Graphics and Human Computer Interfaces Commons^™

Weapon System Integration For The Afit Virtual Cockpit, William E. Gerhard Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Institute of Technology is continuing research in the Virtual Cockpit. The Virtual Cockpit makes use of high performance graphics workstations, Virtual Environment technology, and Distributed Interactive Simulation network protocols to create a flight simulator based on the capabilities of the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. The work presented in this thesis focuses on the design and implementation issues for integrating a weapons delivery capability. Weapons simulated include: RADAR and IR guided air- to-air missiles, gravity and precision guided bombs, and a 20mm cannon. Virtual Environment displays used include: color NTSC and monochrome high resolution helmet mounted displays …

Real Image Visual Display System, James R. Brandt

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates a technique for improving the perception of three-dimensionality in images generated by a Silicon Graphics workstation. The technique involves using a spherical mirror into which the graphics from the CRT are projected. A real image of the graphic is formed by the mirror and it appears to be floating at the image plane. The three-dimensional effect is improved by adding reflections or shadows of the displayed object. Additionally, a method of using real objects with computer generated shadows and computer generated objects with real shadows is investigated. This is done in an effort to quantify how far …

A User Interface To A True 3-D Display Device, Bruce A. Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes an interactive interface to a true three dimensional, real-dm dynamic graphic display, the TI Omniview™. The system generates true 3-D images of volumetric data and objects. The TI Omniview is a cylindrical volumetric laser display that uses a rotating double-helix translucent disk to fill the display cylinder. Voxels are illuminated on the 2-D surface. The rotational speed of the disk allows the viewer to fuse the 2-D images into a true 3-D image. The interface provides the user with a quick and flexible means of manipulating the image generated, the sub-volume displayed, and the resulting 3-D image. …

A Synthetic Environment Flight Simulator: The Afit Virtual Cockpit, John C. Switzer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design and implementation of a part of the Virtual Cockpit: a synthetic environment, distributed network flight simulator. The goal of the project was to prove the concept that this type of flight simulator could fill the gap between high-end, very expensive flight simulators and low-end game quality flight simulators. Discussed are: object-oriented design techniques, multi-processor utilization, the flight dynamics model, synthetic environment technology, the frame-rate vs. realism issue, and the interfaces to a realistic joystick and throttle.

Comparative Evaluation Of A Monocular Head Mounted Display Device Versus A Flat Screen Display Device In Presenting Aircraft Maintenance Technical Data, Jeffrey A. Friend, Randy S. Grinstead

Theses and Dissertations

As military developers provide increasingly complex weapon system, it becomes more difficult for maintenance technicians to perform their jobs. One aspect of the technicians' world is the need to access technical information in the performance of their duties. This study investigated two electronic display systems to evaluate which enhanced technician performance more. A Head Mounted Display (HMD) device and a portable hand-held flat-screen computer were evaluated in the performance of two flightline maintenance activities. Although both display systems were fully portable and self contained, only the HMD system allowed continuous access to technical information during task performance. In most cases, …

Interactive Graphics System For The Study Of Variance/Covariance Structures Of Bivariate And Multivariate Normal Populations, Ronald G. Garlicki

Theses and Dissertations

This research created a graphics oriented computer program which was used as part of a Visualization, Verbalization, Algorithization and Mathematization (VVAM) learning protocol. The curriculum for this research was the study of variance/covariance structures of bivariate and multivariate normal populations. The program displays the geometric images corresponding to the various possible covariance structures. These images facilitate and encourage experiment-based self discovery learning. The program encourages the student to take an active role in their own education. The program created is self contained, calculating all the statistical values it requires to create the various geometric images. The students have complete control …

Comparison Of Four-Cursor Buttons Vs Joystick To Access Computerized Technical Information From An Integrated Maintenance Information System, Gerald E. Streff, Robert H. Gundel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the use of four-cursor buttons versus a joystick device to present technical order information on a portable maintenance aid computer for aircraft technicians in a maintenance environment. Studies to date have verified the superiority of computer-presented technical orders when compared to current paper-based systems; this research investigated the effectiveness of these computer-based systems when technicians used a joystick or four-cursor button to display desired technical information. A comparison was made as to technician performance using a portable maintenance aid at the 4950th Test Wing, WPAFB OH. A total of thirty-two maintenance technicians …

