VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED

REALITY
ECC4351
 MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION
• The three I’s of virtual reality
• Commercial VR technology
• The five classic components of a VR system.
The growth in VR industry size, excluding the related fields of scientific
visualization and real-time multimedia simulations can be represented
as
THE FIVE CLASSIC COMPONENTS OF A
VR SYSTEM
• I/O Devices
User input (such as trackers, gloves, or mice) or output (such as HMDs, large-volume
displays, force feedback robotic arms, etc.).
• Software
Software for virtual object modeling, involving its geometry, texture, intelligent behavior,
and physical modeling of hardness, inertia, surface plasticity, etc. A number of powerful
programming packages, such as WorldToolKit and Java 3D, designed to help the virtual
reality application developer
• VR Engines
The special-purpose computer architecture designed to match the high I/O and
computation demands of real-time VR simulations
• Human Factor
Several human factors issues affecting simulation efficiency as well as user comfort and
safety
• Task
These integrate all the aspects discussed and make VR a tool for solving various practical
problems in medical care, education, arts, entertainment, and the military
OCULUS RIFT
Data Glove

Outfitted with sensors on the

fingers as well as an overall
position/orientation tracking
equipment.

Enables natural interaction

with virtual objects by hand
gesture recognition.
Technology-Software
 Toolkits
• Programming libraries.
• Provide function libraries (C & C++).
• Complete programs with graphical interfaces for creating worlds without resorting
to detailed programming.
 Software packages available in market
• Multiverse (Freeware)
• Virtual Reality Studio
• Sense8 World Tool Kit (WTK)
• Autodesk Cyberspace Development kit
 VRML(Virtual Reality Modeling Language)
• VRML stands for Virtual Reality Modeling Language. Technically, VRML
is neither virtual reality nor a modeling language.
• VRML serves as a 3D interchange format.
• It's a 3D analog to HTML.
• Standard language for interactive simulation within the World Wide
Web.
• Aspects of virtual world display, interaction and internetworking can
be specified using VRML without being dependent on special gear
like HMD.
 QUIZ
• The Oculus Rift is an example of a _____.
• Head-Mounted Display
• Mouse
• Hand Controller
• None of the answers are correct.
Architecture of VR System
 Input Processor, Simulation Processor,
Rendering Processor and World Database.
visual,
auditory,
Position & touch…
Orientation

Input Rendering
Processor Processor

Simulation
Processor

World Database
Components of VR System (Cont’d)

 Input Processor
• Control the devices used to input information to the computer. The
object is to get the coordinate data to the rest of the system with
minimal lag time.
• Keyboard, mouse, 3D position trackers, a voice recognition system,
etc.
Components of VR System (Cont’d)

 Simulation Processor
– Core of a VR system.
– Takes the user inputs along with any tasks
programmed into the world and determine
the actions that will take place in the virtual
world.
Components of VR System (Cont’d)

 Rendering Processor
– Create the sensations that are output to
the user.
– Separate rendering processes are used for
visual, auditory and other sensory
systems.
– Each renderer take a description of the
world stat from the simulation process or
derive it directly from the World Database
for each time step.
Components of VR System (Cont’d)

 World Database (World Description

Files)
– Store the objects that inhabit the world,
scripts that describe actions of those
objects.