practicing medical procedures, treatment of phobias
see hidden real world features
virtual wind tunnel
visualize complex information fun !!! Engagement
visual realism, 3D effects: shadows, etc.
feeling part of the virtual world
Engage the senses
sight:
sound:
surround sound, sub-seat woofers, etc.
touch:
haptic and force feedback,
and more…wind, … burning rubber!
Engage the body
realistic devices
movement in the environment
interaction and control of object
rapid feedback - more important than photo realism
Collaborative virtual environments
virtual worlds
multi-participant
able to communicate (text, audio, video)
embodied - avatars
Pros and Cons
great leveler
anonymity - accountability?
hides disability (email even better).
Pros:
Cons:
no body language
limited communication
SAD !!!
Learning
virtual universities
traditional distance learning + CD ROM, video
email, bulletin boards
IRC/TCQ/chat
CuSeeMe, video conferencing
virtual worlds …
virtual classroom [video]
Of real and virtual …
video image on screen
computer tools
video of room/work in progress
augmented reality
Immersive Virtual Reality: A Short Introduction
In immersive VR, the user becomes fully immersed in an artificial, three-dimensional world that is completely generated by a computer.
The head-mounted display (HMD) was the first device providing its wearer with an immersive experience. HMD houses two miniature display screens and an optical system that channels the images from the screens to the eyes, thereby, presenting a stereo view of a virtual world. A motion tracker continuously measures the position and orientation of the user's head and allows the image generating computer to adjust the scene representation to the current view. As a result, the viewer can look around and walk through the surrounding virtual environment.
A variety of input devices like data gloves, joysticks, and hand-held wands allow the user to navigate through a virtual environment and to interact with virtual objects. Directional sound, tactile and force feedback devices, voice recognition and other technologies are being employed to enrich the immersive experience and to create more "sensualized" interfaces.