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Head-Tracked Stereo Viewing with Two-Handed 3D Interaction for Animated Character Construction

Russell Turner, Enrico Gobbetti, and Ian Soboroff

September 1996

Abstract

In this paper, we demonstrate a new interactive 3D desktop metaphor based on two-handed 3D direct manipulation registered with head-tracked stereo viewing. In our configuration, a six-degree-of-freedom head-tracker and CrystalEyes shutter glasses are used to produce stereo images that dynamically follow the user head motion. 3D virtual objects can be made to appear at a fixed location in physical space which the user may view from different angles by moving his head. The user interacts with the simulated 3D environment using both hands simultaneously. The left hand, controlling a Spaceball, is used for 3D navigation and object movement, while the right hand, holding a 3D mouse, is used to manipulate through a virtual tool metaphor, the objects appearing in front of the screen because of negative parallax. In this way, both incremental and absolute interactive input techniques are provided by the system. Hand-eye coordination is made possible by registration between virtual and physical space, allowing a variety of complex 3D tasks to be performed more easily and more rapidly than is possible using traditional interactive techniques. The system has been tested using both Polhemus Fastrak and Logitech ultrasonic input devices for tracking the head and 3D mouse.

Reference and download information

Russell Turner, Enrico Gobbetti, and Ian Soboroff. Head-Tracked Stereo Viewing with Two-Handed 3D Interaction for Animated Character Construction. Computer Graphics Forum, 15(3): 197-206, 470, September 1996. Proceedings of the 1996 17th Annual Conference and Exhibition of the European Association for Computer Graphics, Eurographics'96, Held in Poitiers, France.

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Bibtex citation record

@Article{Turner:1996:HTS,
    author = {Russell Turner and Enrico Gobbetti and Ian Soboroff},
    title = {Head-Tracked Stereo Viewing with Two-Handed {3D} Interaction for Animated Character Construction},
    journal = {Computer Graphics Forum},
    volume = {15},
    number = {3},
    pages = {197--206, 470},
    publisher = {Blackwell Publishers},
    address = {Oxford, England},
    month = {September},
    year = {1996},
    keywords = {3D animated characters; {3D} mouse; {3D} navigation; {3D} object; {3D} virtual objects; absolute interactive input techniques; animated character construction; Animated character construction; animated character construction; Animation; Character modeling; complex {3D} tasks; computer animation; computer graphic equipment; Computer simulation; Computer software; coordination; CrystalEyes shutter glasses; devices; freedom head-tracker; hand-eye; Head tracking; head-tracked stereo viewing; images; incremental interactive input techniques; interactive; interactive {3D} desktop; Interactive computer graphics; Interactive computer systems; Logitech; metaphor; Mice (computer peripherals); movement; Polhemus Fastrak ultrasonic input; simulated environment; six degree-of-; Spaceball; stereo; stereo image processing; Stereo vision; Stereoscopic display; Three dimensional computer graphics; two-handed {3D} direct manipulation; two-handed {3D} interaction; ultrasonic input devices; User interfaces; virtual reality; Virtual reality; virtual space; Virtual tools},
    issn = {0167-7055},
    abstract = {In this paper, we demonstrate a new interactive {3D} desktop metaphor based on two-handed {3D} direct manipulation registered with head-tracked stereo viewing. In our configuration, a six-degree-of-freedom head-tracker and CrystalEyes shutter glasses are used to produce stereo images that dynamically follow the user head motion. {3D} virtual objects can be made to appear at a fixed location in physical space which the user may view from different angles by moving his head. The user interacts with the simulated {3D} environment using both hands simultaneously. The left hand, controlling a Spaceball, is used for {3D} navigation and object movement, while the right hand, holding a {3D} mouse, is used to manipulate through a virtual tool metaphor, the objects appearing in front of the screen because of negative parallax. In this way, both incremental and absolute interactive input techniques are provided by the system. Hand-eye coordination is made possible by registration between virtual and physical space, allowing a variety of complex {3D} tasks to be performed more easily and more rapidly than is possible using traditional interactive techniques. The system has been tested using both Polhemus Fastrak and Logitech ultrasonic input devices for tracking the head and {3D} mouse.},
    note = {Proceedings of the 1996 17th Annual Conference and Exhibition of the European Association for Computer Graphics, Eurographics'96, Held in Poitiers, France},
    url = {http://vic.crs4.it/vic/cgi-bin/bib-page.cgi?id='Turner:1996:HTS'},
}