Multiuser immersive virtual reality application for real-time remote collaboration to enhance design review process in the social distancing era

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunseng Tea ◽  
Kriengsak Panuwatwanich ◽  
Rathavoot Ruthankoon ◽  
Manop Kaewmoracharoen
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Review Process ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Remote Collaboration ◽  
Design Review ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Aec Industry

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop and assess the real-time multiuser virtual reality (VR) application that can be used in the design review process. In particular, the application was aimed to accommodate the design review meetings conducted among participants who are in different locations, which has become commonplace during the COVID-19 outbreak. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a methodology for the development of a real-time multiuser immersive VR application, to support remote collaboration during the design review process. The developed application can immerse remote project participants into the same virtual environment and provide virtual face-to-face discussions. An experiment was conducted with 44 university students to investigate the applicability and performance of the developed application by comparing it with the traditional approach. Findings Results indicated that the group of students who used the developed immersive VR application outperformed the group that used the traditional approach. This was measured by the percentage of correctly identified design errors during a building inspection experiment. Originality/value The difficulty of bringing remote stakeholders together in a virtual environment has impeded the implementation of VR technology in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Most research has focused on the improvement of a single user’s experience. Most of the previous multiuser VR studies were conducted in other industries while similar research in the AEC industry is limited. The study presented in this paper contributes to the AEC industry by presenting the development of multiuser immersive VR applications for real-time remote collaboration and the empirical evidence to substantiate its potential benefits.

Using virtual reality to facilitate communication in the AEC domain: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Wen ◽  
Masoud Gheisari
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Education ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Aec Industry

Purpose The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry exists in a dynamic environment and requires several stakeholders to communicate regularly. However, evidence indicates current communication practices fail to meet the requirements of increasingly complex projects. With the advent of Industry 4.0, a trend is noted to create a digital communication environment between stakeholders. Identified as a central technology in Industry 4.0, virtual reality (VR) has the potential to supplement current communication and facilitate the digitization of the AEC industry. This paper aims to explore how VR has been applied and future research directions for communication purpose. Design/methodology/approach This research follows a systematic literature assessment methodology to summarize the results of 41 research articles in the last 15 years and outlines the applications of VR in facilitating communication in the AEC domain. Findings Relevant VR applications are mainly found in building inspection, facility management, safety training, construction education and design and review. Communication tools and affordance are provided or built in several forms: text-based tools, voice chat tool, visual sharing affordance and avatars. Objective and subjective communication assessments are observed from those publications. Originality/value This review contributes to identifying the recent employment areas and future research directions of VR to facilitate communication in the AEC domain. The outcome can be a practical resource to guide both industry professionals and researchers to recognize the potentials of VR and will ultimately facilitate the creation of digital construction environments.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Presence and Immersive Tendencies on the Conceptual Design Review Process

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pat Banerjee ◽  
Debraj Basu-Mallick
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Review Process ◽  
Measurement Problem ◽  
Technical Note ◽  
Design Review ◽  
Relationship Problem ◽  
Maximum Utility ◽  
Effectiveness Measurement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This is the second and final publication analyzing presence, immersive tendencies of individuals, and design comprehension. The effectiveness measurement problem is described in this article by means of a methodology to find the best design review process subject to certain criteria. The effectiveness measurement problem originates from our inability to logically understand the impact of a process or media differences on design comprehension; and it reconciles such differences in strengths of media that cannot be effectively covered by the relationship problem described in the first technical note. We illustrate the methodology with design review experiments where Computer Aided Virtual Environment (CAVE™2) is investigated as a possible virtual environment for product design reviews. Based on the measurable usability attributes of the design review process, the CAVE was considered to be a good solution achieving maximum utility. However, costs may hinder the ability to use CAVE as a tool.

scholarly journals Augmented Reality Research and Applications in Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezgi Pelin Yildiz
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Real World ◽  
The Real ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Physical Environments ◽  
Real Objects ◽  
As If

Augmented reality is defined as the technology in which virtual objects are blended with the real world and also interact with each other. Although augmented reality applications are used in many areas, the most important of these areas is the field of education. AR technology allows the combination of real objects and virtual information in order to increase students’ interaction with physical environments and facilitate their learning. Developing technology enables students to learn complex topics in a fun and easy way through virtual reality devices. Students interact with objects in the virtual environment and can learn more about it. For example; by organizing digital tours to a museum or zoo in a completely different country, lessons can be taught in the company of a teacher as if they were there at that moment. In the light of all these, this study is a compilation study. In this context, augmented reality technologies were introduced and attention was drawn to their use in different fields of education with their examples. As a suggestion at the end of the study, it was emphasized that the prepared sections should be carefully read by the educators and put into practice in their lessons. In addition it was also pointed out that it should be preferred in order to communicate effectively with students by interacting in real time, especially during the pandemic process.

