Overview

Background: Ann Marie Shillito:
Career as designer jeweller and lecturer to 1998:

• know-how and expertise from design, crafts, teaching Research Fellowship 1999 to present
• to investigate how applied artists can best access industrial technologies such as laser cutting and rapid prototyping
• barriers inhibiting access e.g.:
  • non-intuitive CAD interfaces
  • steep learning curves

What do I bring to the Touching the Untouchable Workshop?
In context of overall aim of the cluster re. PI on Tacitus/PoC Projects

• experience of managing research projects from initial application stage through proof of concept (PoC) stage to application as commercial products - pragmatic approach
• understanding of the creative process, constraints of computers to this process, etc.
• experience developing demonstrators e.g. for user tests
• using different commercial haptic force feedback devices
• range: 6DoF, affordable robust, off the shelf 3DoF devices
  Re. my role as CEO of Anarkik3D Ltd, an established company in the commercial ‘creative industry’ sector:
• direct and manage Company‘s development
• maintain sustainability in the short term, grow in the longer term
• focus on objective to exploit benefits of haptic software and deliver to creative arts & design communities
• currently developing expertise for using 3DoF device for both creativity and for Virtual Worlds (SecondLife, OpenSIM) re: navigation, avatar control, ‘quick and easy’ 3D constructions for importing.
• Minimal opportunity to engage in academic research

Tacitus Research Project: Main objectives

• improve computer aided design experience for applied artists/designers
• provide more intuitive immersive interface
• give access to full advantage of benefits of computing and haptics
• achieve this through formal studies of creative process & computer usage
• activities of drawing, sketching, modelling, playing, exploring, “intelligent making”
• mix of formal knowledge, tacit knowledge, physical and mental skill, contextual awareness, innovation, and personal creative autonomy.
  
  Stated outcome: ‘To be useful … the output needs to be accessible, affordable, and in a form that is appropriate. For delivery of commercially viable products originating from the project’. In November 2006 a spin-out company, Anarkik3D Ltd, was set up.

Application of research
1. Products for design and arts sector:
a) 3D design tool for fast concept generation, linked to rapid prototyping

• Benefits: intuitive interface speeds up concept development process; makes 3D design accessible to non-CAD users; rapid prototyping facilitates early feedback
• Software (Cloud9): Beta Development phase
  • AnarkikAngels crowd sourcing initiative to fund and user trial application
  • Cloud9 based on sketch/modelling product, Cre8, released Sept 08, developed for Novint in US for Falcon (consumer level haptic hardware).

b) Automotive OEM:

• Vehicle interior design tool to enable the required feel of interior surfaces to be scoped:
  • qualitative and quantitative information shared, discussed, adjusted and implemented in the final product
• Benefits: reduction in quantity and cost of swatches, prototypes, late design adjustments
• Development paused after Phase 2

2. Virtual Worlds

• Use of low cost Novint device for more intuitive 3D spacial interactions
• Training applications:
  • New initiative: more intuitive user interface for interacting in 3D virtual worlds (e.g. SecondLife)
  • development is in Phase 1
• Application to import objects created in Novint’s Cre8 into VWs
• Aim: hapticated environment for more immersive experience
  • Next phase: ‘hapticating objects in VWs
  • investigating compatible platforms.

A spin-out Company from collaborative research.
Our ‘innovation’ is how we combine our assets.
Our products: innovative haptic software applications and solutions to provide more natural and intuitive interactions in 3D virtual environment using ‘force feedback’, degrees of freedom, and stereovision.

• use valuable knowledge from collaborative research (Tacitus and ‘HandsOn’ PoC)
• dynamic team from diverse backgrounds, experiences and range of cultures
• know-how to exploit cutting edge, ‘touch’ enabling technology
• practical yet ‘out of the box’ approach to application of know-how, expertise, and skills

Products/Services:

• Bespoke Haptic Software Applications/Concept Demonstrators (e.g. BMW contract)
• Software for mass market:
  • OEMs (e.g. Cre8 for Novint’s Falcon)
  • Tools: (e.g. to facilitate more effective interactions for training & learning in Virtual Worlds:
• Own brand Products:
• Cloud9 for concept generation for creative sector
  • Based on demonstrators and Cre8
  • developed using ‘crowd sourcing’ model
• Tools for Virtual Worlds: more intuitive navigation and construction

Issues and Interests

Further reading

Papers from Tacitus Research Project:

The TACITUS experience: a new spatial, multi-sensory digital interface supporting creativity, PixelRaiders 2004
‘HAPTICS: for a more experiential quality in a computer interface’ www.ub.edu/5ead/PDF/9/ShillitoSW.pdf
‘3D modeling is not for WIMPs’, Scali, Wright, Shillito. 2003.
‘3D modeling is not for WIMPs’, Part 2, Gauldie, Wright, Shillito.

Links

www2.eca.ac.uk/tacitus
www.eca.ac.uk/hands_on
www.eca.ac.uk/hands-on/video
www.anarkik3d.co.uk
www.anarkikangels.co.uk