Several researchers have successfully developed realistic models of real world objects/ phenomena and then have simulated them in the virtual world. In this thesis, we propose the opposite: instantiating virtual world events in the real world. The interactive 3D virtual environment provides a useful, realistic 3D world that resembles objects/phenomena of a real world, but it has limited capability to communicate with the physical environment. We argue that new and intuitive 3D user interfaces, such as 3D virtual environment interfaces, may provide an alternative form of media for communicating with the real environment. We propose a 3D virtual world-based add-on architecture that achieves a synchronized virtual-real communication. In this framework, we explored the possibilities of integrating haptic and real world object interactions with Linden Lab's multiuser online 3D virtual world, Second Life. We enhanced the open source Second Life viewer client in order to facilitate communications between the real and virtual world. Moreover, we analyzed the suitability of such an approach in terms of user perception, intuition and other common parameters. Our experiments suggest that the proposed approach not only demonstrates a more intuitive mode of communication system, but also is appealing and useful to the user. Some of the potential applications of the proposed approach include remote child-care, communication between distant lovers, stress recovery, and home automation.

Several researchers have successfully developed realistic models of real world objects/ phenomena and then have simulated them in the virtual world. In this thesis, we propose the opposite: instantiating virtual world events in the real world. The interactive 3D virtual environment provides a useful, realistic 3D world that resembles objects/phenomena of a real world, but it has limited capability to communicate with the physical environment. We argue that new and intuitive 3D user interfaces, such as 3D virtual environment interfaces, may provide an alternative form of media for communicating with the real environment. We propose a 3D virtual world-based add-on architecture that achieves a synchronized virtual-real communication. In this framework, we explored the possibilities of integrating haptic and real world object interactions with Linden Lab's multiuser online 3D virtual world, Second Life. We enhanced the open source Second Life viewer client in order to facilitate communications between the real and virtual world. Moreover, we analyzed the suitability of such an approach in terms of user perception, intuition and other common parameters. Our experiments suggest that the proposed approach not only demonstrates a more intuitive mode of communication system, but also is appealing and useful to the user. Some of the potential applications of the proposed approach include remote child-care, communication between distant lovers, stress recovery, and home automation.

Several researchers have successfully developed realistic models of real world objects/ phenomena and then have simulated them in the virtual world. In this thesis, we propose the opposite: instantiating virtual world events in the real world. The interactive 3D virtual environment provides a useful, realistic 3D world that resembles objects/phenomena of a real world, but it has limited capability to communicate with the physical environment. We argue that new and intuitive 3D user interfaces, such as 3D virtual environment interfaces, may provide an alternative form of media for communicating with the real environment. We propose a 3D virtual world-based add-on architecture that achieves a synchronized virtual-real communication. In this framework, we explored the possibilities of integrating haptic and real world object interactions with Linden Lab's multiuser online 3D virtual world, Second Life. We enhanced the open source Second Life viewer client in order to facilitate communications between the real and virtual world. Moreover, we analyzed the suitability of such an approach in terms of user perception, intuition and other common parameters. Our experiments suggest that the proposed approach not only demonstrates a more intuitive mode of communication system, but also is appealing and useful to the user. Some of the potential applications of the proposed approach include remote child-care, communication between distant lovers, stress recovery, and home automation.

Several researchers have successfully developed realistic models of real world objects/ phenomena and then have simulated them in the virtual world. In this thesis, we propose the opposite: instantiating virtual world events in the real world. The interactive 3D virtual environment provides a useful, realistic 3D world that resembles objects/phenomena of a real world, but it has limited capability to communicate with the physical environment. We argue that new and intuitive 3D user interfaces, such as 3D virtual environment interfaces, may provide an alternative form of media for communicating with the real environment. We propose a 3D virtual world-based add-on architecture that achieves a synchronized virtual-real communication. In this framework, we explored the possibilities of integrating haptic and real world object interactions with Linden Lab's multiuser online 3D virtual world, Second Life. We enhanced the open source Second Life viewer client in order to facilitate communications between the real and virtual world. Moreover, we analyzed the suitability of such an approach in terms of user perception, intuition and other common parameters. Our experiments suggest that the proposed approach not only demonstrates a more intuitive mode of communication system, but also is appealing and useful to the user. Some of the potential applications of the proposed approach include remote child-care, communication between distant lovers, stress recovery, and home automation.

