Betty Mohler's Research statement


Virtual environments (VEs) are computer-based representations of a space where
a user can freely move their viewpoint and experience the space in real
time. VEs have many potential applications, including education and training,
design and prototyping, entertainment, and rehabilitation. VEs allow people to
view and experience situations without the expense or risk that would be
incurred in the real world. Just as airplane simulators have aided the airline
industry, VEs of other kinds have the ability to alter and improve many
practical tasks, potentially improving the quality of medicine, entertainment
and education. My research vision is to create effective and efficient VEs by
studying perception and action in the human user. This approach to research has
two necessarily multidisciplinary goals. One is to use and evaluate current VE
technology in order to suggest engineering techniques for more immersive and
interactive VEs. The second is to systematically investigate how humans
perceive and interact within a VE. In order to sufficiently address these goals
one must draw on the resources from many dierent areas including: computer
graphics, robotics, kinesiology, human perception and cognition. I have been
trained in both computer science and psychology and will draw on the resources
from both fields to accomplish my research goals. ...more: Full research statement (pdf)


Refereed Publications:


[1] B. J. Mohler, W. B. Thompson, S. H. Creem-Regehr, P. Willemsen,
H. L. Pick, Jr. and J. J. Rieser, ``Calibration of locomotion
due to visual motion in a treadmill-based virtual environment'', ACM
Transactions on Applied Perception (in press)

[2] B.J. Mohler, Bernhard Riecke, W.B. Thompson and Heinrich H. Buelthoff,
"Measuring vection in a large screen virtual environment"
Second Symposium on Applied Perception in Graphics and
Visualization, p. 103-109. A Coruna, Spain. August, 2005

[3] W.B. Thompson B. J. Mohler S.H. Creem-Regehr and P. Willemsen, "Investigations
on the interactions between vision and locomotion using a treadmill virtual
environment". Proc. SPIE/IST Human Vision & Electronic Imaging Conference,
January, 2005.

[4] B.J. Mohler, W.B. Thompson, S.H. Creem-Regehr, H.L. Pick, W.H. Warren
Jr., J.J. Rieser, and P. Willemsen. "Visual Motion Influences Locomotion in a
Treadmill Virtual Environment" ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on Applied
Perception in Graphics and Visualization, p. 19-22. Los Angeles, CA
USA. August 7-8, 2004.

[5] R. W. Webster, R. Haluck, B. Mohler, R. Ravenscrogt, E. Crouthamel, T. Frack,
S. Terlecki and J. Shaeffer, "Elastically Deformable 3D Organs for Haptic
Surgical Simulators", Proceedings of the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality
Conference (MMVR, 2002), Newport Beach, California, January 23-26, 2002

[6] R. Webster, D. Zimmerman, B. Mohler, M. Melkonian and R. Haluck, "Prototype
Haptic Suturing Simulator", Proceedings of the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality
Conference (MMVR, 2001), pps. 567-569 January 24-27, 2001

[7] R. Haluck, R. Webster, A. Snyder, M. Melkonian, B. Mohler, M. Dise and
A. LeFever, "A Virtual Reality Surgical Trainer for Navigation in Laparoscopic
Surgery Trainer", Proceedings of the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality Conference,
(MMVR, 2001), Newport Beach, California, pps. 171-176 January 24-27, 2001




Refereed Abstracts:


[1] B. J. Mohler, S. H. Creem-Regehr and W. B. Thompson, "Speed of visual flow
affects comfortable walking speed" Vision Sciences Society Conference, 2005

[2] W. B. Thompson, B. J. Mohler and S. H. Creem-Regehr, "Does perceptual-motor
recalibration of locomotion depend on perceived self motion or the magnitude of
optical flow?", Vision Sciences Society Conference, 2005

[3] B. J. Mohler, W. B. Thompson, S. H. Creem-Regehr, P. Willemsen, J. J. Rieser
and H. L. Pick, Jr. "Perceptual-Motor Recalibration on a Virtual Reality
Treadmill", Vision Sciences Society Conference, 2004

[4] S. H. Creem-Regehr, B. J. Mohler and W. B. Thompson. "Perceived Slant is
Greater from Far versus Near Distances", Vision Sciences Society Conference,
2004

[5] D. Hutchens, R. Webster, B. Mohler, M. Smith, D. Zimmerman, M. Dise,
A. Lefever, R. Haluck, W. Wang and A. Snyder, "Integrating Haptics into an
Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum", National Science Foundation (NSF)
Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program Exhibit, National ACM SIGCSE
Conference (ACM/SIGCSE, 2000) Austin, Texas March 8-12, 2000.