Uma vez que uma aplicação ou projeto tenha sido identificado como sujeito ao uso da simulação, decisões devem ser tomadas acerca de como conduzir os estudos. Embora não haja regras definitivas, alguns passos são geralmente recomendados, tais como: planejamento do estudo, definição do sistema, construção do modelo, execução dos experimentos, análise dos resultados e relatório final. E, a construção do modelo é uma das etapas mais demoradas e complexas. Na execução dos experimentos, e na análise dos resultados a Realidade Virtual (RV) é uma interface que pode fornecer um suporte importante para a tomada de decisões, pois a RV auxilia na criação de mundos virtuais semelhantes ao mundo real, que ajudam na compreensão do funcionamento dos sistemas. Este trabalho propõe um metamodelo para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de simulação de eventos discretos com interface de RV aplicados a ambientes ou estações de trabalho de manufatura. A proposta do metamodelo é composto por quatro módulos: i) de edição e validação de modelos, ii) de criação, edição e execução de ambientes virtuais, iii) de conexão para efetuar o elo entre os dois primeiros módulos e, iv) de controle para gerenciar a comunicação e controlar a simulação. Como resultado tem-se a simulação centralizada baseada no modelo descrito em Rede de Petris (RP) com interface de RV distribuída. O sistema computacional gerado pelo metamodelo auxiliará no aprendizado e compreensão do problema simulado, e ainda permitirá ao usuário o envolvimento através da iteração. / The VR aids in the creation of virtual worlds similar to the real world, helping in understanding how a system works. This research work is concerned with the development of a discrete-event system simulation based on Petri Nets, with Virtual Reality interface for manufacturing environment or workstations. The system is composed of four modules, the first is model editing and validation, the second module is a modeling tool for virtual objects and/or a library of virtual elements, the third module makes the link between the two previous modules, and finally, the fourth is a simulation and control module. The centralized simulation is based on models described by Petri Nets with distributed RV interface resulting in a flexible and consistent system. The system will help users in learning and understanding the simulation problem, and it will also allow the user\'s integration with the environment through the interaction, and through distributed interface.

Submitted by Sara Ribeiro (sara.ribeiro@ucb.br) on 2018-04-24T12:32:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 KellyCristinaBarbosaLeviAlvimDissertacao2018.pdf: 1673803 bytes, checksum: 011fb9ebb50fb8a4fdf2a939e29dfb69 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sara Ribeiro (sara.ribeiro@ucb.br) on 2018-04-24T12:32:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 KellyCristinaBarbosaLeviAlvimDissertacao2018.pdf: 1673803 bytes, checksum: 011fb9ebb50fb8a4fdf2a939e29dfb69 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-24T12:32:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KellyCristinaBarbosaLeviAlvimDissertacao2018.pdf: 1673803 bytes, checksum: 011fb9ebb50fb8a4fdf2a939e29dfb69 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-05 / Knowledge about the use of technologies has become necessary in contemporary culture, regardless of age, influencing self-worth and developing daily activities and relationships. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of the virtual environment on the improvement of the perception of cognitive ability and on the improvement of the mood states of the elderly. The methodology used was quantitative, quasi-experimental and cross-sectional, with pre and post intervention measures. The application was in a group and had an average duration of 40 minutes in each moment, the final sample being composed of 25 elderly people with mean age equal to 64.92 (?? 3.74).A structured questionnaire was applied with the sociodemographic measures, the states of anxiety (BAI-II) and depression (BDI), the WHOQOL-bref, which evaluates the quality of life and the MIAr, which investigates the metamemory. Descriptive statistics and distribution measures, correlation analysis and regression were used in the analyzes. The results showed a higher concentration of females (60%). As for mood states, there was no significant difference between pre- and post-intervention data. With regard to the quality of life added to the mood state there was a trend of improvement in the psychological domain (p???0.07). The t test paired showed significant differences in the social relations domains (p ???0,0001), total quality of life (p???0.01) and trend in the environmental domain (p???0.07). MIAr revealed an increase in the perception of those with poor memory (20-32%) and those who had a good memory (16-32%). It was concluded that there were important changes in some domains related to quality of life and in the metamemory of the evaluated elderly. / O conhecimento sobre o uso de tecnologias passou a ser necess??rio na cultura contempor??nea, independentemente da faixa et??ria, influenciando na autovaloriza????o e no desenvolvimento das atividades e rela????es di??rias. Este trabalho teve por objetivo geral analisar o impacto do ambiente virtual na melhora da percep????o