In recent years, technological developments have led to the emergence of 360°. Google Street Map has provided panoramic imagery for a number of years, where users can immerse themselves and pan around in scenarios and follow streets of their liking, familiarizing and navigating themselves with the location. However, this service supports neither video nor moving imagery. This paper explores the use of 360° panoramic videos as a navigation aid on two different platforms as well as consider more subjective perspectives from potential users. The study is conducted through a set of interviews and a focus group where the findings reveal a number of design challenges concerning the development of a navigational system based on 360° panoramic videos. Based on these findings, design challenges are presented and later summarized as three design recommendations; 1) Design for navigation in a panoramic scenery, 2) Support overview and traditional navigation, 3) Support custom tailored features and content. The studies also suggest that the use of a head-mounted display (HMD) increase the feeling of presence which is beneficial for navigational purposes however, the users in this study preferred the mobile device based on practicality.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Thomas Vontz / Motivated by a critical theory of place, this qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of participants in a single embedded case of the Global Opportunities office at Susquehanna University. Through in-depth interviews, document analysis, and participant observation, a thorough exploration of the case was completed over a two year period. This case study explored how 15 students, faculty, and administrators in global learning programs describe their experience across immersive locations—inclusive of locations classified as domestic and international. By using a critical case study methodological framework, this work was framed by equal access to important global learning outcomes by all students—regardless of ability to pay. Global learning programs, traditionally abroad, can be a transformational experience for students able to participate—a steady 2% of university students over the previous few decades (Twombly, Salisbury, Tumanut, & Klute, 2012). As a result, 98% of American university students are not going abroad during their undergraduate experience in an academic context, most not at all. This study explored immersive programs not traditionally thought of as cross-cultural, many considered domestic experiences. Through rigorous qualitative analysis, the data in this study resulted in three themes: i. The domestic/international distinction is insufficient. ii. Civic identity is more salient in domestic and liminal experiences. iii. Location is not enough. Curriculum is essential. Implications of this work could be of interest to students in cross-cultural programs, teaching faculty and staff, student program providers of a variety of types, and university administrators of immersive experiences. Ultimately, this study sought to explore possibilities to broaden access to global learning experiences for all students.

In this thesis, we present a tool that is an extension of the NAVIRE Framework and used in remote environment exploration and navigation. It is available for end users on everyday devices such as desktops and mobile devices. The tool offers the characteristic of being cross-platform and easy to use and manipulate. Cubic panoramas that are generated by the NAVIRE Framework are loaded in the tool and rendered in 3D space on the user’s device. The 3D panoramas are interactive by allowing the user to view the scene in all direction, move from one scene to another or through interaction with augmented objects. The tool is geared to be interactive in the most natural and intuitive fashion using the inputs available in the different devices of the end-user.

The topic of this master thesis is an analysis of the multimedia project GOLEM, which has carried out two following results: theatrical one (GOLEM Štvanice) and audio-visual one (GOLEM Cube). The first part is focused on the specifics of the immersive theatre phenomenon, which was introduced in the Czech theatrical milieu for the very first time, and on the production procedure within the confines of the Prague theatre stage. The second part deals with audio-visual recording of a theatre peace, which takes place in an unconventional space, and then focuses on a technical method development for all movie-making fields with great emphasis on keeping the theatrical authenticity. It also deals with the specific system of installation within the particular space. Based on this case study of an immersive theatre performance and methodical approach to its audio-visual preservation this work develops some basic requirements that should lead to the successful results of similar future projects pointing out some possible application in other fields of practice.

