VIRTUAL SYSTEMS AND SERVICES

Submitted By:
Esha Arooj
435
BS IT 7th Morning
Submitted To:
“Ms. Sammra”

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 VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY
Virtual Reality’s most immediately-recognizable component is the head-mounted
display (HMD). Human beings are visual creatures, and display technology is often
the single biggest difference between immersive Virtual Reality systems and
traditional user interfaces. For instance, CAVE automatic virtual environments
actively display virtual content onto room-sized screens. While they are fun for
people in universities and big labs, consumer and industrial wearables are the wild
west.
With a multiplicity of emerging hardware and software options, the future of
wearables is unfolding but yet unknown. Concepts such as the HTC Vivi Pro Eye,
Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR are leading the way, but there are also players
like Google, Apple, Samsung, Lenovo and others who may surprise the industry
with new levels of immersion and usability. Whomever comes out ahead, the
simplicity of buying a helmet-sized device that can work in a living-room, office,
or factory floor has made HMDs center stage when it comes to Virtual Reality
technologies.

Virtual Machine (VM):

A virtual machine (VM) is a virtual environment that functions as a virtual
computer system with its own CPU, memory, network interface, and storage,
created on a physical hardware system (located off- or on-premises). Software
called a hypervisor separates the machine’s resources from the hardware and
provisions them appropriately so they can be used by the VM. 

The physical machines, equipped with a hypervisor such as Kernel-based

Virtual Machine (KVM), is called the host machine, host computer, host
operating system, or simply host. The many VMs that use its resources are guest
machines, guest computers, guest operating systems, or simply guests. The
hypervisor treats compute resources—like CPU, memory, and storage—as a pool
of resources that can easily be relocated between existing guests or to new virtual
machines.
VMs are isolated from the rest of the system, and multiple VMs can exist on a

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single piece of hardware, like a server. They can be moved between host servers
depending on demand or to use resources more efficiently.

Forms and Methods:

In projector-based virtual reality, modeling of the real environment plays a vital
role in various virtual reality applications, such as robot navigation, construction
modeling, and airplane simulation. Image-based virtual reality systems have been
gaining popularity in computer graphics and computer vision communities. In
generating realistic models, it is essential to accurately register acquired 3D data;
usually, a camera is used for modeling small objects at a short distance.
Desktop-based virtual reality involves displaying a 3D virtual world on a
regular desktop display without use of any specialized VR positional
tracking equipment. Many modern first-person video games can be used as an
example, using various triggers, responsive characters, and other such interactive
devices to make the user feel as though they are in a virtual world. A common
criticism of this form of immersion is that there is no sense of peripheral vision,
limiting the user's ability to know what is happening around them.
An Omni treadmill being used at a VR convention.

A Missouri National Guardsman looks into a VR training head-mounted

display at Fort Leonard Wood in 2015
A head-mounted display (HMD) more fully immerses the user in a virtual world.
A virtual reality headset typically includes two small high
resolution OLED or LCD monitors which provide separate images for each eye
for stereoscopic graphics rendering a 3D virtual world, a binaural audio system,
positional and rotational real-time head tracking for six degrees of movement.
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Options include motion controls with haptic feedback for physically interacting
within the virtual world in an intuitive way with little to no abstraction and
an omnidirectional treadmill for more freedom of physical movement allowing the
user to perform locomotive motion in any direction.

History Of Virtual Reality:

The exact origins of virtual reality are disputed, partly because of how difficult it
has been to formulate a definition for the concept of an alternative existence. The
development of perspective in Renaissance Europe created convincing depictions
of spaces that did not exist, in what has been referred to as the "multiplying of
artificial worlds". Other elements of virtual reality appeared as early as the 1860s.
Antonin Artaud took the view that illusion was not distinct from reality, advocating
that spectator at a play should suspend disbelief and regard the drama on stage as
reality. The first references to the more modern concept of virtual reality came
from science fiction.

