2. CHAPTER 14 INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUAL REALITY T.J.Iskandar Abd Aziz Adapted from Notes Prepared by: Noor Fardela Zainal Abidin Revised on Sept 2012 1 CGMB113/ CITB 123: MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY

3. 2 22222222 Objectives At the end of this chapter, students should be able to: identify the terms and concept related to virtual reality describe the two approaches in Virtual Reality describe the different types of Virtual Reality understand how virtual reality can be applied in everyday life

4. What is VR? 3 Virtual reality (VR) refers to a set of techniques for creating synthetic, computer-generated environments in which human operators can become immersed. Virtual Reality is a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with computers and extremely complex data

5. What is VR 4 "Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that makes use of 3D graphics, simulation, and special interfacing devices. VR is about using computers to create images of 3D scenes with which one can navigate and interact.

6. What is VR 5 Virtual Reality is  3D computer Simulation  Providing sensations (sight, sound, touch, force feedback etc)  Making you feel you are really in a “place”

7. Virtual Environment 6 Virtual Environment or VE is  Real-time simulation of real or imagined environment  Experienced at least visually VE  Supports navigation through VE  Supports 3D pointing  Supports interaction with dynamic scene elements.

8. Virtual Environment 7 Telepresence  Experience of being present at virtual site Immersion  Sense of being surrounded by sensory experience Virtual World  Is large and unbounded VE with background like sky

9. Approach in VR 8 1. Realist Approach 2. Constructivist Approach

10. 1) Realist Approach 9 Uses VR as  Recapitulation of Reality  Means of making realities of situation manifest  Medium for exploring possible realities Example  Computer aided design: living space design  Distance learning: remote presentation  Simulation: re-enactment of accident  Training: flight simulators  Modeling: Geographic information systems

11. 2) Constructive Approach 10 Use VR as  Artificial construct  Means of social interaction and cultural expression  Medium to be understood using theatre and film concepts Example  Creative Expression – Cyber Art  Fantasy Gaming – Sim City, Quake  Intellectual Aid – Information Visualisation  Social Encounters - Cybermalls

12. Types of VR 11 1. Window on World Systems (WoW) 2. Video Mapping 3. Immersive Systems 4. Telepresence 5. Mixed Reality

13. Types of VR 12 Window on World Systems (WoW)  Some systems use a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world. This sometimes called Desktop VR or a Window on a World (WoW).  Quote "One must look at a display screen," he said, "as a window through which one beholds a virtual world.  The challenge to computer graphics is to make the picture in the window look real, sound real and the objects act real."

14. Types of VR 13 Video Mapping  A variation of the WoW approach merges a video input of the user's silhouette with a 2D computer graphic.  The user watches a monitor that shows his body's interaction with the world.

15. Types of VR 14 Immersive Systems  The ultimate VR systems completely immerse the user's personal viewpoint inside the virtual world.  These "immersive" VR systems are often equipped with a Head Mounted Display (HMD).  This is a helmet or a face mask that holds the visual and auditory displays. The helmet may be free ranging, tethered, or it might be attached to some sort of a boom armature.  A nice variation of the immersive systems use multiple large projection displays to create a 'Cave' or room in which the viewer(s) stand.  The Holodeck used in the television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is afar term extrapolation of this technology.

16. Types of VR 15 Telepresence  Telepresence is a variation on visualizing complete computer generated worlds.  This a technology links remote sensors in the real world with the senses of a human operator.  Fire fighters use remotely operated vehicles to handle some dangerous conditions.  Surgeons are using very small instruments on cables to do surgery without cutting a major hole in their patients.  Robots equipped with telepresence systems have already changed the way deep sea and volcanic exploration is done.  NASA plans to use telerobotics for space exploration.

17. Types of VR 16 Mixed Reality  Merging the Telepresence and Virtual Reality systems gives the Mixed Reality or Seamless Simulation systems.  Here the computer generated inputs are merged with telepresence inputs and/or the users view of the real world.  A surgeon's view of a brain surgery is overlaid with images from earlier CAT scans and real-time ultrasound.  A fighter pilot sees computer generated maps and data displays inside his fancy helmet visor or on cockpit displays.

18. VR Advantages 17 Better Communication. Enabling faster completion of projects Presentation are usable for difference purposes Able to view aspect that would either wise never show up or to late. Usually more affordable than building a scale model or mock up. Cost effective and safer. Ex: flight simulation

19. VR Dis-advantages 18 VR world is visually unconvincing because there are sometimes low resolution, have limited field of view and exhibit noticeable head motion lags VR world lack realism and cartoonish VR can make you sick because of motion tracking and conflict in visual display VR is expensive to create Dependent on rare and specialized display devises Require special computing hardware.

20. VR TECHNOLOGY Prepared by: Noor Fardela Zainal Abidin © UNITEN 2004/2005 19 CITB 123: MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY

21. BOOM Display 20 Binocular Omni-Orientation Monitor Puts high resolution stereo display on counterbalance arm. Is moves by hand grips or attached to user’s head Provides accurate head tracking Is only single user experience Tethers and restricts range of movements

22. BOOM Display 21

23. Desktop VR 22 Provides VE display on desktop monitor Usually is not head tracking Is cheaper and accessible Is not immersive (field of view limited) Is not encumbering Really enquires 3D pointer for interaction

24. Desktop VR 23 Desktop VR can be delivered in a variety of modes  Stereo to screen shutter glasses  Stereo to polarized screen overlay and polarized glasses  Non stereo output to immersive wide screen display.

25. Desktop VR 24

26. Goggles and Gloves 25 Impressively integrates  Stereoscopic viewing via LCD display  Head and hand tracking  Finger flexion input from data gloves Is only single user experience Limits corporal presence in VE to hand Suffers from high latency & limited accuracy of tracking Is encumbering: tethers user by wire or by IR comms range Has health hazard: bumping & cybersickness

27. Goggles and Gloves 26

28. VIRTUAL ROOM 27 Cave Automatic Virtual Environment  Is 10-foot-square room composed of projection screens  Use projectors to project stereo images on 3 walls & floor  Gives perspective control to user with e-m tracker & wand  CAVE was 1 st developed in 1991 at Electronic Visualization Label  Cave s unencumbering  Sharable  expensive

29. VIRTUAL ROOM 28

30. HMD Head Mounted Device  Is any device which literally mount on the head and displays an image viewable only by the wearer of the device.  It is used for a wide variety of commercial, industrial, medical and personal applications. 29

31. INPUT DEVICES 30 Mechanical Input Devices  Boom trackers, feedback mice, joysticks, steering wheel. Electromagnetic Input Devices  Transmitter generates magnetic field in 3 orthogonal coils  Receiver picks up field emission  Sensors are small and may be attached o body, stylus, glove etc.

32. INPUT DEVICES 31 Optical Input Devices  Light sources tracked by sensors  Either sources or sensors are mounted on tracked objects  Infra-red’s lack of visibility does not distract Acoustic Input Devices  Microphones received ultra-sound pulses sent by emitters

33. 32 MSC – Virtual Reality Center http://cmc.msc.com.my/

34. Reference 33 Funding A Revolution Government Support for Computing Research. Copyright 1999 National Academy Press http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/far/contents.ht ml http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/far/contents.ht ml http://www.isdale.com/jerry/VR/WhatIsVR/noframes/W hatIsVR4.1-VR.html http://www.isdale.com/jerry/VR/WhatIsVR/noframes/W hatIsVR4.1-VR.html Hamish Taylor, lecture Notes Multimedia technology 12.5G2, Heriot-Watt University Scotland.