Falls Church, VA, March 21, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anthony Castaneda, Systems Engineer at Three Wire Systems, LLC, has reached the finals of the 2013 Federal Virtual Challenge for Adaptive Interfacing. Castaneda met the challenge of interacting in a virtual world for under $600 by controlling virtual world interaction via an Xbox Kinect motion sensor and DDR Dance mat. The Federal Virtual Challenge is an call for the best implementations as demonstrated in/or with a virtual environment. The Challenge is an annual event led by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory - Simulation & Training Technology Center (STTC) and is conducted to explore innovative and interactive solutions in virtual environments.
Integration of the Kinect with a virtual world allows use of a hand as a "mouse," waving to move the cursor and making simple hand gestures to "click." The DDR Dance mat was adapted to act as movement keys. The combination of the two allows users to interact in a virtual world without ever touching a mouse or keyboard.
Castenada's adaptive interface was with Three Wire's VetAdvisor® Virtual Room, a first-place finisher in the 2010 Federal Virtual World Challenge that utilizes 3DiCC's software platform. Castenada's innovation will allow even those without fine motor skills to interact with peers and wellness coaches within the VetAdvisor® Virtual Room. "I'm honored and thrilled to have been selected as a finalist in the Challenge," Castenada states. "This generates interest in a service that helps thousands of people better their lives every day."
"We at Three Wire and VetAdvisor® are incredibly proud that Anthony is one of three finalists in this year's Adaptive Interface Challenge," Three Wire/VetAdvisor® CEO Dan Frank comments. "This innovative integration will first of all make virtual world technology accessible regardless level of fine motor skill, while it also will make training simulations more realistic and effective."
Challenge finalists will be showcased at the Defense GameTech Users Conference in April, where the winner will be announced. GameTech is a unique user-focused conference dealing with gaming technologies that enhance warfighter training.
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About Three Wire Systems: Three Wire Systems LLC - a service-disabled, veteran owned small business - is a dynamic and multi-faceted IT consulting and solutions firm founded in 2006. We are the leader in eliminating wasteful spend through disruptive technologies. Three Wire's VetAdvisor® is the nation's expert in veteran-centric holistic care, providing proactive coaching services across behavioral health, wellness, financial, and all aspects of transition and career development. For more information, visit www.threewiresystems.com.