Virtual Reality (VR) can support effective and scalable training for procedures presented as step-by-step processes in machinery use, such as in an engineering room. Currently, many procedures are trained in closed experiences that do not allow for human errors or interaction with real subjects or machinery. Our goal is to address this gap by using VR training tools for guided procedural learning. To achieve this, we applied an existing methodology for designing such systems, called ProtoColVR, to develop a VR training simulation prototype for emergency procedures within an engineering room on a ship. The simulator, called OPVSim, employs end-to-end instruction, including a VR controls tutorial, step-by-step guided training based on graphs, offering different paths to the same goal, with feedback on correct and incorrect actions. We conducted a study with two groups of participants-cadets in training and experienced officers-to assess the effectiveness of the system developed using the described methodology. The study results reveal positive trends, including increased knowledge scores after using the simulator, and favorable outcomes for the prototype in terms of usability, presence, and workload. We discuss our findings, limitations, and the implications for designing VR training systems for guided procedural learning.

We present ProtoColVR, a methodology and a plugin designed for gathering requirements and collaborative rapid prototyping of virtual reality training simulators. Our methodology outlines the utilization of current technologies, the involvement of stakeholders during design and development, and the implementation of simulator creation through multiple iterations. We incorporate open-source tools and freely available environments like Twine and Unity to establish a reference implementation for requirements gathering and rapid prototyping. ProtoColVR is the outcome of our collaboration with a hospital and our Navy, and it has undergone testing in a development Jam. From these tests, we have gained valuable insights, including the ability to create functional prototypes within multidisciplinary teams, enhance communication among different roles, and streamline requirements gathering while improving our understanding of the virtualized environment.

This paper shows how current collaborative virtual environments (VEs) such as Mozilla Hubs and AltspaceVR can aid in the task of requirements gathering in VR for simulation and training. We performed a qualitative study on our use of these technologies in the requirements gathering of two projects. Our results show that requirements gathering in virtual reality has an impact on the process of requirements identification. We report advantages and shortcomings that will be of interest to future practitioners. For example, we found that VR sessions for requirements gathering in current VEs could benefit from better pointers and better sound quality. Current VEs are useful for the requirements gathering task in the development of VR simulators and VR training environments.

Homing is a fundamental task which plays a vital role in spatial navigation. Its performance depends on the computation of a homing vector, where human beings can use simultaneously two different cognitive strategies: an online strategy based on the self-motion cues known as path integration (PI), and an offline strategy called piloting based on the spatial image of the path. Studies using virtual reality environments (VE) have shown that human being can perform homing tasks with acceptable performance. However, in these studies, subjects were able to walk naturally across large tracking areas, or researchers provided them with high-end large-immersive displays. Unfortunately, these configurations are far from current consumer-oriented devices, and very little is known about how their limitations can influence these cognitive processes. Using a triangle completion paradigm, we assessed homing tasks in two consumer-oriented displays (an HTC Vive and a GearVR) and two consumer-oriented interaction devices (a Virtuix Omni Treadmill and a Touchpad Control). Our results show that when locomotion is available (treadmill condition), there exist significant effects regarding display and path complexity. In contrast, when locomotion is restricted (touchpad condition), some effects on path complexity were found. Thus, some future research directions are therefore proposed.

The 10th annual IEEE 3DUI Contest focuses on the development of 3D User Interfaces (3DUIs) using passive haptic feedback in Mixed Reality Environments. Material properties of real objects are enhanced with virtual behaviors while used for interaction in a mixed reality scenario. The contest was open to anyone interested in 3DUIs, from researchers to students, enthusiasts, and professionals. The purpose of the contest is to stimulate innovative and creative solutions to challenging 3DUI problems.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an up-and-coming methodology and technology used in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, that allows data centralization and stakeholders' collaboration. But to check the accuracy of the work done on the worksite, it is necessary first to go on site and then to modify the BIM model. This paper presents a mixed reality (MR) application based on BIM data and drone videos, allowing off-site construction supervision. It permits to make annotations about differences between what has been planned in BIM and what has been built, using superimposition of the two sources. Then these ones can be transferred to the BIM model for corrections. Finally, we evaluate our work with building construction experts, providing to them a questionnaire to grade the application and to get feedback. Our major result is that as for them the application does really help to do construction supervisions; however, they suggest that the application should provide more interactions with the 3D model and with the videos.

This article presents a prototype of a serious video game directed to the construction of peace in the Colombian context. We ask participants to identify themselves with a made-up profile, and collaborate with people that are different to their profile. In this indirect way, we pursue the construction of peace by encouraging the conversation among people with different points of view. Preliminary user studies show that our prototype encourages collaboration among participants.