da capacidade cognitiva e na melhora nos estados de humor dos idosos. A metodologia utilizada foi do tipo quantitativa, quase-experimental e transversal, com medidas pr?? e p??s-interven????o. A aplica????o deu-se em grupo e teve dura????o m??dia de 40 minutos em cada momento, sendo a amostra final composta por 25 idosos com m??dia de idade: 64,92 (??3,74). Foram aplicados um question??rio estruturado com as medidas sociodemogr??ficas, os estados de ansiedade (BAI-II) e depress??o (BDI), o WHOQOL-bref, que avalia a qualidade de vida, e o MIAr, que investiga a metamem??ria. Nas an??lises, foram utilizadas estat??sticas descritivas e medidas de distribui????o, an??lise de correla????o e de regress??o. Os resultados apresentaram uma maior concentra????o do sexo feminino (60%). Quanto aos estados de humor, n??o houve diferen??a significativa entre os dados pr?? e p??s-interven????o. No que se refere a qualidade de vida somada ao estado de humor, houve uma tend??ncia de melhora no dom??nio psicol??gico (p???0,07). O teste t pareado apresentou diferen??as significativas nos dom??nios rela????es sociais (p ???0,0001), qualidade de vida total (p???0,01) e tend??ncia no dom??nio do meio ambiente (p???0,07). O MIAr revelou um aumento na percep????o de quem se percebia com mem??ria ruim (20-32%) e quem se achava com boa mem??ria (16-32%), concluindo-se que houve altera????es importantes em alguns dom??nios referentes a qualidade de vida e na metamem??ria dos idosos avaliados.

As melhorias alcançadas na Educação através do uso das tecnologias de informação e comunicação são inegáveis. Entretanto, os avanços em direção a um ensino personalizado e direcionado às preferências, ao nivelamento (saneamento das dificuldades e pré-requisitos de conteúdo) e aos interesses dos estudantes são pequenos. Desta forma, através da identificação dos conhecimentos prévios dos alunos, bem como dos conteúdos (conceituais) buscou-se aprimorar o processo de ensino para que cada aluno alcance, a seu modo (de forma personalizada) o aprendizado e possa avançar na disciplina/ano em questão. Como é humanamente impossível um professor conhecer as características e dificuldades de conteúdo de todos os seus alunos, é interessante que o ambiente virtual que apoia o professor possa auxiliar para um atendimento mais personalizado, permitindo que o aluno interaja no seu próprio ritmo de estudo, acesse os conteúdos necessários ou aprofunde-se em algum conteúdo que ele já domine. Esta tese propõe um método de uso das ferramentas disponíveis de ambientes virtuais, principalmente do MOODLE, para alcançar a personalização do ensino e conduzir o aluno em sua própria trajetória individual rumo ao aprendizado significativo, sanando dificuldades de conteúdo. Seguindo o objetivo de melhorar a qualidade do ensino sem necessidade de grade investimento de desenvolvimento de ambiente nem aporte financeiro. Para validar o método foi realizado um projeto piloto mais dois experimentos, todos no Colégio Militar de Porto Alegre que totalizaram a participação de 256 alunos. Os resultados demonstraram a viabilidade do método, medido através da melhora nas notas (análise quantitativa) e da análise qualitativa dos dados e dos questionários (respondidos pelos alunos e professores). Destaca-se como vantagem educacional o desenvolvimento do método que pode ser aplicado a qualquer disciplina ou modelo de ensino e como vantagem computacional o uso do MOODLE para personalizar o ensino. / The use of information and communication technologies made undeniable advances in education. However, advances towards personalized learning and directed to the preferences, the leveling (improvement of difficulties and prerequisites) and to the interests of students are small yet. Thus, it is intended, by identifying the students' prior knowledge and content (conceptual) to improve the process so that each student reach, at their mode (personalized) the learning and make progress in discipline/year in question. We know that is humanly impossible for a teacher to know the characteristics and difficulties of content of all his students. So, the virtual environment that supports the teacher should have the flexibility to customize interactions with each student, which allows the student to interact at his/her own study pace, access the necessary content or deepen in some content that he/she has mastered. This thesis proposes a method for using the available virtual environments tools, especially the MOODLE, to achieve the personalization of teaching and to lead the student in his own individual trajectory toward meaningful learning, healing content difficulties. Following the objective of improving the quality of education without the need for large investment in environmental development or financial contribution. To validate the method was carried out a pilot project plus two experiments, all occurred at Military College of Porto Alegre, with a total of 256 students. The results showed the viability of the method, measured by the improvement in grades (quantitative analysis) and the qualitative analysis of data and questionnaires (answered by students and teachers). It is highlighted as an educational advantage, the development of the method that can be applied to any discipline or teaching model and as computational advantage, the use of MOODLE to customize teaching.

