A sense of touch in online sculpting

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the work-in-progress of an online multimedia tool employing the sense of touch in exploring and learning sculpting techniques to be used over the Internet. Many game applications use haptic devices as a control mechanism, yet little has been documented on the use of this controlling procedure in an educational setting. The internet based instructional device presented here has a single modeling tool accessed by a customised interface designed with widely accessible software (Macromedia Director MX™). This will be extended to a small suite of modeling tools, in progress at this time. It makes use of a simple force-feedback joystick to control a spherical tool which makes changes to the surface of a 3D model represented onscreen. It is proposed that by using this device with Flash Web Server and the Internet, the system is able to support a collaborative environment encouraging interaction between student and tutor. It is hoped this system will become a research and development tool in online education.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.6 Methodology and Techniques

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.1 Computer Uses in Education

Keywords:
3D, Internet, education, haptic, multimedia