Virtual product presentations that rely on static images and text are often insufficient to communicate all the information that is necessary to accurately evaluate a product. Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) have enabled more sophisticated representation methods, but certain product characteristics are difficult to assess and may result in perceptual differences when a product is evaluated in different visual media. In this article, we report two case studies in which a group of participants evaluated three designs of two product typologies (i.e., a desktop telephone and a coffee maker) as presented in three different visual media (i.e., photorealistic renderings, AR, and VR for the first case study; and photographs, a non-immersive virtual environment, and AR for the second case study) using eight semantic scales. An inferential statistical method using Aligned Rank Transform (ART) proceedings was applied to determine perceptual differences between groups. Our results show that in both cases product attributes in Jordan's physio-pleasure category are the most affected by the presentation media. The socio-pleasure category was also affected for the case of the coffee makers. The level of immersion afforded by the medium significantly affects product evaluation.

Digital product data quality and reusability has been proven a critical aspect of the Model-Based Enterprise to enable the efficient design and redesign of products. The extent to which a history-based parametric CAD model can be edited or reused depends on the geometric complexity of the part and the procedure employed to build it. As a prerequisite for defining metrics that can quantify the quality of the modeling process, it is necessary to have CAD datasets that are sorted and ranked according to the complexity of the modeling process. In this paper, we examine the concept of perceived CAD modeling complexity, defined as the degree to which a parametric CAD model is perceived as difficult to create, use, and/or modify by expert CAD designers. We present a novel method to integrate pair-wise comparisons of CAD modeling complexity made by experts into a single metric that can be used as ground truth. Next, we discuss a comprehensive study of quantitative metrics which are derived primarily from the geometric characteristics of the models and the graph structure that represents the parent/child relationships between features. Our results show that the perceived CAD modeling complexity metric derived from experts’ assessment correlates particularly strongly with graph-based metrics. The Spearman coefficients for five of these metrics suggest that they can be effectively used to study the parameters that influence the reusability of models and as a basis to implement effective personalized learning strategies in online CAD training scenarios.

The use of collaborative applications in which several individuals interact to solve a problem is an important strategy both in educational settings as well as professional environments. Virtual Reality (VR) technology, in particular, has acquired a predominant role in many industries. However, as the level of immersion and realism of the VR experience increases, so does the demand for computational resources, as rendering processes become increasingly intensive and can negatively affect other communication processes that are critical in collaborative environments. In this paper, we present a software framework based on multi-agent systems that enables the separation of rendering processes from internal data management tasks and communication processes between users, which are prevalent in collaborative virtual reality applications. The results of our validation studies show that, compared to other techniques based on protocol or network enhancements, the proposed architecture can significantly improve collaborative processes in general, and virtual reality-based applications in particular.

This paper builds on the authors' previous work with Augmented Reality (AR) technology as a tool to enhance traditional visualizations and facilitate the understanding of complex information. In this paper, we expand our previous work with AR technology by focusing on the process of creating custom content. Based on users' feedback, we describe and compare various strategies to create 3D models from real objects that can be subsequently integrated into augmented reality scenes. Specifically, we evaluate current 3D scanning technologies that are affordable and suitable for educational applications. We present a comparative analysis of low-cost 3D scanning technologies, its use, integration with AR, and implementation as educational tools. Factors considered in our study include portability, model size, resolution, and postproduction requirements.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have played a major role in shaping our society, affecting nearly all aspects of our daily lives. In educational contexts, the ongoing technological revolution we are experiencing naturally calls for a transformation of traditional teaching and learning processes. The integration and efficient use of emergent technologies have become fundamental challenges in the educational domain. In this paper, we evaluate the use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in a classroom with middle school special-needs students. Our primary goal is to quantitatively assess whether AR helps special-needs students to improve their results, performance, motivation, and other aspects of the learning process. Information was collected via pre and post questionnaires distributed to participants before and after an intervention. Our results serve as basis for improving future educational AR-related projects and materials.

