User Interface Software for Augmented Environments

Introduction

This project is part of the User Interfaces for Augmented Environments project set. Please read that page for an introduction to this research.

Project

The goal of this project is to think about the high-level architecture of user-interface software tools for augmented environments, analogous to the tools available for current 2D GUI's. For example, what are the equivalents of

• Window systems
• GUI Toolkits
• Window managers

and so on.

Here is what you need to do.

1. Read the papers listed below. The first provides an overview of 2D GUI Software, the second provides a discussion of what context is and how it can be used, and the final three are examples systems that deliver part of what we envision augmented environments will be capable of
2. Define the issues that should be address by a UI software architecture for augmented environments (meet with Dr. MacIntyre to discuss this).
3. Meet with Dr. MacIntyre regularly to discuss your emerging ideas.
4. Propose a design for a software infrastructure, and discuss how it does (or does not) address the needs of augmented environments.

Background

• Augmented Environments Lab web page
• The following papers:
  • "UIMSs, Toolkits, Interface Builders," Brad A. Myers (pdf)
  • "The Context Toolkit: Aiding the Development of Context-Enabled Applications," Daniel Salber, Anind K. Dey and Gregory D. Abowd. (pdf)
  • "Flatland," Beth Mynatt, Takeo Igarashi (Univ Tokyo), Keith Edwards, Anthony LaMarca (Xerox PARC) (pdf)
  • "i-LAND: An interactive Landscape for Creativitiy and Innovation," Streitz, N.A., Geißler, J., Holmer, T., Konomi, S., Müller-Tomfelde, C., Reischl, W., Rexroth, P., Seitz, P., and Steinmetz, R. (pdf)
  • Butz, A., Hollerer, T., Feiner, S., MacIntyre, B., and Beshers, C. ``Enveloping Users and Computers in a Collaborative 3D Augmented Reality.'' In International Workshop on Augmented Reality, 1999, San Francisco, CA. (pdf)
• Some knowledge of, or practical experience with, GUI software and distributed systems would be useful

Deliverables

• Write a 3-5 page Report addressing the following issues:
  • Give a brief overview what you believe to be the issues that need to be addressed by a user interface software architecture for augmented environments, in relation to the window systems and example systems with which you are familiar
  • Propose a high-level design for a software architecture, discuss its advantages and shortcomings

Evaluation

Based on the report turned in to the sponsor of the project by the due date.