Virtual RealityVirtual Reality

Benjamin LokBenjamin Lok

EGN 1935 LectureEGN 1935 Lecture

11/14/200611/14/2006

OutlineOutline

What is (and isn’t) VR?What is (and isn’t) VR? Why do VR?Why do VR? Impact on SocietyImpact on Society Lessons Learned (Hype machine)Lessons Learned (Hype machine) So you want to get involved?So you want to get involved?

What is VR?What is VR?

Is it This?Is it This?

Virtual Reality DefinitionVirtual Reality Definition

What is virtual reality?What is virtual reality?– Virtual – Virtual –

being in essence or effect, but not in factbeing in essence or effect, but not in fact

– Reality –Reality – State or quality of being realState or quality of being real Something that exists independently of Something that exists independently of

ideas concerning it ideas concerning it

– What was the first VR?What was the first VR?

What was the first VR?What was the first VR?

ProgressionProgression Story tellingStory telling

– What did this rely on? What did this rely on? User’s imagination!User’s imagination!

Multi-sensoryMulti-sensory– ImagesImages– SoundsSounds

ControlControl– EventsEvents– ViewView

What do these things have in common?What do these things have in common?– ImmersionImmersion

Ivan Sutherland’s Ivan Sutherland’s The Ultimate DisplayThe Ultimate Display

““Don’t think of that thing as a Don’t think of that thing as a screen, think of it as a screen, think of it as a window, a window through window, a window through which one looks into a which one looks into a virtual world. The challenge virtual world. The challenge to computer graphics is to to computer graphics is to make that virtual world look make that virtual world look real, sound real, move and real, sound real, move and respond to interaction in respond to interaction in real time, and even feel real time, and even feel real.”real.”

Key Elements of Virtual Reality Key Elements of Virtual Reality ExperienceExperience

Virtual World - content of a given Virtual World - content of a given mediummedium– screen play, script, etc.screen play, script, etc.– actors performing the play allows us to actors performing the play allows us to

experience the virtual worldexperience the virtual world

Immersion – sensation of being in an Immersion – sensation of being in an environmentenvironment– mental immersion – suspension of mental immersion – suspension of

disbeliefdisbelief– physical immersion – bodily entering physical immersion – bodily entering

the mediumthe medium– Related to Related to presencepresence – (mentally – (mentally

immersed) the participant’s sensation immersed) the participant’s sensation of being in the virtual environment of being in the virtual environment (Slater)(Slater)

Walking Experiment atUNC – Chapel Hill

Key Elements of Virtual Reality Key Elements of Virtual Reality ExperienceExperience

Sensory Feedback – information about Sensory Feedback – information about the virtual world is presented to the the virtual world is presented to the participant’s sensesparticipant’s senses– Visual (most common)Visual (most common)– AudioAudio– TouchTouch

Interactivity – the virtual world responds Interactivity – the virtual world responds to the user’s actions.to the user’s actions.– Computer makes this possibleComputer makes this possible– Real-timeReal-time

Walking Experiment atUNC – Chapel Hill

Why VR?Why VR?

Experience Things that areExperience Things that are– DangerousDangerous– ExpensiveExpensive– Logistically DifficultLogistically Difficult

ForFor– LearningLearning– ExplorationExploration– TrainingTraining

Get together and come up w/ an Get together and come up w/ an applicationapplication

Augmented RealityAugmented Reality

A combination of a A combination of a real scene viewed real scene viewed by a user and a by a user and a virtual scene virtual scene generated by a generated by a computer that computer that augments the augments the scene with scene with additional additional information.information.

Ultrasound Visualization Research atUNC – Chapel Hill

All Virtual Objects All Real Objects

TelepresenceTelepresence

– The use of various technologies to The use of various technologies to produce the effect of placing the produce the effect of placing the user in another location.user in another location.

All Virtual Objects All Real Objects

Artificial Reality Artificial Reality (Myron Kruger)(Myron Kruger)

Responsive Responsive EnvironmentEnvironment

Is an environment Is an environment where human where human behavior is perceived behavior is perceived by a computer which by a computer which interprets what it interprets what it observes and observes and responds through responds through intelligent visual and intelligent visual and auditory displaysauditory displays

All Virtual Objects All Real Objects

Classical SimulationClassical Simulation

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

All Virtual Objects All Real Objects

Virtual RealityVirtual Reality

Ideal for VR is that Ideal for VR is that everything you everything you experience is experience is computer-computer-generated.generated.

All Virtual Objects All Real Objects

Immersive TechnologyImmersive Technology Head-mounted Head-mounted

DisplayDisplay– Optical SystemOptical System– Image Source (CRT Image Source (CRT

or LCD)or LCD)– Mounting ApparatusMounting Apparatus– EarphonesEarphones– Position TrackerPosition Tracker

Immersive TechnologyImmersive Technology Multi-screen Projection Multi-screen Projection

of stereoscopic images of stereoscopic images (CAVE)(CAVE)

Immersive TechnologyImmersive Technology

Single large Single large stereoscopic stereoscopic displaydisplay– Projection-basedProjection-based– Head-trackedHead-tracked– Possible tracking of Possible tracking of

hands and arms.hands and arms.– Brings virtual Brings virtual

objects into the objects into the physical worldphysical world

Other CharacteristicsOther Characteristics

Head and body tracking implies that Head and body tracking implies that visual content is always computed visual content is always computed and rendered in “real time” (10-60 and rendered in “real time” (10-60 frames/second).frames/second).

In virtual reality you have a sense of, In virtual reality you have a sense of, and interact with, three-dimensional and interact with, three-dimensional things as opposed to pictures or things as opposed to pictures or movies of things.movies of things.

