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The user experience for an AR system is primarily affected by the display type, the system’s sensing capabilities, and the means for interaction. The display and sensing techniques determine the effectiveness and realism possible in the blending of the two realities, but may at the same time have ergonomic and social consequences.
It may, in particular, be desirable to achieve walk-up-and-use scenarios that support spontaneous interaction with minimal user preparation [Encarnacao et al. 2000]. Unencumbering technology can also be emphasized, avoiding setups that rely on user-worn equipment [Kaiser et al. 2003, Olwal et al. 2003], such as head-worn displays [Cakmakci and Rolland 2006] or motion sensors [Welch and Foxlin 2002]. It can also be useful to, to the greatest extent possible, preserve the qualities of the real space, while augmenting and assisting the user with unmediated view and control. The excessive use of artificial elements, such as visual reference patterns used for tracking, may, for example, have negative side-effects by cluttering or occluding the real environment that the system is meant to augment. Some display technologies may also result in significantly reduced visual quality due to optical properties, or the use of a downsampled view of the real environment.

An unobtrusive AR system [Olwal 2009] emphasizes unencumbering techniques and avoids changes to the appearance of the physical environment. An unobtrusive AR system must address issues in three areas:
1 Display systems The system should merge the real and virtual, while preserving a clear and direct view of the real, physical environment, and avoiding visual modifications to it.

2 Sensing and registration The system should present perspective-correct imagery without user-worn equipment or sensors.

3 Interaction techniques The system should support direct manipulation, while avoiding encumbering technologies.

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Computers have dramatically altered life in the late twentieth century. Today we can draw on worldwide computer links, speeding up communications by radio, newspapers, and television. Ideas fly back and forth and circle the globe at the speed of electricity. And just around the corner lurks full-blown virtual reality, in which we will be able to immerse ourselves in a computer simulation not only of the actual physical world, but of any imagined world. As we begin to move in and out of a computer-generated world, Michael Heim asks, how will the way we perceive our world change? In The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality, Heim considers this and other philosophical issues of the Information Age. With an eye for the dark as well as the bright side of computer technology, he explores the logical and historical origins of our computer-generated world and speculates about the future direction of our computerized lives. He discusses such topics as the effect of word-processing on the English language (while word-processors have led to increased productivity, they have also led to physical hazards such as repetitive motion syndrome, which causes inflamed hand and arm tendons). Heim looks into the new kind of literacy promised by Hypertext (technology which allows the user to link audio and video elements, the disadvantages including disorientation and cognitive overload). And he also probes the notion of virtual reality, "cyberspace"--the computer-simulated environments that have captured the popular imagination and may ultimately change the way we define reality itself. Just as the definition of interface itself has evolved from the actual adaptor plug used to connect electronic circuits into human entry into a self-contained cyberspace, so too will the notion of reality change with the current technological drive. Like the introduction of the automobile, the advent of virtual reality will change the whole context in which our knowledge and awareness of life are rooted. And along the way - See more at: http://www.buffalolib.org/vufind/Record/803817/Reviews#sthash.0VlE9mXz.dpuf

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1.) Have you heard the term Augmented and Virtual Reality?

2.)What do you mean by it?

3.)What are the areas where the concepts of Augmented and Virtual Reality can be applied?

4.)What are the benefits of implementing Augmented and virtual reality in our daily lives?

5.)What are the risks associated with the use of Augmented and Virtual reality in day to day uses?

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http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~thad/p/journal/augmented-reality-through-wearable-computing.pdf

http://www.csc.kth.se/~alx/courses/DT2140/olwal_introduction_to_ar_2010_03_05.pdf

