Hybrid participant embodiments in networked collaborative virtual environments

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We show how a variety of techniques from Computer Graphics can be leveraged to intuitively control the shape (configuration) of arbitrary 3D Soft Robots in VR. Our pipeline, Virtual Reality Soft Robot Inverse Kinematics (VR-Soft IK), overcomes fundamental limitations of general-purpose drag-and-drop soft robot control interfaces by leaving the 2D computer screen for 3D Virtual Reality (VR). VR-Soft IK uses a simulation based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and a control method based on sensitivity analys

This workshop focuses on the integration of computer vision assistance technologies in timber construction through Augmented Carpentry (AC), an open-source research project developed at IBOIS, EPFL (PhD: Settimi Andrea, thesis co-director: Dr. Julien Gamerro, thesis and lab director: Prof. Yves Weinand). Participants will develop a foundational understanding of how computer vision can revolutionize traditional woodworking techniques, leading to more efficient, and accessible digital fabrication in timber co

This study investigates the effect of short exposure to coloured light on thermal perception. To give the impression of natural daylight passing through coloured filters, but avoiding the drawbacks of conducting an experiment with daylight, continuously changing due to daily and seasonal variations, and to weather conditions, we investigate the use of Virtual Reality as a means to control the visual conditions, creating a hybrid environment with thermal and visual stimuli from the real and virtual world, re

Performing remote manipulation tasks by teleoperation with limited bandwidth, communication delays and environmental differences is a challenging problem. In this paper, we learn a task-parameterized generative model from the teleoperator demonstrations using a \textit{hidden semi-Markov model} that provides assistance in performing remote manipulation tasks. We present a probabilistic formulation to capture the intention of the teleoperator, and subsequently assist the teleoperator by time-independent shar

We propose an analysis of the social network composed of the characters appearing in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's autobiographic Les Confessions, with existence of edges based on co-occurrences. This work consists of twelve volumes, that span over fifty years of his life. Having a unique author allows us to consider the book as a coherent work, unlike some of the historical texts from which networks often get extracted, and to compare the evolution of patterns of characters through the books on a common basis. L

We present a real-time interactive 3D scanning system that allows users to scan complete object geometry by turning the object around in front of a real-time 3D range scanner. The incoming 3D surface patches are registered and integrated into an online 3D point cloud. In contrast to previous systems the online reconstructed 3D model also serves as final result. Registration error accumulation which leads to the well-known loop closure problem is addressed already during the scanning session by distorting th

Realistic body images (avatars) have been long utilized in virtual reality applications, and they are becoming increasingly used in Neuroscience and Neuroprosthetics fields. To elucidate monkeys' perception of avatars, we have measured reaction of two naive rhesus monkeys when confronted to realistic 3D monkey avatars with different facial expressions and different levels of realism. We have compared it with their reaction to images of real monkeys with similar facial expressions. Monkeys were initially ove

The problem of generating a virtual view of a scene, i.e. a view from a point where there is not a physical camera to capture the scene, has received recently a lot of attention from the computer vision community. This is probably due to the increase of the computational power of computers, which allows to deal with multiple view systems (systems composed of multiple cameras) efficiently. In this document, an introduction to virtual view generation techniques is presented. In a first part, geometric constra

We present an algorithm for the tracking of a variable number of 3D persons in a multi-camera setting with partial field-of-view overlap. The multi-object tracking problem is posed in a Bayesian framework and relies on a joint multi-object state space with individual object states defined in the 3D world. The Reversible Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJ-MCMC) method is used to efficiently search the state-space and recursively estimate the multi-object configuration. The paper presents several contributions

This paper reports on four experimental studies concerning regard to how people use space so as to solve problems collaboratively in virtual environments. Prior to presenting the results, it summarizes the wide range of literature concerning social uses of spatiality in human interactions. The experiments we conducted revealed that virtual space modifies and improves collaborative processes such as division of labor, grounding, communication, coordination, as well as the performance to the task. It conclude

Three-dimensional (3D) electron microscopy (3DEM) aims at the determination of the spatial distribution of the Coulomb potential of macromolecular complexes. The 3D reconstruction of a macromolecule using single-particle techniques involves thousands of 2D projections. One of the key parameters required to perform such a 3D reconstruction is the orientation of each projection image as well as its in-plane orientation. This information is unknown experimentally and must be determined using image-processing t

