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- Online-Gym : multiuser virtual gymnasium using RINIONS and multiple kinect devicesPublication . Cassola, Fernando; Ala, Silvia; Carvalho, Fausto de; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Cardoso, Francisco; Morgado, LeonelTo enhance older citizen’s practice of physical exercise, we present the architecture, development, and pilot testing of a multiuser online gymnasium based on Kinect motion capture and OpenSimulator, which aims to enable socialization and supervision of exercise practice without travel requirements. The prototype was tested simultaneously with 4 elders at different locations, providing data on the feasibility of the approach and informing subsequent development and research.
- Collaboration in 3D virtual worlds : a protocol for case study researchPublication . Cruz, Armando; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, LeonelThree-dimensional virtual worlds have been growing fast in number of users, and are used for the most diverse purposes. In collaboration, they are used with good results due to features such as immersion, interaction capabilities, use of avatar embodiment, and physical space. In the particular cases of avatar embodiment and physical space, these features support nonverbal communication, but its impact on collaboration is not well known. In this work we present a protocol for case study research and its creation process, which aims to assert itself as a tool to collect data on how nonverbal communication influences collaboration in three-dimensional virtual worlds. We define the propositions and units of analysis, and a pilot case to validate them. Then, two cases are analysed under the created protocol. Most of the propositions found chains of evidences supporting them.
- Separating gesture detection and application control concerns with a multimodal architecturePublication . Morgado, Leonel; Cardoso, Bernardo; Carvalho, Fausto de; Fernandes, Luís; Paredes, Hugo; Barbosa, Luís; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Nunes, Ricardo RodriguesGesture-controlled applications typically are tied to specific gestures, and also tied to specific recognition methods and specific gesture-detection devices. We propose a concernseparation architecture, which mediates the following concerns: gesture acquisition; gesture recognition; and gestural control. It enables application developers to respond to gesture-independent commands, recognized using plug-in gesture-recognition modules that process gesture data via both device-dependent and deviceindependent data formats and callbacks. Its feasibility is demonstrated with a sample implementation.
- Fitting three dimensional virtual worlds into CSCWPublication . Cruz, Armando; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel
- Computer-simulated 3D virtual environments in collaborative learning and training: meta-review, refinement, and roadmapPublication . Correia, António; Fonseca, Benjamim; Paredes, Hugo; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel
- Development of a mechanical maintenance training simulator in OpenSimulator for F-16 aircraft enginesPublication . Pinheiro, André; Fernandes, Paulo; Maia, Ana Margarida; Cruz, Gonçalo; Pedrosa, Daniela; Fonseca, Benjamim; Paredes, Hugo; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel; Rafael, JorgeMechanical maintenance of F-16 engines is carried out as a team effort involving 3 to 4 skilled engine technicians. This paper presents the development of a mechanical maintenance simulator for their training. This simulator aims to enable technician training to be enhanced with cooperation and context prior to the training phase with actual physical engines. We describe the requirements that were identified with the Portuguese Air Force, the overall software architecture of the system, the current stage of the prototype, and the outcomes of the first field tests with users.
- A bot spooler architecture to integrate virtual worlds with e-learning management systems for corporate trainingPublication . Morgado, Leonel; Paredes, Hugo; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Almeida, Álvaro; Vilela, Andreas; Peixinho, Filipe; Santos, ArnaldoJoining efforts of academic and corporate teams, we developed an integration architecture - MULTIS - that enables corporate e-learning managers to use a Learning Management System (LMS) for management of educational activities in virtual worlds. This architecture was then implemented for the Formare LMS. In this paper we present this architecture and concretizations of its implementation for the Second Life Grid/OpenSimulator virtual world platforms. Current systems are focused on activities managed by individual trainers, rather than groups of trainers and large numbers of trainees: they focus on providing the LMS with information about educational activities taking place in a virtual world and/or being able to access within the virtual world some of the information stored in the LMS, and disregard the streamlining of activity setup and data collection in multi-trainer contexts, among other administrative issues. This architecture aims to overcome the limitations of existing systems for organizational management of corporate e-learning activities.
- A technological proposal using virtual worlds to support entrepreneurship education for primary school childrenPublication . Pereira, Angela; Martins, Paulo; Morgado, Leonel; Fonseca, Benjamim; Esteves, MicaelaThe importance of entrepreneurship education from elementary school through college is now recognized as an important aspect of children’s education. At the level of basic education, the development of entrepreneurial activities using Information and Communication Technologies, specifically three-dimensional virtual worlds, is seen as an area with potential for exploration. The research presented herein is a model that allows the development of entrepreneurial activities in virtual worlds with children attending primary education. This model allows the preparation, monitoring and development of entrepreneurship education activities in virtual worlds, including safe interaction in virtual worlds between the children and the community. For this, we identified a set of requirements that would allow the teaching and learning of entrepreneurship in virtual worlds, from which a technological model was implemented through an application, EMVKids (after the Portuguese expression “Empreendedorismo em Mundos Virtuais com Crianças”, entrepreneurship with children in virtual worlds).
- Bringing user experience empirical data to gesture-control and somatic interaction in virtual reality videogames: an exploratory study with a multimodal interaction prototypePublication . Fernandes, Luís; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Matos, Gonçalo; Azevedo, Diogo; Pedrosa, Daniela; Morgado, Leonel; Paredes, Hugo; Barbosa, Luís; Fonseca, Benjamim; Martins, Paulo; Cardoso, Bernardo; Carvalho, Fausto deWith the emergence of new low-cost gestural interaction devices various studies have been developed on multi-modal human-computer interaction to improve user experience. We present an exploratory study which analysed the user experience with a multimodal interaction game prototype. As a result, we propose a set of preliminary recommendations for combined use of such devices and present implications for advancing the multimodal field in human-computer interaction.
- BIZZY : a social game for entrepreneurship educationPublication . Fonseca, Benjamim; Gonçalves, Ramiro Manuel Ramos Moreira; Nunes, Ricardo Rodrigues; Teixeira, Mário Sérgio; Paredes, Hugo; Morgado, Leonel; Martins, PauloEntrepreneurship education is increasingly being promoted, driven by a wide consensus in modern societies concerning its benefits in fostering the development of several professional and personal attitudes and skills, such as business expertise, creativity, risk assessment or responsibility. In this context, several authorities have been actively developing policies and activities to empower entrepreneurship culture in young people. Serious Games are recognized as having an important role and potential in education and social networks emerged in the last decade as the platform preferred by many people to socialize, play games or conduct professional activities. This paper presents a proposal for BIZZY, a serious game to be developed and implemented as a Facebook application, to enable young people in the range 12-18 years old to learn entrepreneurial skills progressively, by guiding them to develop a business project from the early idea to the business plan.