Azuma, R. T. (1997, August). A survey of augmented reality. In Presence: Teleperators and Virtual Environments, 6(4), 355-385. Azuma, R., Baillot, Y., Behringer, R., Feiner, S., Julier, S., & MacIntyre, B. (2001). Recent advances in augmented reality. Computers & Graphics, 1-15. Behzadan, A. H. (2008). ARVISCOPE georeferenced visualization of dynamic construction processes in three-dimensional outdoor augmented reality. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Michigan. Doctor of Philosophy: 282. Billinghurst, M. (2002). Augmented Reality in Education. New Horizons for Learning, December 2002. Retrieved July 20, 2010 from http://www.newhorizons.org/ strategies/technology/billinghurst.htm 136 Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange Volume 4, No. 1, October, 2011 Billinghurst, M., Cheok, A., Prince, S., and Kato, H. (2002). Real world teleconferencing. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 22(6), 11-13. Billinghurst, M., and Kato, H. (2002). Collaborative augmented reality. Communications of the ACM, 45(7), 64-70. Billinghurst, M., Kato, H., & Poupyrev, I. (2001). The MagicBook: A Transitional AR Interface. Computers and Graphics, November 2001, 745-753. Billinghurst, M., & Henrysson, A. (2009). Mobile architectural augmented reality. (X. Wang, & M. Schnabel, Eds.) Mixed Reality In Architecture, Design And Construction, 3, 93-104. Biocca, F., & Levy, M. (1995) Communication In The Age of Virtual Reality, Lawrence Erlbaum. Carr, A. (March 31, 2011). BMW to Launch NYC Tech Incubator with $100 million investment fund. Retrieved July 30, 2011 from http://www.fastcompany.com/1743933/ bmw-to-launch-nyc-tech-incubator-with- 100-million-investment-fund Carr, A. (2010, February 11). ZooBurst: Augmented Reality 3-D Pop-up Books for Students and Teachers. Retrieved July 22, 2011 from http://www.fastcompany. com/1644265/zooburst-augmented-reality-3-d-pop-up-books-for-students-andteachers Cho, K., Lee, J., Soh, J., Lee, J., & Yang, H. S. (2007). A realisitc e-learning system based on mixed reality. Proc 13th Intl Conference on Virtual System and Multimedia (pp. 57- 64). VSMM. Classroom Learning with AR (2010). Trends in EdTech wiki. Retrieved July 25, 2010 from http://augreality.pbworks.com/ClassroomLearning-with-AR Cooperstock, J. R. (2001). The classroom of the future: Enhancing education through augmented reality. Proceedings of HCI International, (pp. 688-692). Dede, C. (Speaker). (2008). Immersive interfaces for learning: Opportunities and perils [motion picture]. (Available from The President and Fellows of Harvard College). http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/ events/luncheon/2008/12/dede Dede, C., et al. (2009). Immersive interfaces for engagement and learning. Science, 323, 66-68. DOI: 10.1126/science.1167311 De Lorenzo, R. (2009). Augmented Reality and On-Demand Learning. The Mobile Learner. Retrieved July 22, 2010 from http://themobilelearner.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/ augmented-reality-and-on-demand-learning/ Dugdale, A. (March 17, 2010). GM to use augmented reality tech for safer driving. Retrieved July 30, 2011 from http://www. fastcompany.com/1586608/gm-to-use-augmented-reality-tech-for-safer-driving Dunleavy, M., Dede, C., & Mitchell, R. (2009, February 1). Affordances and limitations of immersive participatory augmented reality simulations for teaching and learning. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18(1), 7-22. Fulton, S. III. (May 7, 2007). How Many Users Does Second Life Really Have? Retrieved July 30, 2011 from http://www.betanews. com/article/How-Many-Users-Does-Second-Life-Really-Have/1178573043 Galusha, J. (1997). Barriers to Learning in Distance Education. University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved September 26, 2011 from http://www.infrastruction.com/barriers.htm Gartner Inc. (2008, May 28). Gartner Identifies Top Ten Disruptive Technologies for 2008 to 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2011 from http://www.gartner.com/it/page. jsp?id=681107

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Upcoming benchmarks in Augmented Reality - Microsoft Hololens

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Upcoming benchmarks in Augmented Reality - Microsoft Hololens

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Microsoft HoloLens - Transform your world with holograms

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For the first time ever, Microsoft HoloLens seamlessly blends high-definition holograms with your real world. Holograms will improve the way you do things every day, and enable you to do things you've never done before.

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Given the exciting developments and the manifest functionality of AR as an improved user interface technology, researchers believe that AR has vast potential implications and numerous benefits for the augmentation of teaching and learning environments (Billinghurst, 2002; Cooperstock, 2001; Klopfer & Squire, 2008; Shelton & Hedley, 2002). For example, AR has potential to: (a) engage, stimulate, and motivate students to explore class materi- 127 Augmented Reality: An Overview and Five Directions for AR in Education Volume 4, No. 1, October, 2011 als from different angles (Kerawalla, Luckin, Selijefot, & Woolard, 2006); (b) help teach subjects where students could not feasibly gain real-world first-hand experience (e.g. astronomy and geography) (Shelton & Hedley, 2002); (c) enhance collaboration between students and instructors and among students (Billinghurst, 2002); (d) foster student creativity and imagination (Klopfer & Yoon, 2004); (e) help students take control of their learning at their own pace and on their own path (Hamilton & Olenewa, 2010), and (f) create an authentic learning environment suitable to various learning styles (Classroom Learning with AR, 2010). Researchers have explored the use of AR applications within a variety of fields and disciplines, many of which are already directly or indirectly related to education. For example, Liu, Jenkins, Sanderson, Fabian, and Russell (2010) have examined medical applications of AR in general anesthesia. Similarly, Sielhorst, Obst, Burgkart, Riener, and Navab (2004) have looked at the use of AR for medical training simulations. Also, Sielhorst, Feuerstein, and Navab (2008) have reviewed the 1990s AR medical display literature extensively. Other researchers (Liarokapis et al., 2004) have examined the use of AR as a tool for engineering where Web3D and AR technologies allow students to explore mechanical engineering concepts. Kaufmann and his team have focused their AR research on applications in mathematics and geometry by creating an AR system to facilitate learning between instructors and students (Kaufmann, 2003; Kaufmann & Dünser, 2007; Kaufmann & Schmalstieg, 2003). Additionally, researchers have investigated the feasibility of various AR applications for use within the field of e-commerce (Zhu, Owen, Li, & Lee, 2004), e-learning systems (Cho, Lee, Soh, Lee, & Yang, 2007; Liarokapis,Petridis, Lister, & White, 2002), architecture (Billinghurst & Henrysson, 2009; Thomas et al., 2001), interior design (Phan & Choo, 2010), and science education (Kerawalla, Luckin, Selijefot, & Woolard, 2006; Shelton & Hedley, 2002). The remainder of this paper examines five significant educational applications of AR technology: AR books, AR gaming, discovery-based learning, objects modeling, and skills training