This paper introduces a novel application for augmented reality in which it is possible to learn how to play the guitar for a beginner level. It was developed for the Hololens device, following the Suzuki method for instructing the first lesson of the instrument. This prototype utilizes a 2D marker, using the video game engine Unity3D. The prototype was tested comparing the learning experience it offered to the one of a non-immersive learning methodology. As a result, the study did not show any considerable difference between the two methods, but it revealed learners' acceptance towards the augmented reality teaching tool, and it showed information which could be considered to define the research approach for the following stages of the project. It is still necessary to implement several design and functionality improvements to the initial prototype for a new process iteration.

This poster formulates the concept of heterogeneous distributed mixed reality (HDMR) applications in order to state some interesting research questions in this domain. HDMR applications give synchronous access to shared virtual worlds, from diverse mixed reality (MR) hardware, and at similar levels of functionality. We show the relationship between HDMR and previous concepts, state challenges in their development, and illustrate this concept and its challenges with an example.

Nowadays, virtual reality (VR) is widely used in the AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) industry. One crucial issue is how to reuse Building Information Modeling (BIM) models in VR applications. This paper presents an approach for a smart adaptation of BIM models for using in VR scene, by following the needs expressed by building projects actors. The main adaptation consists in filtering BIM data to keep the necessary ones for VR, according to the user objectives. Moreover, VR system should be chosen by taking into account the purpose of usage of the VR model. This approach is applied to a study case of a nursery building project.

Human-in-the-loop control of remote robot arms and hands, telemanipulation, is commonly done by using a mechanical master device specifically designed to match the robot and its degrees-of-freedom (DOF). For simultaneous arm and hand manipulation, this device might be complex and expensive. In order to introduce telemanipulation into human environments, intuitive and inexpensive interfaces are needed. Most people carry smartphones, and thus smartphone-based interfaces allow people to be “on-call” to intervene with a robot while going about their other daily activities. In this paper, we design and compare three interfaces on an inexpensive smartphone to telemanipulate a Barrett WAM arm and hand, and we use a conventional gamepad interface as a reference. Visual feedback is provided by streaming video of the robot's workspace to the smartphone. We establish the completion time, pose error and energy consumption while picking-and-placing an object in a particular location as objective measurements. We combine these measurements with a Likert-type qualitative evaluation. Results show that smartphone-based interfaces are a good compromise between availability and performance in human-in-the-loop scenarios. Nevertheless, conventional gamepad interfaces are still at least 43% better in regard to completion time and 29% in relation to pose error, but they are 24% less efficient concerning energy consumption.

Recent studies from the Bogota Chamber of Commerce (Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá) in the field of digital animation and video games in Colombia show an accelerated growth of this industry in the last decade, positioning it as one of the most important for years to come. However, this strategic sector has very few adequate specialized academic training in the country, as identified in the study of Animation and Video Games Education [1]. This explains why a study by Universidad de los Andes in 2012, in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT and PROEXPORT, on the domestic supply of digital content, in Colombia people dedicated to this work are mostly professionals in design and systems engineers, programs that now have no specific training for this industry. This makes harder the process of production and game development for the companies, and increases investment costs and time needed to train professionals in the workplace. So, it is necessary to give specialized education in video games. We designed a postgraduate program in Game Development that aims to the needs expressed by this contemporary productive sector. Its aim is to prepare professionals to achieve the creation of high-impact video games for different platforms and devices. The goal is training leaders that will give to the development of projects that promote interdisciplinary and teamwork who are skilled in the production and understand the design process and development of video games. In order to reach a wider audience in different regions of the country and responding to the needs of industry, this program will be offered in blended learning model, which will promote flexibility and autonomous learning. The program aims to prepare professionals from various branches to direct own projects game industry, able to coordinate and lead interdisciplinary working groups. Throughout the postgraduate program, students will develop specific skills in the area of their choice, which can be programming, graphic art or audio.

During the last six years, the gaming industry has introduced nontraditional interfaces to play videogames. These efforts had been done before but without reaching the success these new interfaces are experiencing in the last years. These new interfaces use player movement rather than buttons or joysticks, creating increasingly immersive environments for the player. These results open up a universe of new possibilities for developers to create new ways to interact with games. In this article, a 3D minesweeper game is presented, using hand movement to interact with the game. A user study was conducted to validate the results of the implementation.

