In this paper a model for usability/accessibility evaluation methods for appliance in Web 3D social software is being introduced and exemplified by looking at the currently popular phenomenon Second Life. The social aspect of specific Web 3D functions/applications will be in focus, as well as the issue of accessibility which poses an important aspect in Virtual Reality (VR) worlds. This plays a...

Microscopic pedestrian simulation models are based on local interactions between agents. Many interactions occur between walkers, with many factors of influence. There is a need for observations of individuals facing interactions in crowds to better understand them and improve the level of realism of simulation algorithms. We explore Virtual Reality (VR) as an experimental tool to perform such ...

The aircraft inspection/maintenance system, which is influenced by based operators and regulated by the FAA, consists of several interrelated human and machine components. In this process, visual inspection plays a significant role in ensuring aircraft safety. To improve the quality and reliability of aircraft inspection, training and job aiding have been identified as the two most important in...

This paper proposes and examines a semiotic framework to inform the use of technology in mathematics education. Semiotics asserts that all cognition is irreducibly triadic, of the nature of a sign, fallible, and thoroughly immersed in a continuing process of interpretation (Halton, 1992). Mathematical meaning-making or meaningful knowledge construction is a continuing process of interpretation ...

Recently, many human-scale virtual environments (VEs) have been developed and studied for achieving realistic virtual reality. Immersive projection displays, like the CAVE system, become widespread, and most researchers already know the great effect of reality and immersion with the human-scale VEs. However, five senses other than vision are not so emphasized in human-scale VEs. In order to enh...

Today’s businesses continually search for ways to increase productivity. To achieve this goal, shorter product development cycles and shorter manufacturing times are required. In both cases, problems that may arise during development must be identified much faster. In product development, this is done using virtual prototypes that can be easily duplicated and shared between everyone involved. I...

Background: To date, a diagnosis in psychiatry is largely based on a clinical interview and questionnaires. The retrospective and subjective nature of these methods leads to recall and interviewer biases. Therefore, there is a clear need for more objective and standardized assessment methods to support the diagnostic process. The introduction of virtual reality (VR) creates the possibility to s...

Research in aircraft inspection and maintenance has revealed the criticality of human inspection performance in improving aviation safety. If we are to provide the general public with a safe and reliable air transportation system, inspection must be performed effectively, efficiently and consistently. Even though it is difficult to eliminate errors completely, continuing emphasis must be placed...

Virtual reality (VR) has become an important and useful tool in science and engineering. VR applications cover a wide range of industrial areas from product design to analysis, from product prototyping to manufacturing. The design and manufacturing of a product can be viewed, evaluated and improved in a virtual environment before its prototype is made, which is an enormous cost saving. Virtual ...

Virtual Reality (VR) interfaces to e-commerce sites have recently begun to appear on the Internet, promising to make the e-shopping experience more natural, attractive, and fun for buyers. Unfortunately, usability of these interfaces is a major and still unexplored issue. In this paper, we present the approach we are following to guarantee and increase the usability of VR stores, also providing...