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A well-known military AR application involves the HMDs, worn by fighter and helicopter pilots, which allow users to view relevant information such as instructions, maps, and enemy locations (Sisodiaa et al. May, 2007). This information can also be displayed on a vehicle screen, or even on the windshield of a cockpit. For soldiers on the ground, as well as in the air, military-grade AR helmets are in development, to be equipped with computers, 360-degree cameras, UV and infrared sensors, stereoscopic cameras, and OLED translucent display goggles. Wearing AR helmets, soldiers will be able to communicate with a massive “home base” server that collects and renders 3D information onto the wearers’ goggles in real time. Various objects and people will be outlined in specific colors to warn soldiers of friendly forces, potential danger spots, impending air-raid locations, rendezvous points, and other critical data. With the full deployment of AR technology, the face of military combat may be changed beyond recognition

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Applications of AR - Medicine and doctory

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Applications of AR - Medicine and doctory

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According to Samset et al. (2008), AR technology will not only be able to enhance medical surgical and clinical procedures by improving cost effectiveness, safety, and efficiency, medical AR systems may also assist in the invention of new surgical procedures. AR systems have potential to support surgeons with navigation and orientation before, during, and after surgery. Medical AR applications will allow for more advanced pre-operative imaging studies, letting doctors and surgeons examine a holographic view of patients’ internal anatomy compiled from CT, MRI, and ultrasound data. After a surgical procedure has been planned, AR systems can use streaming input data to create virtual superimposed images in realtime. Beyond visual augmentation, AR systems can integrate haptic devices (touch, or vibration feedback tools) to let surgeons feel tumors, 126 Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange Volume 4, No. 1, October, 2011 or otherwise explore the patient’s condition via touch, without having to perform open surgery. Furthermore, an AR system combined with dependable and consistent force feedback could make more difficult surgeries eventually become minimally invasive (Samset et al., 2008)

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Applications of AR - Entertainment Industry

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Applications of AR - Entertainment Industry

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Blurring the mixed reality continuum, Hatsune Miku, a completely virtual singer, has given live concerts in Japan, as a hologram requiring no special equipment for the audience to perceive. Using more conventional AR technology, in the book industry AR books have been released featuring animated images, overlaying and interacting with the pages of the book, and accompanied by music and sound effects (Billinghurst, Kato, & Poupyrev, 2001). Another approach involves AR ‘popup’ books, in which still or animated 3D images hover over the pages of the book, often accompanied by sound (Billinghurst, Kato, & Poupyrev, 2001). Meanwhile, development in markerless AR tracking is facilitating the creation of more traditional board games, such as Monopoly, in a virtual format. The electronic games industry and the social media industry are both broadening their scope to include AR technologies. Smartphone apps now allow users to fire AR Gatling guns which appear to actually hit real-world objects. Smartphone apps and hand-held game consoles have released games which let users track and collect virtual fairies and other mythological creatures which appear in the real-world landscape around them (Lewis, 2005). According to Raju (2009), AR games of these sorts are notable for providing stress relief. Companies have enabled various complex AR entertainment projects through the iPad, such as a holographic helicopter which hovers over the surface of the iPad screen (Yuen, 2011, February 19). Other apps allow users to fly an actual Remote Controlled (RC) helicopter (or drone) using a smartphone or other mobile device as the control and interface. These drones are equipped with cameras which allow AR games, such as virtual obstacles overlaid over the real-world environment, or dog-fighting with virtual (or real opponents), using virtual weapons (Webster, 2009).

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Applications of AR- Architecture and Construction

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Applications of AR- Architecture and Construction

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According to Behzadan (2008), AR systems can be used to allow designers, workers, customers and potential employers to actually walk through a real world site and visualize and experience a virtual facility or building under construction or planned for the future. The technology could also help in the planning of construction jobs by allowing workers to see visual representations of underground utility lines or pipes. Electricians and other professionals that are working together on a job would be able to cohesively view how things should be wired, or where other equipment, pipes, and the like are supposed to be placed. All of the data would come from a 3D model and associated digital information about the structure. In short, there are numerous ways where the use of AR technology can save time and money, as well as reduce problems, in the field of architecture and construction.

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What are the applications of Augmented Reality?

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What are the applications of Augmented Reality?

