Teaching.html

EE214 Ubiquitous Computing and Interaction
Scheduled on Tue/Thr 9:30 - 10:45am at Kalkin 322 and Votey Room 312 (3 credits)

1. Description
The goal of advanced mobile computing is to create the ability to have portable personal computers anywhere anytime. To achieve an ultimate wearable computing in the coming years, it is very important to develop an efficient human computer interaction (HCI). Efficient interactions can provide humans with an effective personal assistance, and this will enhance their daily lives. HCI plays the most critical role in realizing such a ubiquitous environment. In this course, first seven weeks, an instructor and students will discuss broad topics on a HCI with a lecture format. Then following the latter seven weeks, the instructor and students will conduct projects proposed by students.

2. Prerequisites
CS26 and senior or graduate standing in engineering, math, or computer science, or instructor permission.

3. Instructor
Dr. Yuichi Motai, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

4. Reference Books
Title: Multimedia and Virtual Reality
Subtitle: Designing Multisensory User Interfaces
Author: Alistair Sutcliffe
ISBN: 0-8058-3950-X
Year: 2003
Link to Book Review

Title: Virtual Reality Technology, 2nd Edition
Author: Grigore C. Burdea, Philippe Coiffet
Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
ISBN: 0-471-36089-9
Year: 2003
Link to Book Review

5. Evaluation
1) Seminar Presentation (15%): 80-minutes lecture from the text book
2) Midterm Examination (35%): In-class exam covered during lectures
#) Selected Topic Presentation (5%): 80-minutes reference paper presentation
3) Project Midterm Presentation (15%): 40-minute project demonstration
4) Project Final Presentation (15%): 40-minute project demonstration
5) Document Report (20%): Final www description on the completed project

6. Grading
B- [-66.6%]
B [66.6%-75.0%]
B+ [75.0%-83.2%]
A- [83.2%-91.5%]
A [91.5%-100%]

7. Projects Covered
Usability Concepts
Cognitive Psychology for Multimedia Information Processing
Models of Interaction.
Multimedia User Interface Design
Designing Virtual Environments.
Evaluating Multisensory User Interfaces
Applications, Architectures, and Advances.
Multimedia Design Guidelines From ISO 14915 Part 3.

8. Lectures Covered
Reference Book #1
Part I - What is Virtual Reality?
Chapter 1: Introduction to Virtual Reality - What it is and Where it Comes From
Chapter 2: VR the Medium
Part II - Virtual Reality Systems
Chapter 3: Interface to the Virtual World -- Input
Chapter 4: Interface to the Virtual World -- Output
Chapter 5: Rendering a Virtual World
Chapter 6: Interacting with a Virtual World
Chapter 7: Virtual Reality Experience
Chapter 8: Experience Design: Applying VR to a Problem
Chapter 9: What Dreams May Come: The Future of VR
Appendices
A: NICE educational application (EVL)
B: Crumbs visualization application (NCSA)
C: Aircraft wiring application (Boeing, Inc.)
D: Placeholder artistic application (Interval Research)

