Virtual Reality Lecture 1 Introduction to Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality Lecture 1. Introduction to Virtual Reality CSCE 458 Fall 2004 Chang-Hun Kim Department of Computer Science Korea University http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

SIGGRAPH 2004 Video Review n Electronic theater program n Go To Sleep [5: 21], The Mill o n n 3 D music video Rock the World [2: 35], School of Vision Art o Political satire Rockfish [8: 28], Blur Studio o n KUCG Realistic rendering Animation theater program n Oddworld Stranger CG Intro [2: 49], Oddworld Inhabitants o Commercial animation http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

SIGGRAPH 2004 Video Review n KUCG Animation theater program n Riba [5: 57], One Plus One / Supinfocom o n “Muscle System and Skin Solver” on Hellboy [2: 17], Tippett Studio o n Muscle-based animation “Machine City” in the Matrix Revolutions [3: 18], Tippett Studio o n Non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) Realistic rendering Massive Arabesque [2: 50], Microsoft Research o Augmented Reality http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Contents KUCG What is VR? n Related Areas n History n State of the Art and Research Issues n http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

What is VR? n Glove CG Machine HMD n n KUCG This is not exactly VR!!! Concept High level: Replication of reality n Low level: 3 D interface / interaction n Studies on reality Computational reality n Analogous to AI n n AI as a science / engineering Science: Computational model for intelligence o Engineering: Making “intelligent-looking” machines o http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Target of VR n KUCG VR = Computational reality Seek for the computational model of reality n Apply the model to the VR system n n The essence of science: Search for models Astrology: Heavenly bodies (stars, sky) n Physics: Nature n Philosophy: Human mind n Virtual reality: Computational model of reality n http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Understanding VR in the Context of Modeling Efforts KUCG n Intelligence AI n Life Artificial life n Reality Artificial (or virtual) reality n Economy Computational economy http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

VR Terminologies (1/2) n KUCG Virtual reality n Computer generated environment that is. . . Immersive ex) IMAX, dome projection o Interactive ex) Computer game o Multi-sensory o Viewer-centered o 3 D o Combination of various technologies o o n To build the environments above Physical participation in the interactive simulation http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

VR Terminologies (2/2) n KUCG Virtual environment (VE) A computational model or n Realization of it by VR techniques n n Cyberspace n A computer environment spanning. . . Multiple computers, o Multiple users, and o Multiple sets of data o http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

VR Devices http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr KUCG Graphics Lab @ Korea University

VR as a Computer Technology n Ultimate computer interface n Human body and its sensor o n KUCG Turn the whole body into an input device Technological trends Powerful: Supercomputing, parallel computing n Smart: AI n Physical: VR n n Primary concern n n Software Other important issues n Hardware, human factors, social issues, infrastructure http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

VR vs. Existing Media n n n KUCG Immersive Interactive 3 D Multi-modal Mediated Information is not sent back and forth directly n Mediated virtual environments n http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Virtual Presence (1/2) KUCG Sense of “being there(or presence)” n Effectiveness of communication depends on VP n Medium create VP: Movie, poem, novel, TV, . . . n Feeling of Virtual Presence n Reading a book n BBS, chatting n Listening to live recording of music n n Virtual Presence = f(Vividness, Interactivity) n Vividness = f(Sensory breadth, Sensory depth) http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Virtual Presence (2/2) n Sensory breadth n Number of sensory modalities o o n Movies : 35 mm, Cinemascope, 70 mm, IMAX, … Interactivity o o o n Some of modalities may be redundant, but enhance the presence o ex) Rainstorm scene: Raindrops, its images & sound, smell (Printer, Telephone, TV) vs. (Motion platform, Sensorama) Sensory depth: (Amount / Quality) of information n n KUCG Response time Range: Amount of changes that can be effected on the VEs Mapping: Human actions to virtual actions Vividness vs. Interactivity http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Conceptual Model n KUCG Basic components of VR system Machine n Interface n Human n n HCI Issue How to put them together? n How to conceptualize the system n http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

