A Gesture-Based Interface for Designing in Virtual Reality. Many design professions including architecture, fashion, and engineering can benefit from the outcomes of this project and may return financial benefits to Australia, since they heavily rely on sketching in the conceptual design process. Other areas, such as films, computer games, user interface design that involves storyboarding and visualization may also benefit from sketching in virtual reality. Further research may be carried out us ....A Gesture-Based Interface for Designing in Virtual Reality. Many design professions including architecture, fashion, and engineering can benefit from the outcomes of this project and may return financial benefits to Australia, since they heavily rely on sketching in the conceptual design process. Other areas, such as films, computer games, user interface design that involves storyboarding and visualization may also benefit from sketching in virtual reality. Further research may be carried out using a variety of VR facilities and a responsive workbench (3D interactive table-top display) to allow distributed Virtual Prototyping between geographically separated design teams, to assemble the product drawn using a force feedback device to place Australia in a leading position.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0567533
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,000.00
Summary
Scientific Instruments as ICT Components in Building a GrEMLIN for e-Research. The proposal seeks to initiate the development of a GrEMLIN, a Grid Enabled Multi-Level Instrument Network, for e-Research. Scientific instruments, whether at conventional laboratories or at major facilities, may be regarded as specialised ICT components in a network providing remote access to such instrumentation. Collaborative remote access and data analysis brings efficiency and effectiveness dividends, that can ....Scientific Instruments as ICT Components in Building a GrEMLIN for e-Research. The proposal seeks to initiate the development of a GrEMLIN, a Grid Enabled Multi-Level Instrument Network, for e-Research. Scientific instruments, whether at conventional laboratories or at major facilities, may be regarded as specialised ICT components in a network providing remote access to such instrumentation. Collaborative remote access and data analysis brings efficiency and effectiveness dividends, that can be enhanced through the harnessing of Grid technologies. The collaborative project will leverage middleware, Web Services and e-Science software developments in the US and UK, to provide Grid enabled remote instrument access and data analysis as a powerful e-Research tool.Read moreRead less
Acoustic Filter Functions from Morphological Measurements. This project works toward enabling the broadcast of high-fidelity 3D audio. By developing an efficient technique for deriving personalised acoustic filter functions based on image data of the listener's head and ears, we hope to enable high-fidelity 3D audio decoding and rendering. Morphological parameterisation techniques and databases recently developed at the University of York will be combined with the statistical synthesis technique ....Acoustic Filter Functions from Morphological Measurements. This project works toward enabling the broadcast of high-fidelity 3D audio. By developing an efficient technique for deriving personalised acoustic filter functions based on image data of the listener's head and ears, we hope to enable high-fidelity 3D audio decoding and rendering. Morphological parameterisation techniques and databases recently developed at the University of York will be combined with the statistical synthesis techniques and databases developed at the University of Sydney to substantially reduce the development time required for either group alone. Psychoacoustic experiments carried out at the University of Sydney will demonstrate the fidelity of the delivered 3D audio.Read moreRead less
Crisis management simulation: developing a methodology for transforming communication response. The ability of any large corporation or public institution to handle a crisis can have major economic, environmental, social or cultural consequences. For the Australian Defence Force (ADF), effective crisis management communication can literally mean life or death. This project merges cutting-edge digital games technology with applied drama techniques to produce a crisis management game to simulate ....Crisis management simulation: developing a methodology for transforming communication response. The ability of any large corporation or public institution to handle a crisis can have major economic, environmental, social or cultural consequences. For the Australian Defence Force (ADF), effective crisis management communication can literally mean life or death. This project merges cutting-edge digital games technology with applied drama techniques to produce a crisis management game to simulate conflict and crisis scenarios. Working closely with the ADF to better understand organisational communication under extreme pressure, this new approach will build teamwork and break down barriers to effective crisis management. The methodology developed will have global application to public and private organisations.
