From: awm@vorpal.hitl.washington.edu (Andy MacDonald) Subject: JOBS: Summer Intership Positions Available at the HITLab Date: 9 Mar 93 10:57:16 Organization: Human Interface Technology Lab Opportunities for Summer Internships at the Human Interface Technology Laboratory University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 3-3-93 The Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HITL) at the University of Washington has several positions available for summer interns for 1993. HITL is a technology transfer branch of the Washington Technology Center and is affiliated with all academic departments at the University of Washington and other universities throughout the state. HITL's mission is to empower humans by creating better ways of interacting with advanced computers. All students who have an interest in furthering this mission and advancing the state of the art in virtual interface technology are encourage to apply. Interns will be expected to pursue one of the projects specified below or negotiate another project with the HITL staff. Internships are not restricted to students enrolled in Washington universities; students from other areas of the country and the world are encouraged to apply. Internships will run June through September 1993. Stipend amounts are still being determined. Applicants summer intern positions should submit a letter of interest and a resume to: HITL Attn: Kymerie Riggs Fluke Hall, FJ-15 University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 or send an electronic version to interns@hitl.washington.edu. Please specify on the subject line which of the research projects you are most interested in. There are a limited number of positions available; early applicants will get the most consideration. The University of Washington is an equal-opportunity employer. ===== Research Areas and Internship Projects Current HITL research projects focus on the development of hardware and software systems for advanced human-computer interfaces with a focus on virtual interfaces and virtual reality. Projects suitable for summer internships include: * The "Virtual Body" Implement a "physiological model" of the human body that will take a minimal set of body positions as input and yield as full a body representation as possible through reverse-kinematics. The resulting body parts may then be mapped onto a variety of virtual entities. The goal of this project is to allow a human participant to see more of his body in the virtual world, increasing the feeling of inclusion for purposes of investigating situational awareness. Candidates are expected to have experience with C and Lisp, and have a mathematical background. * Object Librarian Construct a world to act as a browser for looking at graphical objects and create a large database of both three and two dimensional objects. This browser should run inclusively (as a virtual world), and may be augmented by linking with the audio navigation interface described below. Candidates must have experience with Lisp and be familiar with simple computer graphics principles. * Audio Browser and Human Factors Study Audio file navigation interface. Listener can search for an individual sound among many in a hierarchical database by auditioning several sounds simultaneously and choosing downward nodes by pointing. The navigation method can be applied to other kinds of data. Graphical representations may or may not also be displayed. A human factors study would investigate usability and performance issues for this kind of navigation. The intern must have an interest in audio and human factors research. * Virtual World Design (1) Investigate techniques for constructing interesting and efficient virtual worlds, including properties of virtual spaces, scale, textures, identifying objects iconicly and with text and sound cues, and navigating virtual spaces. Candidates must have a background in architecture, art or design, be able to use computer modeling tools, and be willing to learn Lisp. * Virtual World Design (2) Investigate embedded narrative (characterization, story, and dramatic tension), by building virtual worlds "with a plot." This is an ideal position for video game designers and other electronic storytellers. Possibilities exist for designing multiple-participant worlds to allow human interaction to build complexity. Candidates should be able to use computer modeling tools and know at least one programming language (preferably Lisp). * Optical Head Tracking HITL has an ongoing research project researching a novel optical head tracking system. The ideal candidate to work on this system will have an extensive background in mathematical modeling and electronic system engineering skills. It is likely that the candidate will also work on the VRD project described below. * Virtual Retinal Display (VRD) HITL is seeking candidates with backgrounds and interests in several of the following areas to work on this unique head-mounted display technology: Electronics engineering, including video scan conversion, solid-state device engineering and construction, E-M/microwave system design, mechanical design (especially scanning systems), high-bandwidth analog and digital systems, optical system design, (electro-)optical materials and devices, eye-tracking technology, mathematical modeling, and human factors of visual displays. Ideal applicants will be self-starting with experience in collaborative construction of complex prototype systems. * Usability Testing Work with the staff to design studies, run subjects, and perform data analysis assessing the effectiveness of various virtual worlds and interface devices and metaphors. Candidates should have skills in both programming and behavioral research. * Situation Awareness Develop a knowledge base of the existing research literature on situation awareness, particularly with regard to the effectiveness of various information displays and methods for assessing situation awareness. Candidates should have exceptional organizational skills and familiarity with on-line reference services. * Participant Research Tools Work with the staff to develop a set of software tools for conducting research on participant behavior. These will include event record and playback for selected entities, temporal and spatial sampling, and simple run-time data analysis tools. Programming experience in both C and Lisp is desirable.