REAL-TIME 3D MODEL RECONSTRUCTION AND INTERACTION USING KINECT FOR A GAME-BASED VIRTUAL LABORATORY

Over the last few years, academic institutions have started to explore the potential of using computer game engines for developing virtual laboratory environments. Recent studies have shown that developing a realistic visualization of a physical laboratory space poses a number of challenges. A significant number of modifications are required for adding customized interactions that are not built into the game engine itself. For example, a major challenge in creating a realistic virtual environment using a computer game engine is the process of preparing and converting custom models for integration into the environment, which is too complicated to be performed by untrained users. This paper describes the usage of the Microsoft Kinect for rapidly creating a 3D model of an object for implementation in a virtual environment by retrieving the object's depth and RGB information. A laboratory experiment was selected to demonstrate how real experimental components are reconstructed and embedded into a game-based virtual laboratory by using the Kinect. The users are then able to interact with the experimental components. This paper presents both the technical details of the implementation and some initial results of the system validation.