Further Development of the Responsive Workbench

Abstract

The Responsive Workbench (W. Kruger and B. Frohlich, 1994) is designed to support end users as scientists, engineers, physicians, and architects working on desks, workbenches, and tables with an adequate human machine interface. Virtual objects are located on a real ldquoworkbenchrdquo. The objects, displayed as computer generated stereoscopic images are projected onto the surface of a table. The participants operate within a non immersive virtual environment. A ldquoguiderdquo uses the virtual environment while several observers can watch events by using shutter glasses. Depending on the application, various input and output modules have been integrated, such as motion, gesture and voice recognition systems which characterize the general trend away from the classical multimedia desktop interface. The system is explained and evaluated in several applications: A virtual patient serves as an example for non sequential medical training. The car industry benefits from areas like rapid prototyping for exterior design and interactive visualization and examination of flow field simulations (virtual windtunnel, mixing processes). Visualization and verification of experiments with mobile instrument deployment devices in outer space missions are another fascinating application. Architecture and landscape design are another discipline well suited for the workbench environment.