to
grasp the surface with either an over-or underhand grasp. It was found that
visual perception of the surface was consistent with the grasping decision. The
third experiment used virtual surfaces to examine how the removal of visual
cues to shape affected the decision to switch from over- to underhand grasp.
Results showed that the orientation at which the decision switched was
dependent on the visual information content. Overall, the results showed that
subtle differences existed between the reach to grasp movements towards real
and virtual surfaces and that the decision to choose between grasp types was
dependent on the visual information used to depict the virtual surface. These
results are discussed in relation to the design and use of input devices to
enable manipulation of three-dimensional objects in virtual worlds. Keywords: Grasp; Surface; Shape perception; Virtual reality | |||
| A curved surface display for three fingers based on human visual and tactile sensory fusion | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 102-111 | |
| J.-L. Wu; S. Kawamura | |||
| In general, it is difficult to present tactile information because arbitrary
curvatures of the curved surface and many degrees of freedom need to be
realised. On the other hand, psychophysical studies have suggested that human
visual and tactile sensations have an illusory fusion characteristic. This
means that we can recognise curved surfaces of objects through visual and
tactile sensations, even if exact tactile information is not presented. Hence,
by utilising the human characteristic of sensory fusion, realisation of a
curved surface display can be simplified. From such motivation, the human
fusion characteristics of visual and tactile sensation are measured, and are
quantitatively analysed. Based on the analysed results, a curved surface
display for three fingers is developed. In the curved surface display, only
four curved patterns are utilised instead of presenting many curved patterns.
Performance of the developed tactile display is proved through evaluated
experiments. Keywords: Human sensory fusion; Tactile sensation; Visual sensation; Curved surface
display; Virtual reality | |||
| An efficient posture recognition method using fuzzy logic | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 112-119 | |
| E. K. H. Tsang; H. Sun | |||
| Computer-human interaction plays an important role in virtual reality.
Glove-based input devices have many desirable features which make direct
interactions between the user and the virtual world possible. However, due to
the complexity of the human hand, recognising hand functions precisely and
efficiently is not an easy task. Existing algorithms are either imprecise or
computationally expensive, making them impractical to integrate with VR
applications, which are usually very CPU intensive.
In the problem of posture and gesture recognition, both the sample patterns stored in the database and the ones to be recognised may be imprecise. This kind of imprecise knowledge can be best dealt with using fuzzy logic. A fast and simple posture recognition method using fuzzy logic is presented in this paper. Our model consists of three components: the posture database, the classifier and the identifier. The classifier roughly classifies the sample postures before they are put into the posture database. The identifier compares an input posture with the records in the identified class and finds the right match efficiently. Fuzzy logic is applied in both the classification and identification processes to cope with imprecise data. The main goal of this method is to recognise hand functions in an accurate and efficient manner. The accuracy, efficiency and the noise tolerance of the model have been examined through a number of experiments. Keywords: Human-computer interaction; Hand posture recognition; Fuzzy logic; Posture
commands | |||
| A methodology for the evaluation of travel techniques for immersive virtual environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 120-131 | |
| D. A. Bowman; D. Koller; L. F. Hodges | |||
| We present a framework for the analysis and evaluation of travel, or
viewpoint motion control, techniques for use in immersive virtual environments
(VEs). In previous work, we presented a taxonomy of travel techniques and a set
of experiments mapping parts of the taxonomy to various performance metrics.