scholarly journals Cybernetics Approach to Virtual Emotional Spaces - An electrodermal activity actuated adaptive space

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayyed Amir Hossain Maghool ◽  
Mitra Homolja ◽  
Marc Aurel Schnabel
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Preliminary Test ◽  
Emotional Arousal ◽  
Arousal Level ◽  
Adaptation Mechanism ◽  
Adaptive Architecture

In contrast to reductionist investigating of interrelation between emotion and architecture, we have proposed a new concept for creating an adaptive architecture system that employs biosensors and virtual reality (VR). We have generated a dynamic audio-visual Virtual Environment (VE) that has the potential of manipulating the emotional arousal level of the users measured via electrodermal activity (EDA) of skin. Much like the second-order cybernetics system, our simulations have actuators, sensors, and an adaptation mechanism, whereby participant's real-time biofeedback is interpreted and loops back into the simulation to moderate the user experience. The results of our preliminary test show that our system is capable of manipulating the emotional arousal level of the participants by using its dynamic VE.

Hotel virtual reality advertising: a presence-mediated model and gender effects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaying Lyu ◽  
Xi Leung ◽  
Billy Bai ◽  
Marla Stafford
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
University Students ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Brand Attitude ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Advertising Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Gender

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effectiveness of two types of hotel commercials [virtual reality (VR) versus traditional commercials] by proposing and testing a presence-mediated model along with gender effects. Design/methodology/approach An experimental design is used to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were collected in China, and the Shangri-La hotel brand was chosen. University students were randomly assigned to watch either a hotel VR commercial or a hotel traditional video commercial. One HTC Vive VR headset was provided to those participants in the hotel VR commercial group. Findings The study revealed that VR commercials generate a higher level of vividness and interactivity among customers, which positively influence attitudes toward the ad, brand attitude and booking intention. Moreover, the findings showed that in the virtual environment, women, as compared to men, are influenced more by VR. Originality/value This research is the first to bring the presence model and gender effects together to better understand the effectiveness of VR in hospitality advertising research.

Tele-immersion

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Jayanthila Devi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Geographic Locations ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Advanced Form ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
Group Members ◽  
To Come

Tele-immersion is an advanced form of virtual reality that will allow users in different places to interact in real time in a shared simulated environment. Tele-immersion is a technology to be implemented with Internet that will enable users in different geographic locations to come together in a simulated environment to interact. Users will feel like they are actually looking, talking, and meeting with each other face-to-face in the same room.This technology causes users to feel as if they were in the same room. The tele-immersion technology uses a "tele-cubicle" which is equipped with large screens, scanners, sensors, and cameras. The tele-cubicles are linked together in real-time so that they form one larger cubicle. Through the virtual environment, participants are able to interact with other group members. Also, virtual objects and data can be passed through the walls between participants, and placed on the shared table in the middle for viewing.

Automatic disassembly navigation for accurate virtual assembly path planning

2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanbin Pan ◽  
Yigang Wang ◽  
Peng Du
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Path Planning ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Virtual Assembly ◽  
New Method ◽  
Virtual Reality System ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Interactions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an automatic disassembly navigation approach for human interactions in the virtual environment to achieve accurate and effective virtual assembly path planning (VAPP). Design/methodology/approach – First, to avoid the error-prone human interactions, a constraint-based disassembly method is presented. Second, to automatically provide the next operable part(s), a disassembly navigation mechanism is adopted. Finally, the accurate assembly path planning can be obtained effectively and automatically by inversing the ordered accurate disassembly paths, which are obtained interactively in the virtual environment aided with the disassembly navigation matrix. Findings – The applications present that our approach can effectively avoid the error-prone interactive results and generate accurate and effective VAPP. Research limitations/implications – There are several works that could be conducted to make our approach more general in the future: to further study the basic disassembly direction deducing rules to make the process of determining disassembly direction totally automatic, to consider the hierarchy of the parts in virtual reality system and to consider the space for assembly/disassembly tools or operators. Originality/value – The approach has the following characteristics: a new approach to avoid the error-prone human interactions for accurate assembly path planning obtaining, a new constraint deducing method for determining the disassembly semantics automatically or semi-automatically is put forward and a new method for automatically identifying operable parts in VAPP is set forward.

