| | | |

3D Technologies

Advanced User Interfaces Design & Evaluation

This research aims to provide users with better tools and techniques to interact with computers or with other users through a computer-mediated interface. Since the selection of the most suitable interface is mainly task-dependent, the evaluation of the overall human-system performance is critical to achieve an objective choice, given all the constraints of a particular system.

In this respect, the design of a good interface must take into account the system performance, the user performance and the particular task in order to find a good match between them.

The comparative study of the effect of user interfaces on human performance is at the heart of our research. To help in the evaluation of the user interfaces, we developed a test bed that automates most of the tests with human subjects in the laboratory in order to obtain valuable experimental results.

Past and current studies involve the design and evaluation of user interfaces for the navigation and selection of objects in 3D environments. The results of those studies are applied to the development of innovative 3D user interfaces for remote monitoring and control in the fields of mining and space robotics, as well as for collaborative virtual environments.

Project partners, past and present, include: Syncrude, MD Robotics, the Canadian Space Agency, NewMIC

Highlights of this research have included:

Image representing the Minesim project - Click for full view

Minesim: a demonstration of how we could apply virtualized reality technologies to help decision-makers improve the exploitation of open-pit tar sands mines.

Image representing the COSMOS project - Click for full view

COSMOS: a proof-of-concept 3D user interface developed to improve the performance of monitoring and control of space robots located on the International Space Station.

Related NRC-IIT Publications

Research Contact

Dr. Jean-François Lapointe
Research Officer
Visual Information Technology
NRC Institute for Information Technology
1200 Montreal Road
Building M-50, Room 346
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
Telephone: +1 (613) 993-0261
Fax: +1 (613) 952-0215
E-mail: Jean-François Lapointe

Business Contact

Charles Gauthier
Business Development Officer
Business Development Office, NCR
NRC Institute for Information Technology
1200 Montreal Road
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
Telephone: +1 (613) 993-2491
Fax: +1 (613) 952-7998
E-mail: Charles Gauthier