New Paradigm for HCI KUCG Computer World Conventional Computer Virtual World VR-based Computer http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Virtual Reality Related Areas Tele-Operation, Simulator Technology Computer Graphics, Artificial Intelligence http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

1. Training Simulation (1/2) n KUCG ex) Flight simulation http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

1. Training Simulation (2/2) Training simulation n Characteristics n Reconfigurable by changing software n May include highly unnatural environment n Highly interactive and adaptive n A wide variety of n n KUCG o Human sensing modalities and o Sensory-motor systems Highly immersive Difference n Near field can be real, far field is synthetic n VR: Near field is simulated http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

2. Tele-operation (1/2) http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr KUCG Graphics Lab @ Korea University

2. Tele-operation (2/2) n Tele-operator n n KUCG A machine is controlled by a human at a distance Tele-presence n Sense of being “Physically Present” o With virtual objects at the remote tele-operator site http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Various Tele-operators n Directly (manually) controlled tele-operator o n n Continuously controlled by human o Master-slave : Kinematically equivalent o Rate-controlled : Controls velocity Tele-robot n n KUCG o Limited sensing or manipulation tasks autonomously o Needs tele-robot’s intelligence o Supervisory control Needs: tele-sensor, tele-manipulator RE, VE, Tele-oper n Tele+VE: overcome time delay n VE+RE: Augmented Reality Tele-presence vs. Virtual Presence n Sence of being physically present with virtual objects at remote TO site http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

3. Computer Graphics n Modeling n Motion control (animation) n Rendering n User interface http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr KUCG Graphics Lab @ Korea University

4. Artificial Intelligence n KUCG Get: Studies on perception and cognition Conditions for perceiving VE as real as possible Perception and cognition for the virtual agent n Give: http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Testbed for AI research Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Virtual Reality History 1 st Stage: Some Visionaries 2 nd Stage: Technology for Specific Purposes 3 rd Stage: VR as the General-Purpose Technology Next Stage: Toward a Scientific Discipline http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

1 st Stage: Some Visionaries n Morton Heilig n n n Experience. Theater (1962), Sensorama Simulator (1962) Ivan Surtherland n “Sketchpad: a man machine graphical communication system”(1963) Ph. D thesis n Head-mounted display (HMD) (1966) Myron Krueger n n KUCG “Artificial Reality” (1972) -- new word William Gibson n “Cyberspace” (1984) http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Heilig’s HMD (1960) n KUCG U. S. Patent no. 2, 955, 156 http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Heilig’s Sensorama (1962) n KUCG U. S. Patent no. 3, 050, 870 http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

2 nd Stage: Technology for Specific purposes n n n KUCG Training simulator n Edwin Link: Vehicle simulation (1920 s) n Evans&Sutherland, Martin-Marietta, GE, Westinghouse, Thomson Space exploration n NASA for simulation for astronaut training n First VR system -- VIEW(Virtual Interface Environment Workstation) Tele-operation n Began as early as 1940 n Head Controlled TV system by Argon Lab. http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Training Simulator http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr KUCG Graphics Lab @ Korea University