Since these initial experiments, we have expanded the framework to allow
evaluation of not only the effects of different travel techniques, but also the
effects of many outside factors simultaneously. Combining this expanded
framework with the measurement of multiple response variables epitomises the
philosophy of testbed evaluation. This experimental philosophy leads to a
deeper understanding of the interaction and the technique(s) in question, as
well as to broadly generalisable results. We also present an example experiment
within this expanded framework, which evaluates the user's ability to gather
information while travelling through a virtual environment. Results indicate
that, of the variables tested, the complexity of the environment is by far the
most important factor. Keywords: Virtual environments; Interaction techniques; Evaluation; Information
gathering | |||
| Specification and evaluation of level of detail selection criteria | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 132-143 | |
| M. Reddy | |||
| Level of detail (LOD) is a technique where geometric objects are represented
at a number of resolutions, allowing the workload of the system to be based
upon an object's distance, size, velocity, or eccentricity. However, little is
known about how to specify optimally when a particular LOD should be selected
so that the user is not aware of any visual change, or to what extent any
particular LOD scheme can improve an application's performance. In response,
this paper produces a generic, orthogonal model for LOD based upon data from
the field of human visual perception. The effect of this model on the system is
evaluated to discover the contribution that each component makes towards any
performance improvement. The results suggest that both velocity and
eccentricity LOD should be implemented together (if at all) because their
individual contribution is likely to be negligible. Also, it is apparent that
size (or distance) optimisations offer the greatest benefit, contributing
around 95% of any performance increment. Keywords: Computer graphics; Level of detail; Performance optimisation; Visual acuity;
Visual perception | |||
| Guest editorial -- Wearable computers | | BIB | Full-Text | 145-146 | |
| W. Barfield | |||
| Wearable computers: Information tool for the twenty-first century | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 147-156 | |
| K. L. Jackson; L. E. Polisky | |||
| The wearable computer is a portable computer that is actually worn on the
user's body. Ergonomics is therefore a vital feature of its design. Since
humans naturally communicate with voice, a wearable computer also responds to
the voice. Wearable computers and global wireless networks make it possible to
bring exciting capabilities to the individual. Until recently, wearable
computer development has been restricted to academic and military laboratories.
Now, technological advances and reduced cost have ignited investor excitement
about wearable computers. Wearable system applications in manufacturing,
logistics, medicine, training, quality control, communications and even
entertainment are now becoming widespread. The earliest development of wearable
computers occurred in the 1960s. All of the elements of the modern wearable
computer were in place in the Eudaemons system for predicting outcome on a
roulette wheel. Since then, wearable computer development has paralleled
advances in microprocessor technology. After addressing the important
distinction between wearable and mobile computers, this paper will look at
wearable computers as an information tool for industry. A short history of
wearable computers will trace development from the early single application
attempts to today's feature-rich systems. A discussion on current and
anticipated applications is then followed by an overview of important related
technologies. Finally, the paper will assess how wearable computers could
impact twenty-first century industry and society. Keywords: Wearable computer; Information tool; Mobile computer; Wireless networking;
Voice recognition | |||
| Issues in the design and use of wearable computers | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 157-166 | |
| W. Barfield; K. Baird | |||
| Wearable computers are fully functional, self-powered, self-contained
computers that allow the user to access information anywhere and at any time.
In this paper, design issues for wearable computers are discussed, including
power considerations, use of input devices, image registration, and the use of
wearable computers for the design of smart spaces. Application areas for
wearable computers are presented, including medicine, manufacturing,
maintenance, and as personal assistants. Finally, future research directions
for wearable computers are indicated. Keywords: Wearable computer; Augmented reality; Interface design; Smart spaces | |||
| Tracking for augmented reality on wearable computers | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 167-175 | |
| U. Neumann; J. Park | |||
| Wearable computers afford a degree of mobility that makes tracking for
augmented reality difficult. This paper presents a novel object-centric
tracking architecture for presenting augmented reality media in spatial
relationships to objects, regardless of the objects' positions or motions in
the world. The advance this system provides is the ability to sense and
integrate new features into its tracking database, thereby extending the
tracking region automatically. A "lazy evaluation" of the structure from motion
problem uses images obtained from a single calibrated moving camera and applies
recursive filtering to identify and estimate the 3D positions of new features.
We evaluate the performance of two filters; a classic Extended Kalman Filter
(EKF) and a filter based on a Recursive-Average of Covariances (RAC). Some
implementation issues and results are discussed in conclusion. Keywords: Augmented reality; Image registration | |||
| A generic model for Immersive Documentation Environments | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 176-186 | |
| S. Kakez; J. Figue; V. Conan | |||
| We propose a generic model for designing systems relying on augmented
reality techniques in the context of an Immersive Documentation Environment
(IDE). This model encompasses a user/system interaction paradigm, system
architecture and exploitation scenario. We illustrate the use of this model on
several virtually documented environment systems providing the user with
enhanced interaction capabilities. These systems are dedicated to several
applications where the operator needs natural (hands free) access to
information, to carry out measurements and/or operate on devices (e.g.
maintenance, instruction). These systems merge live images acquired by a video
camera with synthetic data (multimedia documents including CAD models and text)
and present the result properly registered in the real world. Vocal commands as
well as multimodal interaction, associating speech and gesture, are used to
improve interaction. Keywords: Augmented reality; Human-computer interaction; Advanced maintenance systems;
Tele-operation; Distributed teaching systems; Mine clearance systems | |||
| Evaluation of text input mechanisms for wearable computers | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 187-199 | |
| B. Thomas; S. Tyerman; K. Grimmer | |||
| This paper reports on an experiment investigating the functionality and
usability of novel input devices on a wearable computer for text entry tasks.
