An interactive 3D interface for a virtual ceramic art work environment

Describes the design and implementation of a hands-on interface to support 3D object creation in a virtual environment (VE). This interface provides a 3D stereoscopic display facility. Virtual objects are presented stereoscopically just in front of users through LCD shutter glasses, enabling them to manipulate the objects directly by using their own real hands with two-handed instrumented gloves. It provides functions such as dynamic gesture expressions, position and size indication of the 3D objects, spatial manipulations, and a stereoscopic display function to operate with the two-handed gloves. A method called quasi-force-feedback is designed to control spatial tasks such as translations, rotations and deformations of the objects. It takes advantage of the objects' deformation speed to give the users a sense of force resistance from the objects visually without using any real force-feedback devices. Ceramic art is chosen as a target application and a prototype system for providing a realistic 3D virtual environment by simulating the pottery-making space in the real world is under development to verify its usefulness and effectiveness.