Quintet.net: An Environment for Composing and Performing Music on the Internet

Leonardo ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Hajdu
Keyword(s):  
Full Advantage ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Visual Communication ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Local Networks ◽  
Client Server ◽  
Interactive Environment ◽  
And Performance

Quintet.net is a real-time interactive environment for intermedial composition and performance on local networks as well as the Internet. Since its premiere in 2000, the environment has been used in several large projects connecting players in Europe and the U.S.A., a Munich biennale opera project among them. Quintet.net implements, in a virtual environment, the metaphor of five performers under the control of a conductor, thus dealing with important aspects of symbolic, aural and visual communication among the participants and the network audience. A composition development kit has been added to the environment (which consists of Client, Server, Listener, Conductor and Viewer) to facilitate the development of pieces that take full advantage of the wide continuum between composition and improvisation.

UAV Testbed Training Platform development using Panda3d

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 450-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fawaz Annaz
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Optical Encoder ◽  
Rotating Platform ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Game Engines ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The paper aims to report the development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Testbed Training Platform (TTP). The development is to enable users to safely fly and control the UAV in real time within a limited (yet unconstrained) virtually created environment. Thus, the paper introduces a hardware–virtual environment coupling concept, the Panda3D gaming engine utilization to develop the graphical user interface (GUI) and the 3D-flying environment, as well as the interfacing electronics that enables tracking, monitoring and mapping of real-time movement onto the virtual domain and vice verse. Design/methodology/approach – The platform comprises a spring-shuttle assembly fixed to a heavy aluminium base. The spring supports a rotating platform (RP), which is intended to support UAVs. The RP yaw, pitch and roll are measured by an inertial measurement unit, its climb/descend is measured by a low cost infrared proximity sensor and its rotation is measured by a rotary optical encoder. The hardware is coupled to a virtual environment (VE), which was developed using the Panda3D gaming engine. The VE includes a GUI to generate, edit, load and save real-life environments. Hardware manoeuvres are reflected into the VE. Findings – The prototype was proven effective in dynamically mapping and tracking the rotating platform movements in the virtual environment. This should not be confused with the hardware in loop approach, which requires the inclusion of a mathematical model of the hardware in a loop. The finding will provide future means of testing navigation and tracking algorithms. Research limitations/implications – The work is still new, and there is great room for improvement in many aspects. Here, this paper reports the concept and its technical implementation only. Practical implications – In the literature, various testbeds were reported, and it is felt that there is still room to come up with a better design that enables UAV flying in safer and unlimited environments. This has many practical implications, particularly in testing control and navigation algorithms in hazardous fields. Social implications – The main social impact is to utilise the concept to develop systems that are capable of autonomous rescue mission navigation in disaster zones. Originality/value – The authors are aware that various researchers have developed various testbeds, at different degrees of freedom. Similarly, the authors are also aware that researchers have used game engines to simulate mobile robots or sophisticated equipment (like the VICON Motion Capture System) to measure to perform complex manoeuvres. However, the cost of this kind of equipment is very high, autonomous movements are planned in restricted environments and tested systems are only autonomous in certain setups. However, the idea of mapping the dynamics of an avatar flying object onto a 3D-VE is novel. To improve productivity and rapid prototyping, this paper proposes the use of commercially available game engines, such as the Panda3D, to create virtual environments.

scholarly journals Real-Time Eyeblink Detector and Eye State Classifier for Virtual Reality (VR) Headsets (Head-Mounted Displays, HMDs)

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nassr Alsaeedi ◽  
Dieter Wloka
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Motion Vector ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Video Stream ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Current Frame ◽  
Eyelid Closure ◽  
And Performance

The aim of the study is to develop a real-time eyeblink detection algorithm that can detect eyeblinks during the closing phase for a virtual reality headset (VR headset) and accordingly classify the eye’s current state (open or closed). The proposed method utilises analysis of a motion vector for detecting eyelid closure, and a Haar cascade classifier (HCC) for localising the eye in the captured frame. When the downward motion vector (DMV) is detected, a cross-correlation between the current region of interest (eye in the current frame) and a template image for an open eye is used for verifying eyelid closure. A finite state machine is used for decision making regarding eyeblink occurrence and tracking the eye state in a real-time video stream. The main contributions of this study are, first, the ability of the proposed algorithm to detect eyeblinks during the closing or the pause phases before the occurrence of the reopening phase of the eyeblink. Second, realising the proposed approach by implementing a valid real-time eyeblink detection sensor for a VR headset based on a real case scenario. The sensor is used in the ongoing study that we are conducting. The performance of the proposed method was 83.9% for accuracy, 91.8% for precision and 90.40% for the recall. The processing time for each frame took approximately 11 milliseconds. Additionally, we present a new dataset for non-frontal eye monitoring configuration for eyeblink tracking inside a VR headset. The data annotations are also included, such that the dataset can be used for method validation and performance evaluation in future studies.

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