chrise@cs.washington.edu (Chris Esposito) (02/02/91)
Since our moderator has asked for reports on lab activity, I thought I would
pass this along. The description below is similar to the short paper Meredith
Bricken (HITL), Keith Butler (Boeing ATC) and I submitted to CHI '91. If
things go as currently planned, interested parties will have the opportunity
to try out the demo as part of the Interactive Experience at CHI '91 and at
the Virtual Worlds Gallery at SIGGRAPH '91.
The Boeing VSX: Operations with Virtual Aircraft in Virtual Space
Abstract
The VSX (Virtual Space Xperimental craft) is a conceptual demonstration of
how virtual space could be applied to the design of aircraft and other complex
systems which require intense human interaction. The eventual user of a
virtual space design system would be an engineer or a pilot who wants to
evaluate an aircraft's design for such qualities as operability,
maintainability, manufacturability, etc., while it exists only in a digital
representation. The VSX resulted from a collaborative effort between the
Boeing Advanced Technology Center and the Human Interface Technology
Laboratory at the University of Washington, with generous support from Silicon
Graphics.
The VSX is a 3-D model of the interior and the exterior of a tilt-rotor
aircraft in virtual space that allows the user to interact with the
maintenance hatch, cargo ramp, and rearrange passenger/cargo area. The user
can rearrange the flight deck to a limited extent, interact with the flight
controls to start the rotors and rotate the engines, and then take off. The
current version requires the user to wear VPL Eyephones and Dataglove. The
Eyephones give the participant 6 degrees of freedom in choosing viewing
perspective, limited only by human anatomical constraints. The Dataglove
gives the participant a virtual hand in the virtual world. By pointing one or
two fingers, the participant can fly towards or away from any point in the
virtual world at a variable speed. Buttons can be pushed using the same hand
gestures normally used. Objects like hatches and throttles can be grabbed for
interaction by making a fist and inserting it into the object you wish to
manipulate.
--
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind" - Dan Quayle at a Weight Watchers group
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Chris Esposito | Internet: chrise@atc.boeing.com
Boeing Advanced Technology Center | uucp: ...!uw-june!bcsaic!chrise