DSI Test 3 & White Space Exhibition

I showcased the MeeTTable on Friday 5th June 2009 at the White Space Exhibition. White Space is a showcase of the very best work from the graduates of the Visual Communications & Multimedia Honours Degree programmes at the Cork Institute of Technology. Check out the link below for more info

White Space Exhibition
http://media.cit.ie/graduateshow09/index.html

I am currently still testing the hardware and software. There are still a few issues to resolve. I will need to get a short throw projector and fix issues relating to how the videos are currently playing. Below is a video taken showing usability tests.

DSI Test 3

DSI Tests 2 Collaborative Design Planning Application

Testing Collaborative Design Planning Application, Canvas Application and 3D animation

Currently conducting some more usability tests on the collaborative design planning application, a small drawing canvas application, and a 3D animation.


Tests showed that the size of interactive graphics such as the buttons and frames of the storyboard will need to be scaled up. The drawing application will have to be considered or tested with a stylus pen. The occlusion of graphics scaling over other items is also an issue. More tests in relation to the 3D design section will be carried out. Here are here some images illustrating how the interface is developing. Also below is a video demonstrating usability testing.

Below is a video of the usability tests.

DSI Test with Tracker/Demo/My App

I have tested my DSI Multi-touch Table with the latest release of CCV - Community Core Vision(formally known as tbeta). Once the table was calibrated with CCV, I then tested some demo application and the first version of my collaborative design planning application. There are some issues which I will have to resolve such as latency, also more consideration in relation to the legibility of typography on screen and occlusion. I will carry out much more user testing to identify other issues. Below is a small video showing my tests on the DSI MT table.

Early Interface Template above



Download Community Core Vision - http://nuicode.com/projects/tbeta

DSI Multi-touch Table Built

Finally my Multi-touch table has been built. It is circular as I think it will support the collaborative process more effectively. For example a four sided conventional table limits and restricts where people should be located at a table. Also I wanted enough space on the table for people to place items such as pen and paper, phone, cups etc.



Here are some photos of the multi-touch meeting table taken in the lab. More photos can also be seen on my flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/citphotography/

shareIT

Here is a project which is very applicable for my research. They have carried out extensive research into collaboration using tabletops. Here I have found many interesting publications, applications which they have developed and the findings from their research studies. Below is a video which illustrate how multi-touch table tops and interactive tangible can support group meetings.

About the ShareIT Project

The interdisciplinary ShareIT project, funded by the UK's EPSRC (2007-2010), is investigating how a new generation of shareable technologies, that are designed specifically for more than one person to use at a time, can enable groups to collaborate more effectively - be it learning maths, planning seating allocation, conducting financial forecasting or socialising. The technologies include gesture-based wall displays, multi-touch tabletops and interactive tangibles.

shareIT website link - http://shareitproject.org/index.php?page=Home

A short video outlining a study into the benefits of tabletop collaboration

HealthVault & Amalga on Surface

Here is a great example of collaboration on a Microsoft surface.

Healthvault & Amalga intergrated on Microsoft Surface - A very impressive application where patient and physician collaborate. The application supports the consultation process where the physician and patient can directly interact with patient data such as x-rays, videos of ultra-sounds, The physician can bring up a 3D model of the patient. Whilst directly interacting the 3D model the physician can show specific information such as the heart or circulation for example. The physician can also drop data into the patients healthvault where they can view the information later such as at home. This application can greatly benefit both health care professional and their patients.


Video Link - http://vimeo.com/4081128

Meeting with Research Partners

Last weekend I met with research partners Emedia at their offices in Galway. Here we discussed storyboards showing the interface and interaction design for the collaborative design planning application. I then setup the Multi-touch hardware for them to test while I did some observational research. They tested some demo applications such as a photo and annotation application. Meeting with research partners Emedia has been very beneficial as their skills in the area of multimedia development has been very insightful and applicable to the development of my Multi-touch application. Here is an image from our meeting at Emedia offices.