Human Interface Technology Research Articles

The VEOS Project

The Virtual Environment Operating Shell (veos) was developed at University of Washington's Human Interface Technology Laboratory as software infrastructure for the lab's research in virtual environments. veos was designed from scratch to provide a comprehensive and unified management facility to support generation of, interaction with, and maintenance of virtual environments. VEOS emphasizes rapid prototyping, heterogeneous distributed computing, and portability. We discuss the design, philosophy and implementation of veos in depth. Within the Kernel, the shared database transformations are pattern-directed, communications are asynchronous, and the programmer's interface is LISP. An entity-based metaphor extends object-oriented programming to systems-oriented programming. Entities provide first-class environments and biological programming constructs such as perceive, react, and persist. The organization, structure, and programming of entities are discussed in detail. The article concludes with a description of the applications that have contributed to the iterative refinement of the VEOS software.

特集 高齢化社会支援ロボテックス 高齢者支援機器に要求されるヒューマンインタフェース技術

特集 高齢化社会支援ロボテックス 高齢者支援機器に要求されるヒューマンインタフェース技術

Computational aspects of immersive acoustical environments

The importance of the auditory channel in creating realistic virtual environments has emerged as being of comparable importance to the much better understood visual channel. The auditory channel presents special computational challenges because of bandwidth and update rate requirements. So far, this has limited the synthesis of virtual sound to sound placement of multiple sources using head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), acoustical ranging, and simple echo processing using ray-tracing techniques borrowed from the field of graphics. Recent advances in microprocessor technology coupled with advances in computational algorithms have brought the possibility of true 3-D sound field synthesis to the fore. The essential advance required to make such a synthesis possible is the real-time diffractive treatment of sound. The mathematics and digital signal processing of diffractive sound is discussed, along with possible applications. [Work supported by the Human Interface Technology Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle.]

Postural Control of Living Organisms and Its Engineering Systems

Application of the postural control mechanisms to the flexible movemen mechanisms will develop the humaninterface technology which aims to aid and substitute human motor function. In this research study, physiological and biomechanical knowledge of the postural control mechanisms of living bodies are summarized to give basic materials to the future mechanical equilibrating technology. (a) Postural control system of living organisms. The system is composed of four stratified subsystems of spine and brain stem, cerebellum, basal ganglia, and cerebrum. Spinal reflex, which is thought to be a fundamental servo mechanism, maintains automatically man's standing posture. Brain stem reflex controls posture and dynamical balance of a body to stabilize involuntary motions. Cerebellum, conducting cooperation control of partial motions of the body, adjusts posture and maintains equilibrium. Basal ganglia is thought to be a higher nerve center to stabilize slow and repetitive body actions. Cerebral motor cortex executes fine and subtle controls in voluntary actions. (b) Mechanical equilibrators. Mechanical equilibrafors must be of use in future legged robots travelling on rough terrain surfaces. The following three equilibrators were examined; 1) The leg supporting pivot slides up and down, right and left, 2) The leg supporting pivot has a torque generator, 3) The upper limb is equipped with some reaction mechanisms. (c) Problems of balance and walking controls. Dynamic motion of a leg-body system is achieved by three control modes of leaping hight, posture and balance control. The three modes of the motion control should be realized by the sensor directed parallel and stratified controling architecture. Considering coming aging society, postural control technology in the medical and welfare fields is hopeful of advance in assistance and substitution of man's lower limb function.

Can a Robot and a Man Communicate Heart to Heart? -A New Perspective of Human Interface Technologies-

Can a Robot and a Man Communicate Heart to Heart? -A New Perspective of Human Interface Technologies-

Multimedia communications in medical imaging

Changes in imaging technology and applications make it possible to obtain more information about patients. Information management systems, however, lag behind those achievements. The need to access and disseminate the growing volumes of patient-based information is acute. Direct effects in improving patient care, cost efficiencies in delivery, and decision making and improved communications can be gained by providing seamless views of integrated data. A prototype multimedia application that addresses work flow, human interface, and information integration and technologies is being developed. The article describes the history, need, and technical considerations involved in that development effort. >

Forthcoming Objectives of Human Interface Technology

Forthcoming Objectives of Human Interface Technology