We present an augmented reality system that relies on purely passive techniques to solve the real-time registration problem. It can run on a portable PC and does not require engineering of the environment, for example by adding markers. To achieve this result, we have integrated robust computer vision techniques into a powerful VR framework. The resulting AR system allows us to produce complex rendering and animation of virtual human characters, and to blend them into the real world. The system tracks the 3

An integrated framework is proposed in which local perception and close manipulation skills are used in conjunction with a high-level behavioral interface based on a "smart object" paradigm as support for virtual agents to perform autonomous tasks. In our model, virtual "smart objects" encapsulate information about possible interactions with agents, including sub-tasks defined by scripts that the agent can perform. We then use Information provided by lowlevel sensing mechanisms (based on a simulated retina)

We describe an approach to construct interactive virtual environments, which are suitable for the development of artificial virtual human life simulations. Our main goal is to have virtual human actors living and working autonomously in virtual environments. In our approach, virtual actors have their own motivations and needs, and by sensing and exploring their environment, an action selection mechanism is able to determine at anytime the suitable actions to take. We adapt basic actor motivations and needs

Rendering and animating in real-time a multitude of articulated characters presents a real challenge, and few hardware systems are up to the task. Up to now, little research has been conducted to tackle the issue of real-time rendering of numerous virtual humans. This paper presents a hardware-independent technique that improves the display rate of animated characters by acting on the sole geometric and rendering information. We first review the acceleration techniques traditionally in use in computer graph

In combination with the rapid technical improvements of computers, building large virtual scenes has become a popular field in computer graphics. Often, within a real reconstructed city, a building that has disappeared, or a virtual town, virtual humans populating these scenes are expected to provide a feeling of real life. Our specific aim is to populate these scenes with virtual humans in order to offer assistance in decision making concerning urban infrastructures. In this view, we have to integrate the

This paper proposes a paradigm for specification of virtual human agents` level of autonomy. The idea we present in this paper aims at optimising the required complexity of agents in order to perform realistic simulations. The paradigm is based on the distribution of the required virtual human agent “intelligence” to other simulation entities like groups of agents, and objects

Since their inception, interactive virtual environments have not been able to interpret users' gestures. Researchers have investigated a few tentative solutions, but most of them concern a specific set of body parts like hands, arms, or facial expressions. However, when placing a participant in a virtual world to interact with synthetic inhabitants, it would be more convenient and intuitive to use body-oriented actions. To achieve this, we developed a hierarchical model of human actions based on fine-graine

Introducing seemingly autonomous virtual beings into virtual environments to co-habit and collaborate with us is a continuous challenge and source of interest. Latest proof of human excitement for virtual life is the current worldwide craze for electronic pets that must be fed and cared for lest they develop a bad character or die. Even more interesting is the inclusion of autonomous actors in networked collaborative virtual environments (NCVEs). They provide a meeting place for people from different geogra

We first describe the state of the art in cloth modeling and animation, followed by our first approach to modeling a skirt, then any dress, for a fixed synthetic actress. In this system, clothes were assembled from panels directly on the actress. We then describe a more general system, able to create autonomous clothes which may be worn by any synthetic human. We explain the method for creating both the clothes and the virtual humans

Hybrid participant embodiments in networked collaborative virtual environments

Chat with Graph Search

A Soft Robot Inverse Kinematics for Virtual Reality

Augmented Carpentry Workshop at Future of Construction 2024 (Mendrisio)

The effect of short exposure to coloured light on thermal perception: a study using Virtual Reality

A Generative Model for Intention Recognition and Manipulation Assistance in Teleoperation

A social network analysis of Rousseau’s autobiography “Les Confessions”

Online loop closure for real-time interactive 3D scanning

Social interaction probed by reaching to face images: Rhesus monkeys consider a textured monkey avatar as a conspecific.

Multiple-View Scenes: Reconstruction and Virtual Views

Multi-camera multi-person 3d space tracking with mcmc in surveillance scenarios

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Towards real time virtual human life simulations

Real-time display of virtual humans: levels of details and impostors

Virtual human life simulation and database: why and how

Level of autonomy for virtual human agents

Interacting with virtual humans through body actions

Autonomous actors in networked collaborative virtual environments

3D clothes and fashion show