@phdthesis{Beck,
  author    = {Beck, Stephan},
  title     = {Immersive Telepresence Systems and Technologies},
  doi       = {10.25643/bauhaus-universitaet.3856},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20190218-38569},
  school      = {Bauhaus-Universit{\"a}t Weimar},
  pages     = {149},
  abstract  = {Modern immersive telepresence systems enable people at different locations to meet in virtual environments using realistic three-dimensional representations of their bodies. For the realization of such a three-dimensional version of a video conferencing system, each user is continuously recorded in 3D. These 3D recordings are exchanged over the network between remote sites. At each site, the remote recordings of the users, referred to as 3D video avatars, are seamlessly integrated into a shared virtual scenery and displayed in stereoscopic 3D for each user from his or her perspective. This thesis reports on algorithmic and technical contributions to modern immersive telepresence systems and presents the design, implementation and evaluation of the first immersive group-to-group telepresence system in which each user is represented as realistic life-size 3D video avatar. The system enabled two remote user groups to meet and collaborate in a consistent shared virtual environment. The system relied on novel methods for the precise calibration and registration of color- and depth- sensors (RGBD) into the coordinate system of the application as well as an advanced distributed processing pipeline that reconstructs realistic 3D video avatars in real-time. During the course of this thesis, the calibration of 3D capturing systems was greatly improved. While the first development focused on precisely calibrating individual RGBD-sensors, the second stage presents a new method for calibrating and registering multiple color and depth sensors at a very high precision throughout a large 3D capturing volume. This method was further refined by a novel automatic optimization process that significantly speeds up the manual operation and yields similarly high accuracy. A core benefit of the new calibration method is its high runtime efficiency by directly mapping from raw depth sensor measurements into an application coordinate system and to the coordinates of its associated color sensor. As a result, the calibration method is an efficient solution in terms of precision and applicability in virtual reality and immersive telepresence applications. In addition to the core contributions, the results of two case studies which address 3D reconstruction and data streaming lead to the final conclusion of this thesis and to directions of future work in the rapidly advancing field of immersive telepresence research.},
  subject      = {Virtuelle Realit{\"a}t},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Weissker,
  author    = {Weißker, Tim},
  title     = {Group Navigation in Multi-User Virtual Reality},
  doi       = {10.25643/bauhaus-universitaet.4530},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20211124-45305},
  school      = {Bauhaus-Universit{\"a}t Weimar},
  pages     = {148},
  abstract  = {Multi-user virtual reality systems enable collocated as well as distributed users to perform collaborative activities in immersive virtual environments. A common activity in this context is to move from one location to the next as a group to explore the environment together. The simplest solution to realize these multi-user navigation processes is to provide each participant with a technique for individual navigation. However, this approach entails some potentially undesirable consequences such as the execution of a similar navigation sequence by each participant, a regular need for coordination within the group, and, related to this, the risk of losing each other during the navigation process. To overcome these issues, this thesis performs research on group navigation techniques that move group members together through a virtual environment. The presented work was guided by four overarching research questions that address the quality requirements for group navigation techniques, the differences between collocated and distributed settings, the scalability of group navigation, and the suitability of individual and group navigation for various scenarios. This thesis approaches these questions by introducing a general conceptual framework as well as the specification of central requirements for the design of group navigation techniques. The design, implementation, and evaluation of corresponding group navigation techniques demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework. As a first step, this thesis presents ideas for the extension of the short-range teleportation metaphor, also termed jumping, for multiple users. It derives general quality requirements for the comprehensibility of the group jumping process and introduces a corresponding technique for two collocated users. The results of two user studies indicate that sickness symptoms are not affected by user roles during group jumping and confirm improved planning accuracy for the navigator, increased spatial awareness for the passenger, and reduced cognitive load for both user roles. Next, this thesis explores the design space of group navigation techniques in distributed virtual environments. It presents a conceptual framework to systematize the design decisions for group navigation techniques based on Tuckman's model of small-group development and introduces the idea of virtual formation adjustments as part of the navigation process. A quantitative user study demonstrates that the corresponding extension of Multi-Ray Jumping for distributed dyads leads to more efficient travel sequences and reduced workload. The results of a qualitative expert review confirm these findings and provide further insights regarding the complementarity of individual and group navigation in distributed virtual environments. Then, this thesis investigates the navigation of larger groups of distributed users in the context of guided museum tours and establishes three central requirements for (scalable) group navigation techniques. These should foster the awareness of ongoing navigation