1. Introduction to Virtual Environments & Virtual Reality
Reading: Bowman, et al., Chapter 1

2. Virtual Environments Augmented Reality Mixed Reality Telepresence
Artificial Reality
Classical Simulation Environments
Virtual Reality (VEs)

3. Augmented Reality
A real-world environment that is enhanced (augmented) with synthetic objects or information
Generates a composite view for the user.

4. Mixed Reality
Mixed Reality is the merging of real world and virtual worlds to produce a new environment where physical and digital objects can co-exist and interact.
A continuum including both VR and AR (text)
Generates a composite view for the user.

5. Mixed Reality (MR)
Anywhere between the extrema of the virtuality continuum. The virtuality continuum extends from completely real through to the completely virtual environment with augment reality and augment virtuality (predominantly virtual space where physical objects/people are dynamically intergrated) ranging between.

6. Telepresence
The use of various technologies to produce the effect of placing the user in another location.
Generates a composite view for the user.

7. Artificial Reality (Myron Kruger)
Responsive Environment
Is an environment where human behavior is perceived by a computer which interprets what it observes and responds through intelligent visual and auditory displays

8. Videos Mixed Reality – Augmented Reality
Virtual Humans in Mixed Reality Systems

9. Classical Simulation
Classical simulation is a mix of real objects and computer generated stimuli.

10. Virtual Reality
Ideal for VR is that everything you experience is computer-generated.
Star Trek Holodeck

11. VR usually implies Immersive Technology Real-time first person view
Environment responds to you (at least at the level of head-motion)

12. Immersive Technology Head-mounted Display Optical System
Image Source (CRT or LCD)
Mounting Apparatus
Earphones
3 – 6 DoF Tracker

13. Immersive Technology
Multi-screen Projection of stereoscopic images (CAVE)

14. Immersive Technology Single large stereoscopic display
Projection-based
Head-tracked
Possible tracking of hands and arms.
Brings virtual objects into the physical world

15. Other Characteristics
Head and body tracking implies that visual content is always computed and rendered in “real time” (10-60 frames/second).
In virtual reality you have a sense of, and interact with, three-dimensional things as opposed to pictures or movies of things.

16. Primary intellectual components that create a virtual environment
Hardware / Technology
User’s Perspective (the environment that is experienced)
System Software Design
Interaction Techniques

17. Hardware / Technology
What display modalities and technologies will I use?
What sensor modalities and technologies will I use?
What is my computation environment?
How many active users do I wish to accommodate?

18. User’s perspective Setting Objects in world Other participants
Active/Passive
Factory Simulation
Architectural Walkthrough

19. System Software Design
Software structures that run the virtual environment
Rendering group
Graphics, audio, haptic
Sensor polling group
Separately poll each sensor hardware subsystem
Computation group
Manage the state of the environment

20. Interaction Techniques
Do I interact with the environment?
How do I interact with the environment?
Not the same as what devices I use

21. Applications? Most current applications: Special Purpose
Interaction simple and/or infrequent
Sidestep limitations of graphics and haptics
A few expensive systems are sold to a few rich people

22. Entertainment

23. Design Visualization

24. Training (NASA)

25. Clinical Virtual Reality
The direct use of VR as a tool in the treatment or assessment of psychological and physical disorders. PTSD Demo Video

27. Questions?