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Applications of AR-- Advertising and marketing

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Applications of AR-- Advertising and marketing

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In no other field has the AR excitement exploded in such a huge way than in advertising and marketing. Companies seeking new ways to engage and interest potential customers have implemented a variety of AR applications which present users with virtual objects, apparently sharing their space, which can be explored and manipulated using natural movements and hand-gestures. For example, cutting-edge automotive campaigns are displaying full-size AR virtual cars in shopping centers and other public areas. A markerless interface allows pedestrians, who do not need AR gloves or other controllers, to use their real-time spatial output (movements) to toggle virtual buttons, open doors, fold seats, and rotate virtual model vehicles (Yuen, 2011, February 25). Smaller products, such as toys, can now be viewed virtually in stores and kiosks worldwide, sometimes with integrated 3D animations. Somewhat more sophisticated campaigns allow users to use their smartphones to view, rotate, and resize virtual models of products, such as furniture, anywhere in their environment, so that they can gain a more accurate impression of how the item would complement their current furnishings and decorating scheme. Other AR applications can be conceptualized as ‘marking-up people’, by adding virtual clothing or apparel items which they seem to ‘wear’. Prominent examples of this can be seen in the kiosks, ‘virtual dressing rooms’ and ‘virtual mirrors’ of companies selling designer accessories such as sun-glasses or watches. These applications are being utilized by corporations to enrich customer shopping experiences, both in real-world and in online retail venues. Shoppers are able to share their choices, or ‘likes’ through social media, and are often able to make their final purchase through the AR interface. In a third category of AR marketing applications, real-world objects are ‘marked-up’ with superimposed, but conceptually unrelated 3D artifacts. Utilizing this strategy, a one company has created a series of AR games in which consumers use actual shoes, in conjunction with a computer and a webcam, to play AR games whose environments seem to pop out of the shoes themselves. Fast-Food and Media companies have utilized AR technology to cause popular 3D characters to spring out of soft-drink cups, and other packaging in fast-food franchises (Hampp, 2009). A similar application of technology is being used for a more utilitarian purpose by the U.S. Postal Service, which allows users to view holographic boxes, projected from any sheet of paper with the appropriate QR Code. This allows customers to compare the size of the items they wish to ship to the size of the virtual box visible on their screen.

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Augmented reality content can be viewed in several ways. Initially, people may have encountered web applications which let them 122 Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange Volume 4, No. 1, October, 2011 view quick response (QR) codes through their webcam. Using QR codes (markers), digital information, including 3D animations, can be attached, in a sense, to images on paper, cards, or other surfaces. When a marker is held in front of a webcam, those using AR applications through a computer or console can view digital content superimposed over their real environment (the paper in their hands), as shown by the display screen (which simply shows the room as the webcam sees it, augmented by the AR content). Usually, when the user moves or rotates the marker image, the digital content moves and rotates as well. Another viewing option is to use a head mounted display (HMD). While wearing a HMD (which covers the eyes), users can see digital content on the HMD screen and their real environment through the screen (or displayed on the screen by an attached camera). Today, many mobile AR applications are location based. To utilize these AR applications on a mobile device or a smartphone, the phone must be equipped with several necessary tools: (a) GPS technology; (b) an accelerometer, and (c) a digital compass (magnetometer). Using mobile AR applications, users may view the world through smartphone cameras in order to see digital content mixed with the real environment.

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Researchers have pursued AR because it may (a) allow for the enhancement of users’ perceptions, knowledge, and interaction with the real world (Azuma et al., 2001) and (b) because AR has the potential to improve productivity in real world tasks (Schmalstieg, 2001). According to Billinghurst and Henrysson (2009), the research and development necessary for current implementations of AR have gone on over the past four decades (see Figure 2). However, it wasn’t until the 90s that inertia became significant, and the numbers of researchers and developers in th AR field increased. In recent years, growth and progress in AR has been significant (Phan & Choo, 2010). Some of companies currently involved in the development of AR technologies and applications are ARToolkit, ARQuake, Google, Inglobe Technologies, Layar, metaio, nhow Berlin, Total Immersion, and Webtitude. Figure 2. History of AR - a brief timeline 123 Augmented Reality: An Overview and Five Directions for AR in Education Volume 4, No. 1, October, 2011 AR research tends to pursue either (a) the development of new devices and technologies for the tracking, display, and input of real world and virtual data, or (b) the development of applications utilizing existing technologies (Billinghurst & Henrysson, 2009). Zhou, Dun, and Billinghurst (2008) present a useful review of research published and presented at the AR conferences which have gone on under various names for the past ten years (e.g., ISMAR, ISAR, ISMR, and IWAR). According to Zhou, Dun, and Billinghurst (2008), AR research has focused primarily focused on five core areas essential to deliver AR applications: (a) techniques for tracking (20.1%), (b) techniques for interaction (14.7%), (c) calibration and registration issues (14.1%), (d) developing AR applications (14.4%), and (e) display techniques (11.8%). Additionally, some researchers have also looked into newly emerging directions for AR, including: (a) evaluation and testing, (b) mobile and wearable AR platforms, (c) AR authoring, (d) visualization, (e) multimodal AR, and (f) rendering (Zhou, Dun, & Billinghurst, 2008). In 2008, during their Emerging Trends and Technologies Roadshow, the IT research and advisory firm, Gartner, Inc., predicted that AR would be one of the top 10 disruptive technologies for the 2008 to 2012 period (Gartner Identifies Top Ten Disruptive Technologies for 2008 to 2012, 2008). More recently, a report by Juniper Research (2011) found that the increasing focus on incorporating AR elements within mobile applications will lead to nearly 1.4 billion annual downloads of such apps worldwide by 2015, up from just over 11 million in 2010. With today’s market and consumers more focused on small mobile devices such as Android Phones and iPhones, AR development is booming, especially in the areas of marketing and entertainment (Hamilton, 2011). It was further indicated that the number of AR capable apps available had both increased dramatically, and diversified, moving beyond the initial wave of location-based search apps to include games, social networking, educational, lifestyle, and personal healthcare apps (Grabham, 2009; Juniper Research, 2011). Unsurprisingly, these developments have accompanied a surge in the deployed base of AR capable smartphones.

