An Introduction to Virtual Reality

Josh McCormick
July 30th, 2014

The Impact of Virtual Reality

I think Ive seen five or six computer demos in my life

that made me think that world was about to change, he says.
Apple II, Netscape, Google, iPhone then Oculus.
It was that kind of amazing.
Chris Dixon (venture capitalist),
Partner at Andreessen Horowitz

Source: Oculus Raises $75 Million for the VR Goggles of the Future, WIRED (December 2013)
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What is Virtual Reality?

Images: The Lawnmower Man

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What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual reality has been notoriously difficult to define over the years.
Virtual reality is the use of computer technology to create the effect of an
interactive three-dimensional world in which the objects have a sense of spatial
presence. (Source: Virtual Windtunnel, NASA)
A computer-generated 3D environment within which users can participate in
real time and experience a sensation of being there. (Source: A Hitchhikers Guide to Virtual
Reality)

An artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the

user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real
environment. (Source: unknown)
The main point of virtual reality is that you are working with things, as opposed
to pictures of things. (Source: Virtual Windtunnel, NASA)
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What is Virtual Reality?

Sickness
(Bad VR)

Immersive

Presence
(Good VR)

When done correctly, virtual reality is presence.

Belief at a level below consciousness, not just intellectual awareness

Activates systems that artificial input has never triggered before
Perceptions are inside of the virtual world
No way to intellectually understand how it is different from other forms of
communication, other than to experience it.
Presence requires suspension of belief in order to remember that the virtual
world isnt real.

(Source: Michael Abrash, Chief Scientist, Oculus VR Why Virtual Reality Isnt [Just] the Next Big Platform)
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What is Virtual Reality?

[Abrashs key-toss demonstration]
Presence = Having an Experience

Abstract information versus experience

Reading or hearing about an experience is different from having an experience
It engages different centers of the brain, many at the subconscious level
Explaining an experience is not the same as having it
In two years, consumer technology is expected to be able to deliver presence

(Source: Michael Abrash, Chief Scientist, Oculus VR Why Virtual Reality Isnt (Just) the Next Big Platform)

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality isnt just another platform.
Drives the perceptual system as it is built to be driven
Entirely different and more powerful mode of interaction
Impossible to use traditional media to show what VR is like

Superset of all existing means of communications

Easy to represent traditional media in virtual reality

Can be as big as reality, or bigger

Can include experiences that do not exist in the real-world

(Source: Michael Abrash, Chief Scientist, Oculus VR Why Virtual Reality Isnt (Just) the Next Big Platform)

What are the Features of a Good Virtual Reality Display?

Stereoscopic vision (3D)

Wide field of view
Low latency, high res head tracking
High resolution and refresh rate
Low persistence pixels

Low cost
Lightweight
Comfortable for the head
Comfortable for the eye
Compatible with existing hw/sw

Image: Minecrift
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Previous Generations of Virtual Reality Display Technology

Problems with previous generations of virtual reality display technology
Expensive
Heavy
Uncomfortable

High latency (motion to photons)

Low resolution
Limited field of view
Eye fatigue
Simulator sickness
Limited software support

Motion Tracking and Position Tracking

3 degrees of freedom motion tracking
Only tracks changes in orientation
Yaw Turn Left/Right
Pitch Nod Up/Down
Roll Twist Left/Right

6 degrees of freedom motion/position tracking

Includes all the benefits of 3DoF motion tracking
Also tracks changes in position
Move Left/Right
Move Up/Down
Move Forward/Backwards

(Image Source: Sensor Fusion: Keeping It Simple, Steve LaValle, Oculus VR)
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Previous Generations of Virtual Reality Display Technology

Sony Glasstron (PLM-A35) LCD Eyeglasses

Simulates a 52 diagonal screen at 6.5 feet
Two LCD displays
800x225 resolution per eye
30 degree horizontal field of view
No motion tracking
2D screen
$599 in 1997
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Previous Generations of Virtual Reality Display Technology

Sensics zSight SXGA HMD

Two LCD displays
1280x1024 resolution per eye
70 degree horizontal field of view
Motion tracking at 125 samples/second with three degrees of freedom
3D screen with two HDMI or DVI inputs
$12,995 in 2008

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What has changed in the past two years?

