Week 1: Lecture 1

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Week 1 Lecture 1

• Introduction to Virtual Reality

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What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

• A computer system that allows real time user
  interaction with 3D graphical environment.
• Difference between ordinary 3D graphics and VR is
  the real time and interactive nature.
• Real-time Each scene must be generated in
  milliseconds so that the user sees at least 8
  frames per second (fps) or better 30 or more fps
  to give the illusion of smooth movement.

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What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

• Interactive the system responds in real-time to
  user input from, for example
• Keyboard or mouse
• Gestures
• 3D motion sensors
• speech
• 3D graphicalmost virtual reality systems have
  some form of graphical output but may also use
  haptic or force-feedback output or 3d sound.

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Virtual Reality Systems

• 3D computer generated environments
• Single or multi-user
• Immersed, desktop, projected
• Navigable
• Interactive and reactive
• Multi-sensory

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Complexity of VR Systems

• High-end systems
• sophisticated graphics processors
• complex environments
• HMDs, data gloves, CAVE
• Low-end systems
• standard desktop PC with standard monitor
• interfaced with keyboard,mouse, joystick, other
  input devices.

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Single User Virtual RealitySystems

• Purposes
• visualization of data sets
• navigation of architectural
• prototyping
• training

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Multi-User SystemCollaborative Virtual
Environments (CVEs)

• VR as a communication tool
• Support natural social skills
• Integration of communication with information
  access
• Issues
• Awareness and control of communication
• Embodiment

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Uses for Virtual Reality

• Marketing
• Simulation - architectural, geographical
• Engineering and design - prototyping
• Training - medical, military, spaceflight
• Visualisation - scientific and database
• Leisure - games and rides
• Communication - meeting rooms
• Medical treatment - phobias

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Why use VR?

• 3D real-time interaction
• Being there.
• Learning style (flexibility)
• Motivation
• 3D representation of real/abstract concepts
• Exploration of dangerous situations

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Why Use VR?

• 7. Simulation of real world problems
  -reduced cost
• 8. More intuitive and natural displays
• 9. Full body interaction resulting in greater
• immersion.
• 10. Stereoscopic displays
• 11.The ability to display more information
• 12. Natural social settings

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Goal of Virtual Reality

• Provide the user with a computer controlled
  environment that is as close to physical reality
  as possible
• specialized input devices
• specialized output devices
• Immersion
• The extent to which the user is isolated from the
  physical world and receives only the artificially
  generated stimulation

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• VR systems divided into 3 categories
• Immersive VR systems
• Non- immersive VR systems
• Hybrid VR systems

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Immersive VR systems

• Immersive is where the user feels surrounded by
  virtual environment and able to interact with the
  objects in the environment.
• Completely immerse the users personal viewpoint
  inside the virtual world. This VR system often
  equipped with a Head Mounted display (HMD).
• Example Cave

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Non- immersive VR systems

• User aware of the real world and able to navigate
  in the virtual environment through display
  equipment.
• Example 1
• Window on World Systems (WoW)
• WoW also known as Desktop VR. The system use
  computer monitor to display the virtual
  environment.

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• The advantages of this system,it does not need
  special hardware and high level of graphics
  performance.
• WoW is the cheapest virtual reality.

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Example 2

• Video Mapping
• A variation of the WoW approach merges a video
  input of the users silhouette with a 2D computer
  graphics.
• The user watches a monitor that shows his bodys
  interaction with the world.

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Hybrid VR systems

• This system is where computer generated inputs
  are merged with the users view of the real world.
  It is also known as Mixed reality or Augmented
  Reality.
• Advantage- more accurate compare to human view.

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Example-

• A fighter pilot sees computer generated maps and
  data display inside his fancy helmet visor or on
  cockpit displays.
• A surgeons view of a brain surgery is overlaid
  with images from earlier CT scans and real-time
  ultrasound.

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Example of Immersive System CAVE

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Caves
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Flight Simulator
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Collaborative multi-user VR application
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Multi-user Application DIVE (Distributed
Interactive Virtual Environment)
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Monitoring and Control VR application
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VR Teleconferencing