Academic year 2014-15

Interactive Systems

Degree:	Code:	Type:
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science	21441	Optional subject
Bachelor's Degree in Telematics Engineering	22615	Optional subject
Bachelor's Degree in Audiovisual Systems Engineering	22683	Optional subject

 

ECTS credits:

4

Workload:

100 hours

Trimester:

3rd

 

Department:	Dept. of Information and Communication Technologies
Coordinator:	Narcís Parés
Teaching staff:	Narcís Parés, Joan Mora
Language:	English
Timetable:
Building:	Communication campus - Poblenou

 

Introduction

This course completes the picture of the various interaction paradigms and different methodologies in human computer interaction together with the subjects of: Interaction Engineering, Man-Machine Interaction, Multimedia Systems, Narrative and Representation.

Interactive Systems will focus on interaction with stimuli that are generated in real time, i.e. technologies associated with Virtual, Augmented, Mixed and Artificial Reality. Thus we will raise theoretical aspects of interactive systems by comparing and contrasting these technologies with other interaction paradigms such as Multimedia, interaction on the World Wide Web, interaction with mobile devices, etc. Issues such as the types of technologies, physical interfaces for both input and output, as well as an overview of the applications that have historically been explored and exploited will be discussed. Special attention will be paid to the interaction of Whole Body (Embodied Interaction) given their current importance in view of the interaction for games, education, rehabilitation, disabilities, etc.

From a practical standpoint, we will study software and hardware technologies being used today in low cost environments and which are allowing applications enter into areas where they were previously unthinkable. Thus we will study OpenSource sensor and control systems such as Arduino. We will also study the programming layer oriented toward such applications with the OpenFramework libraries for C++ language and that are also a set of OpenSource tools. Students will also work on the development of an Artificial Reality experience based on the capture of the movement and gestures of the body of the user.

 

Prerequisites

No prerrequisits.

 

Associated competences

Transversal Competencies

Specific Competencies

Instrumental G1. Capacity for analysis and synthesis. G2. Ability to organize and planning G3. Ability to apply knowledge to analyze situations and solve problems G4. Ability to search and management information G5. Ability decision G6. Property ability to communicate orally and written in Catalan and Castilian, both to expert audiences as inexperienced. G7. Ability to communicate in academic and professional contexts of oral and written English, both davand hearings expert and inexperienced Interpersonal G8. Ability to teamwork Systemic G11. Ability to apply flexibly and creatively acquired and adapt to new situations and contexts knowledge G12. Ability to progress in learning and training processes so continuous unattended G14. Capacity motivation to quality and the achievement G15. Ability to generate new ideas

Specific Professional Skills H1. Ability to conceive and carry out IT projects using the own principles and methods of engineering. H3. Ability to write and develop projects in the field of specialty. H4. Independently learn skills and techniques suitable for the conception, development and operation of computer systems. H6. Understand the social, ethical and professional responsibility, and civil if applicable, the activity of Engineer and his role in the field of ICT and Information Society and Knowledge. Specific Skills Computer Engineering N6. Meet the theoretical foundations of programming and use of practical methods and languages development programming software systems. IN11. Know the different models software lifecycle. Know and apply a particular software engineering methodology to all phases of the life cycle. IN34. Know and be able to apply the principles of human-machine design, construction and evaluation of a wide range of materials including user interfaces and multimedia systems interaction. IN35. Know and understand the principles of audiovisual languages ​​and different mechanisms to digitally represent, and be able applying the most appropriate for each issue. IN36. Know and understand the principles of different modalities and multimedia information architectures, and be able to apply the most appropriate for each problem.

 

Assessment

This subject will be fully based on continuous assessment and will not have a final exam. This way, students will enjoy the following benefits:

     - They may track their evolution.
     - They will not depend on a final exam.
     - They will not be collapsed by one final delivery of work.

