Virtual Reality and HCI at UF

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Virtual Reality and HCI at UF
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Virtual Experiences Research Group

• PhD Students
• Kyle Johnsen, Aaron Kotranza, John Quarels,
  Andrew Raij, Xiyong Wang, Brent Rossen
• Undergraduates
• Joshua Horton, Harold Rodriguez
• Funding
• National Science Foundation (CAREER, REU),
  University of Florida Colleges of Engineering and
  Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Keele
  University, School of Pharmacy

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Immersive Virtual Humans for Educating Medical
and Pharmacy Communication Skills

• K. Johnsen, A. Raij, B. Rossen, A. Kotranza, X.
  Wang, B. Lok
• Computer and Information Science and Engineering
• M. Cohen, A. Stevens
• Surgery
• J. Cendan
• Community Health and Family Medicine R. Ferdig
• Education
• A. Deladisma, D. S. Lind
• Surgical Oncology
• S. Chapman, L. Bracegirdle
• Pharmacy

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VOSCE Project Overview

• Started Spring 04
• n gt 250 students
• Medical
• Nursing
• Physician Assistant
• Pharmacy
• One of the most popular VH/VR experiences
• Three institutes
• University of Florida
• Medical College of Georgia
• Keele University (U.K.)
• Team
• VR/HCI/CS 1 PhD, 6 grad students, 2 undergrads
• Medicine 6 MDs, 2 medical students
• Education 2 PhDs
• Research focus on interfaces

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T Interpersonal Simulator (IPS)

• Platform for exploring interpersonal interactions
  with VHs
• Natural interaction with a high level of
  immersion
• Real-world application Medical interview
  training
• Simulate a standardized patient encounter
• Virtual patient, DIANA
• Virtual instructor, VIC
• Communication skills

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Looking for grad students

• If you are interested,
• Take a course under Dr. Lok (and do very well)
• Meet with Dr. Lok to receive a trial project
• Must have solid background in computer graphics
  and math
• Potential for funding in Spring 08
• Strong interest in fellowship students

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Human Computer Interaction

• What is a user interface?
• Why do we care about design?
• We see this all the time.
• Whats good about the design of this error box?
• The user knows there is an error
• Whats poor about the design of this error box?
• Discouraging
• Not enough information
• No way to resolve the problem (instructions or
  contact info)

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Exhibit A Why Form Can Mean More than Function

• Apple iPod
• Functionality ipod lt other mp3
• Why does it dominate the market?
• In this course
• Well study principles of good interfaces
• You will design your own interface
• You will evaluate your own intercace

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HCI Course

• Tuesday/Thursdays 8th 9th period
• Goal of course
• Understand how to evaluate human-computer
  interfaces
• Build your own interface
• Run your own studies
• Project-based course
• Pre-req
• Programming

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What was the first VR?
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Ivan Sutherlands The Ultimate Display

• Dont think of that thing as a screen, think of
  it as a window, a window through which one looks
  into a virtual world. The challenge to computer
  graphics is to make that virtual world look real,
  sound real, move and respond to interaction in
  real time, and even feel real.

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Virtual Environments Course

• Experimental course
• Tuesday/Thursdays 8th 9th period
• Virtual Reality lectures given by experts in the
  field
• Each week a new guest speaker from 1 of the 4
  universities will speak
• Conference-call setup
• Pre-reqs
• Computer graphics
• Good programming engineering skills
• What you will do in addition to lectures
• Read research papers
• Create your own virtual environment
• Who is it for?
• Motivated students who want to explore a new area
• Project-based course
• Significant individual work with limited
  oversight
• Good programmers

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More info?

• Visit Dr. Loks webpage
• http//www.cise.ufl.edu/lok
• Questions? e-mail him
• Thanks!