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Augmented reality (AR) refers to a wide spectrum of technologies that project computer generated materials, such as text, images, and video, onto users’ perceptions of the real world. Initially, researchers defined AR in terms of specific facilitating devices, such as head mounted displays (HMDs). However, arguing that such definitions were too simplistic for an evolving and expanding field, Azuma (1997) and other researchers (Kaufmann, 2003; Zhou, Duh, & Billinghurst, 2008) defined the implementation of AR by three characteristics: (a) the combination of real-world and virtual elements, (b) which are interactive in real-time, and which (c) are registered in 3D (i.e., the display of virtual objects or information is intrinsically tied to real-world loci and orientation). Similarly, Höllerer and Feiner (2004) define AR systems as those which combine “real and computergenerated information in a real environment, interactively and in real time, and [which align] virtual objects with physical ones” (p. 2). Ludwig and Reimann (2005) define AR as “human-computer-interaction, which adds virtual objects to real senses that are provided by a video camera in real time” (p. 4). Zhou, Duh, and Billinghurst (2008) simply define AR as technology “which allows computer generated virtual imagery to exactly overlay physical objects in real time”

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Augmented reality (AR) is an emerging form of experience in which the real world (RW) is enhanced by computer-generated content which is tied to specific locations and/or activities. In simple terms, AR allows digital content to be seamlessly overlaid and mixed into our perceptions of the real world. In addition to the 2D and 3D objects which many may expect, digital assets such as audio and video files, textual information, and even olfactory or tactile information can be incorporated into users’ perceptions of the real world. Collectively, these augmentations can serve to aid and enhance individuals’ knowledge and understanding of what is going on around them. Rather than seeming out of place, the digital markups inherent in AR lets users perceive the real world, along with ‘added’ data, as a single, seamless environment. Though science fiction long ago introduced the concept of AR into our collective consciousness, until very recently, many might have labeled it a feature of our distant future. Now, however, we are riding the crest of a technological wave. AR is on the verge of becoming a household term, and perhaps, for many, an inseparable part of everyday life. 120 Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange Volume 4, No. 1, October, 2011 While the technologies that make it possible have been around for quite some time, only recently has AR become “doable” on consumer grade devices. The implementation of Flashbased AR detection algorithms, together with the growing popularity of mobile platforms (e.g., iOS and Android), has at last opened the door, allowing AR to become accessible to the masses. Already AR is becoming visible in our audio-visual media (e.g., news, entertainment, sports) and is beginning to enter other aspects of our lives (e.g., e-commerce, travel, marketing) in tangible and exciting ways. While we can easily imagine applications for AR in many fields, perhaps most exciting are the possibilities inherent for education. With AR, educators’ dream of ubiquitous learning can become a reality. As never before, through AR, learners will be able to gain immediate access to a wide range of location-specific information, compiled and provided by a variety of sources. Each year, the New Media Consortium’s (NMC’s) Emerging Technology Initiative generates a Horizon Report which seeks to identify and understand emerging technologies which promise to have a significant impact on various sectors around the globe, and which show the potential to positively impact learning, creative inquiry, and education (NMC, 2011). Both the 2010 and 2011 Horizon Reports (NMC) have predicted that AR will see widespread use on US college campuses within the next 2 to 3 years. With that in mind, this paper offers an overview of AR, examines recent AR developments, explores the impact of AR on society, and evaluates the implications of AR for learning and education.

