Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is computer simulated virtual environment that is presented to a user in such a way that he feels totally immerse in this new and exciting world. In order to achieve this experience a user have to wear a VR headset that uses a stereoscopic display lenses to provide 3D image, creating a more in depth view.

Wha

t is V

irtua

l Rea

lity?

The history of VR goes way back in late 1960’s. After long years of silence VR starts to see some movement back in the 1990’s. However, the technology, screen display and computing power were still requiring improvements. VR concept becomes popular just in the 2012. The latest development involve a Smartphone clipped into VR headset to achieve the targeted experience.

Ivan Sutherland created “Sword of Damocles ”

VR/AR head mounted display

Sega introduced VR headset

Virtuality GroupArcade introduced VR in gaming world

Morton Heilig builds the “Sensorama “

full virtual experience

“Virtual reality” name was born by

Jaron Lanier

1960’s 1968 1987 1991 1993 2013

Nintendo introduced3D VR console gaming

Hist

ory

Who

ben

efits

from

VR?

Military trainingMedical training Educations – trip to museum

Games

Today VR brings a new way of learning and training methodology to improve people skills for medical-surgery, flight simulator and military exercises. However, the latest applications in development are within the gaming, movie, sport, history and art industries.

Soon people will take trips to museums, ride racing cars or assist to fashion shows through VR headsets. Many businesses are investing in the technology.

Sony PlayStation VR

HTC Vive

Zeiss VR One

Samsung Gear VR headsetFacebook buys Oculus VR

Microsoft HoloLens

Top

VR h

eads

ets

Google Cardboard

Freefly VR headsetFOVE VR

How it works:PC is connected to a Smartphone. A Smartphone is placed within the headset. A Smartphone sensor camera communicates back to PC the movements of the player showing real time images. All the magic hides within the headset lenses which convert flat 2D images into a 3D virtual world.

How to connect all:PC – Smartphone: USB cable or Wifi.Smartphone – VR headset : USB clipUser then needs to download an application “Trinus app” on PC and on Smartphone, the app streams a game from PC to the phone. A Smartphone needs to be placed inside the headset (like in the image below).

How

VR w

orks

? Windows PC > Android or iPhone > The phone then must be placed inside the VR headsets

For serious gaming experience a user can try out Omni treadmill. This technology will allow a player to move freely, walk and run inside the room without worrying hitting the leaving room furniture

VR e

xper

ienc

e re

quire

men

tsVR requires few hardware (Quality of PC, Smartphone and headset)

VR quality experience mainly relies on picture quality, resolution and refresh rates

PC Requires a powerful PC (advised min 8GB) Graphic card (min 4GB) and Memory card (min 8GB) Refresh rates: (this is how fast a display can change images) PC has to be powerful enough to transmit quality frame rate that would make images fluid and not make a player sick. (minimum is 60fps) Some headsets requires much more, example HTC Vive requires a 90fps.

VR headset Tracking motion (also called “6 degrees of freedom”): This hardware captures the head movements up, down, side by side or angle rotation. Lenses: As PC and Smartphone provide only flat display, the headset lenses takes flat 2D images and create stereoscopic 3D virtual environment. Audio: Sounds need to give an indication where things are positioned even if they are not in display.

Smartphone Picture quality depends on phone resolution. Minimum is 720pixel required for decant VR experience, however to have great and colourful images it is advice to have 1080pixel.

How

to im

prov

e ex

perie

nce?

VisualsTo improve the visual experience a hardcore gamer will have to invest in PC graphic card . With better graphic card a PC hardware will be more powerful and will transmit better screen resolution data. Detailed shadows and colours will be displayed without a drop in performance. Also powerful PC can provide faster refresh rates.

AudioAudio is very important to create an alternative reality. Without the right audio matching the images, the brain will not be cached by the illusion. It is not enough to have traditional stereo sound as it provides the same sound in both ears. A “3D sound system” or “Binaural” audio is essential for VR experience. It allows hear sound coming from different orientations and positions.

TrackingTracking and motion simulations has to provide a natural way to interact. A user does not need to feel much difference between real and imagined world when it comes to turning his head around, walking and touching objects. Example, gloves need to become more real to user to feel different degrees of resistance within the motion

How

bran

ds a

re u

sing

VR?

Coca-Cola created a VR experience for the 2014 World Cup.

Toyota implemented a driver simulation in VR at the New York International Auto

Show.

Nike created a VR video of soccer player Neymar Jr scoring a goal.

IKEA’s AR catalogue shows what furniture will look like in a room.

Red Bull created a 360-degree VR experience of the Red Bull Air Race.

Nescafe created a VR experience with Google showing users where their coffee

comes from.

Nestle created virtual shopping centres.

Audi created a virtual reality test drive.

More and more companies are investing in VR to provide better experience for their customers and show all the benefits from their product or service.

Audi Coca-Cola

Conc

lusio

n

Virtual Reality has been around for many years, however just recently it becomes a very popular concept. Today, it provides multiply benefits in many fields starting from military training, medical surgery, education and of course in gaming.

More and more businesses are starting to see great potential to interact with their customers. Soon technology will become very popular and more affordable for all of us.  

Refe

renc

eshttp://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/developments.html

http://www.wareable.com/headgear/the-best-ar-and-vr-headsets

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/virtual-reality4.htm

http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2015/10/75-of-top-brands-have-vr-projects/

http://www.howtogeek.com/233415/vr-is-almost-here-what-will-i-need-to-be-ready/

http://www.virtualrealityguide.com/

http://mashable.com/search/?t=stories&q=virtual%20reality&page=2

http://www.androidauthority.com/what-is-virtual-reality-vr-608515/

http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/26/the-biggest-challenges-left-in-virtual-reality-according-to-oculus/

http://www.homido.com/en/articles/streamer-des-jeux-pc-sur-un-casque-homido

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/405798,the-unique-challenges-of-virtual-reality-development.aspx