Virtual Reality (VR)

What is Virtual Reality?

June 6, 2003

A medium composed of interactive

computer simulations giving users the feeling of
being present in the simulations.

Questions:
1. What is VR now?
2. What might it become?
3. What technology problems
need to be solved?

Virtual Reality is a way for humans to visualize,

manipulate and interact with computers and
extremely complex data - The Silicon Mirage: The
Art and Science of Virtual Reality.
Virtual reality is an artificial world generated by a
computer. Participants can observe the world and
interact with the simulated environment.

Ivan Sutherland about computer generated illusion:

The screen is a window through which one sees a
virtual world. The challenge is to make that world
look real, act real, sound real, feel reel.

Many of the experts in the field consider the

description Virtual Reality to be inappropriate.
Virtual Environments (VE) is thought to be a more
accurate description.
An immersive interactive system
VR is about Fooling the mind

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

-1-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

Key Elements

-2-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

Applications

Real-time graphics
framerate: 30 frames/sec
polygons: 50K/frame (more would be nice)
resolution: as much as you can get

Low latency
time lag between sensing a change and updating the picture
1 ms latency => 1 mm error (at common head/hand speed)

Interactive
manipulation possible?
response times

Multi-sensory
vision
sound
force feedback

Real-time graphics:
- You do it really fast
- You do it slightly slower
- You do it ok
- You do it badly
Real-time programming:
- You do it = you succeed
- You dont do it

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

-3-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

architectural walkthroughs
rapid prototyping
data visualization
medical modeling
weather simulations
sound simulations
traffic simulations
true 3D user interfaces
high risk job training
entertainment
flight simulation
teleoperation of robots
communication (virtual meetings)
VR Systems were not developed to meet a
specific need; they were developed because
they were possible - John Vince

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

-4-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

History (very incomplete)

VR Systems

1957
Morton Heilig invented the Stereoscopic TV
Apparatus for Individual Use. (Patented 1960)

1960
The Boeing Corporation coined the term computer
graphics.

VR Systems can be divided into

three groups
non-immersive systems (like workstations)
immersive systems (like HMD or CAVE)
hybrid systems (graphics on top of real world)
also called: augmented reality systems

1963
Ivan Sutherland submitted his doctoral thesis
SKETCHPAD: A man-machine graphical
communication system.

1965
Ivan Sutherland published The Ultimate Display.

1968
Ivan Sutherland published A Head-mounted Three
Dimensional Display.

1989
Jaron Lainer coined the term virtual reality.

The following conditions are important to

experience full immersion:
Full field of vision display, usually produced by
the wearing of a Head Mounted Display.
Tracking of the position and attitude of the
participant's body.
Computer tracking of the participant's movements
and actions.
Negligible delay in updating the display with
feedback from the body's movements and actions.

1993
SGI announced the Reality Engine.

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

-5-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

A Generic VR System

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

-6-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

VR Technology
Input devices

Inputs

The VE

Outputs

Physical simulation
and animation

Output devices
visual

hand position

Illumination model
Objects (geometry
& other properties)

force feedback

CAVEs
haptic

Collision detection

-7-

Head-mounted displays (HMDs)

Headphones
Haptic devices

audio

head position

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

3D Trackers
3D Mice (or Joystick)
Data gloves

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

Surround projection technology

A room with walls and/or floor formed by rear
projection screens
Turning your head doesnt necessitate redraw
Investment cost is very high

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

-8-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

A Simple VR System

Image Generation Problems

You can experience a virtual

environment using a typical personal
computer and a few items of specialized
hardware:
for a non-immersive system:
a 3D graphics card,
a 3D sound card,

Only 1/60 of a second available

per image.
The geometry of realistic VE
is very complex.
New approaches needed:

an immersive system also requires

Image-based rendering
Organization of scene data
Hidden surface removal

a head-mounted display (HMD)

a 6D tracker.
Some force feedback input device

You can get a HMD for less than $____

VR might lead us to a new

generation of computer
graphics algorithms.

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

-9-

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

VR Research

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

- 10 -

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

The Future of VR
Virtual Reality is a growing industry

VR is a convergence of many
disciplines

PC and specialized hardware are getting

better, faster and cheaper

Important subjects

Psychological factors
Interactive devices
Man-machine interaction
Distributed virtual environments
Real-time rendering algorithms
Simulation
Collision detection
Database design
Artificial life

Maybe 3D user interfaces will replace the

windows based ones?
Far reaching ideas
The retinal display
Tracking based on the nervous system

So a virtual reality is a synthetic sensory

experience which may one day be
indistinguishable from the real physical
world - Kalawsky, R.S. (1993)

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

- 11 -

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

- 12 -

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

VR and the Internet?

References
Understanding Virtual Reality, Sherman
and Craig, Morgan Kaufmann, 2003.

Virtual Reality Modeling

Language (VRML)
VRML97 has been accepted as
an ISO Standard

Virtual Reality Systems, John Vince,

Addison-Wesley, 1995

VRML neither requires nor

imposes immersion.

The Computer Image. Alan Watt, Fabio Policarpo,

Addison-Wesley, pp. 541-590, 1998

Not VR?

Virtual Reality, Zheng, Chan, Gibson, IEEE Potentials,

pp. 20-23, April-May 1998.

What is VRML?
A 3D interchange format
A 3D analog to HTML
A technology to integrate 3D, 2D, text and
multimedia into one coherent model.

Extensible 3D (X3D) Graphics

Extending and upgrading the geometry
and behavior capabilities of the VRML97
using XML.

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

- 13 -

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola

Whats Real About Virtual Reality, Brooks, IEEE

Computer Graphics and Applications, pp. 16-27,
November/December 1999
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language Explained,
Carey, IEEE Multimedia, pp.84-93, July-Sept. 1998
Web3D Consortium
http://www.web3d.org

Introduction to
Virtual Reality

- 14 -

Thomas Larsson, IDt

Mlardalens hgskola