Intro to Simulation and Virtual reality CE001661

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Intro to Simulation and Virtual reality
CE00166-1

• An overview of VR and simulation
• Practical application of theory
• Module Leader - Bob Hobbs
• semester 1
• Core Module for VR award

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What is the structure?

• Shared with Engineering School
• 1 lecture (2hrs) F14
• 1 practical tutorial K102

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How is it assessed ?

• 1 phased assignment based on tutorial work
• 1 written report based on project work

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What topics will I cover?

• Principles and types of VR
• Simulation methods
• Games
• Software
• Underlying mathematical concepts
• VRML
• Real time data acquisition from VR input devices
• Projection

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What is Virtual reality?

• emulating the real world
• making an electronic world seem real
• Being able to interact with the electronic
  representation
• moving within the world
• manipulating objects in the world

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types of VR

• desktop collaboration
• video image on screen
• computer tools - may be web-based
• video of room/work in progress
• see others work projected on your desk!
• immersive VR
• helmet/goggles, data glove
• Augmented VR
• VR projected onto real life environment
• physical world/VR mixes
• Interaction between VR and external device

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VR headsets

• small TV screen for each eye
• slightly different angles
• 3D effect

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inside VR

• scenes projected on walls
• realistic environment
• hydraulic rams!
• real controls
• other people

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Curved-Screen Systems
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Curved-Screen Systems
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VR Cave
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Me in the Cave
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How does VR work

• we live in a 3D world
• We have developed many methods to make sense of
  the world around us
• VR techniques have to try to recreate these
  methods

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2D images can be confusing
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shadows and high lighting create the illusion of
3D
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but which is closer?
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occlusion
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Blue hazing with distance

• look at a distant hill or building
• fuzzy, less contrast, bluish tinge
• scattering effect of air
• brains get used to it
• blue objects seem further away
• red ones closer
• use in visualisation and VR (also used in garden
  design!)

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Perspective
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binocular/stereo vision
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Involves the senses

• sight
• visual realism, 3D effects shadows, etc.,
• sound
• surround sound, sub-seat woofers etc.
• touch
• feedback from(and to) touch-sensitive gloves

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Hurricane tracking
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Real world simulators
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Simfactory
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VRML file format

• filename (URL) ends ".wrl
• c.f. .html, .gif, .jpg etc.
• VRML 1.0 first line vrml 1.0 ascii
• VRML 2.0 first line vrml 2.0 utf8
• can have binary versions too

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contents of VRML file

• one or more nodes
• general format DEF object objecttype
  fieldname value . . .
  
• or simply objecttype
  fieldname value . . .

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sphere
VRML V1.0 ascii Sphere radius 1
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add colour
VRML V1.0 ascii Separator
groups things together Material
diffuseColor 1.0 0 0
red green blue Sphere radius
1
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a cone
VRML V1.0 ascii Separator Material
diffuseColor 0 0 1 bright blue
Cone height 3
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put them together ...
VRML V1.0 ascii Separator Separator
for sphere Texture2 filename
"big_alan.jpg" Sphere radius 1
Separator for cone Material
diffuseColor 0 0 1 bright blue
Cone height 3
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applications

• Simulation
• Learning
• Modeling Behavior
• Games

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Crumbs
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Optical Tomography
David Brady Electrical and Computer
Engineering UIUC
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Argus
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Argus

• 64 cameras in 14 diameter, 8 tall cylinder
• 32 node dual processor Beowulf Linux cluster
• Cameras acquire 64 images in parallel at 60 Hz,
  synchronized and calibrated
• Computed data includes
• 3D computed tomography data volumes
• Stereo pairs computed for any viewpoint in volume
• Storing images on disk allows control over time
  dimension

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Argus in Action
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TVR