Welcome to CGMB574 Virtual Reality Computer Graphics and Multimedia Department

Textbook: Burdea and Coiffet, Virtual Reality Technology, 2 nd Edition, Wiley, 2003

Textbook web site:

Introduction

Let’s describe in term of functionality It’s a simulation Not static - interactive Real-time - User become captivated Interactivity + captivating power = immersion VR push further – all human sensorial channel What is VR….?

What is Virtual Reality? “A high-end user-computer interface that involves real-time simulation and interaction through multiple sensorial channels.” (vision, sound, touch, smell, taste)” Introduction

“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)” What is Virtual Reality? (cont)

Related Terms Artificial Reality (coined by Myron Krueger, 1991) an artifical reality perceives a participant’s action in terms of the body’s relationship to a graphic world and generated responses that maintain the illusion that his or her actions are taking place within that world Virtual Environment 1. a virtual world. 2. an instance of a virtual world presented in an interactive medium such as virtual reality

Related Terms Cyberspace (coined by William Gibson, 1984 a location that exists only in the minds of the participants, often as a result of technology that enables geographically distant people to interactively communicate Augmented Reality a type of virtual reality in which synthetic stimuli are registered with and superimposed on real-world objects; often used to make information otherwise imperceptible to human senses perceptible

Related Terms Telepresence the ability to directly interact (often via computer mediation) with a physically real, remote environment from the first-person point of view; there are no restrictions on the location of the remote environment, and there are no restrictions on the size of the device used to carry out the user’s commands at the remote location

Introduction VR is an integrated trio of “Immersion”, “Interaction” and “Imagination”

Virtual Reality Reality Simulator / Reality Engine Effectors Computers that processing the simulation/environment Generate and draw or render highly detailed images of virtual environment Blending 3D sound effect Calculate any touch related, or tactile, effects present in the virtual environment Rapidly change how the environment looks Behave in the response to the user’s action It have to be powerful to create even simple virtual environment Tracker – that monitor the user movement Virtual visualization– that let the user see what is happening 3D sound– that let the user hear what is happening Touching /Manipulation devices– that let user feel the objects and manipulate it in virtual environment Introduction VR equation

Sensorama Simulator, US Patent #3,050,870, 1962 Introduction

NASA VIEW system (1989) Introduction

NASA VIEW system (1992) Introduction

Components of Virtual Environment (VE) u Immersion –Feeling of being inside and part of the virtual world –Type of immersion t Mental immersion – state of being deeply engaged, suspension of disbelief t Physical immersion – synthetic stimulus of the body’s senses via the use of technology  this does not imply all senses or the entire body is immerged/engulfed u Interaction –The ability to interact in VE –Need to have virtual body (i.e. virtual hand to simulate the touching and manipulating the virtual object) u Tactile feedback –The ability to touch and feel virtual object u Acoustic feedback –Adding sound in VE –This feedback complement the interactive and tactile domain

Type of VR system u Immersive –Computer generated images will replace the real world view –The generated images will react to the position and orientation of the user’s head u Non-Immersive –Users are able to view the virtual world however, they are still aware of the real world –i.e. viewing the VE through a monitor u Hybrid –Permits the user to view the real world with virtual images superimposed over this view –Also known as augmented reality

Augmented Reality (AR) u It is a technology related to VR that uses many of the same tools of VR u It differs from VR, in that AR enhances rather than replaces, one’s view of the physical world u A typical AR system features transparent optics that reflect computer-generated images into the user’s eye u This create an images appear to overlay real objects in front of the user u It is a potential benefits to physicians, engineers, and other professionals

Augmented Reality (AR) u Augmented Reality should consists of –Combines real and virtual. –Is interactive in real-time. –Is registered in 3D. u Relies on accurate 3D graphics –I.e. Fighter pilot t View outside world simultaneously with everything that should appear in real world t Targets, boundaries and landmarks are clearly shown –I.e. Medicine t Using virtual environment to simulate operation process

Altering virtual office building Detecting design flaws with VR Escape disaster with VR design Getting a feel for microscopic worlds Exploring other planets via VR VR and scientific visualization Creating better construction equipment with VR Medical training with VR Physical therapy in Virtual World Fighting phobias in a safe environment Changing store layout via VR Shopping for a house with VR High-tech training in Virtual Environment VR and entertainment and gaming Military training with VR Application of VR

The key elements of a VR System