Over a 3-week period, 12 subjects used three different input devices to create
and save short textual messages. The virtual keyboard, forearm keyboard, and
Kordic keypad input devices were assessed for their efficiency and usability in
simple text-entry tasks. Results collected included the textual data created by
the subjects, the duration of activities, the survey data and observations made
by supervisors. The results indicated that the forearm keyboard is the best
performer for accurate and efficient text entry while other devices may benefit
from more work on designing specialist graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for the
wearable computer. Keywords: Input devices; Wearable computers; Empirical study | |||
| Context-awareness in wearable and ubiquitous computing | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 200-211 | |
| D. Abowd; A. K. Dey; R. Orr; J. Brotherton | |||
| A common focus shared by researchers in mobile, ubiquitous and wearable
computing is the attempt to break away from the traditional desktop computing
paradigm. Computational services need to become as mobile as their users.
Whether that service mobility is achieved by equipping the user with
computational power or by instrumenting the environment, all services need to
be extended to take advantage of the constantly changing context in which they
are accessed. This paper will report on work carried out by the Future
Computing Environments Group at Georgia Tech to provide infrastructure for
context-aware computing. We will describe some of the fundamental issues
involved in context-aware computing, solutions we have generated to provide a
flexible infrastructure and several applications that take advantage of context
awareness to allow freedom from traditional desktop computing. Keywords: Context-aware computing; Ubiquitous computing; Consumer applications;
Personal information mangement; Tourism; Voice-only interaction; Positioning
systems | |||
| Wearable computers as a virtual environment interface for people with visual impairment | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 212-221 | |
| D. A. Ross | |||
| People who are totally blind or who have severe visual impairments (e.g.
less than 20/200 acuity, central macular scotomas, or advanced diabetic
retinopathy) 'see' the environment in a fashion that may be completely foreign
to those who operate in a very visual fashion. For this population, the visual
complexity of the environment is not a concern. What is of concern are salient
features found within the environment that relate to their ability to navigate
successfully in, and/or interact with, the environment as needed. Toward the
purpose of representing these salient features in comprehensive form,
investigators at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Research and Development Center
are employing wearable computer technology to develop a virtual environment
interface. The long-range goal is to create a simplistic virtual representation
of the environment that includes only features related to the current
navigational task and/or interactive needs of the person. In a completed study,
the use of digital infrared transmitters as 'beacons' representing salient
features of the environment was explored. The purpose of a current study now in
progress is to evaluate and compare various user interface structures that were
suggested by subjects during the preliminary study. The problem of interest in
the current study is street-crossing; however, the results of this research
should be applicable to many other problems, including identifying and locating
building entrances, and identifying, locating and interacting with electronic
devices such as information kiosks, automated teller machines, and self-serve
point-of-sale terminals. The long-range result desired is a wearable computer
with which one can easily identify and interact with a wide variety of devices
in the environment via one familiar, easy-to-use interface. Keywords: Wearable computer; Navigation; Infrared transmitters; Visual impairment | |||
| Human factors in virtual environments | | BIB | Full-Text | 223-225 | |
| C. Chen; M. Czerwinski; R. Macredie | |||
| Physically touching and tasting virtual objects enhances the realism of virtual experiences | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 226-234 | |
| H. G. Hoffman; A. Hollander; K. Schroder; S. Rousseau; T., III Furness | |||
| Experiment 1 explored the impact of physically touching a virtual object on
how realistic the virtual environment (VE) seemed to the user. Subjects in a
'no touch' group picked up a 3D virtual image of a kitchen plate in a VE, using
a traditional 3D wand. 'See and touch' subjects physically picked up a virtual
plate possessing solidity and weight, using a technique called 'tactile
augmentation'. Afterwards, subjects made predictions about the properties of
other virtual objects they saw but did not interact with in the VE. 'See and
touch' subjects predicted these objects would be more solid, heavier, and more
likely to obey gravity than the 'no touch' group. In Experiment 2 (a pilot
study), subjects 'physically bit' a chocolate bar in one condition, and
'imagined biting' a chocolate bar in another condition. Subjects rated the
event more fun and realistic when allowed to physically bite the chocolate bar.
