1. Introduction to Virtual Reality

2. Topic Papers Brooks, F. P. (1999). What's Real About Virtual Reality? Zyda, M. (2005). From Visual Simulation to Virtual Reality to Games Sanchez-Vives, M. V. & Slater, M. (2005). From Presence to Consciousness through Virtual Reality

3. Overview What is VR Early Examples VR Technologies VR Challenges

4. Overview VR Applications Serious Gaming What is Presence Factors of Presence

5. Virtual Reality What is VR? Early Examples – Vehicle simulators

6. Crucial VR Technologies Displays Rendering Engines Tracking System Latency Model Engineering

7. Displays Head Mounted Display (HMD) CAVE Panoramic Workbenches Desktop Displays – Are not VR displays

8. Rendering Engines Cost – Currently Affordable Speed – More than adequate

9. Tracking Capturing user’s gestures XBOX Kinect

10. System Latency Response Time Perceptible latency Important in Augmented Reality

11. Model Engineering Not an issue now Numerous online locations for models

12. 1999 VR Challenges Reducing Latency Rendering models > 1 M polygons in real time Choosing which display fits what application Haptic Augmentation for VR Modeling worlds efficiently Measuring illusion of presence

13. VR Applications Vehicle Simulation Entertainment Vehicle Design Architectural Design Medicine Probe Microscopy

14. VR Applications Training Serious Video Games – “A mental contest, played with a computer in accordance with specific rules, that uses entertainment to further government or corporate training, education, health, public policy, and strategic communication objectives”

15. Serious Video Games More than story, art, and code Teach/train the user America’s Army

16. Presence The concept of ‘presence’ refers to the phenomenon of behaving and feeling as if we are in the virtual world created by computer displays

17. Presence Factors Display Parameters – Latency Virtual Realism – Not an important factor Sound – Impacts sense of reality

18. Presence Factors Haptics – General Haptic feedback – Static Haptics Body Engagement – Movement

19. Therapeutic Applications Possible because of presence Phobias – Acrophobia (fear of heights) Social Anxiety

20. Therapeutic Applications Paranoid ideation Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Sound Pain Distraction

21. Topic Papers Brooks, F. P. (1999). What's Real About Virtual Reality? Zyda, M. (2005). From Visual Simulation to Virtual Reality to Games Sanchez-Vives, M. V. & Slater, M. (2005). From Presence to Consciousness through Virtual Reality