Immersive Control Of Human Interaction With Multi-Variate Data

In a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) effort with Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), DRaW Computing Associates, Inc., has developed virtual reality packages for supporting immersive, reactive worlds in a human simulation. Research is producing a range of commercial VRML products on several platforms. These include OpenWorlds™, Human OpenWorlds™, OpenWorlds Horizon™, and OpenWorlds Merchant™. Targeted for existing and new 3D graphics applications and human simulation environments, the products hold various competitive strengths. Human OpenWorlds, for example, presents the unique ability to create interactive worlds with realistic, accurate human figures. OpenWorlds, as another example, brings VRML and 3D graphics and simulation capabilities into any software system, i.e., CAD packages, games, training packages, etc. The technology delivers open rendering and is supported by Sun, SGI, and Windows.

Currently used for NASA simulation of maintenance tasks for the International Space Station, the products hold vast potential for military and OSHA tasks, as well as other human-machine interactions (training tasks, feasibility studies, and ergonomics assessments, to name a few). The tools can be used to correct design flaws and make human assessments of virtual mock-ups before production, which could result in millions of dollars in savings.

Research has been presented at the VRML '98 Conference and featured in Silicon Graphics World.