La réalité virtuelle est une discipline qui se situe à la croisée de plusieurs domaines tels que l’infographie, la simulation, la téléopération, le travail collaboratif, etc. L'interaction 3D est la composante motrice de la réalité virtuelle. Elle permet à l'utilisateur d'interagir avec les entités de l'environnement virtuel. Il existe différentes techniques d'interaction 3D qui sont dédiées aux différentes tâches d’interaction 3D à savoir la navigation, la sélection, la manipulation et le contrôle d’application. En général, la technique utilisée cherche à accomplir une tâche d'interaction 3D sans prendre en considération les exigences des environnements dédies pour la téléopération et les environnements collaboratifs. Les tâches de téléopération doivent respecter un certain nombre de contraintes, qui sont : des sélections et des manipulations sécurisées et précises. Les environnements collaboratifs sont des mondes dans lesquels les utilisateurs interagissent ensemble pour réaliser des tâches communes. La complexité de ces environnements est liée à l'interaction d'un groupe d'utilisateurs avec des entités partagées. L’objectif de ce travail est de modéliser, de concevoir, d’implémenter et d’évaluer un système d’assistance à l’interaction 3D mono-utilisateur et multi-utilisateurs. Notre concept est centré sur l’utilisateur et ses intérêts dans le monde virtuel, il est basé sur le principe d’anticipation du geste de l’utilisateur par l’assistance de ce dernier. Notre système d’assistance peut être considéré comme un moyen de contourner les limitations de certaines techniques d’interaction 3D classiques afin de les rendre utilisables dans des contextes différents. / Virtual Reality is a research domain that is situated at the crossing of several domains as infography, simulation, teleoperation, collaborative work, etc. The 3D interaction is a core component of virtual reality. It allows the user to interact with the entities of the virtual environment. There exists different 3D interaction techniques that are dedicated to the different tasks of 3D interaction that are navigation, selection, manipulation and command control. In most cases, the 3D interaction techniques are only used to perform one of the 3D interaction tasks without taking into account the requirements of complex environments such as teleoperation environments and collaborative environments. Teleoperation tasks are complex tasks and must fulfill some constraints that are : very precise seizures of objects and secure selections and manipulations. The collaborative environments are worlds in which users interact between them to accomplish goals together. The complexity of these environments is related to the interaction of a group of users with shared entities. The aim of this work is to model, conceive, implement and evaluate our 3D interaction assistance system for mono and multi users. Our study is centred on the user and its interests in the virtual world. The concept of this study is based on the principle of anticipation of the user’s gesture by the assistance him. Our 3D interaction assistance system is considered as a mean to bypass the limitations of some 3D interaction classical techniques in order to make them usable in different contexts.

La réalité virtuelle est un domaine touchant à plusieurs disciplines. Par le biais de l’interaction 3D l’Homme peut accomplir des tâches dans un environnement virtuel en utilisant des techniques d’interaction 3D. Ces techniques sont souvent mono-tâches et s’appuient sur l’utilisation de matériel de réalité virtuelle bien spécifique. Le passage d’une tâche de l’interaction 3D à une autre est le plus souvent à la charge de l’utilisateur,ou bien du programmeur. Cependant de nombreux problèmes sont présents dans ces systèmes, dits de réalité virtuelle. En effet, des problèmes matériels le plus souvent dû aux technologies utilisées sont présents et peuvent induire un comportement erratique du système. De plus, il peut arriver que les techniques d’interaction 3D ne soient pas adaptées à l’application de réalité virtuelle, ou que celles-ci soient trop complexes à utiliser pour le novice. Tous ces problèmes nuisent à l’immersion de l’être humain dans l’environnement virtuel ainsi qu’aux performances de l’interaction 3D et donc à l’accomplissement de la tâche dans l’application de réalité virtuelle.L’objectif de ce travail est de proposer un système d’interaction 3D adaptative. Par interaction3D adaptative, on cherche à définir une interaction 3D qui soit continue tant au niveau des données qu’au basculement d’une tâche à l’autre. Nous avons donc modélisé et conçu un ensemble de composants pour accomplir cet objectif. Nous avons modélisé une technique d’interaction 3D pouvant être utilisé de manière continue même lors du basculement d’une tâche. Nous avons également conçu un système qui permet d’automatiser le basculement d’une tâche de l’interaction 3D vers une autre en estimant la tâche que souhaite accomplir l’utilisateur. Enfin, un dernier composant a pour rôle d’améliorer la précision et de garantir la continuité du tracking. / Virtual reality is a field involving multiple disciplines. Through the 3D interaction ofwe can perform tasks in a virtual environment using 3D interaction techniques. These techniques are often mono-task and are based on the use of specific virtual reality devices.The transition from a 3D interaction task to another is usually to the responsibility ofthe user, or programmer. Indeed, due to the technologies used, hardware problems are present and can induce erratic behaviors from the system. Moreover, it may happen that 3D interaction techniques are not suited to the application of virtual reality, or that they are too complex to use for the novice. All these problems affect the immersion of the user in the virtual environment and the performance of 3D interaction and thus, to accomplish the task in virtual reality application.The aim of this work is to propose an adaptive 3D interaction system. Adaptive 3Dinteraction, defines a 3D interaction thas is continuous in terms of data and switching from one task to another. So we have modeled and designed a set of components to accomplish this goal. We designed a 3D interaction technique which, can be used continuously even when switching to a task. We have also designed a system that automates the switch from a 3D interaction task to another task by estimating the task that the userwants to accomplish. The last component’s role is to improve accuracy and ensure thecontinuity of tracking data.