User’s perspectiveUser’s perspective

SettingSetting Objects in worldObjects in world Other participantsOther participants Active/PassiveActive/Passive

– Factory SimulationFactory Simulation– Architectural Architectural

WalkthroughWalkthrough

Applications?Applications?

Most current applications:Most current applications: Special PurposeSpecial Purpose Interaction simple and/or infrequentInteraction simple and/or infrequent Sidestep limitations of graphics and Sidestep limitations of graphics and

hapticshaptics A few expensive systems are sold to A few expensive systems are sold to

a few rich peoplea few rich people

EntertainmentEntertainment

Design VisualizationDesign Visualization

Training (NASA)Training (NASA)

Clinical Virtual RealityClinical Virtual Reality

The direct use of VR as a tool in the The direct use of VR as a tool in the treatment or assessment of psychological treatment or assessment of psychological

and physical disorders.and physical disorders.

Hunter HoffmanHITLab – University of Washington

Immersive Virtual Characters for Immersive Virtual Characters for Educating Medical Communication Educating Medical Communication

SkillsSkillsJ. Cendan, M. Cohen, A. Stevens, P. Wagner, D. S. LindJ. Cendan, M. Cohen, A. Stevens, P. Wagner, D. S. Lind Department of Surgery (College of Medicine)Department of Surgery (College of Medicine)

M. Duerson, R. PualeyM. Duerson, R. Pualey Department of Community Health and Family Medicine Department of Community Health and Family Medicine (College of Medicine) (College of Medicine)

K. Johnsen, A. Raij, B. Rossen R. Dickerson, B. LokK. Johnsen, A. Raij, B. Rossen R. Dickerson, B. LokDepartment of Department of Computer and Information Science and Computer and Information Science and Engineering (College of Engineering)Engineering (College of Engineering)

R. FerdigR. FerdigCollege of EducationCollege of Education The University of Florida, Gainesville, FLThe University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Societal ConcernsSocietal ConcernsNegative Training TransferNegative Training TransferRace StudiesRace Studies

Lessons Learned (Hype Lessons Learned (Hype Machine)Machine)

Society ImpactSociety Impact– PromisePromise– ActualActual

Use it to talk to your Use it to talk to your grandmother in a virtual grandmother in a virtual pagodapagoda

Sound familiar?Sound familiar?– Buying cat food onlineBuying cat food online

Hard!Hard! TrainingTraining What needs to be What needs to be

improved?improved?– Interfaces? Graphics? Interfaces? Graphics?

Realism?Realism?

Skill SetSkill Set ““Oh I don’t want to program, I just want to create Oh I don’t want to program, I just want to create

stuff”stuff” Architect or Car analogyArchitect or Car analogy Programming -> tool to create what is in your Programming -> tool to create what is in your

imaginationimagination Programming proficiency goal:Programming proficiency goal: be able to be able to

code anything that you imaginecode anything that you imagine To do what you saw before we use:To do what you saw before we use:

– C/C++, OpenGL, many different librariesC/C++, OpenGL, many different libraries Math, math, and yet more math!!!Math, math, and yet more math!!!

– Differential equations (simulations, physics engines), Differential equations (simulations, physics engines), linear algebra (transforms, 3D manipulations), statisticslinear algebra (transforms, 3D manipulations), statistics

Graduate SchoolGraduate School Programming Team Lead at RockStar GamesProgramming Team Lead at RockStar Games

– Worked on Midnight Club 2Worked on Midnight Club 2 Renderman Developer at PixarRenderman Developer at Pixar

– Worked on the Jellyfish of Nemo and The IncrediblesWorked on the Jellyfish of Nemo and The Incredibles Software Engineer for Interactive Media for DisneySoftware Engineer for Interactive Media for Disney

– Worked on Toon Town, online capable titlesWorked on Toon Town, online capable titles Worked at 989 Sports, EA Sports, Freedom Force, etc.Worked at 989 Sports, EA Sports, Freedom Force, etc. What did they all have in common?What did they all have in common?

– Published scientific journals in computer sciencePublished scientific journals in computer science– Graduate school in computer scienceGraduate school in computer science– Worked on efficient collision detection, particle systems, Worked on efficient collision detection, particle systems,

curved surfaces, virtual reality, etc.curved surfaces, virtual reality, etc.– All had All had

GRE scores in the top 10%GRE scores in the top 10% Went to a top graduate school (admission is tough)Went to a top graduate school (admission is tough) Strong math and science and coding Strong math and science and coding Why would a CS professor want to work with you?Why would a CS professor want to work with you?

Interested? Take the Interested? Take the following…following…

CAP4730 Computational Structures in CAP4730 Computational Structures in Computer Graphics (Spring ‘07)Computer Graphics (Spring ‘07)

CAP4930/6930 Design and Creation of Virtual CAP4930/6930 Design and Creation of Virtual Environments (Spring ’07)Environments (Spring ’07)

CAP4930/6930 Human-Computer Interaction CAP4930/6930 Human-Computer Interaction (Fall ’08)(Fall ’08)

Computational GeometryComputational Geometry Computer Simulation ConceptsComputer Simulation Concepts Aesthetic ComputingAesthetic Computing Digital Arts and Sciences DegreeDigital Arts and Sciences Degree

Virtual Experiences GroupVirtual Experiences Group PhD Students (6)PhD Students (6)

– Kyle JohnsenKyle Johnsen– Aaron KotranzaAaron Kotranza– John QuarrelsJohn Quarrels– Andrew RaijAndrew Raij– Brent RossenBrent Rossen– Xiyong WangXiyong Wang

Undergraduates (2)Undergraduates (2)– Harold RodriguezHarold Rodriguez– Joshua HortonJoshua Horton

Thank you! Questions?