VRPN and Qwerk: fast MR device prototyping and testing

ABSTRACT

We present a platform that offers designers flexibility on device design, fast prototyping, and integration of new devices to a mixed reality infrastructure. Our solution is based on the integration of a commercial embedded system, the Qwerk, and the Virtual Reality Peripheral Network (VRPN), a network-transparent interface between applications and typical virtual reality (VR) devices. This solution creates a hardware and software layer between new devices and VR applications that facilitate development. We show here a design process for new MR devices. With our hardware and software layer we allow designers concentrate more in the interaction rather than the way sensors are connected. To test our design process and our platform we implement three simple examples.

REFERENCES

• 1: W. Bradford Paley, Designing special-purpose input devices, ACM SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics, v.32 n.4, p.55-59, Nov. 1998 [doi>10.1145/307710.307729]
• 2: Jenny Preece , Yvonne Rogers , Helen Sharp, Interaction Design, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 2002
• 3: Russell M. Taylor, II , Thomas C. Hudson , Adam Seeger , Hans Weber , Jeffrey Juliano , Aron T. Helser, VRPN: a device-independent, network-transparent VR peripheral system, Proceedings of the ACM symposium on Virtual reality software and technology, November 15-17, 2001, Baniff, Alberta, Canada [doi>10.1145/505008.505019]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.7 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism
          Subjects: Virtual reality

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Input devices and strategies (e.g., mouse, touchscreen); Prototyping

Keywords:
augmented reality reality, embedded system, prototyping, virtual reality