Intelligent Virtual Environments: Technologies, Architectures and Applications

Semester

First semester

Credits

4 ECTS

Outline

This subject explores intelligent virtual environments as a type of computer system, which has:

• very distinctive features in terms of human-computer interaction (3D immersive environments where the user interacts with objects, other users and autonomous agents),
• very special supportive technologies (virtual reality and augmented reality devices),
• very important and promising applications that justify research in its development (such as educational or design applications),
• and many open challenges and a lot of potential for research in the future.

We will introduce the major lines of research open in the field of intelligent virtual environments, examining the particularities of 3D interaction, the challenges associated with intelligent virtual agent design and educational applications.

Learning Goals

• Awareness of the different types of virtual environments, understanding of avatars as representations of virtual environment participants and familiarity with the role that intelligent agents play in a virtual environment
• Awareness of the main virtual environment applications and example developments
• Awareness of the major human-computer interaction techniques and technologies for virtual environments, their potential and constraints
• Ability to plan a project to build an intelligent virtual environment, establishing the process to be enacted, the technologies to be used, the interaction options to be offered and the role to be played by the intelligent virtual agents, and to select the best technologies, architectures and tools to complete the project
• Ability to formulate and implement the design of research in the following fields:
  • human-computer interaction in the context of an intelligent virtual environment
  • capabilities of intelligent virtual agents
  • intelligent virtual environment technologies and architectures

Syllabus

1. Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies
   1. Basic concepts of virtual reality and augmented reality
   2. Devices and technologies for virtual and augmented reality
   3. Specific challenges in augmented reality
2. Virtual environment development
   1. Tasks for the development of a virtual environment
   2. Virtual environment development tools
3. 3D interaction tasks, techniques and challenges
4. Virtual Humans
   1. Architecture and components of a virtual human
   2. Perception in a virtual human
   3. The mind of a virtual human
   4. Actuation capabilities in a virtual human
5. Virtual reality and augmented reality applications

Recommended reading:

• J. Rickel, W. L., Johnson. "Animated agents for procedural training in virtual reality: Perception, cognition and motor control". Applied Artificial Intelligence 13, 343-382. 1999.
• R. Bartle. "Designing Virtual Worlds". New Riders Games. 2003.
• W. R. Sherman, A. Craig. "Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design". Morgan Kaufmann. 2003.
• D. A. Bowman, E. Kruijff, J. J. La Viola, I. Poupyrev. "3D User Interfaces: Theory and Practice". Addison-Wesley Professional. 2004.
• J. Cassell. "Embodied conversational agents: representation and intelligence in user interfaces". AI Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 67 - 83. 2001
• D.Dehn, S. Van Mulken. "The impact of animated interface agents: a review of empirical research". Int. Journal Human-Computer Studies, 52, 1-22. 2000.
• J. Gratch, J. Rickel, J. et al. "Creating Interactive Virtual Humans: some assembly required". IEEE Intelligent systems July/August 2002, pp.2-11.
• C. Greenhalgh, S. Benford, G. Reynard. "A QoS Architecture for Collaborative Virtual Environments". ACM Multimedia (MM'99), Orlando, Florida, ACM Press. November, 1999.
• M. R. Macedonia, M. J. Zyda. "A Taxonomy for Networked Virtual Environments". IEEE Multimedia, Jan-Mar, pp. 48-56. 1997.
• D. A. Bowman, L. F. Hodges. "An Evaluation of Techniques for Grabbing and Manipulating Remote Objects in Immersive Virtual Environments". Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics, pp. 35-38. 1997.
• R. T. Azuma. "A survey of augmented reality". Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6(4):355-385. 1997.
• P. Milgram, F. Kishino. "A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays". IEICE Transactions on Information Systems E77-D (12): 1321-1329. 1994.
• Unity Learn
• Oculus for Developers

Lecture Theatre

A-3203

Tuition language

English

Subject-Specific Competences

Learning Outcomes

Learning Guide

Learning Guide: Intelligent Virtual Environments: Technologies, Architectures and Applications