Synthesis and Analysis Techniques for the Human Body: R&D Projects - 3D Modeling and Animation: Synthesis and Analysis Techniques for the Human Body - page 366

object's state information as a collection of fields. This method is similar to the
method used in the Inventor ToolkitTM (Strauss, 1993) and in VRML. These
field-containers support a generic streaming interface. This allows the field-
container and its fields (i.e., the object and its state information) to be written to
a stream and then reconstructed from a stream. This forms the basis for object
distribution in Avango.
ShopLab: Network for the Test and Design of Hybrid
Shop Environments
The objective of the ShopLab project (IST ShopLab) is the development of
hybrid shop environments based on multimodal interfaces (and interspaces)
which combine the virtues of real world shops with the additional value of digital
technologies and services. The alienation of many people to new technologies
will be reduced by integrating their needs and experiences in the design process.
Therefore, test beds that are accessible to the public will be installed in a model
shop and in real shops so that an active participation of users will be guaranteed.
Both social and practical user acceptance can be tested in realistic environ-
ments. The enormous cultural value of traditional retail shops in different
European regions, as well as the different European mentalities, will be regarded
in the participatory design of the hybrid shop modules.
The ShopLab project consists of the following elements: hardware interface
design, software interface design, shop construction and design, multimedia
application design, usability and user acceptance test design and inter-cultural
communication design for the development of hybrid shop environments. These
environments consist of ShopLab modules such as Interactive Window, Interac-
tive Shelf, Interactive Mirror and Interactive (Entrance) Space. These modules
consist of H/W and S/W interface components that make use of multiple
interaction modalities and include shop-specific multimedia applications and
services.
ShopLab will merge real objects from shop display rooms with virtual elements
and vice versa. The resulting hybrid shop environments will support multi-modal
interaction and will appeal to multiple human senses (tactile, acoustic, visual,
gesture/movement). The whole shop, including products and the shop interior,
will be transformed into a “shop-terminal,” providing access to additional
information and services. Following the tangram metaphor, flexibility and
adaptability will be key requirements for the ShopLab systems.