Tendo em vista a importância da disciplina Estatística Aplicada à Administração no exercício da função do futuro administrador, pretendeu-se com este trabalho elaborar e desenvolver a estrutura do LaViE Laboratório Virtual de Estatística Aplicada à Administração um ambiente virtual de aprendizado destinado a alunos de Graduação e Pós-Graduação em Administração, e que tem por objetivo facilitar a compreensão da matéria e conciliar a motivação e a facilidade no aprendizado. O trabalho consistiu na criação da estrutura de um ambiente virtual (web page) por meio do qual os estudantes têm acesso desde a conceitos básicos da Estatística até a aplicação prática da matéria em situações modelo encontradas no cotidiano do administrador, aliando, dessa forma, a teoria à prática. Utiliza-se, portanto, da internet, a rede mundial de computadores, cujo recente crescimento no número de usuários proporcionou, juntamente com o avanço computacional e eletrônico, a revalorização da educação a distância, revelando-se um agente facilitador do processo de distribuição do conhecimento, uma vez que permite ao estudante aprender no seu contexto imediato, planejar no tempo e no espaço suas atividades de estudo, seguindo seu próprio ritmo de aprendizagem. O desenvolvimento da estrutura desse ambiente virtual de ensino-aprendizagem abrangeu as seguintes etapas: levantamento bibliográfico, análise, planejamento e desenvolvimento, implementação, utilização e avaliação. / Having in mind the importance of the discipline Statistical Applied to the Administration in the exercise of the function of the future manager, intended with this work to study and develop the LaViE structure Virtual Laboratory of Statistical Applied to the Administration a virtual environment of learning for graduation and post graduation administration students, with the purpose to facilitate the comprehension of the subject and to conciliate motivation and easiness in learning. This work consisted in the creation of the structure of a virtual environment (web Page) that promote for the students accessing since basic concepts of the Statistics until the practice application of the subject in model situations observed in manager routine, it allying the theory to the practice. It use, therefore, internet, the world network of computers, whose recent growth in the number of users provided, together with the computational and electronic advance, the revaluation of the distance learning, and revealed a facilitative agent of the knowledge distribution process, once that it allows for the students to learning in their immediate context, to planning in the time and in their space study activities according to their learning rhythm. The development of the structure of this virtual environment of teaching-learning embraced the next stages: bibliographic rising, analysis, planning and development, implementation, utilization and evaluation.

