In this work, we present MAGES 3.0, a novel Virtual Reality (VR)based authoring SDK platform for accelerated surgical training and assessment. The MAGES Software Development Kit (SDK) allows code-free prototyping of any VR psychomotor simulation of medical operations by medical professionals, who urgently need a tool to solve the issue of outdated medical training. Our platform encapsulates the following novel algorithmic techniques: a) collaborative networking layer with Geometric Algebra (GA) interpolation engine b) supervised machine learning analytics module for real-time recommendations and user profiling c) GA deformable cutting and tearing algorithm d) on-the-go configurable soft body simulation for deformable surfaces.

In recent years, the emergence of XR (eXtended Reality) applications, including Holography, Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality, has resulted in the creation of rather demanding requirements for Quality of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Service (QoS). In order to cope with requirements such as ultra-low latency and increased bandwidth, it is of paramount importance to leverage certain technological paradigms. The purpose of this paper is to identify these QoE and QoS requirements and then to provide an extensive survey on technologies that are able to facilitate the rather demanding requirements of Cloud-based XR Services. To that end, a wide range of enabling technologies are explored. These technologies include e.g. the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC), Edge Storage, the ETSI Management and Orchestration (MANO), the ETSI Zero touch network & Service Management (ZSM), Deterministic Networking, the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Media Streaming, MPEG’s (Moving Picture Experts Group) Mixed and Augmented Reality standard, the Omnidirectional MediA Format (OMAF), ETSI’s Augmented Reality Framework etc.

The paper introduces the CHARITY framework, a novel framework which aspires to leverage the benefits of intelligent, network continuum autonomous orchestration of cloud, edge, and network resources, to create a symbiotic relationship between low and high latency infrastructures. These infrastructures will facilitate the needs of emerging applications such as holographic events, virtual reality training, and mixed reality entertainment. The framework relies on different enablers and technologies related to cloud and edge for offering a suitable environment in order to deliver the promise of ubiquitous computing to the NextGen application clients. The paper discusses the main pillars that support the CHARITY vision, and provide a description of the planned use cases that are planned to demonstrate CHARITY capabilities.

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Conformal Geometric Algebra (CGA) is a framework that allows the representation of objects, such as points, planes and spheres, and deformations, such as translations, rotations and dilations as uniform vectors, called multivectors. In this work, we demonstrate the merits of multivector usage with a novel, integrated rigged character simulation framework based on CGA. In such a framework, and for the first time, one may perform real-time cuts and tears as well as drill holes on a rigged 3D model. These operations can be performed before and/or after model animation, while maintaining deformation topology. Moreover, our framework permits generation of intermediate keyframes on-the-fly based on user input, apart from the frames provided in the model data. We are motivated to use CGA as it is the lowest-dimension extension of dual-quaternion algebra that amends the shortcomings of the majority of existing animation & deformation techniques. Specifically, we no longer need to maintain objects of multiple algebras and constantly transmute between them, such as matrices, quaternions and dual-quaternions, and we can effortlessly apply dilations. Using such an all-in-one geometric framework allows for better maintenance and optimization and enables easier interpolation and application of all native deformations. Furthermore, we present these three novel algorithms in a single CGA representation which enables cutting, tearing and drilling of the input rigged model, where the output model can be further re-deformed in interactive frame rates. These close to real-time cut,tear and drill algorithms can enable a new suite of applications, especially under the scope of a medical VR simulation.