{"id":273,"date":"2015-10-22T10:33:29","date_gmt":"2015-10-22T15:33:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.discovery.wisc.edu\/vr2015\/?p=273"},"modified":"2015-11-12T15:32:36","modified_gmt":"2015-11-12T21:32:36","slug":"team-exploring-interfaces-alex-dave-nicky-ryan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.discovery.wisc.edu\/vr2015\/2015\/10\/22\/team-exploring-interfaces-alex-dave-nicky-ryan\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Exploring Interfaces’ Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

Team Exploring Interfaces\u00a0– Alex, Dave, Nicky, Ryan<\/p>\n

Exploring Interface in Virtual Reality<\/b><\/p>\n

Keyboard and mouse are the standard for 2D, non-immersive interfaces; do they work in 3D immersive interfaces, or are thumbsticks, or wands, or hand trackers best? Or maybe, what are they each best at? What kinds of things do we even want to do in VR?<\/p>\n

Step 1: Explore the Current State of the Art
\nStep 2: Mock Up: tasks, input methods, and interfaces
\nStep 3: Test, with people<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Example Interfaces:<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/a>

Four interfaces, from top left and clockwise: Leap Motion Dragonfly AR demo, Motorcar VR window manager, Heavy Rain ARI, Iron Man poking at things with his eyes.<\/p><\/div>\n

Note that the top two actually exist, and the bottom two are from fiction.<\/p>\n

Example Complex Tasks:<\/p>\n

\"Blueprint<\/a>

Blueprint visual programming interface from Unreal Engine<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Visualization<\/a>

Visualization of activity on the Paris Metro<\/p><\/div>\n

What\u2019s do we mean by \u201cMock Up\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A small program that combines: atomic task, input method, interface mapping, evaluation.
\nIn the complex task of 3D modeling, one atomic task might be selecting a point. Input methods might be a mouse or motion tracked hands. Interface mappings might be moving the points directly, or giving interface \u201chandles\u201d to make precise movements easier to describe. We might evaluate speed, accuracy, or comfort.<\/p>\n

So we ask you to move points using a few different input methods, and see which works best. Which make you tired? Which make you faster? Which take less concentration?<\/p>\n

Skills:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • we can code and things<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    What we can almost surely do:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • make at least one mock-up in Unity for the Oculus<\/li>\n
    • use \u201ceasy\u201d input methods: keyboard, mouse, xbox controller, head tracking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What we can probably do:<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Some kind of survey of the state of the art, with some demos (compile motorcar?)<\/li>\n
      • More input methods:\n
          \n
        • leap motion<\/li>\n
        • kinect<\/li>\n
        • a wand (wiimote?)<\/li>\n
        • passive haptics + hand tracking (if the interface is poking a sphere, actually have a physical sphere)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • More tasks:\n
            \n
          • describe a rotation<\/li>\n
          • navigate menus<\/li>\n
          • position windows<\/li>\n
          • navigate in space<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
          • What we can maybe do:\n
              \n
            • integrate our findings with an existing interface<\/li>\n
            • make more interesting input methods (what can we rig with a kinect and some props?)<\/li>\n
            • some kind of demo that\u2019s fun to play with<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Equipment:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                \n
              • Oculus Rift<\/li>\n
              • Maybe the CAVE?<\/li>\n
              • Unity<\/li>\n
              • Whatever input devices we can get working<\/li>\n
              • Maybe Blender for modeling?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Next Steps:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                  \n
                • start exploring<\/li>\n
                • brainstorm possible mock ups<\/li>\n
                • start building the Unity infrastructure we need<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                  Motorcar:
                  \nhttps:\/\/github.com\/evil0sheep\/motorcar
                  \n