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg4pKgXSJho

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How can we interact in a Virtual Environment

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How can we interact in a Virtual Environment

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Virtual Reality Applications - Gaming Industry

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Virtual Reality Applications - Gaming Industry

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Scientists are also exploring the possibility of developing biosensors for VR use. A biosensor can detect and interpret nerve and muscleactivity. With a properly calibrated biosensor, a computer can interpret how a user is moving in physical space and translate that into the corresponding motions in virtual space. Biosensors may be attached directly to the skin of a user, or may be incorporated into gloves or bodysuits. One limitation to biosensor suits is that they must be custom made for each user or the sensors will not line up properly on the user’s body.

Mary Whitton, of UNC-Chapel Hill, believes that the entertainment industry will drive the development of most VR technology going forward. The video game industry in particular has contributed advancements in graphics and sound capabilities that engineers can incorporate into virtual reality systems’ designs. One advance that Whitton finds particularly interesting is the Nintendo Wii’s wand controller. The controller is not only a commercially available device with some tracking capabilities; it’s also affordable and appeals to people who don’t normally play video games. Since tracking and input devices are two areas that traditionally have fallen behind other VR technologies, this controller could be the first of a new wave of technological advances useful to VR systems.

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The concept of virtual reality has been around for decades, even though the public really only became aware of it in the early 1990s. In the mid 1950s, a cinematographer named Morton Heilig envisioned a theatre experience that would stimulate all his audiences’ senses, drawing them in to the stories more effectively. He built a single user console in 1960 called the Sensorama that included a stereoscopic display, fans, odor emitters, stereo speakers and a moving chair. He also invented a head mounted television display designed to let a user watch television in 3-D. Users were passive audiences for the films, but many of Heilig’s concepts would find their way into the VR field.

Philco Corporation engineers developed the first HMD in 1961, called the Headsight. The helmet included a video screen and tracking system, which the engineers linked to a closed circuit camera system. They intended the HMD for use in dangerous situations -- a user could observe a real environment remotely, adjusting the camera angle by turning his head. Bell Laboratories used a similar HMD forhelicopter pilots. They linked HMDs to infrared cameras attached to the bottom of helicopters, which allowed pilots to have a clear field of view while flying in the dark.

In 1965, a computer scientist named Ivan Sutherland envisioned what he called the “Ultimate Display.” Using this display, a person could look into a virtual world that would appear as real as the physical world the user lived in. This vision guided almost all the developments within the field of virtual reality. Sutherland’s concept included:

A virtual world that appears real to any observer, seen through an HMD and augmented through three-dimensional sound and tactile stimuli

A computer that maintains the world model in real time

The ability for users to manipulate virtual objects in a realistic, intuitive way

In 1966, Sutherland built an HMD that was tethered to a computer system. The computer provided all the graphics for the display (up to this point, HMDs had only been linked to cameras). He used a suspension system to hold the HMD, as it was far too heavy for a user to support comfortably. The HMD could display images in stereo, giving the illusion of depth, and it could also track the user’s head movements so that the field of view would change appropriately as the user looked around.

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Virtual Reality Challenges and concerns 

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Virtual Reality Challenges and concerns 

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The big challenges in the field of virtual reality are developing better tracking systems, finding more natural ways to allow users to interact within a virtual environment and decreasing the time it takes to build virtual spaces. While there are a few tracking system companies that have been around since the earliest days of virtual reality, most companies are small and don’t last very long. Likewise, there aren’t many companies that are working on input devices specifically for VR applications. Most VR developers have to rely on and adapt technology originally meant for another discipline, and they have to hope that the company producing the technology stays in business. As for creating virtual worlds, it can take a long time to create a convincing virtual environment - the more realistic the environment, the longer it takes to make it. It could take a team of programmers more than a year to duplicate a real room accurately in virtual space.

Another challenge for VE system developers is creating a system that avoids bad ergonomics. Many systems rely on hardware that encumbers a user or limits his options through physical tethers. Without well-designed hardware, a user could have trouble with his sense of balance or inertia with a decrease in the sense of telepresence, or he could experience cybersickness, with symptoms that can include disorientation and nausea. Not all users seem to be at risk for cybersickness -- some people can explore a virtual environment for hours with no ill effects, while others may feel queasy after just a few minutes.

Some psychologists are concerned that immersion in virtual environments could psychologically affect a user. They suggest that VE systems that place a user in violent situations, particularly as the perpetuator of violence, could result in the user becoming desensitized. In effect, there’s a fear that VE entertainment systems could breed a generation of sociopaths. Others aren’t as worried about desensitization, but do warn that convincing VE experiences could lead to a kind of cyber addiction. There have been several news stories of gamers neglecting their real lives for their online, in-game presence. Engaging virtual environments could potentially be more addictive.

Another emerging concern involves criminal acts. In the virtual world, defining acts such as murder or sex crimes has been problematic. At what point can authorities charge a person with a real crime for actions within a virtual environment? Studies indicate that people can have real physical and emotional reactions to stimuli within a virtual environment, and so it’s quite possible that a victim of a virtual attack could feel real emotional trauma. Can the attacker be punished for causing real-life distress? We don’t yet have answers to these questions.

