Virtual Reality Trend for Digital Animation and Global

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Virtual Reality Trend for Digital Animation and
Global Success Cases

• Jim X. Chen, Ph.D.
• Director of Computer Graphics Lab
• George Mason University
• Fairfax, VA 22030

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Contents

• Introduction to Virtual Reality and Hardware
• Virtual Reality Current Trend
• Virtual Reality Software and Digital Animation
  Systems
• VR Research, Applications and Global Successful
  Cases

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Intro to VR Hardware
Conventional Computer
VR-based Computer
Computer World
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VR technologies
Character CRT
Keyboard
Computer graphics
Graphic CRT
Mouse tablet
Realtime CG
Virtual console
3D mouse
Computer simulation/ visualization
Video arts
Virtual products design
Tele-conference
Tele-Existence
TV phone
3D CAD
Tele-Operation
Computer Aided Design
Telephone
All technologies meet together at VR !!
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A sense of of immersion

• Stereoscopic
• Tracking
• Tactile haptic
• Acoustic, etc.

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3D Graphics and Stereoscopes

• 3D graphics
• User controlled movement and view
• Objects may respond to actions and environment
• Stereoscopes
• 3D graphics
• 2 projections

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Crystal Eyes (http//www.stereographics.com/)
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Head Mounted Displays
(http//www.fakespace.com/) (http//www.stereo3d.c
om/)
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Tracking Systems(http//www.polhemus.com/)(http
//www.ascension-tech.com)
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ImmersaDesk (http//www.fakespace.com/)
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CAVE (http//www.fakespace.com/)
(http//evlweb.eecs.uic.edu/pape/CAVE/)
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RAVE (http//www.fakespace.com/)
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Immersive Work Wall
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VisionDome
Alternate Realities Corporation http//www.virtual
-reality.com/index.html
http//www.avrrc.lboro.ac.uk/Visiondome_facility.h
tml
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Tactile and Haptic Devices
PHANToM (http//www.sensable.com)
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Cyberglove (http//www.virtex.com)
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Immersion Corp Impulse Engines (2D and 4D
pinch)
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Sarcos Dextrous Master
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REFLEX

• FREFLEX is a 7 joints articulation systems that
  mimics human motion
• Is an exosqueleton system allowing real-time
  control of robots
• Update rate of 130Hz

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Exoskeleton (Iowa State U.)

• An other exoskeleton system developed at Iowa
  State University
• Based on electromagnetic coupling

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CyberGrasp
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3 DoF Force Feedback Joystick
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CyberTouch
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TouchMaster

• TouchMaster is a vibro-tactile transducer
  commercialized by EXOS
• Use 6 to 10 speakers coils
• An vibrate at a frequency of 210 Hz

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Virtual Reality - Immersion

• Key to the VR field is immersion.
• A VR environment is immersive if it gives the
  user the feeling of being inside a scene, rather
  than simply looking at the scene.
• True VR is nonexistent, but we do what we can
• Create a scene that is viewed by the user as if
  they are in it.
• Allow the user to interact with objects in the
  scene in something approximating a natural way.
• Bring in as many senses as we can
• Sight sound are the main ones we deal with.
• Lots of research is begin done on touch (haptic
  interfaces).
• Taste smell forget it, for now.

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VR Terminology

• Virtual / Synthetic Environments
• Tele-presence
• Presence
• Cyberspace
• Immersion
• Simulator / Motion Sickness
• Lag time
• 3D rendering / Graphics Engine
• VRML
• Bodysuit
• Head Mounted Display (HMD)

• 3D Mouse
• Joystick
• Stereoscopic Display
• Liquid Crystal Shutterglasses
• Ultrasonic / Magnetic / Optical Tracking
• Cyber / Power / Data Glove
• Haptic Display
• Position Tracking

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Types of VR

• Window on World (WoW), Desktop
• Immersive
• Telepresence
• Mixed Reality(head up displays)
• Fishtank VR

• Entry level VR
• Basic VR
• Advanced VR
• Projected VR (maybe with shutterglasses)
• Cockpit Simulators

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Output Devices

• Visual
• Computer Screen, Head Mounted Display, 3D Shutter
  Glasses, Cyberscope, ImmersaDesk, CAVE, Spherical
  Projection, Big Screen Technology, Visiondome,
  Reality Centre.
• Audio (Stereo)
• Speakers, Earphones, Speech, Music
• Tactile
• Tactile Gloves
• Motion
• eg. Flight Simulators using pneumatic motion
  simulators

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Input Devices

• DataGlove and Bodysuit
• Mouse, Joystick, Keyboard, 3D Mouse

• Movement Trackers (eg Polhemus)
• Gesture Recognition (with DataGlove)
• Speech Recognition

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Virtual Reality Current Trend

• PC-driven VR system (www.quantum3d.com)
• multi-channel synchronized PC-IG
• Networked virtual environments with avatars
  (www.activeworlds.com)
• Web3D immersive systems
• (http//www.web3d.org)
• Image-based/Quicktime VR

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Digital Communication and Animation Active
Worlds (AW)

• Universe, populated by Worlds

• Universe server
• universe.activeworlds.com

• World servers
• anywhere on the Internet

• Enter the Universe
• Select and enter a world in that Universe

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The virtual reality of AW
Getting into a world in the universe .
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The virtual reality of AW

• later there was
• an avatar
• virtual embodiment of person in AW
• building blocks (objects)
• the building material in AW
• the blocks are active - they can respond with
  some action, or provide additional information.