Les travaux de cette thèse s'inscrivent à la frontière entre deux domaines de recherche complémentaires : le domaine des Environnements Virtuels 3D (EV3D) issus de l'Informatique Graphique (IG) et de la Réalité Virtuelle (RV) et le domaine de l'Interaction Homme-Machine (IHM). Ils s'appuient sur trois constats. D'une part, on observe une place grandissante des EV3D dans notre quotidien (jeux vidéo, jeux sérieux, e-commerce, dans les musées, à travers le web et sur les dispositifs mobiles). D'autre part, les IHM se complexifient notamment avec l'apparition de formes avancées d'interaction comme l'informatique ambiante, l'interaction tangible, ou encore l'interaction spatiale et gestuelle, et s'accompagne d'une diversification des dispositifs d'interaction (souris 3D, la Wiimote, la Kinect, le Leap Motion). Enfin, la conception de techniques d'interaction avancées avec des EV3D fait apparaitre des considérations différentes prises en compte par les communautés des domaines EV3D et IHM. Par conséquent, tirer profit des considérations les plus récentes des communautés EV3D (métaphores, qualité de l'interaction 3D) et IHM (formes avancées de technique d'interaction) se traduit par un besoin de développer le couplage entre formes avancées de technique d'interaction et EV3D. Dans ce contexte, l'objectif de ces travaux de thèse est de contribuer à l'essor des environnements 3D interactifs dans de multiples situations, et notamment des situations grand public, en adoptant une approche visant à faire converger les approches 3D et IHM pour mieux établir le couplage de Techniques d'Interaction Avancées avec des Environnements Virtuels 3D Interactifs. Après une analyse des méthodes de conception de techniques d'interaction pour les EV3D, une première contribution de nos travaux consiste en un cadre de conception de l'interaction 3D. En y agrégeant les problématiques issues de la 3D et de l'IHM, ce cadre de conception permet d'identifier les différents éléments de couplages impliqués lors d'une interaction avec un EV3D. Il se base sur l'analyse des liens entre les tâches utilisateurs et les éléments de l'EV3D impactés par ces tâches. Afin de caractériser finement chaque lien, nous avons introduit la notation 3DIM (3D Interaction Modality) qui décrit les caractéristiques des différents éléments constituant une " modalité d'interaction 3D " permettant la réalisation d'une tâche d'interaction de l'utilisateur dans un EV3D. Nous avons regroupé ces éléments en 6 blocs : l'utilisateur, les actions physiques, les objets physiques manipulés, les dispositifs utilisés, les comportements 3D et les éléments 3D. Nous complétons ce cadre conceptuel par des propriétés analytiques qui permettent de guider le concepteur et procurent ainsi un caractère descriptif, évaluatif et génératif à notre modèle conceptuel de techniques d'interaction avancées pour des EV3D. Dans la cadre d'une collaboration avec le musée de l'observatoire du Pic du Midi, une mise en œuvre de ce cadre nous a conduit à concevoir et développer des techniques d'interaction tangibles et basées smartphone. Ces techniques sont utilisées par les visiteurs du musée dans un EV3D représentatif du Télescope Bernard Lyot pour l'explorer et comprendre son fonctionnement. Nous avons mené trois évaluations utilisateur afin d'explorer l'usage d'un smartphone utilisé de trois manière différentes : comme dispositif tactile, comme un objet tangible ou comme support pour une interaction gestuelle autour du dispositif pour naviguer, sélectionner ou manipuler un objet 3D dans un EV3D affiché sur un grand écran distant. / The work of this thesis fit on the boundary between two complementary research areas: the field of 3D Virtual Environment (3DVE) from Computer Graphics (CG) and Virtual Reality (RV) and the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). They rely on three assessments. Firstly, we observe that 3DVE takes more importance in our daily life (video games, serious games, e-commerce, museums, through the web and on mobile devices). Secondly, HCI becomes more complex with the emergence of advance forms of interaction like ambient computing, tangible interaction or spatial and gestural interactions. This evolution goes along with a diversification of devices (3D mouse, the Wiimote, the Kinect or the Leap Motion). Thirdly, the design of interaction techniques with 3DVE brings up some different considerations taken into account by the communities in the field of 3DVE and HCI. Therefore, take advantage of the latest