Reference Book #2
1 INTRODUCTION.
1.1 The Three I s of Virtual Reality.
1.2 A Short History of Early Virtual Reality.
1.3 Early Commercial VR Technology .
1.4 VR Becomes an Industry.
1.5 The Five Classic Components of a VR System.
1.6 Review Questions.
2 INPUT DEVICES: TRACKERS, NAVIGATION, AND GESTURE INTERFACES.
2.1 Three-Dimensional Position Trackers.
2.1.1 Tracker Performance Parameters.
2.1.2 Mechanical Trackers.
2.1.3 Magnetic Trackers.
2.1.4 Ultrasonic Trackers.
2.1.5 Optical Trackers.
2.1.6 Hybrid Inertial Trackers.
2.2 Navigation and Manipulation Interfaces.
2.2.1 Tracker-Based Navigation/Manipulation Interfaces.
2.2.2 Trackballs.
2.2.3 Three-Dimensional Probes.
2.3 Gesture Interfaces.
2.3.1 The Pinch Glove.
2.3.2 The 5DT Data Glove.
2.3.3 The Didjiglove.
2.3.4 Th e CyberGlove.
2.4 Conclusion.
2.5 Review Questions.
3 OUTPUT DEVICES: GRAPHICS, THREE-DIMENSIONAL SOUND, AND HAPTIC DISPLAYS.
3.1 Graphics Displays.
3.1.1 The Human Visual System.
3.1.2 Personal Graphics Displays.
3.1.3 Large-Volume Displays.
3.2 Sound Displays.
3.2.1 The Human Auditory System.
3.2.2 The Convolvotron.
3.2.3 Speaker-Based Three-Dimensional Sound.
3.3 Haptic Feedback.
3.3.1 The Human Haptic System.
3.3.2 Tactile Feedback Interfaces.
3.3.3 Force Feedback Interfaces.
3.4 Conclusion.
3.5 Review Questions.
4 COMPUTING ARCHITECTURES FOR VR.
4.1 The Rendering Pipeline.
4.1.1 The Graphics Rendering Pipeline.
4.1.2 The Haptics Rendering Pipeline.
4.2 PC Graphics Architecture.
4.2.1 PC Graphics Accelerators.
4.2.2 Graphics Benchmarks.
4.3 Workstation-Based Architectures.
4.3.1 The Sun Blade 1000 Architecture.
4.3.2 The SGI Infinite Reality Architecture.
4.4 Distributed VR Architectures.
4.4.1 Multipipeline Synchronization.
4.4.2 Colocated Rendering Pipelines.
4.4.3 Distributed Virtual Environments.
4.5 Conclusion.
4.6 Review Questions.
5 MODELING.
5.1 Geometric Modeling.
5.1.1 Virtual Object Shape.
5.1.2 Object Visual Appearance.
5.2 Kinematics Modeling.
5.2.1 Homogeneous Transformation Matrices.
5.2.2 Object Position.
5.2.3 Transformation Invariants.
5.2.4 Object Hierarchies.
5.2.5 Viewing the Three-Dimensional World.
5.3 Physical Modeling.
5.3.1 Collision Detection.
5.3.2 Surface Deformation.
5.3.3 Force Computation.
5.3.4 Force Smoothing and Mapping.
5.3.5 Haptic Texturing.
5.4 Behavior Modeling.
5.5 Model Management.
5.5.1 Level-of-Detail Management.
5.5.2 Cell Segmentation.
5.6 Conclusion.
5.7 Review Questions.
6 VR PROGRAMMING.
6.1 Toolkits and Scene Graphs.
6.2 WorldToolKit.
6.2.1 Model Geometry and Appearance.
6.2.2 The WTK Scene Graph.
6.2.3 Sensors and Action Functions.
6.2.4 WTK Networking.
6.3 Java 3D.
6.3.1 Model Geometry and Appearance.
6.3.2 Java 3D Scene Graph.
6.3.3 Sensors and Behaviors.
6.3.4 Java 3D Networking.
6.3.5 WTK and Java 3D Performance Comparison.
6.4 General Haptics Open Software Toolkit.
6.4.1 GHOST Integration with the Graphics Pipeline.
6.4.2 The GHOST Haptics Scene Graph.
6.4.3 Collision Detection and Response.
6.4.4 Graphics and PHANToM Calibration.
6.5 PeopleShop.
6.5.1 DI-Guy Geometry and Path.
6.5.2 Sensors and Behaviors.
6.5.3 PeopleShop Networking.
6.6 Conclusion.
6.7 Review Questions.
7 HUMAN FACTORS IN VR.
7.1 Methodology and Terminology.
7.1.1 Data Collection and Analysis.
7.1.2 Usability Engineering Methodology.
7.2 User Performance Studies.
7.2.1 Testbed Evaluation of Universal VR Tasks.
7.2.2 Influence of System Responsiveness on User Performance.
7.2.3 Influence of Feedback Multimodality.
7.3 VR Health and Safety Issues.
7.3.1 Direct Effects of VR Simulations on Users.
7.3.2 Cybersickness.
7.3.3 Adaptation and Aftereffects.
7.3.4 Guidelines for Proper VR Usage.
7.4 VR and Society.
7.4.1 Impact on Professional Life.
7.4.2 Impact on Private Life.
7.4.3 Impact on Public Life.
7.5 Conclusion.
7.6 Review Questions.
8 TRADITIONAL VR APPLICATIONS.
8.1 Medical Applications of VR.
8.1.1 Virtual Anatomy.
8.1.2 Triage and Diagnostic.
8.1.3 Surgery.
8.1.4 Rehabilitation.
8.2 Education, Arts, and Entertainment.
8.2.1 VR in Education.
8.2.2 VR and the Arts.
8.2.3 Entertainment Applications of VR.
8.3 Military VR Applications.
8.3.1 Army Use of VR.
8.3.2 VR Applications in the Navy.
8.3.3 Air Force Use of VR.
8.4 Conclusion.
8.5 Review Questions.
9 EMERGING APPLICATIONS OF VR.
9.1 VR Applications in Manufacturing.
9.1.1 Virtual Prototyping.
9.1.2 Other VR Applications in Manufacturing.
9.2 Applications of VR in Robotics.
9.2.1 Robot Programming.
9.2.2 Robot Teleoperation.
9.3 Information Visualization.
9.3.1 Oil Exploration and Well Management.
9.3.2 Volumetric Data Visualization.
9.4 Conclusion.
9.5 Review Questions.