activities as well as facilitate the predictability of their consequences for all group members (Comprehensibility), assist the group with avoiding collisions in the virtual environment (Obstacle Avoidance), and support placing the group in a meaningful spatial formation for the joint observation and discussion of objects (View Optimization). The work suggests a new technique to address these requirements and reports on its evaluation in an initial usability study with groups of five to ten (partially simulated) users. The results indicate easy learnability for navigators and high comprehensibility for passengers. Moreover, they also provide valuable insights for the development of group navigation techniques for even larger groups. Finally, this thesis embeds the previous contributions in a comprehensive literature overview and emphasizes the need to study larger, more heterogeneous, and more diverse group compositions including the related social factors that affect group dynamics. In summary, the four major research contributions of this thesis are as follows: - the framing of group navigation as a specific instance of Tuckman's model of small-group development - the derivation of central requirements for effective group navigation techniques beyond common quality factors known from single-user navigation - the introduction of virtual formation adjustments during group navigation and their integration into concrete group navigation techniques - evidence that appropriate pre-travel information and virtual formation adjustments lead to more efficient travel sequences for groups and lower workloads for both navigators and passengers Overall, the research of this thesis confirms that group navigation techniques are a valuable addition to the portfolio of interaction techniques in multi-user virtual reality systems. The conceptual framework, the derived quality requirements, and the development of novel group navigation techniques provide effective guidance for application developers and inform future research in this area.},
  subject      = {Virtuelle Realit{\"a}t},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Berhe,
  author    = {Berhe, Asgedom Haile},
  title     = {Mitigating Risks of Corruption in Construction: A theoretical rationale for BIM adoption in Ethiopia},
  doi       = {10.25643/bauhaus-universitaet.4517},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20211007-45175},
  school      = {Bauhaus-Universit{\"a}t Weimar},
  pages     = {336},
  abstract  = {This PhD thesis sets out to investigate the potentials of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to mitigate risks of corruption in the Ethiopian public construction sector. The wide-ranging capabilities and promises of BIM have led to the strong perception among researchers and practitioners that it is an indispensable technology. Consequently, it has become the frequent subject of science and research. Meanwhile, many countries, especially the developed ones, have committed themselves to applying the technology extensively. Increasing productivity is the most common and frequently cited reason for that. However, both technology developers and adopters are oblivious to the potentials of BIM in addressing critical challenges in the construction sector, such as corruption. This particularly would be significant in developing countries like Ethiopia, where its problems and effects are acute. Studies reveal that bribery and corruption have long pervaded the construction industry worldwide. The complex and fragmented nature of the sector provides an environment for corruption. The Ethiopian construction sector is not immune from this epidemic reality. In fact, it is regarded as one of the most vulnerable sectors owing to varying socio-economic and political factors. Since 2015, Ethiopia has started adopting BIM, yet without clear goals and strategies. As a result, the potential of BIM for combating concrete problems of the sector remains untapped. To this end, this dissertation does pioneering work by showing how collaboration and coordination features of the technology contribute to minimizing the opportunities for corruption. Tracing loopholes, otherwise, would remain complex and ineffective in the traditional documentation processes. Proceeding from this anticipation, this thesis brings up two primary questions: what are areas and risks of corruption in case of the Ethiopian public construction projects; and how could BIM be leveraged to mitigate these risks? To tackle these and other secondary questions, the research employs a mixed-method approach. The selected main research strategies are Survey, Grounded Theory (GT) and Archival Study. First, the author disseminates an online questionnaire among Ethiopian construction engineering professionals to pinpoint areas of vulnerability to corruption. 155 responses are compiled and scrutinized quantitatively. Then, a semi-structured in-depth interview is conducted with 20 senior professionals, primarily to comprehend opportunities for and risks of corruption in those identified highly vulnerable project stages and decision points. At the same time, open interviews (consultations) are held with 14 informants to be aware of state of the construction documentation, BIM and loopholes for corruption in the country. Consequently, these qualitative data are analyzed utilizing the principles of GT, heat/risk mapping and Social Network Analysis (SNA). The risk mapping assists the researcher in the course of prioritizing corruption risks; whilst through SNA, methodically, it is feasible to identify key actors/stakeholders in the corruption venture. Based on the generated research data, the author constructs a [substantive] grounded theory around the elements of corruption in the Ethiopian public construction sector. This theory, later, guides the subsequent strategic proposition of BIM. Finally, 85 public construction related cases are also analyzed systematically to substantiate and confirm previous findings. By ways of these multiple research endeavors that is based, first and foremost, on the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data analysis, the author conveys a number of key