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VTT’s VRP Environment has been developed as part of several project since 1995. The environment includes different user interaction devices and SW components to support the development of hand-held electronics and telecommunication products.
Figure. VTT’s hardware equipment for VRP Environment (situation in 1996).
Figure. Simulation session with VRP Environment.
Figure. Haptic interface device PHANTOM (http://www.sensable.com) in VRP Environment.
Figure. The Java- and VRML-based VRP Environment running on a Windows NT platform (situation in 1998).
A concept study and virtual reality prototyping of a future cellular phone was carried out in the CyPhone project. More information about the project is available from the the project web-pages from the University of Oulu.
Figure. CyPhone – first design versions.
Figure. CyPhone designs, version 2.
As its public pilot case, the VIRPI project was applying virtual reality techniques to the design of a wireless interface device for a mobile phone. This ComPen case study served as a functional example of how virtual prototyping can be used to combine the future technology with existing solutions. ComPen was created as a fully digital model that could be seen, felt, heard and used even before implementation in the physical sense. This virtual phone could even be used to make calls via the GSM network! The purpose of the ComPen was to serve as a public demonstration of a hypothetical product development process employing virtual prototyping. The starting point was a vision of a potential product idea, and the result was a functional, tested product model, which was developed by applying virtual prototyping techniques in different design phases. The definition of the product specifications and the implementation and testing phases made use of centralized virtual prototyping and the subcontractor network-based design and production functions, and the definition of product variants and Internet-based marketing and sales employed distributed virtual prototyping. The idea of the ComPen was to provide for the user a smaller, lighter and simplified version of a cellular phone which could be carried in the breast pocket of one's shirt or on a chain around one's neck and would enable calls to be answered or made to numbers recorded in its memory with just a few simple movements of one hand. The control and user interface software of the ComPen was designed so, that it allowed textual messages to be read just by one press of a button, its ringing tone to be silenced at the turn of a power switch, and an emergency call to be made simply by just holding one key down. The ComPen was planned as a wireless extension to a conventional GSM phone and was capable of operating within a radius of 10-50m of the phone to which it was linked. This meant that a user could leave his or her cellular phone with its high-power battery in a bag and use it from a distance by means of the ComPen, which he or she could conveniently carry around. The weight or external appearance of the cellular phone with its battery needed no longer needed be a matter of critical importance, as the ComPen rendered such things irrelevant. This meant, in fact, that a user could prolong the service life of his or her mobile phone simply by investing in a ComPen, which would cost only about one-fifth of the price. The ComPen concept also allowed the user to vary the appearance and functions of his or her phone as needs or moods dictated, using a sophisticated, aluminum-cased "businessman's" model with a 30 second message recording and playback facility at work and exchanging it for a luminous, bright-colored, waterproof "sports" model on a chain around his or her neck for weekend use. The whole family could communicate at home using personal ComPens, and one GSM cellular phone was sufficient as a base station for them all, and to relay external calls!
Figure. ComPen designs.
Figure. ComPen simulation session.
Figure. ComPen simulation session.
Augmented Reality applications Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) techniques offer an interesting way to extend the existing product features and to develop totally new kinds of products, also in the area of telecommunication and electronics industry. Whilst the physical size of hand-held mobile devices is becoming smaller, the number of features offered by them is increasing. It is also expected that future mobile devices will communicate more actively with their environment, and that they will be better aware of their own state, their operating environment and their users. This progress sets new demands for the UIs – more informative displays, new input methods and UI paradigms are needed in order to ensure high customer satisfaction. In this challenge VR/AR technology can of benefit in many ways.
Figure. Augmented reality extensions in future user interface technology.
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