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In medicine, staff can use virtual environments to train in everything from surgical procedures to diagnosing a patient. Surgeons have used virtual reality technology to not only train and educate, but also to perform surgery remotely by using robotic devices. The first robotic surgery was performed in 1998 at a hospital in Paris. The biggest challenge in using VR technology to perform robotic surgery is latency, since any delay in such a delicate procedure can feel unnatural to the surgeon. Such systems also need to provide finely-tuned sensory feedback to the surgeon.

Another medical use of VR technology is psychological therapy. Dr. Barbara Rothbaum of Emory University and Dr. Larry Hodges of the Georgia Institute of Technology pioneered the use of virtual environments in treating people with phobias and other psychological conditions. They use virtual environments as a form of exposure therapy, where a patient is exposed -- under controlled conditions -- to stimuli that cause him distress. The application has two big advantages over real exposure therapy: it is much more convenient and patients are more willing to try the therapy because they know it isn't the real world. Their research led to the founding of the company Virtually Better, which sells VR therapy systems to doctors in 14 countries.

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Virtual Reality Applications- Defence Personnel

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Virtual Reality Applications- Defence Personnel

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Virtual environments are used in training programs for the military, the space program The military have long been supporters of VR technology and development. Training programs can include everything from vehicle simulations to squad combat. On the whole, VR systems are much safer and, in the long run, less expensive than alternative training methods. Soldiers who have gone through extensive VR training have proven to be as effective as those who trained under traditional conditions.

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Virtual reality Applications - Automobile Industry

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Virtual reality Applications - Automobile Industry

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Car companies have used VR technology to build virtual prototypes of new vehicles, testing them thoroughly before producing a single physical part. Designers can make alterations without having to scrap the entire model, as they often would with physical ones. The development process becomes more efficient and less expensive as a result.

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Virtual Reality Applications - Architecture

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Virtual Reality Applications - Architecture

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rchitects create virtual models of their building plans so that people can walk through the structure before the foundation is even laid. Clients can move around exteriors and interiors and ask questions, or even suggest alterations to the design. Virtual models can give you a much more accurate idea of how moving through a building will feel than a miniature model.

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Programmers have developed several different computer languages and Web browsers to achieve this vision. Some of these include:

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)- the earliest three-dimensional modeling language for the Web.

3DML - a three-dimensional modeling language where a user can visit a spot (or Web site) through most Internet browsers after installing a plug-in.

X3D - the language that replaced VRML as the standard for creating virtual environments in the Internet.

Collaborative Design Activity (COLLADA) - a format used to allow file interchanges within three-dimensional programs.

Of course, many VE experts would argue that without an HMD, Internet-based systems are not true virtual environments. They lack critical elements of immersion, particularly tracking and displaying images as life-sized.

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Gadgets that help us visualise Virtual Reality

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Gadgets that help us visualise Virtual Reality

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The Virtual Reality Headset

Today, most VE systems are powered by normal personal computers. PCs are sophisticated enough to develop and run the software necessary to create virtual environments. Graphics are usually handled by powerful graphics cards originally designed with the video gaming community in mind. The same video card that lets you play World of Warcraft is probably powering the graphics for an advanced virtual environment.

VE systems need a way to display images to a user. Many systems use HMDs, which are headsets that contain two monitors, one for each eye. The images create a stereoscopic effect, giving the illusion of depth. Early HMDs used cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors, which were bulky but provided good resolution and quality, or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, which were much cheaper but were unable to compete with the quality of CRT displays. Today, LCD displays are much more advanced, with improved resolution and color saturation, and have become more common than CRT monitors.

A data suit to provide user input

Photo courtesy of Dave Pape

Other VE systems project images on the walls, floor and ceiling of a room and are called Cave Automatic Virtual Environments (CAVE). The University of Illinois-Chicago designed the first CAVE display, using a rear projection technique to display images on the walls, floor and ceiling of a small room. Users can move around in a CAVE display, wearing special glasses to complete the illusion of moving through a virtual environment. CAVE displays give users a much wider field of view, which helps in immersion. They also allow a group of people to share the experience at the same time (though the display would track only one user’s point of view, meaning others in the room would be passive observers). CAVE displays are very expensive and require more space than other systems.

Closely related to display technology are tracking systems. Tracking systems analyze the orientation of a user’s point of view so that the computer system sends the right images to the visual display. Most systems require a user to be tethered with cables to a processing unit, limiting the range of motions available to him. Tracker technology developments tend to lag behind other VR technologies because the market for such technology is mainly VR-focused. Without the demands of other disciplines or applications, there isn’t as much interest in developing new ways to track user movements and point of view.