Visual Graphic Knowledge Management Methodology, Jih-Shih Hsu

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

As computer technology evolves, graphic workstations are becoming more popular. They support more friendly user interfaces than do conventional terminals. The better user interfaces require more effort to develop. Therefore, many user interface (UI) design systems have been developed to facilitate the creation of modern user interfaces, but not very successfully. Many of them either provide limited features or are difficult to use. Besides, these UI design systems are actually like black boxes to their users because the underlying technology is opaque; their users cannot learn how to utilize the underlying window systems through user interface design sessions. In a …

Design Of A Laboratory Computer Interface, Douglas L. Durand

Theses and Dissertations

An interface for the LSI-11 computer was designed and implemented so that the computer supports data acquisition, data reduction, and equipment control. The design includes both hardware and software and addresses both parallel and serial input/output (I/0). The serial interface's hardware is simply a Serial Line Unit card. This card plugs into the LSI-11 bus and provides the signals necessary to interface EIA RS-232 compatible devices. A software utility was developed to allow communication with the serial device and to allow exchange of data files. Routines were written to allow serial I/O through a FORTRAN program. The interface's parallel hardware …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Reading From A Vdu And From Paper As Measured In Terms Of Reading Speed And Comprehension, Elizabeth Payumo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigates the legibility and visual effects of eight combinations of font and colour on VDU and two different fonts on paper. Forty subjects, sixteen females and twenty-four males, were exposed to three of the ten different conditions, one in each of the set of readings, on either VDU or paper. They were asked to read different sets of stories in each condition on different days where each condition lasted for approximately two hours. Reading speed and comprehension scores were measured in every story read in the set of stories. The change of mood and physical symptoms states of …

Real Imagery As A Three Dimensional Display, Juan C. Echeverry

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort implemented two 3-D display designs to assess their performance and effect on an observer's depth perception. Both 3-D displays produced real images for the observer to view. The first display setup combined a lens relay with a two concave mirror projector. The second display setup combined the two concave mirror projector with a diffuser. The lens relay/ two concave mirror projector combination was successful in imaging a source from the CRT to a point in space above the two mirror system. The problem was that the observer could not assess the image location by just looking at …

Real-Time Flight Simulation And The Head-Mounted Display - An Inexpensive Approach To Military Pilot Training, Philip A. Platt

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of the low-cost head-mounted display (HMD), an inexpensive graphics workstation-based flight simulator, and a communications network was investigated to determine if the prototype of an inexpensive multi- aircraft Virtual Flight Simulator could be built. Previous research efforts have coupled HMD technology and flight simulation; however, the cost of these systems has been high. This thesis effort emphasized the use of joystick devices to emulate pilot control, the implementation of a fully enclosed virtual flight simulator, and the utilization of low-cost NTSC-based television technology to produce a prototype. The virtual flight simulator also contained a basic set of instruments …

Computer Generated Holography As A Three-Dimensional Display Medium, Bryant L. Stuart

Theses and Dissertations

A process was developed to produce three dimensional images using computer generated holography (CGH). This process consisted of a series of steps that began with a geometric description of an object and concluded with a three dimensional holographic image being computed from a synthetic wavefront. The objects used in this series of steps (or CGH pipeline) were described geometrically as a collection of three dimensional points. The modular nature of the CGH pipeline provided a flexible platform from which to evaluate various object geometries, interference calculations algorithms, and interference pattern recording and reduction techniques. This system was implemented with general …

A Low-Cost Part-Task Flight Training System: An Application Of A Head Mounted Display, David A. Dahn

Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the feasibility of using head-mounted display(HMD) and Computer Image Generators(CIG) in a low cost part-task trainer, we created a prototype system. Our approach was to build a virtual world interface using a HMD to an existing flight simulator application. This allowed a CIG with only one graphics channel to drive the display. To investigate which class of computing platform was suitable for use as the CIG, a cooperative thesis effort was launched to host the simulator on a mini-computer and micro-computer platform. The appropriate CIG could then be determined through demonstration and comparison between the systems. A software …

A Remote Visual Interface Tool For Simulation Control And Display, William J. Derouchey