L’intérêt porté par l’archéologie à la réalité virtuelle est croissant. La réalité virtuelle est devenue un outil nécessaire pour l’exploration et l’étude des sites archéologiques, et plus particulièrement, les sites archéologiques sous-marins qui se révèlent parfois difficile d’accès. Les études actuelles proposent des solutions en réalité virtuelle ou en réalité augmentée sous forme d’environnements virtuels avec une interaction virtuelle et/ou augmentée mais aucune étude n’a vraiment essayé de comparer ces deux aspects de l’interaction. Nous présentons dans ce mémoire trois environnements en réalité virtuelle et un environnement en réalité augmentée où nous proposons des nouvelles méthodes d’interaction. Ainsi, nous évaluons leurs fonctionnalités d’un point de vue archéologique, nous étudions l’influence du niveau d’immersion sur les performances de l’interaction et nous réalisons une comparaison entre l’interaction en réalité virtuelle et en réalité augmentée. / The interest in archeology virtual reality is growing. Virtual reality has become a necessary tool for exploration and study of archaeological sites, and more specifically, the underwater archaeological sites that sometimes prove difficult to access. Current studies suggest solutions in virtual reality or augmented reality in the form of virtual environments with virtual interaction and/or augmented interaction but no studies have really tried to compare these two aspects of interaction. We present in this thesis three environments in virtual reality and an environment in augmented reality when we propose new methods of interaction. Thus, we evaluate their archaeological functionality, we study the influence of level of immersion on performance of the interaction and we make a comparison between interaction in virtual reality and interaction in augmented reality.

For almost 50 years, researchers have been exploring the use of stereoscopic displays for visualizing and interacting with three-dimensional (3D) data. Unfortunately, a number of unfavorable qualitative properties have impeded the wide-spread adoption of traditional 3D displays. The volumetric display, a more recent class of 3D display to emerge, possesses unique features which potentially makes it more suitable for integration into workplace, classroom, and even home environments. In this dissertation we investigate volumetric displays as an interactive platform for 3D applications. We identify the inherent affordances unique to volumetric displays, such as their true 3D display volume, 360° viewing angle, and enclosing surface. Identifying these properties exposes human factor issues which we investigate and interaction issues which we address. First, we evaluate the user’s ability perceive imagery displayed by a volumetric display. In a formal experiment, we show that depth perception can be improved, in comparison to more traditional platforms. We then perform an experiment which evaluates users’ ability to read text under 3D rotations, and present a new algorithm which optimizes text rotation when viewed my multiple users. Next, we investigate the user’s ability to select 3D imagery within the display. Results show that the dimension defining the depth of the object can constrain user performance as much as or more than the other two dimensions of the target. This leads us to explore alternative methods of selection which are less constraining to the user. We define a suite of new selection techniques, of which several are found to have significant benefits in comparison to techniques traditionally used in 3D user interfaces. Next, we describe our development of the first working interactive application, where a volumetric display is the sole device for input and display. The application presents a first glance at what the equivalent of today’s graphical user interface might be on a volumetric display. We then develop a prototype application which allows multiple users to simultaneously interact with the volumetric display. We discuss and address the core issues related to providing such a collaborative user interface, and report feedback obtained from usage sessions and expert interviews.