Thus the evaluation will take place through:

     - Exercises during practical classes or seminars
     - Practical work to deliver on defined deadlines
     - Oral presentations in both theoretical and practical work

 

	Evaluation Activities	Evaluation Criteria	Minimum required to pass the course	Weight in final grade
Assessment Block 1 - Real Time Interaction
H1, H3, H4, H6,  IN11, IN34, IN35, IN36, G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8, G11, G12, G14,G15	VREP - Virtual Reality Experience Presentation	Correct selection of a VR experience; detailed definition of performance, physical and logical interfaces, mappings and scope	Delivery as oral presentation in a team during class and late deliveries will not be accepted. All team members should participate in the presentation. Students must get at least a 5.0 Not attending the class will get a zero. The rest of the team will get the note is due	20%
Assessment Block 2 - Technology and Applications of Real-Time Interaction
H1, IN6, IN11, IN34, IN35, IN36, G2, G3, G5, G8, G11, G12, G14, G15	EX1OFW – Class Exercise of Open Frameworks	Correct compilation & operation of the program and sensors acording to specification.	The student must get at least a 5.0 in the average of the 6 exercises. You need to have delivered at least 5 Exercises to get a final grade. Delivery by the end of class and late deliveries will not be accepted.	20%
	EX3OSC – Class Exercise of OSC
	EX4OCV – Class Exercise of OpenCV and Open Frameworks
	EX2ARD – Class Exercise of Arduino
	EX5KNT – Class Exercise of Kinect
	EX6PHE – Class Exercise of Physics Engines in Open Frameworks
Assessment Block 3 - Tools for Sensors & Actuators for Real-Time Interaction
H1, H4, IN6, IN11, IN34, IN35, IN36, G2, G3, G5, G8, G11, G12, G14, G15	SGSV - Design of Simple Game (Structure & de la mitja de Visuals in OF)		The student must get at least a 5.0 as aveg¡rage of the 4 parts. Students must deliver the first three parts and must have presented/demonstrated the 4th to get the average grande. Delivery through Aula Global on the specified date and no late deliveries will be accepted. Part 4 must be presented in class.	20%
	PICPD - Design of Physical Interface & Client Printing  Data
	CSPIG - Design of Client-Server Physical Interface-Game Communication
	FGEI - Final Game with Exchangeable Interfaces
Assessment Block 4 - Design and Development of Real-Time Interactive Experiences
H1, H3, H4, H6, IN11, IN34, IN35, IN36, G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8, G11, G12, G14, G15	FBESP - Full-Body Interactive Experience Script Presentation	Designs must be correctly written, structured and specified. The program must compile and operate correctly with sensors as specified.	The student must get at least a 5.0 as aveg¡rage of the 3 parts.  Students must deliver the second part and must have presented/demonstrated the 1st and 3rd parts to get the average grande.  Delivery through Aula Global on the specified date and no late deliveries will be accepted.  Parts 1 and 3 must be presented in class	40%
	FBES - Full-Body Interactive Experience Script Document
	FBE - Full-Body Interactive Experience Presentation/Demo

Recovery Evaluation:
If a student fails the course by continuous assessment the student will have to recover the suspended parts in July according to the following cases:

Assessment Block 1 Suspended
Make a  15 minutes oral presentation describing and analyzing the characteristics of design, technology, implementation and application area of ​​application RV. (20% final grade)
(The notes on other approved parties will keep)

Assessment Block 2 Suspended
Since this block is the result of classwork and therefore continuous assessment, it can not be recovered.

Block Evaluation 3 Suspended
Since this block is the result of classwork and therefore continuous assessment, it can not be recovered.

Block Evaluation 4 Suspended
Since this block is the result of classwork and therefore continuous assessment, it can not be recovered.

 

Contents

Block 1: Real-Time Interaction

T1: Introduction to Real Time Interaction

• Here we will define and analyse what is Interaction in Real-Time,
  Interaction with Real-Time Generated Stimuli, their differences and
  how they compare to other types of interaction.
• We will introduce VR and its Forerunners

T2 – AMVR & Properties of Interfaces

• We will define how these concepts are associated to 
  specific technologies, namely:
    o Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality
    o Artificial Reality
    o Tangible Interaction
    o Ubicomp
• Degrees of Freedom
• Physical Interfaces
• Logical Interfaces
• Mappings

Block 2: Technology and Applications of Real-Time Interaction

T3 - VR Technology

• Graphics Tech
• Spatial Positioning Systems
• Visualisation Systems
• Articulation Sensors Systems
• Tactile Systems
• Kinetic & Proprioception Systems

T4 - VR Applications & What About VR?

