SGER: Exploring Digital Sculpture with Two-hand Haptics

尽管计算和交互技术取得了最新的进步，但在数字计算机中忠实而有效地表示现实世界的对象，并开发有效的人机界面来管理和与这些CAD模型进行通信，仍然是一个巨大的技术挑战。特别是，还没有人开发出一种强大的图形模型和伴随的人机界面，可以同时(a)表示任意拓扑和各向异性材料分布的体积形状，(b)实时有效地模拟复杂的物理和动态行为；以及(c)促进人类用户与该等3D数字表示之间的自然、方便的交互。为了解决上述挑战，从而弥合现实世界物理对象与基于cad的数字模型之间的巨大差距，并改善人类与计算机生成的虚拟环境之间的沟通和互动，PI将在该项目中开发数字雕塑，这是一种用于人机交互的新型双手触觉界面。数字雕塑将采用新的图形模型和实体细分方案，统一建模和动画的几何和材料属性在一个单一的物理框架内，并将包括一套双手，基于触觉的互动技术，用于管理和操纵虚拟环境中的新表示。到目前为止，双手触觉系统还没有得到充分的探索；该项目的一个重要成果将是对双手触觉系统的全面研究。PI将验证新的理论、算法、计算和软件技术的有效性，这些技术通过双手触觉界面促进数字雕塑在虚拟环境中的交互，通过全面的可用性研究，将他的技术和范式与现有的技术和范式进行比较，以评估预期改进的好处。还将探索新技术的变体（例如，单手与双手数字雕塑，以评估来自第二只手套的触觉输入所提供的收益，即使在第二只手套保持静止的条件下）。更广泛的影响：双手触觉界面的新型HCI范例在必须操作3D结构的所有应用中都是无价的，包括手术模拟和虚拟雕刻。对新颖的双手触觉交互技术的全面研究将进一步加深我们对基于触觉的人机交互的理解。

Despite the most recent advancement of computing and interaction technologies, it still remains a great technical challenge to faithfully and efficiently represent real-world objects in a digital computer and to develop effective human-computer interfaces for managing and communicating with such CAD models. In particular, no one has yet developed a robust graphical model and accompanying human-computer interface that can simultaneously (a) represent volumetric shapes of arbitrary topology and anisotropic material distributions, (b) efficiently simulate complex physical and dynamic behaviors in real time; and (c) facilitate natural, convenient interaction between human users and such 3D digital representations. In an effort to tackle the aforementioned challenges, and thereby bridge the large gap between real-world physical objects and CAD-based digital models, and improve communication and interaction between human beings and computer generated virtual environments, the PI will in this project develop Digital Sculpture, a novel two-hand haptic interface for HCI. Digital Sculpture will employ a new graphical model and solid subdivision scheme that unify modeling and animation for both geometry and material properties within a single physical framework, and will include a suite of two-hand, haptics-based interactive techniques for managing and manipulating the new representations in virtual environments. To date, two-hand haptic systems have been severely under-explored; an important outcome of this project will be the comprehensive investigation of a two-hand haptic system. The PI will validate the effectiveness of the new theoretic, algorithmic, computational, and software techniques that facilitate the interaction of Digital Sculpture in virtual environments via a two-hand haptic interface, via comprehensive usability studies that compare his technique and paradigm with existing ones in order to assess the benefits of the anticipated improvements. Variants of the new technique will also be explored (e.g., one-hand vs. two-hand Digital Sculpture to assess the gains provided by a haptic input from a second glove, even under conditions when the second glove remains stationary).Broader Impacts: The novel HCI paradigm of a two-hand haptic interface would be invaluable in all applications in which 3D structures must be manipulated, including for example surgical simulation and virtual sculpting. The comprehensive study of novel, two-hand haptic interaction techniques will further deepen our understanding of haptic-based human-computer interaction.