Iparla's Project
General overview
Mobile and connected devices (MCD), such as cell phones and PDAs, allow benefiting from computing resources in mobile settings. On the one hand, embedded CPUs enable local computation, and on the other hand, the wireless communication makes it possible to use client/server infrastructures. The goal of the Iparla project is to benefit from these mobile and remote computing resources for the visualization and manipulation of complex datasets on MCD. We understand complex datasets as large amounts of multi-dimensional data. The complex datasets can have their origin either from acquired real-world datasets, such as scanned objects, automatically generated cities, and terrains, or from abstract information, such as financial or statistical data.
Compared to classical computers, MCD have several limitations that imply various challenges for the development of interactive applications. First, the computing resources (eg. CPU and memory) are limited, in particular because of the restricted power consumption. Second, the small size of the devices implies the use of small screens, which decreases the provided area for visualizing complex datasets. Finally, the input devices for the interaction with MCD are limited. Consequently, we state that classic 3D pipelines are not always the most appropriate solution for the development of interactive 3D applications on mobile devices. In the Iparla project, we develop new techniques for the visualization and manipulation of complex datasets. In particular, our team focuses on evolutive modeling, rendering, and interaction techniques for MCD.
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Application domains
Key words: multimedia, telecommunications, virtual environment, augmented reality, modeling, visualization, interaction, remote applications.
It is not possible to make an exhaustive list of domain applications that could benefit from the interactive visualization of complex data on mobile devices. Consequently, we provide here only some key applications.
Assisted Navigation: Mobile and connected devices equipped with GPS are currently used as digital assistants for navigation. Such systems can help car drivers for route planning. They also can assist pedestrians or bike users when exploring cities, or when hiking in countryside. Existing solutions are mainly based on 2D or 2.5D visualization of data, which are generally stored on CD-ROMs or memory-sticks. Our project aims to provide 3D navigation tools where the data can be accessed from an up-to-date database stored on distant servers. Hence, for example, a hiker visualizes on its mobile device a 3D representation of the surrounding landscape that embeds information such as the way to follow, or the direction to the next mountain hut.
Augmented Reality: The majority of today's mobile devices is equipped with embedded cameras. Consequently, the use of these setups for augmented reality allows to imagine a wide variety of useful applications in our everyday life. For example, in the domain of cultural heritage, some extra information coming from distant servers can enhance the images coming from the cameras of the mobile devices. More precisely, for example the interest of merging synthetic reconstructions of partially destroyed buildings with the images of the real buildings can easily be understood. The same approach can be useful for many domains such as tourism, maintenance, emergency management (eg. firemen), and so on.
Remote Supervision: Mobile devices ensure mobility while keeping connected to networks. Consequently, these devices can be useful for visualization of distant information and control of remote applications. For example, a scientist could supervise a several day long experiment, without the need of physically being where the experiment takes place. He or she would be able to visualize the state of numerous sensors (e.g. temperature and pressure). The scientist would be able to modify the experiment's conditions by means of adapted user interfaces. This remote supervision can be helpful in many situations, such as for example the control of production machines in factories, the supervision of dangerous areas, or the real-time understanding of financial data.
Entertainment: Entertainment and especially video games are key applications directly related with our project as well. Some mobile devices have been designed for entertainment, and video games have been specifically developed for such setups. The results of our research in the scope of rendering or interaction can directly contribute to the development of the entertainment industry. Moreover, we are investigating new approaches for entertainment, in particular concerning the continuum between different platforms. For example, we can imagine a user to start a game at home with a PC/console, and to continue later the same game with MCD in public transportation.

Modeling