findings. First, estimations, tender document preparation and evaluation, construction material as well as quality control and additional work orders are found to be the most vulnerable stages in the design, tendering and construction phases respectively. Second, middle management personnel of contractors and clients, aided by brokers, play most critical roles in corrupt transactions within the prevalent corruption network. Third, grand corruption persists in the sector, attributed to the fact that top management and higher officials entertain their overriding power, supported by the lack of project audits and accountability. Contrarily, individuals at operation level utilize intentional and unintentional 'errors' as an opportunity for corruption. In light of these findings, two conceptual BIM-based risk mitigation strategies are prescribed: active and passive automation of project audits; and the monitoring of project information throughout projects' value chain. These propositions are made in reliance on BIM's present dimensional capabilities and the promises of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Moreover, BIM's synchronous potentials with other technologies such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Radio Frequency technologies are topics which received a treatment. All these arguments form the basis for the main thesis of this dissertation, that BIM is able to mitigate corruption risks in the Ethiopian public construction sector. The discourse on the skepticisms about BIM that would stem from the complex nature of corruption and strategic as well as technological limitations of BIM is also illuminated and complemented by this work. Thus, the thesis uncovers possible research gaps and lays the foundation for further studies.},
  subject      = {Building Information Modeling},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{PreisDutra,
  author    = {Preis Dutra, Joatan},
  title     = {Cultural Heritage on Mobile Devices: Building Guidelines for UNESCO World Heritage Sites' Apps},
  doi       = {10.25643/bauhaus-universitaet.4531},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20211129-45319},
  school      = {Bauhaus-Universit{\"a}t Weimar},
  pages     = {360},
  abstract  = {Technological improvements and access provide a fertile scenario for creating and developing mobile applications (apps). This scenario results in a myriad of Apps providing information regarding touristic destinations, including those with a cultural profile, such as those dedicated to UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS). However, not all of the Apps have the same efficiency. In order to have a successful app, its development must consider usability aspects and features aligned with reliable content. Despite the guidelines for mobile usability being broadly available, they are generic, and none of them concentrates specifically into cultural heritage places, especially on those placed in an open-air scenario. This research aims to fulfil this literature gap and discusses how to adequate and develop specific guidelines for a better outdoor WHS experience. It uses an empirical approach applied to an open-air WHS city: Weimar and its Bauhaus and Classical Weimar sites. In order to build a new set of guidelines applied for open-air WHS, this research used a systematic approach to compare literature-based guidelines to industry-based ones (based on affordances), extracted from the available Apps dedicated to WHS set in Germany. The instructions compiled from both sources have been comparatively tested by using two built prototypes from the distinctive guidelines, creating a set of recommendations collecting the best approach from both sources, plus suggesting new ones the evaluation.},
  subject      = {Benutzerschnittstellenentwurfssystem},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{AlKhatib2021,
  author    = {Al Khatib, Khalid},
  title     = {Computational Analysis of Argumentation Strategies},
  doi       = {10.25643/bauhaus-universitaet.4461},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20210719-44612},
  school      = {Bauhaus-Universit{\"a}t Weimar},
  pages     = {134},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The computational analysis of argumentation strategies is substantial for many downstream applications. It is required for nearly all kinds of text synthesis, writing assistance, and dialogue-management tools. While various tasks have been tackled in the area of computational argumentation, such as argumentation mining and quality assessment, the task of the computational analysis of argumentation strategies in texts has so far been overlooked. This thesis principally approaches the analysis of the strategies manifested in the persuasive argumentative discourses that aim for persuasion as well as in the deliberative argumentative discourses that aim for consensus. To this end, the thesis presents a novel view of argumentation strategies for the above two goals. Based on this view, new models for pragmatic and stylistic argument attributes are proposed, new methods for the identification of the modelled attributes have been developed, and a new set of strategy principles in texts according to the identified attributes is presented and explored. Overall, the thesis contributes to the theory, data, method, and evaluation aspects of the analysis of argumentation strategies. The models, methods, and principles developed and explored in this thesis can be regarded as essential for promoting the applications mentioned above, among others.},
  subject      = {Argumentation},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{RadmardRahmani,
  author    = {Radmard Rahmani, Hamid},
  title     = {Artificial Intelligence Approach for Seismic Control of Structures},
  doi       = {10.25643/bauhaus-universitaet.4135},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20200417-41359},
  school      = {Bauhaus-Universit{\"a}t Weimar},