The objective of this study is to verify whether Virtual Reality together with relaxation techniques incorporated into it improve the students’ attention levels. To do so we made an intervention in an “Initial Vocational Qualification Program” group of Spanish high school in the Valencia metropolitan area. We had 13 students aged between 16 and 19 that participated in the study using an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. These students were subject to an experimental environment that simulates a beach sunset. They had to perform breathing exercises and concentrate their attention on their breathing, the rhythm of the waves and on flowers of different colors that were appearing in the environment. Experimental results have revealed that levels of attention measured with the Trail Making Test (TMT) were improved when participants had the help of the virtual environment.

This paper builds on the authors' previous work with Augmented Reality (AR) technology, where interactive three-dimensional (3D) content was developed and combined with traditional printed materials to enhance the visualization and understanding of technical information. In this study, we describe a method to rapidly create custom marker-based AR content using 3D data from real objects and an authoring tool developed in-house. We present a two step process, where 3D geometry is generated automatically by capturing and processing a series of photographs of a real object and subsequently converted to an AR element that can be linked to a unique marker and used with a marker-based AR system. This system provides an opportunity for instructors to quickly and effortlessly create their own AR content to support their innovative teaching practices.

The development of knowledge-based engineering systems and their integration with CAD environments require the use of efficient user interfaces, communication tools, and practical mechanisms to elicit knowledge in order to avoid information-acquisition bottlenecks. Therefore, it is critical to design systems that do not overload users with information and facilitate the representation of knowledge in a simple and friendly manner. The concept of “extended annotation” as a tool to communicate knowledge is a mechanism based on using 3D annotations directly within CAD models, so that stakeholders that participate in the design process can associate textual information to the various aspects of the model, facilitating design intent and design rationale communication. In this paper, we incorporate communication functionalities to the extended annotation concept by presenting an interactive mechanism based on video conferencing that enables users to quickly communicate with the model annotators in situations where the contents of the annotation need to be extended or clarified. This approach eliminates the need for separate communication tools and provides a collaborative space that is built directly into the CAD interface. The system architecture and the foundations for its implementation are described in the final section of the paper. An initial evaluation of a software prototype has shown positive reactions and acceptance among users.

In this paper, we present a computer assisted creativity tool based on natural interfaces that allows the creation of distributed collaborative workspaces by merging the real and digital worlds in a tabletop setting. These workspaces are used to promote the exchange and sharing of graphical information by simulating a physical workbench where designers traditionally work with paper sketches, images, and handwritten notes. Our tool allows users to manage and organize images and textual notes in a natural manner. The application is multiplatform with support for the TUIO protocol and can be run on one or multiple tabletops that can interact with one another. Each group of designers can use a tabletop system, which becomes an interactive window to a virtual common desktop. We present a case study where our team successfully implemented and tested the system in an international collaborative design project.

This paper describes the results of a comparative pilot study of three different approaches to deliver three-dimensional content in an Engineering Design Graphics textbook using Augmented Reality: Desktop Augmented Reality, Mobile Augmented Reality, and an interactive 3D viewer. This work builds on a previous version of our augmented book, which only implements Desktop Augmented Reality. In this extended version, two new visualization mechanisms for mobiles devices were incorporated with the purpose of improving the students' visualization skills. A small group of users was selected to evaluate the usability of the technology and the effectiveness of the materials. In general, participants showed mixed reactions in terms of their preferred method to interact with the content. Nevertheless, we observed a general positive attitude, excitement, and a high level of user satisfaction, which suggests that augmented reality can be a valuable method for self-directed learning and self-assessment.

