Eurographics Workshop on Virtual Environments 2002 Proceedings

Abstract:

This book contains the proceedings of the Eighth EUROGRAPHICS Workshop on Virtual Environments. The event was held in Barcelona from May 30 to May 31, 2002. The workshop brought together scientists, developers, and users from all over the world to present and discuss the latest scientific advances in the field of Virtual Environments.60 papers were submitted for reviewing and 22 were selected to be presented at the workshop. Most of the top research institutions working in the area submitted papers and presented their latest results. The presentations were complemented by two keynote talks from Marc Mine (Walt Disney Imagineering - VR Studio) and Eric Badiqué (European Commission - IST program).The research presented at this workshop can be classified into the following aspects of Virtual Environments (VEs): Input and Output Devices, Interaction and Navigation, Evaluation, Collaboration, Systems, and Applications. Devices focus mainly on hardware issues to interface with a simulation, whereas Interaction and Navigation techniques investigate how the raw input is best interpreted so that the user can easily achieve his/her goals. Evaluations provide data about the usability of Virtual Environments, and the importance of objective and reproducible studies can only be stressed. Virtual Environments are often used to communicate and to co-operate and this focus is evident in the research on Collaboration. The area of Systems discusses the various tradeoffs in building complete solutions and last, but not least, applications report on the transfer of research results into the real world. However, the reader should note that many contributions cross these boundaries, which reflects the multidisciplinary nature of Virtual Environments.