  abstract  = {Abstract In the first part of this research, the utilization of tuned mass dampers in the vibration control of tall buildings during earthquake excitations is studied. The main issues such as optimizing the parameters of the dampers and studying the effects of frequency content of the target earthquakes are addressed. Abstract The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm method is improved by upgrading generic operators, and is utilized to develop a framework for determining the optimum placement and parameters of dampers in tall buildings. A case study is presented in which the optimal placement and properties of dampers are determined for a model of a tall building under different earthquake excitations through computer simulations. Abstract In the second part, a novel framework for the brain learning-based intelligent seismic control of smart structures is developed. In this approach, a deep neural network learns how to improve structural responses during earthquake excitations using feedback control. Abstract Reinforcement learning method is improved and utilized to develop a framework for training the deep neural network as an intelligent controller. The efficiency of the developed framework is examined through two case studies including a single-degree-of-freedom system and a high-rise building under different earthquake excitation records. Abstract The results show that the controller gradually develops an optimum control policy to reduce the vibrations of a structure under an earthquake excitation through a cyclical process of actions and observations. Abstract It is shown that the controller efficiently improves the structural responses under new earthquake excitations for which it was not trained. Moreover, it is shown that the controller has a stable performance under uncertainties.},
  subject      = {Erdbeben},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Kunert,
  author    = {Kunert, Andr{\´e}},
  title     = {3D Interaction Techniques in Multi-User Virtual Reality : towards scalable templates and implementation patterns for cooperative interfaces},
  doi       = {10.25643/bauhaus-universitaet.4296},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:wim2-20201204-42962},
  school      = {Bauhaus-Universit{\"a}t Weimar},
  pages     = {147},
  abstract  = {Multi-user projection systems provide a coherent 3D interaction space for multiple co-located users that facilitates mutual awareness, full-body interaction, and the coordination of activities. The users perceive the shared scene from their respective viewpoints and can directly interact with the 3D content. This thesis reports on novel interaction patterns for collaborative 3D interaction for local and distributed user groups based on such multi-user projection environments. A particular focus of our developments lies in the provision of multiple independent interaction territories in our workspaces and their tight integration into collaborative workflows. The motivation for such multi-focus workspaces is grounded in research on social cooperation patterns, specifically in the requirement for supporting phases of loose and tight collaboration and the emergence of dedicated orking territories for private usage and public exchange. We realized independent interaction territories in the form of handheld virtual viewing windows and multiple co-located hardware displays in a joint workspace. They provide independent views of a shared virtual environment and serve as access points for the exploration and manipulation of the 3D content. Their tight integration into our workspace supports fluent transitions between individual work and joint user engagement. The different affordances of various displays in an exemplary workspace consisting of a large 3D wall, a 3D tabletop, and handheld virtual viewing windows, promote different usage scenarios, for instance for views from an egocentric perspective, miniature scene representations, close-up views, or storage and transfer areas. This work shows that this versatile workspace can make the cooperation of multiple people in joint tasks more effective, e.g. by parallelizing activities, distributing subtasks, and providing mutual support. In order to create, manage, and share virtual viewing windows, this thesis presents the interaction technique of Photoportals, a tangible interface based on the metaphor of digital photography. They serve as configurable viewing territories and enable the individual examination of scene details as well as the immediate sharing of the prepared views. Photoportals are specifically designed to complement other interface facets and provide extended functionality for scene navigation, object manipulation, and for the creation of temporal recordings of activities in the virtual scene. A further objective of this work is the realization of a coherent interaction space for direct 3D input across the independent interaction territories in multi-display setups. This requires the simultaneous consideration of user input in several potential interaction windows as well as configurable disambiguation schemes for the implicit selection of distinct interaction contexts. We generalized the required implementation structures into a high-level software pattern and demonstrated its versatility by means of various multi-context 3D interaction tools. Additionally, this work tackles specific problems related to group navigation in multiuser projection systems. Joint navigation of a collocated group of users can lead to unintentional collisions when passing narrow scene sections. In this context, we suggest various solutions that prevent individual collisions during group navigation and discuss their effect on the perceived integrity of the travel group and the 3D scene. For collaboration scenarios involving distributed user groups, we furthermore explored different configurations for joint and individual travel. Last but not least, this thesis provides detailed information and implementation templates for the realization of the proposed interaction techniques and collaborative workspaces in scenegraph-based VR systems. These contributions to the abstraction of specific interaction patterns, such as group navigation and multi-window interaction, facilitate their reuse in other virtual reality systems and their adaptation to further collaborative scenarios.},
  subject      = {Virtuelle Realit{\"a}t},
  language  = {en}
}