Depth estimation is one of the most important problems in computer vision. It has attracted a lot of attention because it has applications in many areas, such as robotics, VR and AR, self-driving cars etc. Using the defocus blur of a camera lens is one of the methods of depth estimation. In this thesis, we have researched this technique in virtual environments. Virtual datasets have been created for this purpose. In this research, we have applied graph cuts and convolutional neural network (DfD-net) to estimate depth from defocus blur using a natural (Middlebury) and a virtual (Maya) dataset. Graph Cuts showed similar performance for both natural and virtual datasets in terms of NMAE and NRMSE. However, with regard to SSIM, the performance of graph cuts is 4% better for Middlebury compared to Maya. We have trained the DfD-net using the natural and the virtual dataset and then combining both datasets. The network trained by the virtual dataset performed best for both datasets. The performance of graph-cuts and DfD-net have been compared. Graph-Cuts performance is 7% better than DfD-Net in terms of SSIM for Middlebury images. For Maya images, DfD-Net outperforms Graph-Cuts by 2%. With regard to NRMSE, Graph-Cuts and DfD-net shows similar performance for Maya images. For Middlebury images, Graph-cuts is 1.8% better. The algorithms show no difference in performance in terms of NMAE. The time DfD-net takes to generate depth maps compared to graph cuts is 500 times less for Maya images and 200 times less for Middlebury images.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a highly evolving domain and is used in anincreasing number of areas in today's society. Among the technologiesassociated with VR and especially mobile VR, is hand tracking and handgesture recognition. Telemedicine is one of the elds where VR is startingto thrive, and so the concept of adding the use of hand gestures came to bein order to explore the possibilities that can come from it. This researchis conducted with the development of a prototype application that usessome of the most emerging technologies. Manomotion's hand trackingand hand gesture recognition algorithms, and Photon's servers and developerkit, which makes multi-user applications achievable, allowed theconceptual idea of the prototype to become reality. In order to test itsusability and how potential users perceive it, a user study with 24 participantswas made, 8 of which were either studying or working in themedical eld. Additional expert meetings and observations from the userstudy also contributed to ndings that helped show how hand gesturescan aect a doctor consultation in Telemedicine. Findings showed thatthe participants thought of the proposed system as a less costly and timesaving solution, and that they felt immersed in the VR. The hand gestureswere accepted and understood. The participants did not have dicultieson learning or executing them, and had control of the prototype environment.In addition, the data showed that participants considered it to beusable in the medical eld in the future.

Les environnements virtuels (EVs) sont de plus en plus utilisés dans le domaine de la recherche et de la clinique avec pour avantage que chaque environnement peut être adapté au besoin du participant mais avec pour inconvénient que la pluralité des variables mesurées lors des tests virtuels rend la performance du sujet de plus en plus difficile à expertiser. L’objectif de la thèse est de proposer une approche permettant de qualifier, de façon la plus pertinente possible, la performance du participant dans un EV en tentant de comprendre la charge mentale associée à chaque technique d’interaction et comment celle-ci peut venir influencer la performance du participant. Cinquante-trois participants ont réalisé des tâches dans un EV avec une des cinq techniques d’interaction disponible : la souris, le gamepad, le Razer Hydra, le Razer Hydra avec un tracking de tête et le Razer Hydra avec un casque de RV. Ils étaient attribués à une des deux conditions de difficulté de la tâche : une facile et une difficile avec des tâches additionnelles. Le rythme cardiaque du participant était enregistré et ceux-ci ont renseigné des questionnaires de charge mentale, présence et cybermalaise. L’expérimentation a permis de mettre en avant que la différence de charge mentale entre les différentes techniques d’interaction est faible et que celle-ci se manifeste plus sensiblement lorsque les techniques sont regroupées par leurs caractéristiques. Ainsi les techniques avec une sélection en 3D et un steering effectué par les mouvements de la tête demande plus de charge mentale. Le degré d’expertise avec l’utilisation d’une technique d’interaction n’est pas lié à une modulation de la charge mentale. Cependant les utilisateurs qualifiés d’experts sont plus à même d’explorer le VMT que les novices. De plus, la charge mentale est plus perçue dans les conditions où la difficulté de la tâche est faible alors que dans le cas où la difficulté de la tâche est élevée, ce sont les problèmes d’utilisabilité des techniques d’interaction qui s’expriment. Les participants qui ont une charge mentale élevée ont un score plus faible que les participants qui ont une faible charge mentale, en particulier lors des tâches qui réclament des fonctions cognitives variées. / Virtual environments (Ves) can be modulated and be adapted to the need of each user but the several variables used during cognitiv assessment during virtual tests give the user’s performance uneasy to expertise. The objective of the thesis is to propose an approach to qualify user performance taking acount of his/her workload during the task realization. Fifty-three participants realiazed tasks in a VE with one of five interaction technique: mouse, gamepad, Razer Hydra, Razer Hydra and head tracking and Razer Hydra and HMD. They participate in one of the two conditions: the easy one or the more difficult with additionnal tasks. Heart rate, workload, presence and cybersickness were measured. Results showed that there is only a weak difference of workload accross the several interaction technique and the difference is stronger when interaction technique are grouped according their similiarities. Interaction with 3D selection and with head steering ask for more workload. User habilities with the use of an interaction technique is not related to workload but experts are more likely to explore the VE. What’s more the perceived workload is higher in easy condition whereas usability issues are perceived higher in hard condition. Users with high workload have lower score than those with low workload especially for tasks with high cognitiv demand.

