Virtual Environments and Visualization at Virginia Tech:

Collaborative Research and Distance Learning

Ronald D. Kriz*University Visualization and Animation Group

* Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics

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Computer Science Department Seminar September 26, 2001

McBryde, Rm 655, 4-5PM

http://www.jwave.vt.edu/~rkriz/Presentations/CS_seminar_26sept01.ppt

• Summary of collaborative virtual environments, APIs, and applications developed at Virginia Tech

• Summary of faculty who have participated in developing virtual environment / visualization projects: research and distance learning

Presentation

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Collaborative APIs: EVL’s CAVERNsoft: Limbo / Tandem VT’s DIVERSE VT’s Network Program Interface Builder (NPIB)

Chronology: Collaborative VEs at VT AtomView (NSF PACI: NCSA-VT) Limbo Apps:

CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC) CCC_atom (CCC + AtomView)

DIVERSE Apps: Physics Based Simulations Crane-Ship (ONR-DURIP) Haptic Feedback - Molecular Docking (ASPIRES) NUWC’s CONRAY Undersea Warfare (ONR-NavCIITI) NIST’s RAVE: SmokeView

NPIB: (NSF-CRCD) 20 physics based simulation modules

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Summary of Collaborative VEs APIs,and applications developed at VT

Faculty VE and visualization projects (chronological order starting with the NSF ARI proposal)

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• Initially their where 29 CoPIs on the NSF white paper to build a CAVE, but more important, to build a university visualization group associated with ACITC (Torgersen Hall): (NSF-$890K)+($530K, 5-Colleges, RGS, AIS). This seminar is about the people who came together as a group which will be the future Center for Virtual Environments and Visualization (CVEV).

• AtomView: John Shalf (NCSA), R. Kriz, D. Farkas• CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC): Kevin Curry, Fernando das Neves, , John Kelso, Mary Beth Rosson, Jack Carroll, and Ron Kriz• CCC_atom: Greg Edwards, Fernando das Neves, and Ron Kriz• College of Architecture Viz Lab: R. Schubert and D. Jones

• Interior Design Futures Lab: Joan McLain-Kark• Entomology: Alexi Sharov and Tim Mack• Extending CCC for K12: F. Neves and R. Kriz

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continued:

• Crane Ship: A. Nayfeh, D. Mook, L. Arsenault, R.Williams, R. Kriz: Added motion base to CAVE floor (ONR: $360K) In-kind-labor to move and re-build CAVE ($432K): A. Jarosz, J. Kelso, S. Parkih, C. Logie, R. Kriz• Head Mounted Display VR Lab: D. Bowman (CS Dept. $120K) VR projs. M. Setareh, R. Schubert, J. McLain-Kark• DIVERSE: L. Arsenault, J. Kelso, R. Kriz (NIST $60K)• Plant Pathology: (Educ): P. Sforza • Molecular Docking: D. Bevan, L. Watson,S. Parkih, R. Kriz• NAVCIITI CONRAY: F. das Neves, J. Kelso, R. Kriz

• NSF CRCD NPIB (Educ&Res): R. Levensalor, R. Kriz• Cardio-Vascular flow: P. Vlachos and A. Etabari

• EVL’s CAVERNsoft: Limbohttp://www.evl.uic.edu/cavern/cavernG2

• VT’s DIVERSEhttp://www.diverse.vt.edu

•VT’s Network Programming Interface Builderhttp://www.jwave.vt.edu/npib

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APIs used and developed at VT:

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What is a CAVE?

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Viewer immersed In 3D-structure. Gives viewer unique perspective to study

3D structure / property relationships.

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Advanced Communications &

Information Technology Center

(ACITC)

VT-Collaboration on-campus(Connecting desktop to CAVE was critical)

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University Visualization &Animation Group (UVAG)

2100 SF

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Shared Virtual Environments

CAVERNsoft - Limbo: CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC)http://www.sv.vt.edu/future/cave/

software/ccc/

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World-Wide CollaborationJason Leigh & Andrew Johnson

Electronic Visualization Lab, UIC

• Argonne National Lab• IHPC, Singapore• CRCACS, Australian NU• IML, Tokyo Univ.• CCPO, Old Dominion Unv.• NCSA, UIUC• UVAG, Virginia Tech• Northwestern Univ.

Remote Participants:

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I hear you. You hear me. But where are you and what are you looking at?

Collaborative Awareness Tools

Kevin Curry

Class Project, 1998: Rosson: Computer- Supported Cooperative Work

M.S. Thesis, 1999: “Supporting Collaborative

Awareness in Tele-Immersion”

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Par

tici

pant

s

Aw

aren

ess

Recorder

K12 Distance Learning Project: IAETEInstitute for the Advancement of Emerging Technologies in Education

AtomView

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NCSA: J. Shalf

VT: R. Kriz / D. Farkas With AtomView materialscientists can analyze and interpret physics based simulation results

Physics based Simulation

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Two users in CCC_atom viewing a Large Ni-Al B2 simulated structure.