3 rd Stage: n n n VR as the General-Purpose Technology KUCG Jaron Lanier n VPL: Dataglove, Eye. Phone, VR system (1987) n Coined “virtual reality”(1989) n VR as CHI perspective VR industry n Frontiers: Division, Sense 8(World. Tool. Kit), World. Design, W-industry(game) n Merge into industry: Proslovia, EAI VR academia n MIT, UNC(University of North Carolina), UW(University of Washington), Naval Postgraduate School, Tokyo University http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Next Stage: Toward a Scientific Discipline n Computational Reality n A new computing paradigm n A new media: 3 D in the web n A new art form n Representation, Creation and Operation of Virtual World http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr KUCG Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Current Research Issues n n n KUCG Computer generation of VEs Design of tele-robots Improvement of Multi-Modal Interfaces Study of human behavior Development of communicating systems for VE Merging VE and RE (Real Environment) http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Information Resources n n n KUCG Journals Conference Proceedings Magazines and Newsletters Books Web Sites http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Journals n KUCG Presence MIT Press, quarterly published since 1992. n tele-robotics, psychophysics, human factors, HCI, not much computer graphics. n n International Journal of Virtual Reality n England http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Conference Proceedings (1/2) KUCG IEEE VR (formerly Virtual Reality Annual International Symposium (VRAIS)) n VRAIS – held in 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997 n IEEE VR – since 1998 n Virtual Reality Software Technology (VRST) Conference n ACM SIGCHI and Pacific-Rim countries, since 1994. n VR software. n International Conference on Virtual Sysytems and Multimedia (VSMM) n City of Gifu, Japan, since 1995. n VR, multimedia. n International Conference on Artificial Reality and Tele-existence (ICAT) n Japan, held annually since 1993. n S. Tachi at Tokyo University n tele-robotics, VR. n http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Conference Proceedings (2/2) n n n n n KUCG Symposium on the VRML (Held since 1995. ) ACM SIGGRAPH n ACM SIGGRAPH, held annually since 1978. n computer graphics, recently VR. Euro. Graphics (Since 1979. ) Pacific. Graphics (Since 1993. ) Symposium on Interactive 3 D Graphics Interface ACM SIGCHI n ACM SIGCHI, held annually since 1984. ACM UIST IEEE Visualization http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Magazines and Newsletters n Cyber Edge Journal (terminated) n published bi-monthly. n mostly covers VR industry and applications. n Real Time Graphics n published bi-monthly. n focused on so-called "image generation" technology. n Virtual Reality World (terminated) n published bi-monthly. n all kinds of non-serious aspects of VR and entertainment. http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr KUCG Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Books n n KUCG There are numerous VR books, most of them are junk. n At this moment, there is no book that can be adequately adapted as a textbook. Artificial Reality II n Myron Krueger, Addison-Wesley 1991. n Well-thought essay on artificial reality and electronic culture. (If you are interested in the electronic culture, you must purchasea copy of "Being Digital" authored by N. Negroponte. ) n Better read end-to-end if you have time. Pictorial Communication in Virtual and Real Environments, n Stephen Ellis, Taylor & Francis 1990. n collections of papers on vision-related psychophysics. n Most of papers are not relevent to VR, but some are very useful. Virtual Reality: Scientific and Technological Challenges n Nathaniel Durlach and Anne Mavor (eds. ), National Academy Press 1994. n report by the Committee on VR Research and Development, established by the NRC (National Research Council). n good reference for overview, state of the art, R&D issues. n If you are writing a VR proposal, this is the one you want! http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University

Web Sites n General resources in virtual reality n n n n http: //www. hitl. washington. edu/projects/knowledge_base/conf. html Distributed virtual reality n n http: //www. hitl. washington. edu/projects/knowledge_base/research. html Conferences n n http: //www. 3 dsite. com/cgi/virtual-reality-index. html http: //www. stars. com/Web. Stars/VR. html http: //www. yahoo. com/Entertainment/Virtual_Reality/ http: //curry. edschool. virginia. edu/~lha 5 w/vr/ http: //www. cc. gatech. edu/gyu/people/Phd/Benjamin. Watson/links/vr. html http: //www. nist. gov/itl/div 878/ovrt/hotvr. html Research centers n n KUCG http: //www. csh. rit. edu/~airwick/dist. html http: //www-dse. doc. ic. ac. uk: 80/~np 2/virtual_reality/distributed. html http: //www. nta. no/telektronikk/4. 93. dir/Loeffler_C_E. html VRML n n n http: //www. 3 dsite. com/cgi/VRML-index. html http: //vrml. wired. com/ http: //www. chaco. com/vrml/links. html http: //kucg. korea. ac. kr Graphics Lab @ Korea University