Room metaphors have become increasingly popular as a basis for CSCW systems. This paper describes... more Room metaphors have become increasingly popular as a basis for CSCW systems. This paper describes how such metaphors might be extended to support large scale communication through the introduction of a spatial model for meditating conversations in virtual computer spaces. The model is described in terms of an abstract mathematical framework and the paper then outlines how this might be applied to various kinds of CSCW system. As a next step, the combination of rooms into larger virtual structures is considered resulting in proposals for structuring, navigating and mapping a large virtual cyberspace for cooperation. Finally, the paper describes a current prototype application and reflects on some of the architectural issues involved in its realisation as a distributed system. 1 1. This paper will appear in Interacting With Computers (Butterworth-Heinmann) in 1993.
We present an experiment that investigates the behaviour of small groups of participants in a wid... more We present an experiment that investigates the behaviour of small groups of participants in a wide-area distributed collaborative virtual environment (CVE). This is the third and largest study in a series of experiments that have examined trios of participants carrying out a highly collaborative puzzle-solving task. The results reproducing those of earlier studies suggest a positive relationship between place-presence and co-presence, between co-presence and group accord, with evidence supporting the notion that immersion confers leadership advantage.
International journal of human-computer studies, Jul 1, 2003
We describe the design and implementation of SenToy: a tangible doll with sensors that allows a u... more We describe the design and implementation of SenToy: a tangible doll with sensors that allows a user to influence the emotions of a synthetic character in a game. SenToy is an input device that allows the user to perform gestures or movements that the sensors inside the doll pick up. The gestures are interpreted according to a scheme found through two different user studies: one Wizard of Oz study and one study with a fully functioning SenToy. Different gestures express one of the following emotions: anger, fear, surprise, sadness, gloating and happiness. Depending upon the expressed emotion, the synthetic character in the game will, in turn, perform different actions (trading, duelling, etc.). The evaluation of SenToy acting as the interface to the computer game FantasyA has shown that the users were able to express the desired emotions to influence the synthetic characters, and that overall players liked the doll as an interface.
Virtual world metaphors are becoming increasingly popular as a basis for collaborative systems. T... more Virtual world metaphors are becoming increasingly popular as a basis for collaborative systems. This paper describes how such metaphors might be extended to support communication on a large scale through the introduction of a spatial model for conversation management in virtual computer spaces. The key concepts of awareness, focus and aura are introduced and are then defined in terms of an abstract mathematical framework. The paper then outlines how this framework might be applied to a diverse range of technologies, focusing on the example of a text conferencing system in detail. Finally, the paper describes the current CyCo prototype at Nottingham. 1 1.
In this report we present our findings and results from the VITI program in 2000. The focus of th... more In this report we present our findings and results from the VITI program in 2000. The focus of the research work undertaken by VITI has been to provide electronic meeting environments that are easy to use and afford as natural a collaboration experience as possible. This final report is structured into three parts. Part one concerns the VITI infrastructure and consists of two sections. The first section describes the process of establishing the infrastructure, concentrating on how the work was done. The second section presents the actual infrastructure that is in place today, concentrating on what has been put in place. Part two examines the use the VITI infrastructure has been put to, giving examples of activities it has supported and discussing strengths and weaknesses that have emerged through this use. Finally part three considers the future of distributed electronic meeting environments. It is recommended that the report be read in the order in which it is presented. However, each section has been written as a standalone document and can be read independently of the others.
this paper, we present the design of a poetry performance in a collaborative virtual environment ... more this paper, we present the design of a poetry performance in a collaborative virtual environment (CVE) and discuss the experience of staging this performance to an audience of two hundred members of the general public.The performance took place in Nottingham on 11th November 1996 as part of the NOWninety6 arts festival and involved an extensive collaboration between computer scientists, poets, a graphic artist and an event production team. This paper explores a range of CSCW issues arising from this experience, including: . developing rich and engaging forms of content for CVEs; . exploring the tension between autonomy of action for audience members and the management of a performance so as to encourage appropriate behaviours at relevant times and places; . considering the role of `virtual architecture' in enabling different modes of awareness and communication between participants as an event unfolds; . developing appropriate embodiments for performers and audience; . developi...
