1 - 10 of 14
-
PublicationIndustrial Metaverse: Supporting remote maintenance with avatars and digital twins in collaborative XR environments( 2023)We present a 5G mixed reality toolbox that supports hands-free remote assistance in industrial settings. It provides mixed reality and virtual reality views for on-site and office workers linked via a shared digital space. Working on actual machines in a real production line, our system uses the actual CAD-data of those machines to provide for a realistic prototyping-environment. We focus on data-scarcity with cloud-services to protect intellectual property, while embracing the possibilities offered by new technology, such as remote rendering over wireless networks. The presented prototype exhibits several key characteristics of an industrial metaverse application.
-
PublicationThere's more than one metaverse( 2022)Will there only be one Metaverse in the future? Since October 2021, many virtual worlds suddenly called themselves "Metaverse", but is that justified? What is the meaning behind the pervasive term Metaverse? How can it be approached from a pragmatic and research-oriented point of view, and maybe separated a bit from pure marketing? This paper tries to contextualise the term and thereby offer an orientation for readers from different industries. Based on a review of past and present activities, we will propose our own definition of the term Metaverse. This is applied to analyse different application scenarios before the paper continues with a general discussion. In a direct comparison, we will tabulate some worlds that already call themselves a Metaverse and check them against criteria from our own definition. In conclusion, we present relevant focal points for a potential future Metaverse resulting from this comparison.
-
PublicationSplash! Identifying the Grand Challenges for WaterHCI( 2022)Bodies of water can be a hostile environment for both humans and technology, yet they are increasingly becoming sources, sites and media of interaction across a range of academic and practical disciplines. Despite the increasing number of interactive systems that can be used in-, on-, and underwater, there does not seem to be a coherent approach or understanding of how HCI can or should engage with water. This workshop will explicitly address the challenges of designing interactive aquatic systems with the aim of articulating the grand challenges faced by WaterHCI. We will first map user experiences around water based on participants' personal experiences with water and interactive technology. Building on those experiences, we then discuss specific challenges when designing interactive aquatic experiences. This includes considerations such as safety, accessibility, the environment and well-being. In doing so, participants will help shape future work in WaterHCI.
-
PublicationEvaluation of Mixed Reality Support for Bridge Inspectors Using BIM Data( 2022)Bridge inspectors work for the safety of our infrastructure and mobility. In regular intervals, they conduct structural inspections- A manual task with a long-lasting and firmly normed analogue tradition. In our collaborative research project, we developed Mixed Reality (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR) prototypes to support that work digitally. We propose a mixed analogue and digital workflow using Building Information Modeling (BIM) data that can be ready-to-hand for bridge inspectors during their work on-site at a bridge. In this paper, we describe the system and the evaluation results of our final MR demonstrator at a autobahn-bridge in Germany. We identified a need for a digital MR tool to support the bridge inspection in-situ. In general, this matches with the trend to bring the computer-supported office-work out into the real world. However, there are also challenges to consider, like lacking BIM data for existing bridges and structures, appropriate user-interfaces in this new application domain, or the need to adopt norms and guidelines for public tender. We argue to consider a user-centered design approach for future developments to best profit from the bridge inspectors', as well as the MR- A nd CSCW-researchers expertise, and ultimately increase the acceptance of the developed information systems.
-
PublicationDigital Support for Bridge Inspectors through Mixed Reality BIM Data Visualizations( 2022)We describe an interactive augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) system that supports bridge inspectors during in-office preparation, on-site inspection, and follow-up work back in the office using building information modeling (BIM) data. Originating from the process steps required to perform a digitally supported bridge inspection, we focus on our prototypes’ implementation, a combination of VR and AR methods in a prototypical development. Our goal is thus to present one possible realization of these processes on a technological level. Therefore, the collaborative aspect between on-site inspection and in-office preparation and debriefing plays an important role. Several issues of data synchronization and communication techniques need consideration and proper integration into the entire system. It is essential to consider the bridge inspectors’ needs, requirements, and working environment to avoid losing track of the target group of such an application. Low initial hurdles and user-friendliness require seamless integration of different tools and additional resources. For that reason, we aim to link engineering tools and game engine environments in an operationally and reliable application. We believe that our application may serve as a starting point for further discussions on user-friendly digital support and broader usage of innovative technologies bearing in mind the evolution and tradition of structural inspections.
