Virtual Reality Applications

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Virtual Reality Applications

• Pablo Figueroa
• Computing Science Department
• University of Alberta

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Objectives

• Overview of related research in VR
• Discuss research problems I am interested

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What is a VR World?

• Virtual objects that
• can be sensed by the user
• can interact with the user
• Seen, heard, touched, smelled, tasted
• Minimal Requirements
• 3D geometry

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Main Issues
Hardware Platforms
Application Domain
Interaction Techniques
Realism
Software Platforms
5
Hardware Platforms
Hardware Platforms
Application Domain
Interaction Techniques
Realism
Software Platforms
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Hardware Platforms

• Desktop
• Fish tank
• Immersive
• HMD based
• CAVE based
• Big projection spaces
• ...

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New Devices

• Cubic Mouse
• Virtual Retinal Display
• Virtual Notepad

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Software Platforms
Hardware Platforms
Application Domain
Interaction Techniques
Realism
Software Platforms
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Development Environments

• VRML
• Java3D
• OpenGL
• Performer
• MRToolkit/MRObjects
• Diverse, Maverik, MASSIVE, SVE, Dive, VRJuggler,
  ...
• WorldToolKit, Vega, ...

Plus Hardware Specific APIs
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Applications
Hardware Platforms
Application Domain
Interaction Techniques
Realism
Software Platforms
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Successful Applications

• Simulators
• Industrial design
• Treatment of fears

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Successful Applications (2)

• Military Applications

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Successful Applications (3)

• Entertainment
• Information Visualization

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Realism
Hardware Platforms
Application Domain
Interaction Techniques
Realism
Software Platforms
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Realism

• Representation
• Areas of Interest

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Realism (2)

• Level-of-Detail
• Image-Based Rendering
• Layered-Depth Images

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Interaction Techniques
Hardware Platforms
Application Domain
Interaction Techniques
Realism
Software Platforms
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Interaction Techniques

• Examples
• Isolated
• Families
• Image plane
• Proprioception
• Classifications

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ITs Examples

• Go-go
• Aperture Selection
• Daisy menu

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ITs Examples (2)

• Image-plane

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ITs Examples (3)

• Proprioception

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ITs Control

• Menus
• Widgets

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Classifications
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What I am interested in
Realism
Interaction Techniques
Application Domain
Software Platforms
Hardware Platforms
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What I am interested in (2)

• Given that
• VR applications should run in different platforms
• A VR application should use the interaction
  techniques that best fit a specific platform
• How VR applications can be adapted to different
  platforms?

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What I am interested in (3)

• Given that
• VR applications are difficult to build, because
  of the many details involved
• How the development of VR applications can be
  facilitated to novice users?

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Retargeting
Application Description
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Retargeting (2)

• World Creators
• IT Developers
• Configurators

Application Description
Interaction Techniques
Hardware Configuration
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Development

• World Creators
• IT Developers
• Configurators

Descriptive Language
Scripting Language
Compiled Language
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Application Description
Application Domain
Interaction Techniques
Hardware Platforms

• Limited by
• User model
• Ergonomic considerations

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Application Domain

• Objects
• composed
• rigid transformations
• change color
• bounding box
• collision detection
• loaded from files

• NO
• creation
• non-rigid t.
• particles
• sound
• ...

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Hardware Platform

• Input Types
• Locator, Valuator,Pick , Button
• Example Joystick
• pos Pos2D
• buttons Button5
• Output Languages
• Describe available elements to render

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Interaction Techniques

• Based on the concept of a filter
• A dataflow of filters

Filters objects
Filters objects
Parameters
Signals
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Interaction Techniques (2)

• Allow composition
• Allow encapsulation
• Allow different execution models
• Allow replacements

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ITs Go-Go Technique
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ITs Go-Go Encapsulated
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ITs Campus demo
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Open Problems

• Representation
• objects, ITs, devices
• Heterogeneity
• retargeting
• Learning curve
• Development environment

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Bibliography

• Tutorials 18 and 36 SIGGRAPH 2000
• Brooks paper in CGA, Nov 1999
• van Dam paper in CGA, Nov 2000
• Selected papers from Green, Forsberg, Poupyrev,
  Bowman, Mine, ...

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Questions?