For almost 50 years, researchers have been exploring the use of stereoscopic displays for visualizing and interacting with three-dimensional (3D) data. Unfortunately, a number of unfavorable qualitative properties have impeded the wide-spread adoption of traditional 3D displays. The volumetric display, a more recent class of 3D display to emerge, possesses unique features which potentially makes it more suitable for integration into workplace, classroom, and even home environments. In this dissertation we investigate volumetric displays as an interactive platform for 3D applications. We identify the inherent affordances unique to volumetric displays, such as their true 3D display volume, 360° viewing angle, and enclosing surface. Identifying these properties exposes human factor issues which we investigate and interaction issues which we address. First, we evaluate the user’s ability perceive imagery displayed by a volumetric display. In a formal experiment, we show that depth perception can be improved, in comparison to more traditional platforms. We then perform an experiment which evaluates users’ ability to read text under 3D rotations, and present a new algorithm which optimizes text rotation when viewed my multiple users. Next, we investigate the user’s ability to select 3D imagery within the display. Results show that the dimension defining the depth of the object can constrain user performance as much as or more than the other two dimensions of the target. This leads us to explore alternative methods of selection which are less constraining to the user. We define a suite of new selection techniques, of which several are found to have significant benefits in comparison to techniques traditionally used in 3D user interfaces. Next, we describe our development of the first working interactive application, where a volumetric display is the sole device for input and display. The application presents a first glance at what the equivalent of today’s graphical user interface might be on a volumetric display. We then develop a prototype application which allows multiple users to simultaneously interact with the volumetric display. We discuss and address the core issues related to providing such a collaborative user interface, and report feedback obtained from usage sessions and expert interviews.

Multiplatform virtual environment (VE) development is fast-becoming a realization for today’s developers. 3D user interfaces (3DUIs) can easily be ported to a variety of VE systems. However, few researchers have addressed the need to intelligently migrate 3DUIs across VE systems. We claim that the naïve migration of 3D interaction techniques (3DITs) to other VE systems could result in decreases in usability. We also claim that device specificity can be used to increase usability on these other VE systems. In this thesis, we have chosen three manipulation 3DITs to naively migrate across a set of four VE systems. We use an exploratory usability study to identify any usability issues stemming from our naïve migrations. After finding decreases in usability in select migrations, we redesigned two of the 3DITs for device specificity. We investigated the benefits of our redesigns with usability studies on the original, naïve, and redesigned implementations of both 3DITs. Results from our studies are mixed. In one case we demonstrate that device specificity can be used effectively to increase 3DIT migratability. As a result from our experience in this work, we have learned several lessons in device-specific design as well as 3DIT migration. / Master of Science

Few researchers have addressed the important issue of three-dimensional multiple object selection (MOS) in immersive Virtual Environments (VEs). We have developed a taxonomy of the MOS task as a framework for exploring the design space of these techniques. In this thesis, we describe four techniques for selecting multiple objects in immersive VEs. Of the four techniques, two are serial (where only one object can be indicated per operation), and two are parallel (where one or more objects may be indicated per operation). Within each of the two categories we also investigated two metaphors of interaction: a 3D spatial metaphor and the pen and tablet metaphor. Two usability studies were used to evaluate the four techniques, iterate their designs, and gain a deeper understanding of the design space of MOS techniques. The results from our studies show that parallel MOS techniques can select objects faster than serial techniques as the number of target objects increase. We also show that effective techniques for MOS in immersive VEs can be created using both pen and tablet and 3D metaphors. / Master of Science

In this thesis, we explore some of the effects of virtual environment displays, specifically the head-mounted display (HMD) and the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE), on 3D interaction tasks involving selection and manipulation. The motivation for this thesis comes from the lack of previous work that has studied the effects of differences between the HMD and the CAVE on 3D interaction tasks. We conducted three user studies to determine how the differences between these two displays affect selection and manipulation in a 3D environment. Our first study demonstrates that 3D selection and manipulation tasks can be affected by the display type. Our second user study shows that task performance can suffer when a selection and manipulation technique is migrated to a display for which it is not intended. The third user study we conducted suggests that we can modify a selection and manipulation technique and improve its usability in the display to which it is migrated. We conclude with a set of guidelines to ease the migration of selection and manipulation techniques from the HMD to the CAVE while trying to maintain usability. / Master of Science

