Defining Virtual Reality � Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (1989) defines Virtual as “ being in essence or effect, but not in fact ” � Webster’s defines reality as “ the state or quality of being real ”
Introduction What is Virtual Reality? “A high-end user interface that involves real-time simulation and interaction through multiple sensorial channels.” (vision, sound, touch, smell, taste)
Introduction
Four Key Elements of Virtual Reality Experience � Virtual World � Immersion – Physical and Mental � Sensory Feedback � Interactivity
Key Element 1 Virtual world � 1. an imaginary space often manifested through a medium � 2. a description of a collection of objects in a space and the rules and relationships governing those objects
Key Element 2: Immersion � Immersion into an alternate reality or point of view � The state of being mentally immersed is often referred to as having “ a sense of presence ” within an environment � Immersion sensation of being in an environment; can be a purely mental state or can be accomplished through physical means
Physical and Mental Immersion � Mental immersion state of being deeply engaged; suspension of disbelief; involvement � Physical immersion bodily entering into a medium; synthetic stimulus of the body’s senses via the use of technology
Sensory Feedback, cont…. � Sensory feedback is an ingredient essential to virtual reality. The VR system provides direct sensory feedback to the participants based on their physical position. In most cases, it is the visual sense that receives feedback, although virtual reality environments do exist that display exclusively haptic (touch) experiences � In order to base the sensory output of the VR system on the position of the participant, the system must track their movement. A typical VR system will track the head of the participants and at least one hand or an object held by the hand. Advanced systems may track many of the major body joints
Key Element 4 Interactivity � For virtual reality to seem authentic, it should respond to user actions, namely, be interactive.
Key Element 4: Interactivity � Unlike more traditional media, VR allows participants to select their vantage point by positioning their body and to affect events in the virtual world � These features help to make the reality more compelling than a media experience without these options
Combining the Elements � Virtual reality a medium composed of interactive computer simulations that sense the participant’s position and actions and replace or augment the feedback to one or more senses, giving the feeling of being mentally immersed or present in the simulation (a virtual world)
Simulations � Artificial realities constructed through computational simulation model a portion of a world. � These models generally result in a large collection of numbers that represent the state of that world over a period of time. – One example might be a scientific simulation of a thunderstorm, wherein the mathematical equations that describe the storm are solved based on the current weather conditions, and the resulting numbers are transferred into imagery
Collaborative Environment � The collaborative environment is an extension of the interactive element and refers to multiple users interacting within the same virtual space or simulation � Users can perceive others within the simulation, allowing for mutual interaction � The users’ representations are referred to as their avatars
Avatar � 1. A virtual object used to represent a participant in a virtual world. The (typically visual) representation may take any form. � 2. The object embodied by a participant. � 3. comes from the word indicating a Hindu deity's earthly embodiment.
Augmented Reality � Some virtual reality applications are designed to combine virtual representations with perception of the physical world. – In AR, the use of special display technology allows a user to perceive the real world with an overlay of additional information. – Augmented reality can be considered a type of virtual reality. Rather than experiencing physical reality, one is placed in another reality that includes the physical along with the virtual.
Augmented Reality – Typically, it is the visual sense that is being augmented – Physicians might use AR to see the internal organs of a patient while simultaneously maintaining an external view of the patient’s body
Telepresence… � …is a medium in which transducers such as video cameras and microphones substitute for the corresponding senses of the participant � …differs from the general case of virtual reality by representing the physical world as opposed to representing a world that is entirely computer generated � …is an application that uses VR technology to virtually place the user somewhere else in space � Teleoperation
� Cyberspace: location that exists only in the minds of the participants (often as a result of technology that enables geographically distant people to interactively communicate).
Introduction Sensorama Simulator, US Patent #3,050,870, 1962
Ivan Sutherland’s HMD (1966+) Introduction
Brooks’s Grope Project (1977) Introduction
Introduction NASA … a pioneer in VR The first complete system was developed by NASA “Virtual Visual Environmental Display” (VIVED early 80s; they prototyped the LCD HMD; Became “Virtual Interface Environment Workstation” (VIEW) 1989
Introduction Why NASA? Large simulation and training needs; Could not send humans to other harm; Relatively small budgets.
NASA VIEW system (1989) Introduction
NASA VIEW system (1992) Introduction
Introduction Towards Commercialization… The first commercial VR systems appeared in the late 80s produced by VPL Co. (California): The VPL “Data Glove” and The VPL “Eye Phone” HMD
The VPL DataGlove (1987) Introduction
The Matel PowerGlove (1989) Introduction
The first commercial VR glove for entertainment – Mattel Power Glove $50 (1989)
Introduction Virtual Reality in the early 90s…. Emergence of first commercial Toolkits: � WorldToolKit (Sense8 Co., now Engineering Animation Inc.); � VCToolkit (Division Ltd., UK); � Virtual Reality Toolkit VRT3 (Dimension Ltd./Superscape, UK); � Cyberspace Developer Kit (Autodesk)
Superscape VRT3 Development System Introduction
Introduction Virtual Reality in the early 90s…. Emergence of first non-commercial toolkit: � Rend386; � Later Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML 1.0); � Later still Java and Java 3D;
Introduction 35,000 polygons/sec; $64,000 (including texture generator, tracker, 3-D audio, HMD and software) Provision 100 VR turnkey system (Division Ltd., UK)
Provision 100 VR turnkey system (Division Ltd., UK) Introduction
Other VR Milestones • 1977 Sandin and Sayre invent a bend-sensing glove • 1979 LEEP (Large expansion enhanced perspective): deliver wide FOV from a small display • 1981 Super Cockpit, augmented reality pilot helmet, Tom Furness, Wright Patterson AFB • 1984 Term Cyberspace in W. Gibson’s Neuromancer • 1987 Polhemus Isotrack tracking system
Other VR Milestones • 1989 Jaron Lanier (VPL) coins the term virtual reality • 1992 Projection VR is introduced at SIGGRAPH, CAVE system, Un. Of Illinois at Chicago • 1993 First VR dedicated conferences (to become IEEE VR) • 1993 Sensable introduces Phantom
Rendering speed comparison SGI vs. PCs
Introduction VR 2001 prices PC - $5k HMD $1k Trackball $1k Toolkit $0k Total: $7k VR Marketplace (estimated in 1994)
Laboratory VR Station prices (2002) PRODUCT Price/user % of Budget 2,347 48 PC 1.7 GHz FireGL 2 accelerator Polhemus 3D tracker 1,823 37 4 receivers 5DT sensing glove 482 10 five-sensor version Stereo Glasses wired 179 3 Force feedback Joystick 88 2 Java and Java3D - - VRML - - Total 4,919 100
VR Market growth
The key elements of a VR System
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