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The window to an AW universe/world
3D area
Web area
Multifunction area
Synchronous communication area
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What is Web3D?

• The term Web3d describes any programming or
  descriptive language that can be used to deliver
  interactive 3D objects and worlds across the
  internet.
• Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), Java3D
  and X3D (under development) - also any
  proprietary languages that have been developed
  for the same purpose come under the umbrella of
  Web3d.
• http//www.web3d.org web3d consortuim

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3D for the Web

• Exploring web-based 3D environments requires the
  use of a Plug-in
• Formats/architectures include
• The Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML)
  viewers include Blaxxun Contact, Cosmo Player and
  Cortona
• X3D
• Superscape e-Visualizer and Viscape
• Cult 3D
• Biovirtual 3DMeNow
• Active Worlds
• Shout3D
• Shockwave 3D

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History of Web3D
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Java3D - Class
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Web3D games

• http//www.dave2n.com/
• http//www.dccard.co.jp/
• http//www.activeworlds.com

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Image-based Virtual Reality

• VR system using Image-based Rendering
• Presence Interaction Autonomy

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Image-based Virtual Reality

• Characteristics of Images
• Fixed scene geometry
• Fixed camera movement
• Fixed light condition
• Limitation on image resolution

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Image-based Virtual Reality

• QuickTimeVR was introduced in 1994
• photorealistic virtual reality type effectswith
  limited interaction
• Applications Museum, Gallery,
  Sightseeing, Model House, Cyber Shopping Mall

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Virtual Reality Software and Digital Animation
Systems

• Low-level graphics libraries
• Visualization
• Modeling and Rendering
• Animation and Simulation
• VR Software/Web3D inventor, VRML, X3D, WTK, WUP,
  etc.

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Virtual Reality Software and Digital Animation
Systems

• Book Guide to Graphics Software Tools
  http//cs.gmu.edu/jchen/graphics
• A shortcut to graphics programming shortest
  textbook that covers all
• A list of all graphics related tools, including
  Web3D and Virtual Reality
• Rich online sources to all different tools

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VR Research, Applications and Global Successful
Cases
Education/ Training
Design Engineering
Entertainment
Museum Arts
VR application
Medicine
Scientific Visualization
Communication
Products Engineering
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VR Research

• Better, Faster VR with less side-effects.
• The long-term effects of VR.
• Applications of VR (eg for assessment of brain
  damage and rehabilitation)
• New VR machinery.
• VR (and 3D) as the interface to a process.
• Presence (what is it and how do we measure it)

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VR Research

• Problems
• VR still costly for good system
• Still seen as research by most companies
• Gap between promise and delivery
• Applications
• Demonstrating products, Sales, Design,
  Manufacturing, 3D modelling, Walk through,
  Visualisation, Training, Process control...

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Industry

• A couple of companies using VR
• VOLVO
• to test car interior designs and to demonstrate
  new cars on virtual roads.
• Combined VR and real car cockpit, gives tactile,
  visual and audible information.
• Nokia
• VR PHANToM, to test new and potential telephone
  designs.
• British Telecom
• For visualisation of extremely complex telephone
  network in England and isolation of faults using
  3D visual cues.

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Training / Education

• Patient teachers of real-world situations
• Safer and Cheaper environment, no lives at risk.
• People with special needs

• Cockpit Simulation (flight simulators)
• Complex Machinery - manipulate parts and see into
  difficult areas with on-line help
• In dangerous Situations, eg. Nuclear Reactor -
  quick in and out, get used to the layout before
  entering for real toreduce the chance for human
  error.
• With Complex Procedures,eg. Surgical Operations,
  can practice onvirtual patients first, or have
  the patientscanned and made into a virtual model
  - complete with force feedback on the surgical
  instruments.

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(Augmented) Telepresence

• VR overlaid onto real-world with see-through HMD.
• eg Heads-up display in fighter plane
• eg Surgeon operating on a patient with overlays
  from CAT scans to highlight critical nerves,
  tendons etc.

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Users with special needs
Specialized requirements which are often
well-served by VR systems visual impairment
- screen readers, SonicFinder physical
disability - speech input, gesture
recognition, predictive systems (e.g.
Reactive keyboard) learning disabilities (e.g.
dyslexia) - speech input, output