Read moreRead less
Multi-user virtual environments and research into the learning and transfer of scientific knowledge and inquiry skills. The aim of this project is to understand how innovative multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) can be designed and used in Australian schools to enhance the learning of important scientific knowledge and inquiry skills. Working closely with teachers in secondary science classes, researchers will investigate ways in which the features of intelligent agents in educational MUVEs ....Multi-user virtual environments and research into the learning and transfer of scientific knowledge and inquiry skills. The aim of this project is to understand how innovative multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) can be designed and used in Australian schools to enhance the learning of important scientific knowledge and inquiry skills. Working closely with teachers in secondary science classes, researchers will investigate ways in which the features of intelligent agents in educational MUVEs enable innovative pedagogical approaches that have the potential to enhance learning in secondary science classes. In addition, this project will develop science inquiry-based curriculum modules employing MUVEs that run on computers being distributed as part of the national Digital Education Revolution initiative.Read moreRead less
Mobile spatial-audio telecommunication systems. We will develop an inter-personal electronic spatial-audio telecommunication system that works outdoors in a mobile environment. Talkers using the system will be acoustically aware of other talkers? locations because the communication channel is rendered as 3D audio. The system provides situational awareness useful during activities such as fire fighting, search and rescue, surveillance, audio/video teleconferencing. The research investigates syste ....Mobile spatial-audio telecommunication systems. We will develop an inter-personal electronic spatial-audio telecommunication system that works outdoors in a mobile environment. Talkers using the system will be acoustically aware of other talkers? locations because the communication channel is rendered as 3D audio. The system provides situational awareness useful during activities such as fire fighting, search and rescue, surveillance, audio/video teleconferencing. The research investigates system implementations using wearable computing with personal location sensors (differential GPS) and personal orientation sensors (hybrid gyroscopic/magnetic system). The work will result in fundamental data relevant to the development, testing and validation of a mobile telecommunication system with individualised spatial audio.Read moreRead less
Broadcasting 3D Audio: Recording, Transmission, and Playback. With the current state of the art, a performance at the Sydney Opera House cannot be recorded and broadcast such that you can listen to it as if you are in the best seat of the house. The goal of our project is to develop the ultimate form of multi-channel audio broadcasting to create this experience. We will develop and implement effective systems for recording, broadcasting and playback of 3D audio in three different scenarios: indi ....Broadcasting 3D Audio: Recording, Transmission, and Playback. With the current state of the art, a performance at the Sydney Opera House cannot be recorded and broadcast such that you can listen to it as if you are in the best seat of the house. The goal of our project is to develop the ultimate form of multi-channel audio broadcasting to create this experience. We will develop and implement effective systems for recording, broadcasting and playback of 3D audio in three different scenarios: individual headphone reproduction; small loudspeaker array reproduction; and large loudspeaker array reproduction. We will create optimal recording techniques and broadcasting software for each of these playback techniques.Read moreRead less
A Framework for Adaptive Extensible Personae for Interactive Toys. This project will be of benefit in that it will facilitate the development of quality toys, based on sound psychological foundations. These toys will have a long life since they can be extended over time, growing with the child. There is also potential to be used for children with psychological difficulties, and applications in health and aged-care. This project will provide opportunities for Australian business, and will also h ....A Framework for Adaptive Extensible Personae for Interactive Toys. This project will be of benefit in that it will facilitate the development of quality toys, based on sound psychological foundations. These toys will have a long life since they can be extended over time, growing with the child. There is also potential to be used for children with psychological difficulties, and applications in health and aged-care. This project will provide opportunities for Australian business, and will also help to keep Australia at the forefront in the area of intelligent agent technology. It is an example of a project that helps create a culture of innovation in Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Ostracism and Aggression. Ostracism has been implicated in school shootings (e.g., Columbine) and other violent or anti-social episodes (e.g., Port Arthur shootings). Some argue that ostracism drives individuals toward joining violent extremist groups. Research, however, is mixed: sometimes targets of ostracism correct their behaviors to be more socially acceptable; whereas other times they react with aggression. This research program will investigate the conditions under which ostracism either ....Ostracism and Aggression. Ostracism has been implicated in school shootings (e.g., Columbine) and other violent or anti-social episodes (e.g., Port Arthur shootings). Some argue that ostracism drives individuals toward joining violent extremist groups. Research, however, is mixed: sometimes targets of ostracism correct their behaviors to be more socially acceptable; whereas other times they react with aggression. This research program will investigate the conditions under which ostracism either leads to paths of either pro-social or aggressive reactions. A new virtual reality paradigm will be developed to provide stronger manipulations of ostracism and to assist in discovering the crucial conditions responsible for these paths.Read moreRead less
Variation and Perceptual Ecologies in Computer Games and Simulations: Towards a Generic Model of Variable 3D Environments. The non repeatability is a key element in providing a challenging and interesting experience in computer games and simulations. However, too much variation could lead to a rejection of the environment and reluctance to accept the premise as a base for game play or training. Examples of applications that could utilise this research include; (a) Computer Games - always playing ....Variation and Perceptual Ecologies in Computer Games and Simulations: Towards a Generic Model of Variable 3D Environments. The non repeatability is a key element in providing a challenging and interesting experience in computer games and simulations. However, too much variation could lead to a rejection of the environment and reluctance to accept the premise as a base for game play or training. Examples of applications that could utilise this research include; (a) Computer Games - always playing in an unknown environment, (b) Vocational Training - a Forest Fire Fighting simulation that allows for different terrain configurations, undergrowth volatility, fire source, etc., and (c) Military Simulations - Anti-terrorist simulations where the level of variability will manifest itself both in the physical environment and in the nature of the combatants. Read moreRead less