23 research outputs found
Real-world occlusion in optical see-through AR displays
No full textIn this work we describe a system composed by an optical see-through AR headset-a Microsoft HoloLens-, stereo projectors and shutter glasses. Projectors are used to add to the device the capability of occluding real-world surfaces to make the virtual objects to appear more solid and less transparent. A framework was developed in order to allow us to evaluate the importance of occlusion capabilities in optical see-through AR headset. We designed and conducted two experiment to test whether making virtual elements solid would improve the performance of certain tasks with an AR system. Results suggest that making virtual objects to appear more solid by projecting an occlusion mask onto the real-world is useful in some situations. Using an occlusion mask it is also possible to eliminate ambiguities that could arise when enhancing user's perception in some ways that are not possible in real-life, like when a 'x-ray vision' is enabled. In this case we wanted to investigate if using an occlusion mask to eliminate perceptual conflicts will hit user's performance in some AR applications
A scalable cluster-rendering architecture for immersive virtual environments
No full textComplex virtual environments often require computational resources exceeding the capabilities of a single machine. Furthermore immersive visualization can exploit multiple displays fostering the needing of computational power. We hereby present a system, called XVR Network Renderer, allowing rendering load to be distributed throughout a cluster of workstations operating concurrently. The proposed solution consists in a set of software modules structured as a single master multiple-slaves architecture. The master software intercepts all the graphical commands performed by an OpenGL application, without any modification of the source code. The commands are then streamed and executed individually by each slave client. The Network Renderer can be seen as a virtual OpenGL context with high capabilities. The system can be configured to work with a wide range of complex visualization setups, like CAVEs, automatically handling stereoscopy, performing perspective corrections and managing projection-related common problems. Any number of displays can be simultaneously managed by the cluster
Safety training using virtual reality: a comparative approach
No full textVirtual Reality is widely regarded as an extremely promising solution for industrial training purposes, as it allows to perform simulated hands-on activities in a controlled and safe environment. In this paper we present a Virtual Reality system aimed at providing a training solution for safety inside a generic power plant environment. The system includes several scenarios in order to offer a wide range of tasks and situations. We have tested the system with a sample of users in order to compare the effectiveness of traditional training against our system in terms of theoretical and practical learning. We carried on our study with questionnaires and observing the behaviour of all the users inside the Virtual Environment. We also studied the involvement of trainees and sense of presence generated by the system, as it is an important driver of user engagement and, consequently, impacts on motivation and training efficacy
Immersive technologies and natural interaction to improve serious games engagement
No full textNewly available technologies and natural interaction in video games are reshaping the role of immersion and interaction on game enjoyment. The current work aims at assessing a highly immersive setup exploiting natural user interaction, combining Head Mounted Display and a depth camera, with the objective of evaluating its use as a platform for Serious Games through a series of experiments whose results are presented and discussed. Initial findings suggest that the introduced technological setup offers high level of engagement and facilitate the achievement of the flow state
La Rete: una realtà connessa e una prospettiva di mutazione per il potere simbolico della società
No full textEvaluating the effects of competition vs collaboration on user engagement in an immersive game using natural interaction
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