We present a Sketch-Based Interface that allows non-expert users to create an animation from just pencil and paper. The interface works as a fast mockup tool for creating animations - turning the user's freehand 2D sketches into 3D animations. To facilitate animation construction in offline or computer-scarce scenarios, special emphasis is placed on paper-based instead of tablet-based sketches. The interface makes use of stroke shape, proximity, and orientation to give the user's drawings an animated interpretation. These Sketches use a 2D vocabulary of symbols, representing actors, actions and their relations. Custom symbols are defined by the user, and then associated with the relevant 3D assets within a database. The final composition of the sketches is passed into the system, employing image processing techniques for symbol recognition, and finally converting the user's intentions into a 3D animation.

We present an application that allows the acquisition of 3D models in an open format that adjust to the device's requirements and specifications. By defining a format in X3D to describe each one of the kinds of objects we have considered as part of an urban model, such as blocks, buildings, cars, pedestrians, streetlights, and massive transportation, among others. This way, the application that requests the urban model can manipulate each of its components independently. The model stores not only graphic representation of objects, but also animation and setup of a certain scene. The application stores in the database scenes as independent objects that can be requested by applications. The application can deliver the same model in different LOD (level of detail) according to the device or application realizing the request.

We present an integrated interface that takes advantage of several VR technologies for the exploration of small artifacts in a Museum. This interface allows visitors to observe pieces in 3D from several viewpoints, touch them, feel their weight, and hear their sound at touch. From one hand, it will allow visitors to observe artifacts closer, in order to know more about selected pieces and to enhance their overall experience in a Museum. From the other hand, it leverages existing technologies in order to provide a multimodal interface, which can be easily replaced for others depending on costs or functionality. We describe some of the early results and experiences we provide in this setup.

The Gold Museum, in Bogota, Colombia, displays the largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold artifacts in the world and it has been renovated recently. With funds from the Colombian Government, we have created a multimodal experience that allows visitors to touch, hear, and see small artifacts. Here we present a description of this demo, its functionality, and technical requirements.

We present the iterative development and initial evaluation of a multi-modal platform for interacting with precious small artifacts from the Gold Museum in Bogota. By using a commercial haptic interface, loud speakers, and stereo displays, one can allow visitors to touch, hear, and observe in stereo those precious artifacts. We use this multi-modal interface in a novel way and in a novel context in order to provide virtual replicas that can be weighed, cleaned, and explored as if they were close to a visitor's hand. This platform is currently open to the public, and some of the lessons learned are reported in terms of usability in a real-world museum application.

This paper describes an experiment on how AR-based product visualization has an impact on product size selection, compared to traditional techniques in sales. Our study suggests that the use of our AR system is preferred in comparison to using a tape measure and a printed catalog with size information. We also found that users had difficulty in the selection of adequately sized models when the space to be filled is large, both with our catalog and our AR based solution.

We present a platform that offers designers flexibility on device design, fast prototyping, and integration of new devices to a mixed reality infrastructure. Our solution is based on the integration of a commercial embedded system, the Qwerk, and the Virtual Reality Peripheral Network (VRPN), a network-transparent interface between applications and typical virtual reality (VR) devices. This solution creates a hardware and software layer between new devices and VR applications that facilitate development. We show here a design process for new MR devices. With our hardware and software layer we allow designers concentrate more in the interaction rather than the way sensors are connected. To test our design process and our platform we implement three simple examples.

We show an approach for the development of families of MR applications. A family of MR applications is a set of applications that share some common tasks but differ mainly in their user interfaces. The development of a family of applications allows reusability of design and code, adaptability to new hardware and context, and distributed and heterogeneous deployments. Some examples are presented and future trends are discussed.

This is a short presentation of a uniform approach for specifying mixed reality user interfaces, including 3D interaction techniques and 3D widgets. Our main goal is to facilitate the process of reusing previous work, so more complex applications can be built and documented in a formal and uniform way. We describe here the conceptual model of user interface components, which allows us to generalize user interface components and to port them to different hardware settings and application contexts. An XML-based specification language implements the conceptual model and allows for automatic processing and tool support.

CAVE/sup TM/ displays offer many advantages over other virtual reality (VR) displays, including a large, unencumbered viewing space. Unfortunately, the typical tracking subsystems used with CAVE/sup TM/ displays tether the user and lessen this advantage. We have designed a simple, low-cost foot tracker that is wireless, leaving the user free to move. The tracker can be assembled for less than $200 US, and achieves an accuracy of /spl plusmn/10 cm at a 20-Hz sampling rate. We have tested the prototype with two applications: a visualization supporting close visual inspection, and a walkthrough of the campus. Although the tracking was convincing, it was clear that the tracker's limitations make it less than ideal for applications requiring precise visual inspection. However the freedom of motion allowed by the tracker was a compelling supplement to our campus walkthrough, allowing users to stroll and look around corners.