CoSpaces

Innovative Collaborative Work Environments for Individuals and Teams in Design and Engineering

Research into Ambient Interfaces and Ubiquitous Computing represents a new wave in computing that brings together the increasingly complex technological landscape with the environment we occupy. The explicit aim of many of the underlying technologies is to hide themselves from the end user. Such ambient interfaces range from simple systems that notify users of events by extending the computer interface into the workplace environment, through to those where intuitive interface technologies such as optical tracking and gesture recognition let the user directly manipulate complex information without the need to understand the underlying technical infrastructure.

The objective of the CoSpaces project is to provide an evolutionary path towards new and more collaborative work environments. The systems developed within CoSpaces will allow users in the manufacturing and design sector along with their suppliers to configure their own collaborative workspaces. Users will be able to use innovative forms of context-aware interfaces, natural interfaces, and "human-centric" workspaces which support a range of collaboration scenarios and product lifecycles.

The core objectives of the CoSpaces project are the development of organizational models and distributed technologies that can be used to develop innovative collaborative workspaces for use by individuals and project teams. Within this project a software framework will be created to allow for the easy development of collaborative work environments. The three main objectives of CoSpaces are:

• Evaluating collaboration
• Creation of an innovative distributed software framework (platform and tools)
• Validation of the distributed software framework (industry workspaces)

Industry Workspaces

Three industry workspaces will be developed for validating applications from the automotive, aerospace and the construction industries. There will be a workspace each for distributed design, co-located design, and mobile maintenance services.

The "Distributed Design Workspace" addresses ad-hoc and scheduled collaboration between distributed, multi-functional industrial design teams. It will support collaboration via fixed installations and mobile environments.

The "Co-located Design Workspace" investigates how ad-hoc and planned meetings between co-located and multi-functional design teams can be supported. The workspace will be designed to improve aspects such as sense of immersion, visualization, interaction, mobility and flexibility.

The "Mobile Support Workspace" will explore the use of mobile computing and augmented reality technology in order to support collaboration between mobile maintenance workers and experts at remote locations. Tracking utilities, context-aware knowledge support and adaptable ambient interface tools integrating various technologies such as audio, video, optical tracking, and sensors will be deployed to create easy-to-use personalized workspaces for mobile maintenance applications. The Mobile Support Workspace will be used in two scenarios:

• On-site construction workers
  
• Maintenance engineers in the aerospace industry

Both scenarios will utilize Augmented Reality technology by allowing the engineers to conduct a physical task with superimposed images and instructions from a remote expert team. The mobile workspace will address design and engineering issues in the areas of construction as well as remote maintenance.

• The Open Group, GB
• Airbus CIMPA, Frankreich
• CERFACS, Frankreich
• COWI, Dänemark
• Varinex Informatics, Ungarn
• Virtual Dimension Center
• Frietuna, UK
• Nationale Technische Universität Athen, Griechenland
• University of Salford, UK
• Universität zu Köln
• University of Nottingham, UK
• Universität Stuttgart
• UNINOVA, Portugal
• Consultores de Automatizacion y Robotica (CARSA), Spanien
• EsoCE-NET, Italien