I have been an active researcher in Virtual Reality since 1990; this
was from a base of interactive 3D computer graphics.
In early 1991 I acquired a pair of VPL Datagloves, VPL Eyephones, and
Polhemus sensors. Our image generator was a single Silicon Graphics
340VGX with a VideoSplitter.
With the help of ACGC visitor Rod Bogart, we got everything working,
built on top of VPL Unix toolkit. The first demo was VRdesk, with an
architectural walkthrough of our work area, and the Virtual Potters'
Wheel.
In late '91 we switched from VPL's software to the MR toolkit from the
University of Alberta, and eventually to our own version called MRx.
Our VGX was upgraded to a Reality Engine in early '93. We originally
used our own display software (using GL) and at different times used
Inventor and Performer.
The main VR projects at the lab were:
-
Virtual Sculpture Project, in which we were aiming for
feature-based direct manipulation of NURBS surface models. The other
active participants in this project were Barry Fowler, Karen Paik, and
ACGC Visitor Russ Fish. At the time of the ACGC's closure, this
project was still in progress.
-
Teleoperation, in which we were looking at ways of
providing feature-rich, intuitive control of anthropomorphic robotic
manipulators. We used two handed control (one "control" hand, and a
"slave" hand), to control a complex virtual arm. The virtual arm,
while human-like, had extended features such as left or right
handed-ness, optional continuous joint rotation, extensible links, and
simple constraints. The artist Stelarc used this system for 2 live
performances, one at the Great Australian Science Show (Melbourne,
July '92) and the other at TISEA (Third International Symposium on
Electronic Art) (Sydney, November '92). Other active participants in
this project were Mike Papper, Dean Hansen, James Boyle, and Stelarc.
-
Physically-Based Interaction Techniques for VR, in which
we incorporated varying degrees of real-world physics into Virtual
Environments on the premise tha by doing so, were could both reduce
the cognitive load on the user, and improve productivity of the user.
Our first attempts were based on Mike Papper's Cubeworld. Later, we
built the PHIVE Framework to build VR Designer, an architectual layout
program. Other active participants in this project were Mike Papper
and Robert Webb.
-
VR Sound, a loose collection of ACGC staff, students and
friends which explored the use of digital media and virtual reality
for artistic expression. This group, convened by ACGC staffer Eric
Grant, was comprised of Eric, myself, ACGC staffer Gordon Lescinsky,
musicians Jeff Pressing, Christopher Coe, and students Stuart Bishop,
Dean Hansen, Luke Newburn, and Chris Diffey. With additional
assistance from ACGC staffers Craig MacNaughton and Robert Webb, the
group designed and implemented a virtual world for live musical
performance. The work, Total Immersion, was performed at the dinner of
the Scienceworks Museum in Melbourne, Australia as part of the Science
Museums conference.
- Gesture Recognition, in which we generalised the work of
Dean Rubin to recognise motion gestures using statistical pattern
classification. This work was done with the cooperation of the
Victorian Deaf Society, in which we were looking at the possible use
of glove-based technology for teaching finger-spelling. Collaborator
was Masters by Coursework student Geoff Roberts.
I am co-editor of the Academic Press volume Virtual Reality Systems
I have also been associated with VR conferences:
- Virtual Reality Systems, London, May 1992 (Co-chair)
- Ausi-VR, Melbourne, Oct 1994 (Keynote)
- Virtual Reality and Systems Technology, Singapore, Nov 1994 (Programme Committee)
- IEEE Virtual Reality Annual International Symposium, NC, USA, Mar 1995 (Programme Committee)
- International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multi Media '95 (invited speaker)
I have also given numerous talks and
tutorials on VR.