-
PublicationMixed Reality Support for Bridge Inspectors( 2022)Bridge inspectors work for the safety of our infrastructure and mobility. In regular intervals, they conduct structural inspections - a manual task with a long-lasting and firmly normed analogue tradition. We propose a mixed analogue and digital workflow that includes Mixed Reality views that can be ready-to-hand for bridge inspectors during their work at and in a bridge. Our presented demonstrator was iteratively designed in a collaborative research project and turned into a tablet-based application to digitally support that work. It employs BIM data that contains 3D geometry-data and additional data about the structure, such as previous damage reports.
-
PublicationFinding and analysing energy research funding data: The EnArgus system( 2021)
-
PublicationVom Büro ins Bauwerk - Kooperationsmöglichkeiten mit Mixed Reality( 2021)Die Digitalisierung erreicht das Bauhandwerk und betrifft nun bald den kompletten Lebenszyklus von Gebäuden, Bauwerken und der gesamten Verkehrsinfrastruktur. Neuartige Begriffe machen die Runde: vom digitalen Zwilling, über künstliche Intelligenz bis hin zu Virtual, Augmented und Mixed Reality, sowie kollaborativem Arbeiten auf Basis von BIM-Daten. Doch welche Chancen ergeben sich daraus und wo kriegt man das her? Dieser Kurzbeitrag skizziert meinen im Rahmen des 1. Fachkongress „Digitale Transformation im Lebenszyklus der Verkehrsinfrastruktur“ im Juni 2021 an der Technischen Akademie in Esslingen gehaltenen Plenarvortrag. Er versucht aus der Historie der Informatik heraus eine gemeinsame, die Disziplinen übergreifende Perspektive für die Bauwirtschaft und die Informatik zu zeichnen und damit Orientierung zur Digitalisierung zu bieten. Denn die zunehmend geforderte mobile Kollaborationsunterstützung am und im Bauwerk muss nicht auf der grünen Wiese geschaffen werden, sondern kann sich auf eine reiche Forschungstradition in den Bereichen CSCW, HCI und Mixed Reality stützen.
-
PublicationCurrent Practices, Challenges, and Design Implications for Collaborative AR/VR Application Development( 2021)Augmented/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) is still a fragmented space to de- sign for due to the rapidly evolving hardware, the interdisciplinarity of teams, and a lack of standards and best practices. We interviewed 26 professional AR/VR designers and developers to shed light on their tasks, approaches, tools, and challenges. Based on their work and the artifacts they generated, we found that AR/VR application creators fulfill four roles: concept developers, interaction designers, content authors, and technical developers. One person often incorporates multiple roles and faces a variety of challenges during the design process from the initial contextual analysis to the deployment. From analysis of their tool sets, methods, and artifacts, we describe critical key challenges. Finally, we discus s the importance of prototyping for the communication in AR/VR development teams and highlight design implications for future tools to create a more usable AR/VR tool chain.
-
PublicationSocio-technical challenges in the digital gap between building information modeling and industry 4.0( 2017)Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Industry 4.0 are complex application domains. Doing interdisciplinary research with architects, engineers and computer scientists at the intersection of the domains is both challenging and promising, since many relevant research problems need multi-perspective views and cooperatively designed solution strategies. In this paper, we envision a sociotechnical solution strategy, based on the common understanding that communication and cooperation is mission-critical for the overall success of the deployed information system, the design process and the final result of the mission, the building. To that end, we sketch the challenges and discuss a running construction project as a real application scenario. Our solution includes the use of serious gaming strategies, near real-time collaboration and mixed reality. The results show that despite the tough cost and time restrictions, innovative and relevant research in interdisciplinary research and development teams is feasible.