Off-the-shelf, readily available components
Smartphone technology
Small high resolution displays at commodity prices
High quality motion trackers at low prices

Graphics hardware
Increased smartphone and PC graphics performance at lower costs

A more efficient solution

Redesign of the head mounted display
Ability to use a single display panel to provide an image for both eyes
No longer requires two video outputs to create two separate images

Rendering solution
Compensation for optical distortion in software allows cheaper lenses

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Oculus Rift Development Kit

Oculus Rift Development Kit 1

A single LCD display
1280x800 resolution (640x800 per eye) with a 60hz refresh rate
110 degree horizontal field of view
3DoF motion tracking at 1000 samples/sec
3D screen with one HDMI or DVI input
$300 in 2013
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Oculus Rift Development Kit

Oculus Rift Development Kit 2

A single low-persistence OLED display
1920x1080 resolution (960x1080 per eye) with a 75hz refresh rate
100 degree horizontal field of view
6DoF motion tracking at 1000 samples/sec, position tracking at 60 samples/sec
3D screen with one HDMI or DVI input
$350 in 2014
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Prototypes from Other Major Players

Sony Project Morpheus for PS4

Valve unnamed prototype for PC

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Google Cardboard
If new virtual reality hardware is being created from smartphone technology, then
why not actually use a smartphone?

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Google Cardboard
Disadvantages:
Low-end solution
Low quality material for housing (extra large pizza box)
Inexpensive lenses

Low resolution 3DoF motion tracking

Software not designed for low latency

Unlikely to achieve presence in virtual reality

Advantages:
Common hardware
Many people already have compatible smartphones

Very low cost

$25 for additional components

Easily obtained software

Software available on Google Play
Free development kit available from Google
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Google Cardboard
Phones that were tested with Google Cardboard:
Fully compatible
Google Nexus 4 and 5

Motorola Moto X
Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5
Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Partially compatible
Magnetic input not working
HTC One
Motorola Moto G
Magnetic input not working and headtracking/rendering issues
Samsung Galaxy S3

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Samsung Gear VR Prototype (with Oculus VR)

What would a polished version of Google Cardboard look like?

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Virtual Reality Applications

What can we do with virtual reality?
Games
Performances
Home theater
360/3D videos and movies
Architecture
Sales and marketing
Office
Education and training
Social
Experiences
Virtual tourism
Many more uses yet to be discovered

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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Games

Ported to Virtual Reality

Native to Virtual Reality

Images: Elite Dangerous, Time Rifters, Hawken, Couch Knights

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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Performances

Live and Recorded Talk Shows

Online Karaoke

Images: Riftmax Theater 4D (Virtually Incorrect with Gunter, Riftmax Karaoke Night, Riftmax LIVE with Reverend Kyle, Riftmax Karaoke Night)
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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Home Theater

Play Traditional Media

Enjoy With Friends

Images: CinemaVR, Riftmax Theater 4D

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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: 360 Video and Movies

Record 3D Video and Sound

High Bandwidth Surround Experience

Images: JauntVR Red Carpet Event, Total Cinema 360 Oculus Player , Panopticam (via Gizmodo), Condition One
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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Architecture

Design in Virtual Reality

Walk Clients Through the Design

Images: Arch Virtual, Spacemaker VR (Courtesy of Digital Physical), Spacemaker VR (Courtesy of Digital Physical), Arch Virtual
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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Sales and Marketing

Lifestyle Visualization

Themed Environments

Images: Virtual Fashion Technology, Anarchy Arcade, Cyberpunk 2077

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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Office

Multi-Monitor Virtual Desktops

Meetings, Training, Telepresence

Images: Lifehacker Day Traders Paradise, Arch Virtual, MURE, Immercio Virtual Office
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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Education/Training

Immersive Live and Recorded Video

Simulated Environments

Images: Total Cinema 360 Oculus Player, TeachLive Offered at Ole Miss , O2 Wear the Rose, Arch Virtual
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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Social

Expressive Social Environments

Real Human Expression

Images: New World Notes Blog Basement, FaceRig, Virtually Better, PrioVR
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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Experiences

Real-World

Fantasy

Images: Guardians Red Carpet Event (Jaunt), Jerrys Place (Seinfeld), Drone Video from The Gamers Pit, Senza Peso
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Examples of Virtual Reality Applications: Virtual Tourism

