Overview

I am interested in virtual environments systems from graphical rendering through to distributed systems. At UCL we have a wide variety of immersive systems including a Trimension Reactor - a 4-sided CAVE-like device. I am also interested in how virtual environments extend through to physical space through either mixed-reality or augmented reality systems.

I have recently worked on the following:

• Supporting Presence and Co-Presence in Mixed-Reality: Desiging and building mixed reality systems.
  Refer to: EQUATOR Project, also EQUATOR City Project Page (off-site)
• Presence in VR Systems: Co-operated with studies of the sense of presence in a virtual environment system.
  Refer to: recent papers, and also the homepage of Mel Slater
• Large Model Rendering: Supporing large models on top of a mature VR toolkit (DIVE).
  Refer to: UCL DIVE page, also my pictures directory
• CAVE to CAVE Trials: Distributed use of CAVEs and experiments on interaction. Originated from a series of studies on small groups collaboration.
  Refer to: UCL ReaCTor page, UCL DIVE page, and the Internet2 Collaborative Virtual Environments Project
• Network Evaluation: ongoing trials to gain experience in running multi-participant, wide-area distributed virtual environments.
  Refer to: UCL DIVE page and the Internet2 Collaborative Virtual Environments Project
• Novel Applications of VR: I was involved and supported the work on Fear of Public Speaking, and Virtual Rehearsals.
  Refer to: Acting in VR Project and Social Phobia Project
• Usability of VE systems: Evaluation and design guidance for builders of VE systems. Undertaken on the COVEN project.
  Refer to: COVEN Page

A full list of papers is listed on another page

A list of available technologies is listed on another page

Collaboration and Presence

VR Systems and Interaction

Mixed Reality

Over the past few years I have also worked on interaction with VR systems, something that is picking up again as we start experimenting with the CAVE:

• 3D Interaction Devices: Interfaces for and evaluation of a 3D input device called the Desktop Bat.
• Interaction with VR Systems: Implemented and evaluated a naturalistic metaphor for interaction in immersive virtual reality systems. Reported at Eurographics Workshop on Virtual Environments.
• System for designing interactions with VR systems: An immersive environment called the Virtual Environment Dialogue Architecture (VEDA) for designing and prototyping virtual environment interfaces.
• VRML Review: review of the Virtual Reality Modelling Language as it progresses through the ISO standardisation process.

In addition I have a few pet projects I occasionally work on that could be construed as work:

• Shadow algorithm: a neat and simple way of hacking real-time shadows in software. This eventually became a paper in JGT (ten years after first implementing it!)
• Boids: in different 3D languages/systems just to learn the toolkit.

Previously I was a research fellow on the Collaborative Virtual Environments (COVEN) projects, and the Virtual Rehearsal for Actors project.