With the advent of high throughput sequencing technologies over the past decade there has been a surge in the amount of genomic data that needs to be analyzed and interpreted. Despite the availability of software frameworks such as the Genome Analysis Toolkit, data interpretation and analysis still requires human intervention and refinement. Genome browsers enable developers and users of sequence analysis tools to visualize, compare, and better interpret genomic data such as gene expression and functional annotations. We developed a next generation cross platform web-based genome browser, NextBrowse, for visualizing General Feature Format and Binary Alignment Map files. NextBrowse uses advanced visualization techniques such as 3D feature selection and transparency based on mapping quality, and improved Graphical User Interface elements such as individual track searching and textual and graphical reference location. NextBrowse is the first genome browser to allow BAM files to be streamed and visualized, the first genome browser to employ security measures, and the first to use only client side rendering. NextBrowse takes advantage of the open-source community, allowing developers and users to extend the project to fit their needs. NextBrowse along with all documentation is available for use at http://www.nextbrowse.vbi.vt.edu. / Master of Science

La communication haptique interpersonnelle est communément utilisée pour se saluer, se féliciter, ou de manière indirecte pour manipuler des objets lourds. Pourtant, la modalité haptique est absente des systèmes de communication à distance usuels. Les progrès récents de l'informatique et des réseaux de communication ont permis l'émergence d'environnements virtuels collaboratifs offrant un retour haptique aux utilisateurs. Les environnements virtuels collaboratifs constituent une solution prometteuse pour faciliter le travail collaboratif à distance. Les contextes applicatifs sont nombreux : entrainement militaire, assemblage mécanique, manipulation moléculaire, conception assistée par ordinateur.Toutefois, les utilisateurs d'environnements virtuels collaboratifs sont confrontés à deux types de problématiques : celles liées aux environnements virtuels 3D et celles liées à la collaboration à distance. En effet, il est difficile pour un utilisateur peu expérimenté d'interagir avec un environnement virtuel 3D. Se déplacer et manipuler des objets dans ce type d'environnement nécessite une bonne représentation mentale de l'espace.De plus, la collaboration à distance limite les possibilités et la qualité de la communication. Les informations dont disposent les utilisateurs sur leurs partenaires sont donc réduites. Dans ce contexte, la coordination des actions entre les utilisateurs devient plus complexe.L'objectif de ces travaux de thèse est donc de proposer des méthodes d'interaction visio-haptique pour faciliter la coordination et augmenter l'attention mutuelle entre les utilisateurs. Via l'amélioration de la coordination et de l'attention inter-utilisateurs, une augmentation des performances et de l'efficacité du travail collaboratif est escomptée.Trois types d'interactions fondamentales sont abordées dans un contexte collaboratif : la coordination des sélections, le paramétrage des sélections et la manipulation collaborative d'objet. Pour chacune des tâches d'interactions précédemment citées, des méthodes d'interaction ainsi que des outils de coordination et de communication ont été proposé et évalué.Ces travaux de thèse présentent les points forts mais aussi les défauts des méthodes d'interaction collaboratives fortement couplées. Les résultats obtenus montrent également l'importance de la communication haptique dans la collaboration à distance. / Haptic interpersonal communication is commonly used to salute, to congratulate, or indirectly to manipulate heavy objects. However, the haptic feedback is missing from the common communication systems. Recent developments in telecommunications and computer capabilities have made possible the use of haptic feedback in collaborative virtual environments. Collaborative virtual environments are a promising solution to facilitate remote work collaboration. They have many applications like: military training, engineering design, e-learning or video games.Nevertheless, users of collaborative virtual environments have to face several issues. First, interacting with a virtual environment is not a straightforward task. Navigate and manipulate objects in a virtual environment requires a good mental representation of space. Secondly, remote collaboration limits the communication quality because even the best video conference system can't support all the richness of a face to face communication. Information available on the partners are reduced thus coordinate actions between users become a complex task.The aim of this thesis is to propose visual haptic interactions to simplify coordination and increase mutual awareness between the users. Through the improvement of coordination and mutual awareness an increase of team performance and work efficiency is expected.Three kind of fundamental 3D interactions are addressed in collaborative context: the coordination of selections, the setting of selections and the manipulation of objects. For each of these three of fundamental interactions, several methods of interaction and tools of coordination are proposed and assessed.The findings of this thesis highlight the strengths and the weaknesses of the closely coupled method of interactions. The results of the experiments also confirm the importance of haptic communication in remote collaboration.