Real-World

Simulated

Images: YouVisit, EUseum Demo, Experience/Japan, Life of Rome

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Beyond Virtual Reality

December 13th, 2013, Oculus VR reiterates its goal of delivering the Metaverse. One thing
has remained constant: were as dedicated to delivering on that vision the promise of the
Metaverse as the day we started. (Source: Oculus VR blog, Onward to the Metaverse!)
March 25th 2014, Facebook agrees to acquire Oculus VR for $2 billion dollars. Their
technology opens up the possibility of completely new kinds of experiences . Immersive
gaming will be the first . After games, were going to make Oculus a platform for many
other experiences. . This really is a new communication platform. . One day, we believe
this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become part of daily life for billions of
people. (Source: Mark Zuckerberg)
May 5th 2014, Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe talks with TechCrunch Disrupt about the
potential for Oculus and Facebook to create a Metaverse with over a billion people. He says
that Facebooks network makes a great place to start, and suggested it could be a
Metaverse that join disparate virtual worlds. (Source: The Verge, Oculus wants to build a billion-person
MMO with Facebook)

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What is The Metaverse?

A concept that was created and illustrated in science fiction titles such as
Neuromancer, Snow Crash, and more recently, Ready Player One.

1984

1992

2011
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What is The Metaverse?

Like virtual reality, Metaverse has been difficult to define over the years.
Generic:
A virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated
environment and other users. (Source: Oxford Dictionary)

Abstract:
A collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced
physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual
worlds, augmented reality, and the internet. (Source: Wikipedia, July 2014)

Practical:
A future internet of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked together into a
perceived virtual universe. (Source: IEEE Virtual World Standard Working Group)

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What is The Metaverse?

Most everyone agrees that Second Life is not The Metaverse, but it does illustrate
some similar concepts.

Image Source: Games Radar The Unfulfilled Promises of Virtual Reality (2006), Second Life Pic of the Day 03/20/2014, Second Life Community The Picture Thread
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What is Facebooks goal?

Facebooks acquisition of Oculus VR in more than an investment in virtual reality.
Theyre looking way beyond gaming. They want to invest and grow The Metaverse
as the next big platform that comes after Internet and after Mobile.
Mark Zuckerberg is encouraging Oculus to create the best quality product at the
lowest possible cost, shaving the profit margin on hardware. (Source: Ars Technica
interview with Oculus VR CEO, Oculus expects to sell north of a million units of first consumer Rift)

They believe that the Metaverse will be the next big platform. (Source: TechCrunch,
Facebook Bought Oculus VR to Create The Metaverse)

Michael Abrash, Chief Scientist, Oculus VR calls virtual reality, The final
platform. (Source: YouTube, Why Virtual Reality Isnt (Just) the Next Big Platform)
Facebook is not expected to be alone in creating a Metaverse. Other companies,
such as Google, are rumored to be designing their own Metaverse.
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An Introduction to Virtual Reality

Josh McCormick
July 30th, 2014
Feedback: jmccorm@yahoo.com

Instructions for the Hands-On Demonstration

For your comfort and protection, we will provide participants with gentle wipes to
clean their forehead, cheeks, and sides of their face. Please take the time to use
the wipes just before your demonstration.
A demonstration can be anticipated to last three to five minutes, depending on
the number of participants and the amount of time remaining. This should allow
you to feel immersion, but not quite reach a level of presence in virtual reality.
We will start by placing a strap around the back of your head, and the front of the
head mounted display will be lowered in to place. Once in place, you may gently
shift the head mounted display to find the sweet spot in the optics. A pair of
headphones will be placed over your head.
When your session has ended, we will assist you in removing the display.
In between sessions, we will clean the equipment with a protocol that is
consistent with virtual reality demonstrations performed for the public.
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Virtual Reality Hands-On Demonstration

For a more comfortable experience, find a partner and measure your IPD.
The Inter-Pupillary Distance is measured as the distance between the pupil of your
left eye and the pupil of your right eye. This should be measured in millimeters.

Image Source: Care-optics.com, What is pupil distance? How to measure PD?

Typical ranges are between 55mm and 70mm. The Oculus Rift Development Kit 1 is
designed to have more favorable optics for someone who is closer to the average
IPD, which is 63mm. Remember or write down your number. To better calibrate
your experience, you may also be asked for your height and gender identity.
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