In this paper, we compare a classic collaborative workspace designed to develop creative skills of Industrial Design students with a digital approach using blended spaces and ubiquitous computing. We adapted a distributed digital collaborative workspace previously developed by our team to a new system that we call "The Ideas Machine." This system is capable of suggesting new ideas and research tips to students based on various methodologies of creativity and the initial input provided by the instructor. The system is designed for interactive tabletop systems, which promote collaboration by supporting face-to-face communication around a large work area. Since digital spaces facilitate the acquisition of a variety of data in real time, our system allows instructors to gather extensive and up-to-date information from students that could not be obtained otherwise in a traditional environment because of technical and time constraints. Leveraging this capability, we developed a mechanism that acts as an assistant to the instructor by automatically evaluating students according to certain parameters. Finally, to assess the capabilities of our system as a tool to support creativity, we conducted an experiment with Industrial Design students over the course of an academic year. Information used to evaluate efficiency includes student qualifications, number of information items provided and shared (sketches, images, etc.), and number and quality of new ideas generated.

This paper describes the development and integration of augmented reality content with traditional Engineering Design Graphics materials, and presents the results of a preliminary usability study conducted with Freshman Engineering students. The resources developed combine printed text and images with interactive three-dimensional content with the purpose of enhancing the understanding of technical graphics concepts and improving the students' visualization skills. In general, students had a very positive reaction when first presented with the materials and showed an optimistic attitude while interacting with the content. Additionally, augmented reality materials promote the development of self-directed learning skills and self-assessment.

Dimensioning plays an important role in the product development process. It is usually learned through sketching exercises where students add the corresponding dimensions to different parts of an engineering drawing. Nevertheless, being able to self-learn proper dimensioning methods is challenging, as a geometric figure requires a specific number of dimensions to be correctly defined. This paper presents an educational software application for multi-touch tablet devices to support dimensioning activities. Our application uses a multi-touch interface where students can create 2D parametric drawings with dimensions using freehand sketches and receive feedback from the system about the quality of their dimensioning exercises. When a student finishes a sketch, the system reports back the correct and incorrect dimensions. Multi-touch gestures are also used for basic sketch manipulation (panning, zooming, and rotating), similar to the standard functionality found in modern smart phones and tablets. Preliminary experiences show that multi-touch interfaces provide an effective way to capture students' attention. Students found the system very natural, and the time required to learn how to use the application is short. They enjoyed the simplicity of the interface and valued the powerful control of the geometry.

Collaborative learning is an effective educational method that plays an essential role in theories such as Constructivism and Knowledge Building. Studies have shown that collaborative work in small groups significantly improves learning when supported by concept maps. Although useful in collaborative environments, most applications available for the development of concept maps are designed for personal or small tablet computers, which can limit student communication in a team. In addition, the use of these applications usually requires learning or training periods, which can also interfere with the learning process. In this paper, we present a software tool for generating concept maps and constructing learning spaces under both local and distributed collaboration scenarios. Our system uses a natural interface with multi-touch and multi-user capabilities. It was specifically designed for tabletop systems, which provide a large horizontal interactive surface suitable for collaboration and face-to-face communication. The tool is also available in other platforms, which makes it useful in a variety of classroom orchestration settings. Finally we present the results of a preliminary usability study of our tool in a real educational environment.

In this paper, we present a functional prototype of an interactive multi-touch book with drawing capabilities, intended to enhance the understanding of engineering graphics concepts and improve visualization skills. Our multi-touch book combines textual elements with rich media content and interactive exercises to allow students to practice technical sketching in an environment that simulates traditional paper-based drawings and tools. Additionally, finished drawings can be submitted to the instructor via email directly from the digital book, which facilitates management tasks. A comparative study of traditional and digital sketching using our prototype was conducted with a small group of participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the tool. Preliminary results show positive reactions and acceptance.

This paper presents the results of a pilot study designed to evaluate the effect of attending an intensive remedial course (8 hours worth of work during one week) based on desktop augmented reality exercises to improve the spatial ability of freshman engineering students. Activities based on practice with an augmented reality enhanced exercise book had a positive effect on students' spatial ability, measured by both MRT and DAT:SR tests. To promote students' autonomy, a YouTube tutorial for each type of exercise was developed. This allowed greater freedom for students to advance at their own pace during the training sessions. An evaluation and satisfaction questionnaire based on a five level Likert scale was submitted by participants. The experience was considered very positive by students.

