Exploring virtual ecosystems

ABSTRACT

Browsing In Time & Space (BITS) is an interface designed to explore virtual ecosystems. A virtual ecosystem includes a three dimensional terrain model background, collections of man-made and natural objects, and behavior and interaction rules between the objects and the background. BITS is based on a virtual notepad and pen metaphor and is inspired in the concept of logging. Physical props are used to represent the notepad and the pen. The notepad includes a Time & Space Slider to facilitate time and space traveling, a set of buttons and a list of commands to control the interaction and enable the manipulation of objects, and a Notes Area. The handwritten notes can be referenced in time and space with the use of logging marks. BITS is being implemented on a PC-based architecture using sensors to track the pen's movement and the notepad's position. BITS major problem is related to the poor representation of the notes written in the notepad using the sensor based tracking system.

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INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
browsing in time & space, logging, metaphors, pen-based input, props, user interface components, virtual ecosystems, virtual reality