• Applications
  • Data Visualization Applications
  • Psychology & Therapy Applications
  • Training Applications
  • Design Applications
  • Gaming and Attractions Applications
  • Broadcasting & Entertainment Applications
  • Education Applications
  • Virtual Heritage Applications
  • Marketing and Advertisement Applications
  • Social Applications
• What is it that distinguishes VR from other technologies?

T5 - (1st part) Full-body & Embodied Interaction 

• Artificial Reality, Third-person & First-person Interaction
• Theory on Embodiement:
    o Body & Mind
    o Embodiement & Learning
    o Embodiement & Physical Activity

T6 - (1st part) Interaction and Entertainment: Outside Videogames - Class Presentations & Debate of Full-Body Experiences

• Real-Time Interaction in Public Space (Issues & Warnings)
• History, Evolution & Examples
• Analysis

T7 - Exergames, Interaction and Special Needs: AAL, Rehabilitation, Therapy

• Exergames & Exertion Interfaces
• AMVR & ArtR and Special Needs
• Gaming Technologies in Special Needs

T8 - Virtual Reality Experience Presentations

• Student research & analysis on applications

Block 3: Design and Development of Real-Time Interactive Experiences

P1 – Introduction to OpenFrameworks

P4 - Real Time Computer Vision with OF & OpenCV

T5 - (2nd part) Full-Body Interaction Design Workshop

T6 - (2nd part) Class Presentations & Debate of Full-Body Experiences

S4 – Full-Body Artificial Reality project follow-up

T9 - Project Presentations – Working Final Versions of Full-Body Experiences

Block 4: Tools for Sensors & Actuators for Real-Time Interaction

P2 – Introduction to Arduino

S1 - Arduino & Visuals

P3 - Connecting Systems via OSC: OF & Arduino

S2 - Exchanging Clients & Servers - Multiple Interfaces for One Game

S3 - Time of flight cameras: the Kinect

P5 - Physics Engines with OF

 

Methodology

- Main theory classes: Presentation of the informative and theoretical aspects of the course: We expect students to participate by asking questions, making comments and genrating debate on the works presented in class.

- Seminar sessions: Small group sessions in which students work in groups of three on practical topics such that detailed attention can be given to doubts of students. Activities defined during seminars will be done in specialised laboratories such as the electronics lab, will allow students to practice, check and actively discuss issues presented in practical classes and hence are part of continuous evaluatiuon. Students will undertake specific exercises during seminars or will be allowed to finish th fina stages of a part of practice exercises as established in the course's program.

- Practcal sessions: These are undertaken by students in labs or in computer classrooms which will be supervised by the teacher. These will be used to introduce knowledge on design and development tools for special interfaces and/or real time generated interactive experiences. They will also be used to strengthen knowledge acquired in theory classes and during personal study. These activities will be done in teams of three students.

Note: We recommend that the teams of three students are the same both in Seminar as in Practical classes

 

	Classroom activities			Out of Classroom Activities
Topics	Large Group	Medium Group	Small Group
Block 1	4			9
Block 2	10			17
Block 3	4	4	2	26
Block  4		6	6	12
Exam
Total:	18	10	8	64	Total: 100

 

Resources

Basic Bibliography:

• Sharp, H., Rogers, Y., and Preece, J., Interaction design: beyond human-computer interaction, Wiley & Sons, 2011, 3rd ed
• Burdea, G., Coiffet, P., Virtual Reality Technology, John Wiley & Sons, cop. 1994
• Noble, J., Programming Interactivity, 2nd Edition: A Designer's Guide to Processing, Arduino, and openFrameworks, O'Reilly Media, 2012

Complementary

• Krueger, M., Artificial reality II, Addison-Wesley, 1990
• Sherman, Craig, Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design  http://books.google.es/books/about/Understanding_virtual_reality.html?id=7ssd_st8kjMC&redir_esc=y
• Kalawsky, R., The science of virtual reality and virtual environments: a technical, scientific and engineering reference on virtual environments, Addison-Wesley, 1993
• Hourcade, J.P., (2008) "Interaction Design and Children",
• Foundations and Trends® in Human–Computer Interaction: Vol. 1: No 4, pp 277-392 
  https://vpn.upf.edu/+CSCO+0p756767633A2F2F6A6A6A2E61626A63686F797666757265662E70627A++/product.aspx?product=HCI&doi=1100000006
• Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/pres