Cloud VR/AR/MR (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality) services representa high-level architecture that combines large scale computer resources in a data-center structurestyle set up to render VR/AR/MR services using a combination of very high bandwidth, ultralow latency, high throughput, latest 5G (5th Generation) mobile networks to the end users.  VR refers to a three-dimensional computer-generated virtual environment made up ofcomputers, which can be explored by people for real time interaction. AR amplifies humanperception of the real world through overlapping of computer-generated graphics or interactivedata on a real-world image for enhanced experience.  According to the Virtual Reality Society’s account of the history of VR, it started from the360-degree murals from the nineteenth century [18]. Historically, live application of AR wasdisplayed when Myron Kruger used a combination of video cameras and projector in aninteractive environment in 1974. In 1998, AR was put into live display with the casting of avirtual yellow line marker during an NFL game. However, personal, and commercial use ofVR/AR was made possible starting with release of a DIY (Do it Yourself) headset calledGoogle Cardboard in 2014 by Google, which made use of a smartphone for the VR experience.In 2014, Samsung also introduced Gear VR which officially started the competition for VRdevices. Subsequently In 2014, Facebook acquired Oculus VR with the major aim ofdominating the high-end spectrum of VR headset [18]. Furthermore, wider adoption of ARbecame enhanced with the introduction of Apple’s ARKit (Augmented Reality Kit) whichserves as a development framework for AR applications for iPhones and iPads [18].  The first application of VR devices in the health industry was made possible due to healthworkers’ need to visualize complex medical data during surgery and planning of surgery in1994. Since then, commercial production of VR devices and availability of advanced networkand faster broadband have increased the adoption of VR services in the healthcare industryespecially in planning of surgery and during surgery itself [16]. Overall, the wide availabilityof VR/AR terminals, displays, controllers, development kits, advanced network, and robustbandwidth have contributed to making VR and AR services to be of valuable and importanttechnologies in the area of digital entertainment, information, games, health, military and soon. However, the solutions or services needed for the technology required an advancedprocessing platform which in most cases is not cost efficient in single-use scenarios.  The kind of devices, hardware, software required for the processing and presentation ofimmersive experiences is often expensive and dedicated to the current application itself.Technological improvement in realism and immersion means increase in cost of ownershipwhich often affected cost-benefit consideration, leading to slower adoption of the VR services[14] [15]. This is what has led to development of cloud VR services, a form of data-centerbased system, which serves as a means of providing VR services to end users from the cloudanywhere in the world, using its fast and stable transport networks. The content of the VR isstored in the cloud, after which the output in form of audio-visuals is coded and compressedusing suitable encoding technology, and thereafter transmitted to the terminals. The industrywide acceptance of the cloud VR services, and technology has made available access to payper-use-basis and hence access to high processing capability offered, which is used in iipresenting a more immersive, imaginative, and interactive experience to end users [11] [12].However, cloud VR services has a major challenge in form of network latency introduced fromcloud rendering down to the display terminal itself. This is most often caused by otherperformance indicators such as network bandwidth, coding technology, RTT (Return TripTime) and so on [19]. This is the major problem which this thesis is set to find out.  The research methodology used was a combination of empirical and experimental method,using quantitative approach as it entails the generation of data in quantitative form availablefor quantitative analysis. The research questions are: Research Question 1 (RQ1): What are the latency related performance indicators ofnetworked immersive media in mobile health applications? Research Question 2 (RQ2): What are the suitable network structures to achieve an efficientlow latency VR health application?  The answers gotten from the result analysis at the end of the simulation, show thatbandwidth, frame rate, and resolution are very crucial performance indicator to achieve theoptimal latency required for hitch-free cloud VR user experience, while the importance of otherindicators such as resolution and coding standard cannot be overemphasized. Combination ofedge and cloud architecture also proved to more efficient and effective for the achievement ofa low-latency cloud VR application functionality.  Conclusively, the answer to research question one was that, the latency relatedperformance indicators of networked immersive media in mobile health applications arebandwidth, frame rate, resolution, coding technology. For research question two, suitablenetwork structures includes edge network, cloud network and combination of cloud and edgenetwork, but in order to achieve an optimally low-latency network for cloud VR mobile healthapplication in education, combination of edge and cloud network architecture is recommended

