Polly is an inexpensive, portable telepresence device based on the metaphor of a parrot riding a guide's shoulder and acting as proxy for remote participants. Although remote users may be anyone with a desire for `tele-visits', we focus on limited mobility users. We present a series of prototypes and field tests that informed design iterations. Our current implementations utilize a smartphone on a stabilized, remotely controlled gimbal that can be hand held, placed on perches or carried by wearable frame. We describe findings from trials at campus, museum and faire tours with remote users, including quadriplegics. We found guides were more comfortable using Polly than a phone and that Polly was accepted by other people. Remote participants appreciated stabilized video and having control of the camera. One challenge is negotiation of movement and view control. Our tests suggests Polly is an effective alternative to telepresence robots, phones or fixed cameras.

In this demonstration we will show a mobile remote control and monitoring application for a recipe development laboratory at a local chocolate production company. In collaboration with TCHO, a chocolate maker in San Francisco, we built a mobile Web app designed to allow chocolate makers to control their laboratory's machines. Sensor data is imported into the app from each machine in the lab. The mobile Web app is used for control, monitoring, and collaboration. We have tested and deployed this system at the real-world factory and it is now in daily use. This project is designed as part of a research exploration into enhanced collaboration in industrial settings between physically remote people and places, e.g. factories in China with clients in the US.

Embedded Media Markers, or simply EMMs, are nearly transparent iconic marks printed on paper documents that signify the existence of media associated with that part of the document. EMMs also guide users' camera operations for media retrieval. Users take a picture of an EMM-signified document patch using a cell phone, and the media associated with the EMM-signified document location is displayed on the phone. Unlike bar codes, EMMs are nearly transparent and thus do not interfere with the document appearance. Retrieval of media associated with an EMM is based on image local features of the captured EMM-signified document patch. This paper describes a technique for semi-automatically placing an EMM at a location in a document, in such a way that it encompasses sufficient identification features with minimal disturbance to the original document.

We will exhibit several aspects of a complex mixed reality system that we have built and deployed in a real-world factory setting. In our system, virtual worlds, augmented realities, and mobile applications are all fed from the same infrastructure. In collaboration with TCHO, a chocolate maker in San Francisco, we built a virtual “mirror” world of a real-world chocolate factory and its processes. Sensor data is imported into the multi-user 3D environment from hundreds of sensors on the factory floor. The resulting virtual factory is used for simulation, visualization, and collaboration, using a set of interlinked, real-time layers of information. Another part of our infrastructure is designed to support appropriate industrial uses for mobile devices such as cell phones and tablet computers. We deployed this system at the real-world factory in 2009, and it is now is daily use there. By simultaneously developing mobile, virtual, and web-based display and collaboration environments, we aimed to create an infrastructure that did not skew toward one type of application but that could serve many at once, interchangeably. Through this mixture of mobile, social, mixed and virtual technologies, we hope to create systems for enhanced collaboration in industrial settings between physically remote people and places, such as factories in China with managers in the US.

An Embedded Media Marker (EMM) is a transparent mark printed on a paper document that signifies the availability of additional media associated with that part of the document. Users take a picture of the EMM using a camera phone, and the media associated with that part of the document is displayed on the phone. Unlike bar codes, EMMs are nearly transparent and thus do not interfere with the document appearance. Retrieval of media associated with an EMM is based on image features of the document within the EMM boundary. Unlike other feature-based retrieval methods, the EMM clearly indicates to the user the existence and type of media associated with the document location. A semi-automatic authoring tool is used to place an EMM at a location in a document, in such a way that it encompasses sufficient identification features with minimal disturbance to the original document. We will demonstrate how to create an EMM-enhanced document, and how the EMM enables access to the associated media on a cell phone.

