An Interaction Tool for Immersive Environments Using Mobile Devices

Interaction in engineering virtual environments differs by the necessity of the high precision level needed for the execution of specifics tasks for this kind of environment. Generally this kind of task uses specific interaction devices with 4 or more DOF. Current applications involving 3D interaction use interaction devices for object modelling or for the implementation of navigation, selection and manipulation tecniques in a virtual environment. A related problem is the necessity of controlling tasks that are naturally non-immersive, such as symbolic input (e.g., text, photos). Another problem is the large learning curve to handle such non-conventional devices. The addition of sensors and the popularization of smartphones and tablets, allowed the use of such devices in virtual engineering environments. Thes devices, besides their popularity and sensors, differs by the possibility of including additional information and performing naturally non-immersive tasks. This work presents a 3D interaction tablet-based tool, which allows the aggregation of all major 3D interaction topics, such as navigation, selection, manipulation, system control and symbolic input.