En biologie structurale, l’étude théorique de structures moléculaires comporte quatre activités principales organisées selon le processus séquentiel suivant : la collecte de données expérimentales/théoriques, la visualisation des structures 3d, la simulation moléculaire, l’analyse et l’interprétation des résultats. Cet enchaînement permet à l’expert d’élaborer de nouvelles hypothèses, de les vérifier de manière expérimentale et de produire de nouvelles données comme point de départ d’un nouveau processus.L’explosion de la quantité de données à manipuler au sein de cette boucle pose désormais deux problèmes. Premièrement, les ressources et le temps relatifs aux tâches de transfert et de conversion de données entre chacune de ces activités augmentent considérablement. Deuxièmement, la complexité des données moléculaires générées par les nouvelles méthodologies expérimentales accroît fortement la difficulté pour correctement percevoir, visualiser et analyser ces données.Les environnements immersifs sont souvent proposés pour aborder le problème de la quantité et de la complexité croissante des phénomènes modélisés, en particulier durant l’activité de visualisation. En effet, la Réalité Virtuelle offre entre autre une perception stéréoscopique de haute qualité utile à une meilleure compréhension de données moléculaires intrinsèquement tridimensionnelles. Elle permet également d’afficher une quantité d’information importante grâce aux grandes surfaces d’affichage, mais aussi de compléter la sensation d’immersion par d’autres canaux sensorimoteurs.Cependant, deux facteurs majeurs freinent l’usage de la Réalité Virtuelle dans le domaine de la biologie structurale. D’une part, même s’il existe une littérature fournie sur la navigation dans les scènes virtuelles réalistes et écologiques, celle-ci est très peu étudiée sur la navigation sur des données scientifiques abstraites. La compréhension de phénomènes 3d complexes est pourtant particulièrement conditionnée par la capacité du sujet à se repérer dans l’espace. Le premier objectif de ce travail de doctorat a donc été de proposer des paradigmes navigation 3d adaptés aux structures moléculaires complexes. D’autre part, le contexte interactif des environnements immersif favorise l’interaction directe avec les objets d’intérêt. Or les activités de collecte et d’analyse des résultats supposent un contexte de travail en "ligne de commande" ou basé sur des scripts spécifiques aux outils d’analyse. Il en résulte que l’usage de la Réalité Virtuelle se limite souvent à l’activité d’exploration et de visualisation des structures moléculaires. C’est pourquoi le second objectif de thèse est de rapprocher ces différentes activités, jusqu’alors réalisées dans des contextes interactifs et applicatifs indépendants, au sein d’un contexte interactif homogène et unique. Outre le fait de minimiser le temps passé dans la gestion des données entre les différents contextes de travail, il s’agit également de présenter de manière conjointe et simultanée les structures moléculaires et leurs analyses et de permettre leur manipulation par des interactions directes.Notre contribution répond à ces objectifs en s’appuyant sur une approche guidée à la fois par le contenu et la tâche. Des paradigmes de navigation ont été conçus en tenant compte du contenu moléculaire, en particulier des propriétés géométriques, et des tâches de l’expert, afin de faciliter le repérage spatial et de rendre plus performante l’activité d’exploration. Par ailleurs, formaliser la nature des données moléculaires, leurs analyses et leurs représentations visuelles, permettent notamment de proposer à la demande et interactivement des analyses adaptées à la nature des données et de créer des liens entre les composants moléculaires et les analyses associées. Ces fonctionnalités passent par la construction d’une représentation sémantique unifiée et performante rendant possible l’intégration de ces activités dans un contexte interactif unique. / In structural biology, the theoretical study of molecular structures has four main activities organized in the following scenario: collection of experimental and theoretical data, visualization of 3D structures, molecular simulation, analysis and interpretation of results. This pipeline allows the expert to develop new hypotheses, to verify them experimentally and to produce new data as a starting point for a new scenario.The explosion in the amount of data to handle in this loop has two problems. Firstly, the resources and time dedicated to the tasks of transfer and conversion of data between each of these four activities increases significantly. Secondly, the complexity of molecular data generated by new experimental methodologies greatly increases the difficulty to properly collect, visualize and analyze the data.Immersive environments are often proposed to address the quantity and the increasing complexity of the modeled phenomena, especially during the viewing activity. Indeed, virtual reality offers a high quality stereoscopic perception, useful for a better understanding of inherently three-dimensional molecular data. It also displays a large amount of information thanks to the large display surfaces, but also to complete the immersive feeling with other sensorimotor channels (3D audio, haptic feedbacks,...).However, two major factors hindering the use of virtual reality in the field of structural biology. On one hand, although there are literature on navigation and environmental realistic virtual scenes, navigating abstract science is still very little studied. The understanding of complex 3D phenomena is however particularly conditioned by the subject’s ability to identify themselves in a complex 3D phenomenon. The first objective of this thesis work is then to propose 3D navigation paradigms adapted to the molecular structures of increasing complexity. On the other hand, the interactive context of immersive environments encourages direct interaction with the objects of interest. But the activities of: results collection, simulation and analysis, assume a working environment based on command-line inputs or through specific scripts associated to the tools. Usually, the use of virtual reality is therefore restricted to molecular structures exploration and visualization. The second thesis objective is then to bring all these activities, previously carried out in independent and interactive application contexts, within a homogeneous and unique interactive context. In addition to minimizing the time spent in data management between different work contexts, the aim is also to present, in a joint and simultaneous way, molecular structures and analyses, and allow their manipulation through direct interaction.Our contribution meets these objectives by building on an approach guided by both the content and the task. More precisely, navigation paradigms have been designed taking into account the molecular content, especially geometric properties, and tasks of the expert, to facilitate spatial referencing in molecular complexes and make the exploration of these structures more efficient. In addition, formalizing the nature of molecular data, their analysis and their visual representations, allows to interactively propose analyzes adapted to the nature of the data and create links between the molecular components and associated analyzes. These features go through the construction of a unified and powerful semantic representation making possible the integration of these activities in a unique interactive context.

The photographer discusses her work in “BLAZE,” a Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibit held at the Tipton Gallery from September 16th through October 4th, 2019. The exhibition consists of 11 archival inkjet prints, two photographic artist books, a nine-channel video installation, representing the artist’s exploration of how to experience the landscape. Using non-traditional approaches to photographic imagery, experimental exhibition layout, the artist forms questions around themes of walking and landscape. The artist investigates sculptural land art installations represented through photographic documentation. A catalog of the exhibit is included at the end of this thesis. Roussos examines formal and conceptual influences throughout historical and contemporary artists. Non-photographic influences include: the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich; literary works of Rebecca Solnit and Alexandra David-Neel; immersive artists, Nancy Holt and Hamish Fulton. Historic and contemporary photographic influences include: Carleton Watkins, Todd Tido, Christina Seely, Awoiska van der Molen, and Thomas Flechtner.