Virtual, mobile, and mixed reality systems have diverse uses for data visualization and remote collaboration in industrial settings, especially factories. We report our experiences in designing complex mixed-reality collaboration, control, and display systems for a real-world factory, for delivering real-time factory information to multiple users. In collaboration with (blank for review), a chocolate maker in San Francisco, our research group is building a virtual “mirror” world of a real-world chocolate factory and its processes. Real-world sensor data (such as temperature and machine state) is imported into the 3D environment from hundreds of sensors on the factory floor. Multi-camera imagery from the factory is also available in the multi-user 3D factory environment. The resulting "virtual factory" is designed for simulation, visualization, and collaboration, using a set of interlinked, real-time 3D and 2D layers of information about the factory and its processes. We are also looking at appropriate industrial uses for mobile devices such as cell phones and tablet computers, and how they intersect with virtual worlds and mixed realities. For example, an experimental iPhone web app provides mobile laboratory monitoring and control. The app allows a real-time view into the lab via steerable camera and remote control of lab machines. The mobile system is integrated with the database underlying the virtual factory world. These systems were deployed at the real-world factory and lab in 2009, and are now in beta development. Through this mashup of mobile, social, mixed and virtual technologies, we hope to create industrial systems for enhanced collaboration between physically remote people and places – for example, factories in China with managers in Japan or the US.

PACER is a gesture-based interactive paper system that supports fine-grained paper document content manipulation through the touch screen of a cameraphone. Using the phone's camera, PACER links a paper document to its digital version based on visual features. It adopts camera-based phone motion detection for embodied gestures (e.g. marquees, underlines and lassos), with which users can flexibly select and interact with document details (e.g. individual words, symbols and pixels). The touch input is incorporated to facilitate target selection at fine granularity,and to address some limitations of the embodied interaction, such as hand jitter and low input sampling rate. This hybrid interaction is coupled with other techniques such as semi-real time document tracking and loose physical-digital document registration, offering a gesture-based command system. We demonstrate the use of PACER in various scenarios including work-related reading, maps and music score playing. A preliminary user study on the design has produced encouraging user feedback, and suggested future research for better understanding of embodied vs. touch interaction and one vs. two handed interaction.

This project investigates practical uses of virtual, mobile, and mixed reality systems in industrial settings, in particular control and collaboration applications for factories. In collaboration with TCHO, a chocolate maker start-up in San Francisco, we have built virtual mirror-world representations of a real-world chocolate factory and are importing its data and modeling its processes. The system integrates mobile devices such as cell phones and tablet computers. The resulting "virtual factory" is a cross-reality environment designed for simulation, visualization, and collaboration, using a set of interlinked, real-time 3D and 2D layers of information about the factory and its processes.

Embedded Media Markers, or simply EMMs, are nearly transparent iconic marks printed on paper documents that signify the existence of media associated with that part of the document. EMMs also guide users' camera operations for media retrieval. Users take a picture of an EMMsignified document patch using a cell phone, and the media associated with the EMM-signified document location is displayed on the phone. Unlike bar codes, EMMs are nearly transparent and thus do not interfere with the document contents. Retrieval of media associated with an EMM is based on image local features of the captured EMMsignified document patch. This paper describes a technique for semi-automatically placing an EMM at a location in a document, in such a way that it encompasses sufficient identification features with minimal disturbance to the original document.

FXPAL, a research lab in Silicon Valley, and TCHO, a chocolate manufacturer in San Francisco, have been collaborating on exploring emerging technologies for industry. The two companies seek ways to bring people closer to the products they consume, clarifying end-to-end production processes with technologies like sensor networks for fine-grained monitoring and control, mobile process control, and real/virtual mashups using virtual and augmented realities. This work lies within and extends the area of research called mixed- or cross-reality

FXPAL, a research lab in Silicon Valley, and TCHO, a chocolate manufacturer in San Francisco, have been collaborating on exploring emerging technologies for industry. The two companies seek ways to bring people closer to the products they consume, clarifying end-to-end production processes with technologies like sensor networks for fine-grained monitoring and control, mobile process control, and real/virtual mashups using virtual and augmented realities.