9 Conclusions and Further work

A 3D interface for substantive work should be unobtrusive, and quick and accurate in use. This requires that the user have a reliable sense of where objects and widgets are, and easy use of that sense in choosing them. We have found the hand-eye coordination built into the Virtual Workbench to be very helpful in achieving this.

A straightforward 'reach in with a hand-held stylus' metaphor has directed our interface design, producing a toolkit which can be comfortably used for long sessions. Tool selectors which become active when approached, and tools which act on objects they approach, combine to make an easily learned, powerful interface in which the user can achieve productive work.

In future developments we aim to integrate the Virtual Workbench with more comprehensive medical image/simulation/planning software under development at CIEMED, as well as developing tools to manage the acquisition (not merely the processing) of MR data volumes. This will require more extensive management of data external to the work volume, both in files and in databases of patients and clinical reference material such as the CIEMED electronic brain atlas; these will inevitably require extensions to handle text input and provide help displays including stereo 'how tool X works' animations.

Interaction techniques for a virtual workspace - 22 APR 1996

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