A new wave of VR head mounted displays is being developed and released to the commercial market including examples such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Playstation VR. Bundled together with these head mounted displays are a new generation of hand motion controllers which allows the users to reach out and grasp in the virtual environment. Earlier research has explored a range of possible interaction techniques for immersive VR interaction, mainly focusing on the quantitative and objective performance of each technique. Yet even with this research picking the right technique for a given scenario remains a challenging task. This study tries to complement earlier research by instead investigating the qualitative and more subjective aspects of usability, along with making use of the upcoming commercial VR hand controllers. The purpose was to provide guidelines to help future immersive VR interaction designers and researchers. Two interaction techniques (classic Go-Go and ray casting with a reel) were chosen to represent the two most commonly used interaction metaphors for selection and manipulation, i.e. grabbing and pointing. Eleven users were then recruited to try the two interaction techniques inside a shopping scene initially part of a commercial VR game. Each user had to complete five tasks for each technique while “thinking aloud”, followed by an interview after the test. The sessions were recorded and analysed based on five usability factors. The results indicated a strong preferences for the Go-Go interaction technique, with arguments based on how natural its interaction was. These results confirmed several conclusions drawn in earlier research about interaction in immersive VR, including the strength of natural interaction in scenarios which has the capacity to reach a high grade of naturalism, as well as the importance of showing the user when the interaction technique differs from realistic behaviour. Last but not least the results also pointed to the importance of further study on immersive VR interaction techniques over long time use and when combined with user interfaces. / En ny våg av VR-hjälmar håller på att utvecklas för den kommersiella marknaden med exempel såsom HTC Vive, Oculus Rift och Playstation VR. Dessa VR-hjälmar kommer tillsammans med en ny generation av rörelsekänsliga handkontroller som tillåter användarna i den virtuella miljön att nå ut och greppa tag. Tidigare forskning har utforskat en mängd möjliga interaktionstekniker för immersiv VR interaktion, med fokus på de kvantitativa och objektiva faktorerna för varje teknik. Trots denna forskning så är valet av interaktionsteknik för ett givet VR scenario fortfarande en svår uppgift. Denna studie försöker komplementera tidigare forskning genom att granska de mer subjektiva och kvalitativa aspekterna av användbarhet, samtidigt som den nya generationen av handkontroller för VR används. Syftet med studien var att framställa rekommendationer för att underlätta för framtida interaktionsdesigners och forskare inom VR. Två interaktionstekniker (klassisk Go-Go samt strålkastning med fiskerulle) valdes ut för att representera de två mest använda interaktionsmetaforerna för val och manipulering, det vill säga att greppa och att peka. Elva användare rekryterades för att pröva de två interaktionsteknikerna, inom ramen för ett shopping scenario som ursprungligen ingick i ett kommersiellt VR spel. Varje användare ombads att utföra fem uppgifter med varje teknik samtidigt som de “tänkte högt”, vilket följdes av en avslutande intervju. Sessionerna spelades in och analyserades utifrån fem användbarhetsfaktorer. Resultaten visade att användarna föredrog Go-Go, på grund av att dess interaktion ansågs vara mer naturlig. Resultaten bekräftade även ett flertal slutsatser från tidigare forskning kring interaktionstekniker för VR, så som styrkan i naturlig interaktion i situationer som har kapacitet att nå en hög grad av realism och vikten av att visa användarna när interaktionstekniken bryter mot ett realistiskt beteende. Sist men inte minst visade resultaten även på vikten av framtida studier, dels gällande användning av interaktionstekniker över en längre tid och dels gällande hur dessa interaktionstekniker ska kombineras med användargränssnitt.

The research investigates the transposition of circus performance to the aural and sonic realm asking the question:  How and can circus exist in and through sound?

This study examines to which extent parallax scrolling can influence the immersive experience in a hedonic context. Parallax scrolling is a technique that creates an illusion of depth which occurs when several layers of graphics move at different speeds. Research in the field advocates that parallax scrolling is most effective when it is used in a hedonic context. Hence the hypothesis for the study is that parallax scrolling will be perceived as being more immersive in the context of a web story than a non-parallax web story. The study was conducted using an A/B test where the results were analysed using a two-sample t-test. The t-test revealed no significant difference between the two groups in most aspects. However, an indication that could be seen was that the participants who had tested the parallax scrolling prototype felt more immersed in the story and thought that the web story conveyed a sense of depth opposite to those how tested the non-parallax prototype. Results of the study also showed that parallax technique could have a negative effect on the user experience when it was not well executed. But further research with a lager sample is needed to determine a more conclusive result. KeywordsParallax Scrolling,