Virtual world metaphors are becoming increasingly popular as a basis for collaborative systems (i... more Virtual world metaphors are becoming increasingly popular as a basis for collaborative systems (i.e. Groupware and Computer Supported Cooperative Work). This paper describes how such metaphors might be extended to support communication on a large scale through the introduction of a spatial model for meditating interaction in virtual computer spaces. Key concepts from the model are introduced and are then defined in terms of an abstract mathematical framework. The paper
FantasyA is a role-playing game where emotions are part of the game logic. SenToy is a tangible i... more FantasyA is a role-playing game where emotions are part of the game logic. SenToy is a tangible interface device [2], used to influence emotional behaviour in FantasyA. Players in the game FantasyA have to master SenToy and exhibit a particular set of emotions and perform a set of actions in order to evolve in the game [3]. A study was undertaken to gauge the success of the overall gaming experience, as well as the individual components, the FantasyA game with its emotional content and the SenToy control device with its gestural input.
Environments Work Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) are a promising technology enabling r... more Environments Work Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) are a promising technology enabling remote participants to share a common place through three-dimensional graphical scenes. Within the COVEN project (Normand, 1999), we have run prolonged series of Internet trials that have allowed us to gather valuable data to formulate usability guidelines and networking requirements. However, running such trials in a real setting and making sure that the application and networking infrastructures will be stable enough is still a challenge. In this paper, we describe some of our experiences, together with the technical choices that have permitted many hours of successful Internet trials. We also make a thorough analysis of different correlated logging data. This analysis allows us to propose and con�rm a model of a CVE application’s network behavior, together with a number of interesting results that disprove some common assumptions. Furthermore, we use the model and the logging data to h...
This paper describes a distributed system with the aim to allow inhabitants to re-configure arran... more This paper describes a distributed system with the aim to allow inhabitants to re-configure arrangements of devices and to understand the behaviour of these devices in tandem by making visible the various configurations. The purpose is to address the evolutionary nature of the domestic environments. We describe two different configuration facilities and the underlying infrastructure.
We describe our experiences of creating and using a wide variety of techniques and applications t... more We describe our experiences of creating and using a wide variety of techniques and applications to support collaboration in virtual environments for different activities and user groups. Our aim is to offer plentiful and rich possibilities for interaction across and between both real and virtual environments.
A categorization of telecommunications services is presented, as a deliverable in a project commi... more A categorization of telecommunications services is presented, as a deliverable in a project commissioned by TeliaSonera.
A Model of Conversation Management in Virtual Rooms
A distributor diesel fuel injection pump of the spill-inject-spill type has a two-piece valve mov... more A distributor diesel fuel injection pump of the spill-inject-spill type has a two-piece valve moveable relative to a valve seat to the spill-inject-spill cycles with this valve being actuated by the armature of a push type solenoid. At least the tip portion of the valve is made of steel, the remainder of the valve being formed of a compliant material so as to substantially reduce valve bounce and to permit sufficient bending of the valve to allow the armature to contact the pole surface of the solenoid.
Gaming is a highly relevant application area for Intelligent Agents and Human Computer Interactio... more Gaming is a highly relevant application area for Intelligent Agents and Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Computer games bring us a full set of new gaming experiences where synthetic characters take on the main role. Using affective input in the interaction with a game and in particular with a character is a recent and fairly unexplored dimension. This video presents a study of a tangible interaction device for affective input and its use in a role-playing game where emotions are part of the game logic. 1 The FantasyA game and the SenToy input device SenToy is an affective physical interface, a doll with sensors in its limbs that are sensitive to movement and acceleration, inspired by work on tangible user interfaces (Ishii and Ullmer 1997). It is used to control and influence synthetic characters that inhabit a 3D role-playing game named FantasyA (Hook et al. 2003). The FantasyA demonstrator, produced within the EU-IST Safira project, supports a duel between mages, with the two mag...
This paper describes work being undertaken by the multi-partner European Union funded project COV... more This paper describes work being undertaken by the multi-partner European Union funded project COVEN (COllaborative Virtual ENvironments). COVEN is developing collaborative virtual environment (CVE) systems and technologies in order to support a group of travel rehearsal applications. One of the major themes of the project is the evaluation of CVE applications through extensive network trials, usability evaluations and in depth case-controlled experiments. This paper concentrates upon an experimental study where groups of three strangers meet in a CVE to carry out a simple collaborative task. The experiment was designed to investigate issues about group behaviour such as the relationship between emergent leadership and computational resources, presence of being in a place, and the co-presence, the sense of togetherness, amongst the participants. This experiment and others undertaken by the project highlight a number of issues to do with participant representation, interaction style a...
E-meetings to support netlearning. Widen, Johnny and Bullock, Adrian and Karlsson, Jan BM (2002) ... more E-meetings to support netlearning. Widen, Johnny and Bullock, Adrian and Karlsson, Jan BM (2002) E-meetings to support netlearning. In: Netlearning 2002, 25-27 Nov 2002, Ronneby, Sweden. Full text not available from this repository. ...
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Papers by Adrian Bullock