Results of the two experiments converge with a growing literature showing the
value of adding physical qualities to virtual objects. This study is the first
to empirically demonstrate the effectiveness of tactile augmentation as a
simple, safe, inexpensive technique with large freedom of motion for adding
physical texture, force feedback cues, smell and taste to virtual objects.
Examples of practical applications are discussed. Keywords: Virtual reality; Tactile feedback; Smell; Taste; Mixed reality | |||
| Virtual environments for engineering applications | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 235-244 | |
| L. Sastry; D. R. S. Boyd | |||
| Virtual reality (VR), provides the user with an ego-centred human-computer
interaction environment by presenting the data as a computer-generated 3D
virtual environment. This enables the user to be immersed in this world via
user position tracking devices and to interact with the data objects in the
world in intuitive ways. This paper describes a selection of VR simulations for
engineering applications implemented in CLRC which demonstrate the potential of
VR interaction techniques to offer quicker and possibly better understanding of
spatial relationships and temporal patterns inherent in large data sets. Two of
the case studies have been implemented to support engineers communicate and
review their designs with scientists, managers and manufacturers and to plan
their assembly and maintenance work in hazardous physical environments. The
other two applications are visualisation case studies based on data sets
generated by computational engineering simulations. The case studies are 'real
world' applications, involving end-users of large or complex data sets. Insight
gained into the user interaction requirements through the implementation and
user comments is guiding ongoing research and development activity and this is
discussed briefly. Keywords: Virtual reality; User interaction; Visualisation; Computational engineering;
Visual simulation | |||
| Using VRML-based visualisations to facilitate information retrieval in the world wide web | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 245-258 | |
| S. Mukherjea | |||
| With the explosive growth of information in the WWW, it is becoming
increasingly difficult for the user to find information of interest.
Visualisations may be helpful in assisting the users in their information
retrieval task. Effective visualisation of the structure of a WWW site is
extremely useful for browsing through the site. Visualisation can also be used
to augment a WWW search engine when too many or too few results are retrieved.
In this paper, we discuss several visualisations we have developed to
facilitate information retrieval on the WWW. With VRML becoming the standard
for graphics on the Web and efficient VRML browsers becoming available, VRML
was used for developing these visualisations. Unique visualisations like focus
+ context views of WWW nodes and semantic visualisation are presented and
examples are given on scenarios where the visualisations are useful. Keywords: Information visualisation; World Wide Web; Searching; Browsing; VRML | |||
| From toys to brain: Virtual reality applications in neuroscience | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 259-266 | |
| G. Riva | |||
| While many virtual reality (VR) applications have emerged in the areas of
entertainment, education, military training, physical rehabilitation, and
medicine, only recently have some research projects begun to test the
possibility of using virtual environments (VEs) for research in neuroscience,
neurosurgery and for the study and rehabilitation of human cognitive and
functional activities. Virtual reality technology could have a strong impact on
neuroscience. The key characteristic of VEs is the high level of control of the
interaction with the tool without the constraints usually found in computer
systems. VEs are highly flexible and programmable. They enable the therapist to
present a wide variety of controlled stimuli and to measure and monitor a wide
variety of responses made by the user. However, at this stage, a number of
obstacles exist which have impeded the development of active research. These
obstacles include problems with acquiring funding for an almost untested new
treatment modality, the lack of reference standards, the non-interoperability
of the VR systems and, last but not least, the relative lack of familiarity
with the technology on the part of researchers in these fields. Keywords: Virtual reality; Neuroscience; Neurosurgery; Assessment; Rehabilitation | |||
| A virtual environment-based system for the navigation of underwater robots | | BIBAK | Full-Text | 267-277 | |
| Q. Lin; C. Kuo | |||
| Efficient teleoperation of underwater robot requires clear 3D visual
information of the robot's spatial location and its surrounding environment.
However, the performance of existing telepresence systems is far from
satisfactory. In this paper, we present our virtual telepresence system for
assisting tele-operation of an underwater robot. This virtual environment-based
telepresence system transforms robot sensor data into 3D synthetic visual
information of the workplace based on its geometrical model. It provides the
operators with a full perception of the robot's spatial location. In addition,
we propose a robot safety domain to overcome the robot's location offset in the
virtual environment caused by its sensor errors. The software design of the
system and how a safety domain can be used to overcome robot location offset in
virtual environment will be examined. Experimental tests and its result
analysis will also be presented in this paper. Keywords: Virtual environment; Robot navigation; Virtual telepresence; Robot safety
domain; Subsea intervention | |||