Interface and Application Design

An Exploration of Virtual Auditory Shape

Perception, masters thesis. Hollander, Ari J. (1994). (FH-ari-94-02) [HTML] | Macintosh Microsoft Word 5.1 format (at HIT Lab site)

Perception of Virtual Auditory Shapes.

Proceedings of the International Conference on Auditory Displays. November, 1994. Hollander, Ari J., & Furness, Thomas A. (1994). (FH-ari-94-01) [HTML] (at HIT Lab site)

In the real world sound has shape and size as well as the familiar pitch, loudness, and timbre. However, our ears and brains conspire against our being able to perceive such aspects. This paper explores possible techniques for using virtual sound technology to help us hear what we cannot usually perceive: the shape of sounds.

Interactivity in Computer-based Foreign Language Instruction: A Review of the Literature.

Rose, H. (1994).(FH-hr-94-01) [RTF Document]

This report reviews the literature regarding computer-based instruction in second language learning, and the various modes of interactivity currently available. It is not a review of existing computer-based instruction (CBI) products. Rather, it is an overview of the criticisms CBI faces in its current applications to foreign language learning, and a compilation of design suggestions based on sound pedagogy.

Tactile Augmentation: Enhancing Presence in Virtual Reality with Tactile Feedback from Real Objects.

Presented at the Meeting of the American Psychological Society, Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Society. Hoffman, H.G., Groen, J., Rousseau, S., Hollander, A.,Winn, W., Wells, M., & Furness III, T. (1996). (FH-ari-96-01) [HTML] (at HIT Lab site)

Solidity, texture, and "cyber-heft" in virtual environments: In conventional virtual environments objects have no solidity. Even with the most expensive force-feedback systems the best you can get is a crude, spongy surface, and even this requires wielding or wearing cumbersome mechanical contraptions. This paper examines the importance of solidity in virtual environments using an augmented reality system implemented by the authors: real objects are instrumented and spatially registered with virtual representations, thus providing the solidity, texture, and weight that would otherwise be absent.