considerations of EV3D communities (metaphors, quality of 3D interaction) and HCI (advance forms of interaction) results in the need to develop the coupling between advance forms of interaction techniques and EV3D. In this context, the objective of this thesis work is to contribute to the development of interactive 3D environments in multiple situations, including large audience situations. The approach we developed aimed to create a bridge between 3D and HCI design considerations. We intend to improve the coupling of advance interaction techniques with interactive 3D virtual environment. After analyzing methods for the design of interaction techniques for 3DVE, a first contribution consists in a design framework of 3D interaction. This framework aggregates design issues stem from 3D and HCI and help the designer to identify several elements involve in the coupling of interaction with a 3DVE. This design framework is based on the analysis of the links between user tasks and elements of the 3DVE impacted by these tasks. In order to precisely characterize each link, we have introduced the 3DIM (3D Interaction Modality) notation that describes the characteristics of the different elements constituting a "3D Interaction Modality" for the accomplishment of a user's interaction task in a 3DVE. We have grouped these elements into six blocks: the user, the physical actions, the physical objects, the input devices, the 3D behaviors and the 3D interactive objects. We complete our framework with analytical properties for guiding the designer and provide descriptive, evaluative and generative power at our conceptual model of advanced interaction techniques for 3DVE. Collaborating with the Museum of "Le Pic du Midi" observatory in France, we used our framework to design and implement tangible interaction and technique based on smartphone usage. Museum visitors can use these techniques in a 3DVE of the "Telescope Bernard Lyot" to explore and understand its functioning. We have conducted three users' studies in order to explore the design space of using a smartphone to interact with 3DVE. We used the smartphone in different ways to navigate, select and manipulate a 3D object displayed on a large remote screen. We explored several design solutions with a smartphone as a touch device, as a tangible object or mid-air interaction around the device.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T13:59:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 22 / Nenhuma / Este trabalho está relacionado com a aplicação de técnicas de Inteligência Artificial no desenvolvimento de um Sistema Multi-Agente robótico aplicado ao problema da monitoração e combate a incêndios em áreas florestais. O objetivo macro é evoluir estratrégias de formação de equipes de combate a incêndio (unidade de controle) e criar métodos robustos de navegação em agentes robóticos (unidades de combate), considerando um ambiente virtual de simulação realística.No sistema proposto, uma equipe de agentes autônomos trabalha cooperativamente a fim de realizar com sucesso a identificação e o combate a incêndios em áreas florestais, sem intervenção humana. O ambiente virtual 3D suporta uma série de características fundamentais para a simulação realística da operação, como terrenos irregulares, processos naturais e restrições físicas na criação e uso de robôs móveis. Este ambiente foi implementado através do uso das bibliotecas OSG, ODE e Demeter. A operacão multi-agente depende essencialmente de duas etapas: p / This work is related to the application of Artificial Intelligence techniques to develop a Multi-Agent Robotic System applied to the problem of monitoring wild forest fires and to the execution of fire fighting actions. Our main goal was to evolve strategies (control unit) in order to define the positioning of the fire-fighting autonomous robotic team and to create robust navigation methods used to control robotic agents (combat units). This work was developed based on simulations accomplished using a realistic 3D virtual environment, specially implemented for this purpose, using the software libraries OSG, Demeter and ODE. In the proposed system, a team of autonomous agents work cooperatively in order to successfully perform the identification and fighting of forest fires, without any human intervention. The 3D virtual environment includes several features for realistic simulation of this task, as for example, adoption of irregular terrains, natural processes simulation (e.g. fire propagation), and simulati