Improving spatial ability in the academic curriculum is crucial for engineering degrees. Prior research has shown that spatial abilities can be trained; that's why in this work we propose several kinds of short duration trainings aimed to improve those abilities. We have established a ranking based on the improvement rate that the student may reach knowing his starting level before undertaking training. These trainings take place before starting the academic course so students don't receive theoretical or practical contents of Graphic Engineering during the week. Before training and after its completion, the level of spatial ability is measured through validated tools for this aim. We perform a statistical analysis obtaining the gains from higher to lower levels of spatial skills acquired through each training (videogame/ augmented reality/ sketching/ descriptive geometry). With data from all training, the curves have been set up by least squares (linear, exponential, algorithm, potential and polynomial). The most suitable predictive model for all cases is the linear one.

In this paper, we present an Augmented Reality (AR) book for learning normalized mechanical elements in an enjoyable way. This book was included in the curriculum of engineering graphics subject in the Mechanical Engineering Degree in a Spanish University. Twenty-five students used this augmented book for studying representation and designation of standard mechanical elements. A control group composed by twenty-two students used traditional class notes with static images for studying the same contents. We have analyzed results through an evaluation test and a satisfaction survey. Result shows that experimental group students enjoyed studying through the use of AR technology and even obtained better results in a contents evaluation test.

Augmented Reality (AR) appears as a promising technology to improve students motivation and interest and support the learning and teaching process in educational contexts. We present the collaborative development of an AR application to support the teaching of the digestive and circulatory systems. We developed this system with the support of a private Spanish school. The main objective of the application is to show the student in primary school, in the most accurate way, digestive and circulatory systems. By other hand, we also develop our own AR library, HUMANAR, in order to ensure the integration of AR into our game engine and to overcome some drawbacks present in some public libraries. Moreover, our system provides several advantages over the traditional learning as books, videos or practice with animal organs.

Recent studies have brought attention to the pedagogical potential of mobile devices, and various experiments have tested tools in handheld devices, indicating that they strengthen and support learning in different fields. The purpose of the work presented in this paper was to design a 3D construction mobile game for 3D spatial visualization training, with the aim of familiarizing users with a 3D environment and improving their understanding of the 2D-3D relationship. This paper describes the architecture of the system that we developed, which includes several different applications: (a) a mobile game played on touch screen devices to permit students to solve exercises about building models with unit-sized cubes in a 3D environment, (b) a PC application, to permit the teacher to design exercises and manage users, and (c) a server application and a database to collect and manage data. The J2ME Mobile 3D Graphics library is used and development is done in Netbeans. Satisfaction questionnaires and observation records were kept of work done by the users in order to evaluate the mobile game. The results show a high degree of satisfaction with the game and that users realize how useful this game can be for the proposed aims.

Augmented reality provides solutions and benefits in many areas of knowledge. In the field of education, we can apply this technology for learning contents and for developing skills in an engaging way. Engineering educators are aware of the need for spatial vision skills in order to project and interpret drawings and plans. We propose an educational kit for use at university-level with contents based on engineering graphics. Preliminary results of a validation study with first year Mechanical Engineering students indicate that this augmented reality training has a positive impact on students' spatial ability and learning for basic engineering graphics contents.

We present an integrated management system of pattern design for the textile and tile industries providing automatic cataloguing capabilities based on the application of the scientific theory of symmetry groups. To do this, a process of analysis is performed which starts from an initial image of the decorative element, which in turn is subjected to a number of segmentation and labelling operators that allow to detect the objects present in the image. These objects are vectorized, compared, and their isometries obtained; subsequently they are grouped and the isometries of the groups of objects detected. Finally, a composition analysis is carried out that, on the basis of the repetitions and symmetry axes existing in the design, provides the fundamental parallelogram of a plane symmetry group. We summarise the results obtained from processing 75 design elements using the analysis tool developed by the authors.