Environmental technology: making the real world virtual - Myron

Summary
Myron summarizes his work in shifting from a world in which users must learn how to use computers and software up front to one in which they learn by interacting with the system as they do with the real world. Unlike other research at that time who used bulky hardware to measure how a user was interacting, Myron focused on interaction through observation, using video and floor pressure sensors to perceive user actions. In the creation of VideoPlace, Myron created a virtual shared space that overlapped video of the users' hand with virtual objects in which multiple users could interact with each other as well as shared objects via teleconference. In this environment, Myron observed that users reacted to and interacted with objects much as they would with real ones. Myron's next project created a virtual world through which users could move based on the movement of their hands and body. This led to a variety of VideoPlace applications such as range-of-motion therapy, virtual tutoring, and other virtual educational experiences. Myron next moved from a large scale setup to a smaller one, creating the more contained VideoDesk and associated applications such a virtual modeling and sculpting. Throughout his research, Myron sees teleconferencing as the primary benefactor of haptic interaction.

Discussion


Reference
Myron, W. K. (1993). "Environmental technology: making the real world virtual." Commun. ACM 36(7): 36-37.