9. Tentative Schedule
Week #
Tue
Thr

#1
8/31 Lecture1 Class organization Chapter1 INTRODUCTION.
9/2 Lecture2 Chapter2 INPUT DEVICES: TRACKERS, NAVIGATION, AND GESTURE INTERFACES.

#2
9/7 Lecture3 Chapter2 INPUT DEVICES: TRACKERS, NAVIGATION, AND GESTURE INTERFACES.
9/9 Lecture4 Chapter3 OUTPUT DEVICES: GRAPHICS, THREE-DIMENSIONAL SOUND, AND HAPTIC DISPLAYS.

#3
9/14 Lecture5 Chapter3 OUTPUT DEVICES: GRAPHICS, THREE-DIMENSIONAL SOUND, AND HAPTIC DISPLAYS.
9/16 Lecture6 Chapter4 COMPUTING ARCHITECTURES FOR VR.

#4
9/21 Lecture7 Chapter4 COMPUTING ARCHITECTURES FOR VR.
9/23 Lecture8 Chapter5 MODELING.

#5
9/28 Lecture9 Chapter5 MODELING.
9/30 Lecture10 Project Assignment and Project Brain Storm

#6
10/5 Lecture11 Chapter6 VR PROGRAMMING.
10/7 Lecture12 Chapter6 VR PROGRAMMING.

#7
10/12 Lecture13 Chapter7 HUMAN FACTORS IN VR.
10/14 Lecture14 Chapter7 HUMAN FACTORS IN VR.

#8
10/19 In-class 90 Minute Midterm Examination
10/21 Exam Review + Lecture15 Chapter8 TRADITIONAL VR APPLICATIONS.

#9
10/26 Project Assignment + Lecture16 Chapter8 TRADITIONAL VR APPLICATIONS.
10/28 Project Brain Storm + Lecture17 Chapter9 EMERGING APPLICATIONS OF VR.

#10
11/2 Individual Supervision + Lecture18 Chapter9 EMERGING APPLICATIONS OF VR.
11/4 Midterm Presentation Group [Mike] & [Xhianua]

#11
11/9 Midterm Presentation Group [Brooks] & [Mike-Josh-Shawn]
11/11 Midterm Presentation Group [DJ-Kevin] & [Andrew-Andrew-Alvin]

#12
11/16 Grading and Evaluation Session and Supervision
11/18 Selected Topics Presentation Groups

#13
11/23 Final Project Presentation Group [Mike] & [Xhianua]
UVM holiday

#14
11/30 Final Project Presentation Group [Brooks] & [Mike-Josh-Shawn]
12/2 Final Project Presentation Group [DJ-Kevin] & [Andrew-Andrew-Alvin]

#15
12/7 Final Report and Web Publication Due

Average GPA 3.7/4.0
2 A+
4 A
4 A-
1 B+

Instructor’s help 4.38/5.0
Instructor overall 3.0/5.0
Class content 3.33/5.0

Projects
Visual-Assisted Chair
Robotic Hand Teaching
Rodent Tracking
MicroVision
Java3D
Haptic
DataGlove

Students Participated