Low Fidelity User Interfaces Prototyping tool for multi mobile devices using remote virtual collaborative environment

Project Title

Low Fidelity User Interfaces Prototyping tool for multi mobile devices using remote virtual collaborative environment

Project Area of Specialization Augmented and Virtual RealityProject Summary

Low-fidelity prototyping is a renowned method of developing concepts for traditional two-dimensional user interfaces (UI). The increased availability of mobile and virtual reality (VR) based equipped devices opens the door to be explored especially for mobile-based applications. The VR experience provides designers with the ease to share their ideas in a virtual environment with freedom of movement and hearing capability. Currently, there are few VR-based UI prototyping tools are available but few of them are either expensive or it takes a lot of effort to create rapid digital prototypes. Besides these gaps current VR based prototyping tools also lack in providing remote collaborative environment features where more than one designer share ideas easy. Moreover, current tools can only be used for a limited number of mobile devices and provide a single-page interface (SPI). The basic purpose of this project is to provide a VR prototyping tool that not only fulfills the above-mentioned gaps but also provide easy to use interface for the designers where they can design their applications Low-fidelity prototypes rapidly for multi-mobile (MM) devices using a remote virtual collaborative environment (CE). The proposed project will be a client/server-based mobile VR application that will provide the brainstorming, storyboarding, and mocking up prototyping techniques. The basic modules of the proposed project will be VR Mobile Application, Mental model convertor, VR communication handler, Model-Driven approach controller, and Code Generator. For the successful completion of the project, we used various tools (i.e., Android studio, VR toolkit, Php, Python), techniques (Machine Learning, Image processing, Model-Driven approach, UML), and technologies (VR and Android). The proposed project will facilitate the UI designers by providing brainstorming, storyboarding, and mockup prototyping techniques with minimal resources (e.g., time, cost, effort, etc.). It will also provide a simplified and realistic way for the UI experts to share their mental models and see their results in the real-world on diverse devices (e.g., multi-mobile devices)

Project Objectives

The objectives of the proposed projects are: 

• An empirical investigation of the literature has been done in this project which helps to identify the suitable tools, techniques, and methodologies essential for the project.

• A mobile-based VR editor will be created which provides features and tools to the professionals where they can draw their ideas in a VR environment.
• A Wi-Fi-based cloud VR communication handler will be developed which facilitates the team members to interact with each other’s in a VR environment anywhere any time.
• A mental model convertor is created which will train the conceptual mockups or wireframes drawings using machine learning and image processing techniques.
• More than 1000 data sets will be taken from the virtual world out of the 70% will be used for training and the remaining 30% will be used for testing.
• The MDA using UML generator will be developed by using WebRatio Mobile Platform
• The effectiveness of the final experimental results will be tested and verified by the VR based mobile application connected with the cloud database.

Project Implementation Method

In this project, a mobile VR based quick and efficient Low fidelity prototyping tool is proposed for creating a graphical user interface. The project initially provides the VR editor through which user interface experts can register, develop, share, and collaborate their mental models in a VR environment. The proposed ML model will take the individual conceptual mental models (i.e., mockups, and storyboards) and train the data using deep learning techniques (i.e., CNN).  Approximately 1000 datasets of virtual user interface elements will be trained out of them. 30% will be used for testing. The accuracy of the trained data is verified by the different classification models (i.e., Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, Naïve Bayes, etc.).  The individual conceptual mental models are then converted into a single mockup by using the Proposed AI-based Merging Algorithm. The final conceptual mockup is then converted into a virtual graphical user interface with the help of the Proposed Hybrid AI-based Mapping Algorithm. In the end, a model-driven approach(MDA) will be adopted by using UML techniques, in which a class diagram will be constructed for the virtual graphical user interface using WebRatio Mobile Platform. The class diagram is then used to generate code for multi mobile devices. The block diagram of the proposed project is presented in figure 1.

                     Figure 1: Block diagram of the proposed project.

Benefits of the Project

The basic benefits provided by the proposed project are:

• In the current pandemic situation when the majority of industries are clasped because of low revenues the proposed software facilitates the developers as well as the UI experts by providing a single point where they can share their ideas and develop porotypes till code at low cost.
• The VR based brainstorming prototyping sessions build involvement, commitment, loyalty, self-esteem, and enthusiasm between participants. And acts as a learning tool where they can enhance their mental ability more easily. These sessions also become helpful in the creation of strong teams. 
• The Model-Driven Approach adopted in the proposed idea with UML opens doors for diverse mobile application platforms where the final product will be executed.
• The datasets generated by the proposed software using machine learning techniques will be used for further researchers.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

In the end, we will deliver the code and the documentation in the form of a final project report containing all the proposed algorithms pseudo and implementation code.

Final Deliverable of the Project Software SystemCore Industry ITOther Industries Others Core Technology Augmented & Virtual RealityOther Technologies Artificial Intelligence(AI)Sustainable Development Goals Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	80000
VR glasses	Equipment	4	7500	30000
Mobile phone	Equipment	4	10000	40000
Documentation	Miscellaneous	1	10000	10000