How the artist deals with death, loss and the spiritual has been a major theme of art throughout history. New media tools provide renewed opportunity to explore these themes while testing the tools against a familiar subject. This research attempts to deal with these themes by examining and reinterpreting them through myths while evaluating the tools of creative media. In so doing, this has the potential to uncover any revealing insights that are relevant to the times. The project uses myth to explore the potential of the interaction between 2D digital images and 3D virtual environments. Elements of particular significance in the 3D virtual environment - such as Lighting and Point of View - are examined from the perspective of an artist who has practised only in 2D. Twelve final works have been generated for this project and presented as large-scale digital prints, along with a short video piece. In particular, the research explores 3D lighting techniques of 2D images by applying theatrical protocols within a virtual, computer-generated environment, and using myth as context and driving principle. The idea of theatre 'flats' has been applied as a device within the virtual realm to provide a conceptual housing and rationale for virtual lighting techniques, virtual camera techniques, digital rendering and digital printing.

In complex environments, increasing demand for exploring natural resources by both decision makers and the public is driving the search for sustainable planning initiatives. Among these is the use of virtual environments to support effective communication and informed decision-making. Central to the use of virtual environments is their development at low cost and with high realism. / This paper explores intelligent approaches to objects placement, orientation and scaling in virtual environments such that the process is both accurate and cost-effective. The work involves: (1) determining of the key rules to be applied for the classification of vegetation objects and the ways to build an object library according to ecological classes; (2) exploring rules for the placement of vegetation objects based on vegetation behaviours and the growth potential value collected for the research area; (3) developing GIS algorithms for implementation of these rules; and (4) integrating of the GIS algorithms into the existing SIEVE Direct software in such a way that the rules find expression in the virtual environment. / This project is an extension of an integrated research project SIEVE (Spatial Information Exploration and Visualization Environment) that looks at converting 2D GIS data into 3D models which are used for visualization. The aims of my contribution to this research are to develop rules for the classification and intelligent placement of objects, to build a normative object database for rural objects and to output these as 2D billboards or 3D models using the developed intelligent placement algorithms. / Based on Visual Basic Language and ArcObjects tools (ESRI ArcGIS and Game Engine), the outcomes of the intelligent placement process for vegetation objects are shown in the SIEVE environment with 2D images and 3D models. These GIS algorithms were tested in the integrated research project. According to the case study in Victoria, rule-based intelligent placement is based on the idea that certain decision-making processes can be codified into rules which, if followed automatically, would yield results similar to those which would occur in the natural environment. Final product produces Virtual Reality (VR) scenes similar to the natural landscapes. Considering the 2D images and 3D models represented in the SIEVE scenario and the rules (for natural and plantation vegetation) developed in conjunction with scientists in the Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and other agencies, outcomes will contribute to the development of policies for better land and resource management and link to wide ranging vegetation assessment projects.

<p>When developing the driver interface in their trucks, Scania is highly concerned with creating a certain feeling. When pressing a push-button this Scania feeling shall be perceived. It is not obvious what the Scania feeling really is and there is no predefined method to create it. This Master Thesis takes aim at providing the means to improve the process of creating this feeling.</p><p>First, the Scania feeling was studied via the results of an already made survey at Scania. This survey focused on subjective properties of push-buttons, rotary knobs and levers and related the properties to whether these objects had a Scania feeling or not. This existing data was analyzed statistically. The main task of this Master Thesis, however, was to create an environment where the feeling of a push-button could be tried out and described. This environment was created with a tool from Reachin Technologies AB. The environment is a virtual representation of a push-button module, created with computer haptics and graphics. The environment lets the user interact with a three dimensional view collocated with a force feedback device. The force feedback device lets the user feel what is seen through a pen like interface. The “tip” of the pen is used to touch what is seen in the 3D view. The virtual push-buttons was built from blueprints of real push-buttons to be able to evaluate to what extent the virtual buttons resembled the real ones.</p><p>The statistical analysis made in this project does not support the notion of describing the Scania feeling with a set of subjective values. The virtual environment created proved to be very life like. The real push-button feeling could be recreated with high precision. When evaluated, the majority of test persons argued that it could be used in the development process.</p>