AtomView Modes:• Scale Model• Scale Atoms• Navigate• Play animation

CCC features not shown:• Shared views• Jump next to• Tether to• Record play

D evice I ndependent V irtual E nvironment: R econfigurable, S calable, E xtensible

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DIVERSE Applications:Physics Based Simulations

Crane Ship 6-DOF I-Dock 6-DOFHaptic Feedback

NUWC/NRL CONRAYUndersea Acoustic 3-DOF

Command & Control n-DOF

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Application of Visualization and Haptic Feedback to Enhance Molecular Docking

D. Bevan, BiochemistyL. Watson, Computer SciR. Kriz & S. Parikh, ESM

(http://www.sv.vt.edu/future/cave/resprj/idock/idock.html)

Beowulf ClusterFuture Simulations

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ONR-NavCIITI Task2.1 C & C Visualization

CONRAY model

Desktop

CAVE

I-Desk

Visualization for MultiwarfarePlanning and Execution

Visualization for MultiwarfarePlanning and Execution

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Collaboration With Virginia Tech

Kenneth M. Lima (PI) Dr. Ron Kriz (POC)

Lauren Mathews (NAVCITTI Supported)

Richard Shell

Naval Research Lab

Robert King (PI)

FY’01 Funding $222K

FY’01 Funding $58K

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ONR-NavCIITI Task2.1 Command & Control Visualization

NUWC: K. Lima, L. Mathews, R. ShellNRL: Larry Rosenblum, Doug MaxwellVT: R. Kriz, J. Kelso, F. das Neves

ONR Briefing May 24, 2001“Visualization for Multiwarfare

Planning and Execution”Top Ranked by ONR

Review Panel

Physics basedsimulation modelof acoustics in a3D world: bottomBounce, etc.

http://www.sv.vt.edu/future/cave/resprj/navciiti/nuwc_task2-1/

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Network Program Interface Builder (NPIB)

Combined Research Curriculum Development

http://www.jwave.vt.edu/crcd

NPIB is a rapid applicationdevelopment tool that researcherscould use to create, maintain, andarchive numerous parametric studies based on their legacy computer simulations

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Example: 3D Wave Surface

Working “Real-Time” Archive

Submit

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Results.html

Results Viewed at Desktop

Results ViewedIn the CAVE

email notifies user simulation completed

Usability and Engineering LabD. Hix and J. Gabbard

Randy LevensalorCS-Masters Thesis

Immersive WorkBench

NAVCIITI: Visualization and HCI: Usability Engineering

Cooperative manipulation PhD work of Marcio Pinho (PUCRS) Can multiple users manipulate the same object at the same time? Separation of DOFs

3D Interaction Grouphttp://www.cs.vt.edu/~bowman/3di/

Immersive structural visualization

Design, simulation, and visualization of building structures

Both 2D and 3D interfaces

Doug Bowman

M. Setareh R. Schubert

SAP5-FEM

Architecture’s VE-Lab

Interior Design Futures Lab(http://filebox.vt.edu/chre/near/vtid/idfl/idfl.html)

Using Virtual Environments to Determine Older Adults’ Preferences and Functioning in Assisted Living Private spaces

(http://filebox.vt.edu/chre/near/jmksite/andrus/AARP01.html)

J. McLain-KarkM. Beamish,K. Roberto

Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science

Virtual Dandelion

Virtual Nematode: P Sforza and J. Eisenback

Pathogenesis of Crown Gall:P. Sforza, D. Tillman, G. Lacy, M. Hansen, and J. Jelesko

(http://www.ppws.vt.edu/~sforza)

P. Sforza

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Visualization and Analysis of ComplexFlows in a Cardiovascular System

A Etebari, P. Vlachos, R. KrizEngineering Science and Mechanics

Desk-top, I-Desk, CAVE

stress tensor glyph

Virtual Environment Workshop

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J. Lockhart / R. KrizMultimedia / VRML

HPCS. Varadarajan

HCI 3DID. Bowman/C. Wingrave

HCI UsabilityJ. Gabbard

DIVERSEArsenault / Kelso

Organizer

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Observations & Conclusions:

• Virtual and collaborative design environments have been at best working prototypes that are too difficult to use by the academic community.

• Better API’s are needed so that scientists, engineers, and educators can build their own applications based on the content within their discipline.

• The best designed collaborative environments will work only within existing collaborative groups.

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Recommendations:• Identify researchers and educators who have experience in building collaborative applications and their associated APIs. • Build a working collaborative design environment prototype API with participants identified above and select a specific research and educational demonstration project. Participants should include scientists and engineers depending on target application.• Perform a usability evaluation, upgrade-modify application and associated API.