20th Century:
Morton Heilig wrote in the 1950s of an "Experience Theatre" that could encompass
all the senses in an effective manner, thus drawing the viewer into the onscreen
activity. He built a prototype of his vision dubbed the Sensorama in 1962, along
with five short films to be displayed in it while engaging multiple senses (sight,
sound, smell, and touch). Predating digital computing, the Sensorama was
a mechanical device. Heilig also developed what he referred to as the "Tele-sphere
Mask" (patented in 1960). The patent application described the device as "a
telescopic television apparatus for individual use...The spectator is given a
complete sensation of reality, i.e. moving three dimensional images which may be
in color, with 100% peripheral vision, binaural sound, scents and air breezes."

21st Century:
The 2000s were a period of relative public and investment indifference to
commercially available VR technologies.

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In 2001, SAS Cube (SAS3) became the first PC-based cubic room, developed by
Z-A Production (Maurice Benayoun, David Nahon), Barco, and Clarté. It was
installed in Laval, France. The SAS library gave birth to Virtools VRPack. In
2007, Google introduced Street View, a service that shows panoramic views of an
increasing number of worldwide positions such as roads, indoor buildings and rural
areas. It also features a stereoscopic 3D mode, introduced in 2010.
In 2019, Oculus released the Oculus Rift S and a standalone headset, the Oculus
Quest. These headsets utilized inside-out tracking compared to external outside-in
tracking seen in previous generations of headsets.
Later in 2019, Valve released the Valve Index. Notable features include a 130°
field of view, off-ear headphones for immersion and comfort, open-handed
controllers which allow for individual finger tracking, front facing cameras, and a
front expansion slot meant for extensibility.
In 2020, Oculus released the Oculus Quest 2. Some new features include a sharper
screen, reduced price, and increased performance. Facebook now requires user to
log in with a Facebook account in order to use the new headset.

Robinson R22 Virtual Reality Training Device developed by VRM Switzerland.

In 2021, EASA approves the first Virtual Reality (VR) based Flight Simulation
Training Device. The device, for rotorcraft pilots, enhances safety by opening up
the possibility of practising risky manoeuvres in a virtual environment. This
addresses a key risk area in rotorcraft operations, where statistics show that around
20% of accidents occur during training flights.

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Future Forecast:
With the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, VR is experiencing an enormous rise.
According to Grand View Research, the global VR market will grow to 62.1
billion dollars in 2027.

Immersive Technology:
Immersive virtual reality is a technology that aims to completely immerse the
user inside the computer generated world, giving the impression to the user that
they have "stepped inside" the synthetic world.[10] This is achieved by either using
the technologies of Head-Mounted Display(HMD) or multiple projections. HMD
allows VR to be projected right in front of the eyes and allows users to focus on it
without any distraction.[11] The earliest attempts at developing immersive
technology date back to the 1800s. Without these early attempts, the world of
immersive technology would never have reached its advanced technological state
we have today. The many elements that surround the realm of immersive
technology all come together in different ways to create different types of
immersive technology including virtual reality and pervasive gaming. While
immersive technology has already had an immense impact on our world, its
progressive growth and development will continue to make lasting impacts among
our technological culture.

Software:
The Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML), first introduced in 1994, was
intended for the development of "virtual worlds" without dependency on
headsets. The Web3D consortium was subsequently founded in 1997 for the
development of industry standards for web-based 3D graphics. The consortium
subsequently developed X3D from the VRML framework as an archival, open-
source standard for web-based distribution of VR content.[59] Web-VR is an
experimental JavaScript application programming interface (API) that provides
support for various virtual reality devices, such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift,
Google Cardboard or OSVR, in a web browser.]

