Interactive Computer Graphics Human Computer Interaction Virtual Reality

Interactive Computer Graphics, Human Computer Interaction, Virtual Reality and Digital Arts and Sciences Benjamin Lok September 20 th, 2004

Outline u Topics • Interactive Computer Graphics • Human Computer Interaction • Virtual Reality Jobs u Research u Skills u

Interactive Computer Graphics

Motivation u We want to understand how to do:

Motivation

Why should I take this course? u u An excuse to build that program/game/project you always wanted A Computer Science course that involves a variety of skills (other than coding!) • • u u Art Psychology Sound Creativity To play with fun toys To show off your projects!

Human Computer Interaction u What is a user interface? Why do we care about design? u We see this all the time. u • What’s good about the design of this error box? u The user knows there is an error • What’s poor about the design of this error box? u u u Discouraging Not enough information No way to resolve the problem (instructions or contact info)

My Choice u u i. Pod by Apple Computers Pros: • • u portable power ease of use # of controls Cons: • scratches easily • no speech for car use • proprietary

HCI Community u Academics/Industry Research • Taxonomies • Theories • Predictive models u Experimenters • Empirical data • Product design u Other areas (Sociologists, anthropologists, managers) • • Motor Perceptual Cognitive Social, economic, ethics

HCI Tools u u u Sound 3 D Animation Video Devices • Size (small->very large) • Portable (PDA, phone) • Plasticity u u u Context sensitive/aware Personalizable Ubiquitous

Usability Requirements u Goals: • Usability • Universality • Usefulness u Achieved by: • Planning • Sensitivity to user needs • Devotion to requirements analysis • Testing

Bad Interfaces u u u Encumbering Confusing Slow Trust (ex. windows crashing) What makes it hard? • • • u Varies by culture Multiple platforms Variety of users Think of a game you’ve played with a bad interface • UNIX

Example u Five fastest places to click on for a right-handed user?

Example u What affects time?

Virtual Reality Definition u What is virtual reality? • Virtual – Being in essence or effect, but not in fact u Example VRAM u • Reality – u The state or quality of being real. Something that exists independently of ideas concerning it. Something that constitutes a real or actual thing as distinguished from something that is merely apparent. ” • What was the first VR?

What was the first VR?

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

Key Elements of Virtual Reality Experience u Virtual World - content of a given medium • screen play, script, etc. • actors performing the play allows us to experience the virtual world u Immersion – sensation of being in an environment • mental immersion – suspension of disbelief • physical immersion – bodily entering the medium • Related to presence – (mentally immersed) the participant’s sensation of being in the virtual environment (Slater) Walking Experiment at UNC – Chapel Hill

Augmented Reality A combination of a real scene viewed by a user and a virtual scene generated by a computer that augments the scene with additional information. All Virtual Objects u Ultrasound Visualization Research at UNC – Chapel Hill All Real Objects

Immersive Technology u Head-mounted Display • Optical System • Image Source (CRT or LCD) • Mounting Apparatus • Earphones • Position Tracker

Immersive Technology u Multi-screen Projection of stereoscopic images (CAVE)

Immersive Technology u Single large stereoscopic display • • • Projection-based Head-tracked Possible tracking of hands and arms. • Brings virtual objects into the physical world

User’s perspective u u Setting Objects in world Other participants Active/Passive • Factory Simulation • Architectural Walkthrough

Research u Virtual Characters • Diana Video u Virtual Reality • NASA

Skill Set u u u “Oh I don’t want to program, I just want to create stuff” Architect or Car analogy Programming -> tool to create what is in your imagination Programming proficiency goal: be able to code anything that you imagine To do what you saw before we use: • C/C++, Open. GL, many different libraries u Math, math, and yet more math!!! • Differential equations (simulations, physics engines), linear algebra (transforms, 3 D manipulations), statistics

Graduate School u Programming Team Lead at Rock. Star Games • Worked on Midnight Club 2 u Renderman Developer at Pixar • Worked on the Jellyfish of Nemo and Incredibles u Software Engineer for Interactive Media for Disney • Worked on Town, online capable titles u u Worked at 989 Sports, EA Sports, Freedom Force, etc. What did they all have in common? • • • Published scientific journals in computer science Graduate school in computer science Worked on efficient collision detection, particle systems, curved surfaces, virtual reality, etc. • All had u u GRE scores in the top 10% Went to a top graduate school (admission is tough) Strong math and science and coding Why would a CS professor want to work with you?

Interested? Take the following… Computational Structures in Computer Graphics u Design and Creation of Virtual Environments u Human-Computer Interaction u Computational Geometry u Computer Simulation Concepts u