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the design and development of the Visual Interactive Simulation Interface Tool (VISIT). VISIT was designed to provide the graphical representation and user interface for a simulation that is running on another processor utilizing internet communications. The system provides support for various input devices to control the simulation display and environment. Simulation objects are displayed using either a three-dimensional wireframe representation or a Gouraud shaded representation. Viewer interaction to the simulation is provided by a collection of commands that allow the viewer to initialize, start, stop, abort, and restart the simulations. The viewer also has the ability to …

A Graphical Knowledge Level Approach For User-Database Interaction, K. Tan, H. Chan, Keng Siau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The authors propose a novel user interface, the Graphical Knowledge Level interface, for user-database interaction. This interface addresses two of the current research problems: the semantic inadequacy of the relational model and the logical data dependence of the relational languages. The interface is more user-friendly than the SOL interface and the Universal Relation interface, as it employs the graphical approach. The semantic inadequacy problem is alleviated by using an enhanced entity-relationship model. This data model includes abstraction concepts such as aggregation, generalization, and categorization. A formal, high-level Graphical Knowledge Level Query Language, GKQL, which provides for both logical and physical …

The Computer As A Collection Management Tool, Suzanne B. Mclaren, Hugh H. Genoways, Duane A. Schlitter

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Since the mid-1960s, discussion of computer use for information retrieval in museum collections has usually focused on research potential. Much attention has been given to the idea of networking and the ability to access data across great distances. However, the potential for collection management usage has also proven to be a legitimate rationale for computerization. Numerous aspects of collection management are discussed for which the computer may be employed. Topics include creating cross-reference files, updating taxonomic and geographic information, pinpointing mismatched specimens, locating lost and uncataloged material, controlling loan procedures, producing accession files for insurance purposes, curating all or part …

The Assessment Of Software Usability [Abstract], David W. Biers, Samuel M. Bower, Frank J. Dapolito, Donald J. Polzella

Psychology Faculty Publications

The University of Dayton has been exploring the feasibility of establishing a software usability testing laboratory. Usability refers to the ease-of-use of a system, and usability testing is performed to ensure that systems meet the criteria established to determine ease of use. Usability assessment involves both the measurement of user performance and user satisfaction.

Research Note: Getting Graphic: Computer Graphics In Biochemistry, Wilmon B. Chipman

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Color Display Of Vowel Spectra As A Training Aid For The Deaf, Amir Jalali Jagharghi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a transformation for mapping speech parameters to color parameter. This transformation is done in real-time, and the resulting color parameter are continuously displayed on a color monitor. This visual speech display is to be used as a speech articulation training aid for the deaf. The conversion of speech acoustic signals into speech parameter was accomplished using special -purpose electronics. The real-time conversion of speech parameter to display parameter was controlled by an 8086/8088 microprocessor operating in an S-100 bus structure. The coefficients of the Karhunen-Loeve series expansion of speech power spectra were …

The Coronary Distribution Zone : Mathematical Modelling Of The Left Ventricular Epicardial Surface For Area Calculation, Three-Dimensional Rotaton And Display, S. Matts E. Sjölander

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A computer model of the left ventricular (LV) epicardial surface was developed from Jang’s truncated ellipsoidal model, which has a minor to major axis ratio of 6:10. The model was applied in calculating the area of a segment of the myocardium, jeopardized by an impending occlusion of its associated artery. The endangered segment of the LV muscle was also visualized in different projections by rotations in three space and graphical displays simulating the three dimensions.

The area formula for the surface of the ideal model , a truncated prolate spheroid, was derived and used in producing maps for manual calculations …

Digital Video Display System Using Cathode-Ray Tube, George M. Low, Arthur I. Zygielbaum, Warren L. Martin, Alexander Engel

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

A digital video display system (DWDS) is disclosed for display of image, alphanumeric and other data on a cathode-ray tube (CRT) with sequential raster scan and two, four or eight gray shades. The DVDS includes a central processing unit for ac tivating the system, selecting the X (horizontal axis) and Z (in tensity modulation) modes, and designating the starting loca tion of two successive rasters of data from a memory accessed by a data multiplexer subsystem (DMS). At the end of each raster, the DMS interrupts the computer for a new starting lo cation of a raster of data to …