Design and Evaluation of Augmented Reality and VR-Based Task Simulators

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The proposal is part of an overarching research program on the design and evaluation of 3D visualization techniques for task-based training simulators. We will be exploring novel methods for the development and evaluation of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality based Simulators. The Engineering Design process that we follow is classical: The requirements elicitation stage is used to develop a formal hierarchical task representation for the user's interaction with the simulator. This includes an analysis of the sub-tasks in terms of low-level user interactions that facilitate the specification of quantitative user performance metrics. To proceed in each of these case studies, we are establishing an approach in which a formal Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) phase is being conducted on the specific tasks being trained within simulator-based curricula. The task analysis is important for two reasons: First, the HTA description is compatible with UML Harel Statecharts, which are implementation-independent representations that can be adapted using standard patterns on a variety of platforms. This approach allows us to formalize the requirements of the main software classes in the simulator systems, in terms of the input-output requirements for the View classes, the Controller Classes, and those of the Model (Software Engineering's MVC paradigm). Secondly, it allows us to examine the task requirements from an information-processing standpoint, in terms of graphical display outputs, and user interface input events. This facilitates a behavioural description of the system which span the abstraction hierarchy (in the sense posed by Herb Simon and James Albus) so that low-level technical skills performance can be addressed by extending the classical Fitts paradigm which respects the speed-accuracy tradeoff, and also to generalize to higher levels of the abstraction involving 3D spatial reasoning, path planning, and executive control of sub-tasks. Curriculum uptake on non-technical skills can thereby be assessed based on task completion times and error rates to form the corresponding performance metrics. These are refined iteratively as the software architecture and hardware deployment proceed to implementation. Our approach thereby stresses the development of systematic user-centred evaluation methodologies, using paradigms adapted from pure Science-based research in human perception, cognition, and action. In other words, we consider the design of task-based simulators to be an enterprise within the Software Engineering domain of Human-Computer Interface Design. The goals of the research projects undertaken by HQP will be to develop and evaluate modules that extend from current simulators, through the development of GPU-based algorithms for 3D interactive computer graphics in Augmented and Virtual Reality, and for their quantitative evaluation.