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Hardware:

Paramount for the sensation of immersion into virtual reality are a high frame

rate (at least 95 fps), as well as a low latency
Modern virtual reality headset displays are based on technology developed for
smartphones including: gyroscopes and motion sensors for tracking head, body,
and hand positions; small HD screens for stereoscopic displays; and small,
lightweight and fast computer processors. These components led to relative
affordability for independent VR developers, and lead to the 2012 Oculus Rift
Kickstarter offering the first independently developed VR headset.
To create a feeling of immersion, special output devices are needed to display
virtual worlds. Well-known formats include head-mounted displays or the CAVE.
In order to convey a spatial impression, two images are generated and displayed
from different perspectives (stereo projection). There are different technologies
available to bring the respective image to the right eye. A distinction is made
between active (e.g. shutter glasses) and passive technologies (e.g. polarizing
filters or Infitec).
In order to improve the feeling of immersion, wearable multi-string cables offer
haptics to complex geometries in virtual reality. These strings offer fine control of
each finger joint to simulate the haptics involved in touching these virtual
geometries.[64]
Special input devices are required for interaction with the virtual world. These
include the 3D mouse, the wired glove, motion controllers, and optical

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tracking sensors. Controllers typically use optical tracking systems
(primarily infrared cameras) for location and navigation, so that the user can move
freely without wiring. Some input devices provide the user with force feedback to
the hands or other parts of the body, so that the human being can orientate himself
in the three-dimensional world through haptics and sensor technology as a further
sensory sensation and carry out realistic simulations. This allows for the viewer to
have a sense of direction in the artificial landscape. Additional haptic feedback can
be obtained from omnidirectional treadmills (with which walking in virtual space
is controlled by real walking movements) and vibration gloves and suits.

Applications:
 In social sciences and psychology, virtual reality offers a cost-effective tool
to study and replicate interactions in a controlled environment. It can be used
as a form of therapeutic intervention. For instance, there is the case of
the virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), a form of exposure therapy for
treating anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
phobias.
 In medicine, simulated VR surgical environments were first developed in the
1990s. Under the supervision of experts, VR can provide effective and
repeatable training at a low cost, allowing trainees to recognize and amend
errors as they occur.
 In the engineering field, VR has proved very useful for both engineering
educators and the students. A previously expensive cost in the educational
department now being much more accessible due to lowered overall costs,
has proven to be a very useful tool in educating future engineers. The most
significant element lies in the ability for the students to be able to interact
with 3-D models that accurately respond based on real world possibilities.
This added tool of education provides many the immersion needed to grasp
complex topics and be able to apply them. As noted, the future architects and
engineers benefit greatly by being able to form understandings between
spatial relationships and providing solutions based on real-world future
applications.
Virtual reality's growing market presents an opportunity and an alternative channel
for digital marketing. It is also seen as a new platform for e-commerce, particularly

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in the bid to challenge traditional "brick and mortar" retailers. However, a 2018
study revealed that the majority of goods are still purchased in physical stores.
In the case of education, the uses of virtual reality have demonstrated being
capable of promoting higher order thinking, promoting the interest and
commitment of students, the acquisition of knowledge, promoting mental habits
and understanding that are generally useful within an academic context.
A case has also been made for including virtual reality technology in the context of
public libraries. This would give library users access to cutting-edge technology
and unique educational experiences.[112] This could include giving users access to
virtual, interactive copies of rare texts and artifacts and to tours of famous
landmarks and archeological digs (as in the case with the Virtual Ganjali Khan
Project).

Concerns and Challenges:

