WP02 Production Process

Which kinds of experts are needed in AMIRE?

• MR gems expert
• MR framework expert
• MR component expert
• MR authoring expert
• Evaluation expert

MR gems expert

Firstly, there is the MR gems expert. The gems expert will make existing MR technology software units available in a way, so that they can be used several times in MR applications as well as in the MR authoring tools. These useful, reusable pieces will be called MR gems.

There will be MR gems for using augmented reality technologies (e.g. MR gems for identifying markers in a video image) as well as for using rich media (e.g. MR gems for handling and mapping video in a computer generated 3D scene).

MR framework expert

In addition, there is the MR framework expert. This expert is responsible for setting up an application framework (in our case an application framework for the training application) that provides basic services (e.g. communication services) as well as adapters which MR components can be plugged into. Thus, a MR application will consist of the MR application framework and a set of MR components that have been plugged-in.

MR component expert

Examples of MR components would be a navigation element, an assistant in the form of a small virtual character, or a virtual representation of a real object (e.g. a valve in the oil refinery example) that comprises an according geometry model as well as animation and simulation behavior.

The MR components are the part of the MR application an author has access to via the MR costumer specific authoring tools. They are collected in a MR component library. The authoring task will consist of the following steps (see Figure).

1. retrieving the MR components needed from the library.
2. inserting the MR components into the framework.
3. editing the properties of the MR components.
4. building up connections from the MR components to other MR components.

Therefore, it will be necessary that the MR components have a fixed interface for retrieving meta-information about them, e.g. about the properties they make available to the author or, in the example of a training application, training related meta-information. We will need a MR component expert to design and implement MR components (see Figure). This expert will make use of the MR gems produced and he will use existing standards in the MR component specification.

MR authoring expert

For the authoring process we will need a MR authoring expert, who will develop dedicated authoring metaphors that facilitate the authoring process sketched above. The MR authoring expert will implement them in the context of an authoring tool using the MR gems. He can rely on a rich set of information and services made available in the MR components and MR application framework.

Evaluation expert

Finally, we will need an expert who evaluates the designs and processes made in AMIRE, the evaluation expert, who will provide feedback to the other experts on an ongoing basis that will be used to check and to improve the work of the experts. The evaluation will be concerned with usability aspects (e.g. from the end users point of view), with exploitation aspects (e.g. in how far will an MR provider find the results useful) and with quality aspects (e.g. how is the quality of the produced MR application affected by the production process).