Input devices are also important in VR systems. Currently, input devices range from controllers with two or three buttons to electronic gloves and voice recognition software. There is no standard control system across the discipline. VR scientists and engineers are continuously exploring ways to make user input as natural as possible to increase the sense of telepresence. Some of the more common forms of input devices are:

Joysticks

Force balls/tracking balls

Controller wands

Datagloves

Voice recognition

Motion trackers/bodysuits

Treadmills

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Interaction In a Virtual Reality Environment

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Interaction In a Virtual Reality Environment

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Virtual Reality Interactivity

Immersion within a virtual environment is one thing, but for a user to feel truly involved there must also be an element of interaction. Early applications using the technology common in VE systems today allowed the user to have a relatively passive experience. Users could watch a pre-recorded film while wearing a head-mounted display(HMD). They would sit in a motion chair and watch the film as the system subjected them to various stimuli, such as blowing air on them to simulate wind. While users felt a sense of immersion, interactivity was limited to shifting their point of view by looking around. Their path was pre-determined and unalterable.

Today, you can find virtual roller coasters that use the same sort of technology. DisneyQuest in Orlando, Florida features CyberSpace Mountain, where patrons can design their own roller coaster, then enter a simulator to ride their virtual creation. The system is very immersive, but apart from the initial design phase there isn't any interaction, so it's not an example of a true virtual environment.

Interactivity depends on many factors. Steuer suggests that three of these factors are speed, range and mapping. Steuer defines speed as the rate that a user's actions are incorporated into the computermodel and reflected in a way the user can perceive. Range refers to how many possible outcomes could result from any particular user action. Mapping is the system's ability to produce natural results in response to a user's actions.

Navigation within a virtual environment is one kind of interactivity. If a user can direct his own movement within the environment, it can be called an interactive experience. Most virtual environments include other forms of interaction, since users can easily become bored after just a few minutes of exploration. Computer Scientist Mary Whitton points out that poorly designed interaction can drastically reduce the sense of immersion, while finding ways to engage users can increase it. When a virtual environment is interesting and engaging, users are more willing to suspend disbelief and become immersed.

True interactivity also includes being able to modify the environment. A good virtual environment will respond to the user's actions in a way that makes sense, even if it only makes sense within the realm of the virtual environment. If a virtual environment changes in outlandish and unpredictable ways, it risks disrupting the user's sense of telepresence.

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Interactive Virtual Reality Walkthrough - Viewport Studios

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Viewport's number one product - an interactive virtual reality walkthrough - provides a unique, high quality experience that leaves the competition behind. Designed for the architectural, entertainment, education, training and marketing industries. www.viewport.com.au

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The Virtual Reality Environment

Other sensory output from the VE system should adjust in real time as a user explores the environment. If the environment incorporates 3-D sound, the user must be convinced that the sound’s orientation shifts in a natural way as he maneuvers through the environment. Sensory stimulation must be consistent if a user is to feel immersed within a VE. If the VE shows a perfectly still scene, you wouldn’t expect to feel gale-force winds. Likewise, if the VE puts you in the middle of a hurricane, you wouldn’t expect to feel a gentle breeze or detect thescent of roses.

Lag time between when a user acts and when the virtual environment reflects that action is calledlatency. Latency usually refers to the delay between the time a user turns his head or moves his eyes and the change in the point of view, though the term can also be used for a lag in other sensory outputs. Studies with flight simulators show that humans can detect a latency of more than 50 milliseconds. When a user detects latency, it causes him to become aware of being in an artificial environment and destroys the sense of immersion.

An immersive experience suffers if a user becomes aware of the real world around him. Truly immersive experiences make the user forget his real surroundings, effectively causing the computer to become a non entity. In order to reach the goal of true immersion, developers have to come up with input methods that are more natural for users. As long as a user is aware of the interaction device, he is not truly immersed.

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Virtual Reality Immersion

In a virtual reality environment, a user experiences immersion, or the feeling of being inside and a part of that world. He is also able tointeract with his environment in meaningful ways. The combination of a sense of immersion and interactivity is called telepresence. Computer scientist Jonathan Steuer defined it as “the extent to which one feels present in the mediated environment, rather than in the immediate physical environment.” In other words, an effective VR experience causes you to become unaware of your real surroundings and focus on your existence inside the virtual environment.

Jonathan Steuer proposed two main components of immersion: depth of information and breadth of information. Depth of information refers to the amount and quality of data in the signals a user receives when interacting in a virtual environment. For the user, this could refer to a display’s resolution, the complexity of the environment’sgraphics, the sophistication of the system’s audio output, et cetera. Steuer defines breadth of information as the “number of sensory dimensions simultaneously presented.” A virtual environment experience has a wide breadth of information if it stimulates all your senses. Most virtual environment experiences prioritize visual andaudio components over other sensory-stimulating factors, but a growing number of scientists and engineers are looking into ways to incorporate a users’ sense of touch. Systems that give a user force feedback and touch interaction are called haptic systems.

For immersion to be effective, a user must be able to explore what appears to be a life-sized virtual environment and be able to change perspectives seamlessly. If the virtual environment consists of a single pedestal in the middle of a room, a user should be able to view the pedestal from any angle and the point of view should shift according to where the user is looking. Dr. Frederick Brooks, a pioneer in VR technology and theory, says that displays must project a frame rate of at least 20 - 30 frames per second in order to create a convincing user experience.

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The computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.