Health and Safety:
There are many health and safety considerations of virtual reality. A number of
unwanted symptoms have been caused by prolonged use of virtual reality, and
these may have slowed proliferation of the technology. Most virtual reality systems
come with consumer warnings, including: seizures; developmental issues in
children; trip-and-fall and collision warnings; discomfort; repetitive stress injury;
and interference with medical devices. Some users may experience twitches,
seizures or blackouts while using VR headsets, even if they do not have a history
of epilepsy and have never had blackouts or seizures before. One in 4,000 people,
or .025%, may experience these symptoms. Since these symptoms are more
common among people under the age of 20, children are advised against using VR
headsets. Other problems may occur in physical interactions with one's
environment. While wearing VR headsets, people quickly lose awareness of their
real-world surroundings and may injure themselves by tripping over, or colliding
with real-world objects.
Virtual reality sickness (also known as cybersickness) occurs when a person's
exposure to a virtual environment causes symptoms that are similar to motion
sickness symptoms. Women are significantly more affected than men by headset-
induced symptoms, at rates of around 77% and 33% respectively. The most
common symptoms are general discomfort, headache, stomach awareness, nausea,
vomiting, pallor, sweating, fatigue, drowsiness, disorientation, and apathy. For
example, Nintendo's Virtual Boy received much criticism for its negative physical
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effects, including "dizziness, nausea, and headaches". These motion sickness
symptoms are caused by a disconnect between what is being seen and what the rest
of the body perceives. When the vestibular system, the body's internal balancing
system, does not experience the motion that it expects from visual input through
the eyes, the user may experience VR sickness. This can also happen if the VR
system does not have a high enough frame rate, or if there is a lag between the
body's movement and the onscreen visual reaction to it. Because approximately
25–40% of people experience some kind of VR sickness when using VR machines,
companies are actively looking for ways to reduce VR sickness.
Children in Virtual Reality:
The relationship between virtual reality and its underage users is controversial and
unexplored. In the meantime, children are becoming increasingly aware of VR,
with the number in the USA having never heard of it dropping by half from
Autumn 2016 (40%) to Spring 2017 (19%).
Valeriy Kondruk, CEO of VR travel platform Ascape, says the app downloads in
March 2020 increased by 60% compared to December 2019 and doubled in
comparison with January 2020. According to Kondruk, normally, the busiest
month for VR companies is December, which is associated with winter holidays
and people spending more time at home.
In early 2016, virtual reality headsets became commercially available with offers
from, for example, Facebook (Oculus), HTC and Valve (Vive) Microsoft
(HoloLens), and Sony (Morpheus). At the time and to this day, these brands have
different age instructions for users, example 12+ or 14+, this indicates a
completely self-regulatory policy
Studies show that young children, compared to adults, may respond cognitively
and behaviorally to immersive VR in ways that differ from adults. VR places users
directly into the media content, potentially making the experience very vivid and
real for children. For example, children of 6–18 years of age reported higher levels
of presence and "realness" of a virtual environment compared with adults 19–65
years of age
Experiencing VR by children may further involve simultaneously holding the idea
of the virtual world in mind while experiencing the physical world. Excessive
usage of immersive technology that has very salient sensory features may
compromise children's ability to maintain the rules of the physical world,
particularly when wearing a VR headset that blocks out the location of objects in
the physical world. Immersive VR can provide users with multisensory
experiences that replicate reality or create scenarios that are impossible or
dangerous in the physical world. Observations of 10 children experiencing VR for
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the first time suggested that 8-12-years-old kids were more confident to explore
VR content when it was in a familiar situation, e.g. the children enjoyed playing in
the kitchen context of Job Simulator, and enjoyed breaking rules by engaging in
activities they are not allowed to do in reality, such as setting things on fire.
Privacy:
The persistent tracking required by all VR systems makes the technology
particularly useful for, and vulnerable to, mass surveillance. The expansion of VR
will increase the potential and reduce the costs for information gathering of
personal actions, movements and responses. Data from eye tracking sensors, which
are projected to become a standard feature in virtual reality headsets, may
indirectly reveal information about a user's ethnicity, personality traits, fears,
emotions, interests, skills, and physical and mental health condition.
Conceptual and Philosophical Concerns:
In addition, there are conceptual and philosophical considerations and implications
associated with the use of virtual reality. What the phrase "virtual reality" means or
refers to can be ambiguous. Mychilo S. Cline argued in 2005 that through virtual
reality, techniques will be developed to influence human behavior, interpersonal
communication, and cognition.

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