Virtual Environments and the CAVE at Virginia Tech: Collaborative Research, E-commerce, and Distance Learning Ronald D. Kriz * University Visualization and Animation Group * Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics UVAGUVAG October 5, 2001, 12:00 Noon Roanoke Higher Education Center 108 N. Jefferson St. Roanoke Virginia Virginia Tech Roanoke Research Forum

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 UVAGUVAG

n Collaborative APIs: u EVL’s CAVERNsoft: Limbo / Tandem u VT’s DIVERSE u VT’s Network Program Interface Builder (NPIB) n Chronology: Collaborative VEs at VT u AtomView (NSF PACI: NCSA-VT) u Limbo Apps: F CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC) F CCC_atom (CCC + AtomView) u DIVERSE Apps: Physics Based Simulations F Crane-Ship (ONR-DURIP) F Haptic Feedback - Molecular Docking (ASPIRES) F NUWC’s CONRAY Undersea Warfare (ONR-NavCIITI) F NIST’s RAVE: SmokeView u NPIB: (NSF-CRCD) F 20 physics based simulation modules UVAGUVAG Summary of Collaborative VEs APIs, and applications developed at VT

Faculty VE and visualization projects (chronological order starting with the NSF ARI proposal) UVAGUVAG Initially their where 29 CoPIs on the NSF white paper (1995) to build a CAVE, but more important, to build a VE-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 (1997): John Shalf (NCSA), R. Kriz, D. Farkas CAVE Collaborative Console (1998): K. Curry, F. Das Neves, J. Kelso, M. Rosson, J. Carroll, and R. Kriz CCC_atom (1999): G. Edwards, F. Das Neves, and R. Kriz College of Architecture Viz Lab (1998): R. Schubert and D. Jones Interior Design Futures Lab (1998): J. McLain-Kark Entomology (1998): A. Sharov and T. Mack Extending CCC for K12 (1999): F. Neves and R. Kriz

UVAGUVAG continued: Crane Ship (1999): 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 (2000): D. Bowman (CS Dept. $120K) VR projs. M. Setareh, R. Schubert, J. McLain-Kark DIVERSE (2000): L. Arsenault, J. Kelso, R. Kriz (NIST $60K) Plant Pathology (2000): P. Sforza Molecular Docking (2000): D. Bevan, L.Watson, S. Parkih, R. Kriz NAVCIITI CONRAY (2000): F. das Neves, J. Kelso, R. Kriz NSF CRCD NPIB (2000): R. Levensalor, R. Kriz Cardio-Vascular flow: P. Vlachos and A. Etabari

EVL’s CAVERNsoft: Limbo VT’s DIVERSE VT’s Network Programming Interface Builder UVAGUVAG APIs used and developed at VT:

UVAGUVAG What is a CAVE?

UVAGUVAG UVAGUVAG Viewer immersed In 3D-structure. Gives viewer unique perspective to study 3D structure / property relationships.

Advanced Communications & Information Technology Center (ACITC) VT-Collaboration on-campus (Connecting desktop to CAVE was critical) UVAGUVAG University Visualization & Animation Group (UVAG )

2100 SF

UVAGUVAG Shared Virtual Environments CAVERNsoft - Limbo: CAVE Collaborative Console (CCC)

UVAGUVAG World-Wide Collaboration Jason 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:

UVAGUVAG 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”

UVAGUVAG Participants Awareness Recorder K12 Distance Learning Project: IAETE Institute for the Advancement of Emerging Technologies in Education

AtomView UVAGUVAG NCSA: J. Shalf VT: R. Kriz / D. Farkas With AtomView material scientists can analyze and interpret physics based simulation results Physics based Simulation

UVAGUVAG UVAGUVAG

UVAGUVAG 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 UVAGUVAG

UVAGUVAG DIVERSE Applications: Physics Based Simulations Crane Ship 6-DOF I-Dock 6-DOF Haptic Feedback NUWC/NRL CONRAY Undersea Acoustic 3-DOF Command & Control n-DOF

UVAGUVAG Application of Visualization and Haptic Feedback to Enhance Molecular Docking D. Bevan, Biochemisty L. Watson, Computer Sci R. Kriz & S. Parikh, ESM ( Beowulf Cluster Future Simulations

UVAGUVAG ONR-NavCIITI Task2.1 C & C Visualization CONRAY model Desktop CAVE I-Desk

UVAGUVAG ONR-NavCIITI Task2.1 Command & Control Visualization NUWC: K. Lima, L. Mathews, R. Shell NRL: Larry Rosenblum, Doug Maxwell VT: 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 based simulation model of acoustics in a 3D world: bottom Bounce, etc.

UVAGUVAG Network Program Interface Builder (NPIB) Combined Research Curriculum Development NPIB is a rapid application development tool that researchers could use to create, maintain, and archive numerous parametric studies based on their legacy computer simulations

UVAGUVAG Example: 3D Wave Surface Working “Real-Time” Archive Submit

UVAGUVAG Results.html Results Viewed at Desktop Results Viewed In the CAVE notifies user simulation completed

Usability and Engineering Lab D. Hix and J. Gabbard Randy Levensalor CS-Masters Thesis Immersive WorkBench NAVCIITI: Visualization and HCI: Usability Engineering

Cooperative manipulation n PhD work of Marcio Pinho (PUCRS) n Can multiple users manipulate the same object at the same time? n Separation of DOFs 3D Interaction Group

Immersive structural visualization n Design, simulation, and visualization of building structures n Both 2D and 3D interfaces Doug Bowman M. SetarehR. Schubert SAP5-FEM Architecture’s RDF VE-Lab

Interior Design Futures Lab ( Using Virtual Environments to Determine Older Adults’ Preferences and Functioning in Assisted Living Private spaces ( J. McLain-Kark M. 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 ( P. Sforza

UVAGUVAG Visualization and Analysis of Complex Flows in a Cardiovascular System A Etebari, P. Vlachos, R. Kriz Engineering Science and Mechanics Desk-top, I-Desk, CAVE stress tensor glyph

Virtual Environment Workshop UVAGUVAG J. Lockhart / R. Kriz Multimedia / VRML HPC S. Varadarajan HCI 3DI D. Bowman/C. Wingrave HCI Usability J. Gabbard DIVERSE Arsenault / Kelso Organizer

UVAGUVAG 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

UVAGUVAG VE-Viz 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. Include in the design a usability evaluation based on a “user-centered-design” philosophy. University “BIG-Picture” Recommendations: Differentiate between administrative computing and research & academic computing Draft a plan for research and academic computing