VIRTUAL REALITY

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VIRTUAL REALITY
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker

• Introduction
• Definition
• History
• Environment
• Applications
• Concerns
• Summary
• References
• Questions

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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Introduction All that you see or seem, is but
a dream within a dream. -- Poe, Edgar
Allen In the movie The Matrix, the virtual
world was so realistic that the individuals
didnt know they were in a simulated environment.
This is impossible with present computing power
but perhaps..someday.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker

• Definition (1/3)
• virtual reality noun a realistic simulation of
  an environment, including three-dimensional
  graphics, by a computer system
• using interactive software and hardware. Origin
  198590

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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Definition (2/3)
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Definition (3/3) Virtual Reality or VR is
also known by other names Artificial
environment, computerized simulation, online
community, metaverse, augmented reality,
simulated reality, parallel rendering,
hyperreality are a few of the terms associated
with Virtual Reality. So how did all this
begin?
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
History (1/3) Morton Heilig wrote in the
1950s of an "Experience Theatre" that could
encompass all the senses in an effective manner,
he built a mechanical device called the Sensorama
in 1962. Later, in 1963 Ivan Sutherland
created a sketch pad which used a video screen
and a light pen. This was the start of computer
graphics which plays a big role in Virtual
Reality. Two years later, Ivan Sutherland wrote
an essay called the Ultimate Display which
described computer systems that would allow users
to change the shape and location of virtual
objects.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
History (2/3) In 1977, the first data glove
was invented. Interestingly, the motivation for
the glove that had the most impact was developed
because Thomas Zimmerman wanted to be able to
have a glove that would track the movements of
the user when they played an imaginative guitar.
He created the first optical glove in 1982 , so
that he could play air guitar Because of
the militarys need to train pilots, interactive
simulators were developed. In the late 80s,
Scott Fisher at NASA combined the data glove,
with better sound and video technology. He
dubbed it the Virtual Interactive Environment
Workstation.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
History (3/3) Over the next 20 years, with
improving computer technology combined with more
affordability produced better software and
hardware to make virtual reality seem more like
reality. The next few slides will show some of
the current devices used in the Virtual Reality
environment.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Environment (1/3) Current displays consist
of computer screens that wrap around the user to
give the feeling of being immersed or devices
that you wear which block out the real world.
Below is an example of a device which I would
like to have when playing Halo to keep opponents
from looking at my screen. The Video iWear
AV920-C is eyewear that allows multiplayer
gaming off a single video game console,
eliminating the split screen.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Environment (2/3) Currently surround sound
is used in the Virtual Reality Environment, by
using multiple speakers, but when wearing small
devices this approach cannot reproduce a
realistic effect. Progress is being made in
the area of Haptics which uses computer software
and gloves with magnetic levitation to reproduce
the feeling of touch. Computers combined
with the proper machinery can realistically
reproduce smell but only a few odors currently
and the cost is too high to mass produce enough
odors for it to be practical.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Environment (3/3) The question you are
probably asking is what about.taste? How would
that be possible? Its hard to believe but
Sony has actually filed a patent to use
ultrasound waves targeted to various parts of the
brain to simulate all 5 senses. A Sony
representative stated that this is only a
prediction of where the technology is going, but
just imagine the games of the future!
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Applications (1/2) Medical- used to treat
phobias, and post traumatic stress disorders
Education- flight training, surgical simulation,
geography (In the future perhaps we can
learn foreign languages, or improve our
skills in sports by using simulations in a
Virtual World) Entertainment- gaming, online
communities, virtual worlds such as the Sims,
Second Reality, etc.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker

• Applications (2/2)
• While doing research for this presentation, I
  found a book titled SECOND LIFE A guide to Your
  Virtual World by Brian A. White in a section
  called Digital Lifestyles. I was actually
  shocked to see that section in a local bookstore.
  
• The Second Life platform is an
  Internet-based, multi-user, 3D world construction
  set that emphasizes creativity, collaboration,
  socializing, and self-government. as defined by
  the author.

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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Concerns As more and more individuals use
the internet to take virtual tours, do virtual
shopping, spend time in virtual communities, then
the less social interaction that individual is
having in the real world. There has been studies
that have shown where people neglect their normal
life to tend for their virtual character.
Also just like some suggest that video games
desensitize the user to violence, there is a fear
that there would be violence in a virtual
community that would generate real life
sociopaths.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
Summary I do not know whether I was then a man
dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a
butterfly dreaming I am a man. -- Chang-tzu
Having a simulated reality, where the user can
not distinguish the real world from a virtual
world may not ever be possible. However, in the
meantime, I believe we will continue to develop
interaction between society as a whole through
the use of computers and we will be collectively
better because of this emerging technology.
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker
References "virtual reality."
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House,
Inc. 08 Mar 2008. ltDictionary.com
http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/virtual
realitygt Jennifer Whyte, Virtual
Reality and the Built Environment. Woburn
Architectural Press, 2002 virtual
reality." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online 8 Mar 2008 
lthttp//www.britannica.com/eb/article-253105gt
Randall Packer and Ken Jordan. Virtual
Reality Pioneers Multimedia from Wagner to
Virtual Reality. 1 Mar 2008 lthttp//www.artmuseum.
net/w2vr/timeline/Fisher.htmlgt Vuzix,
Wear the future, 24 Feb 2008 lthttp//www.vuzix.co
m/iwear/products_av920c.htmlgt G. Kim,
Designing Virtual Reality Systems - the
Structured Approach. London Springer, 2005-
(Springer, 2005) Dave Horvath. Sony
wants your brains. Afterdawn News. 27 Feb 2008.
lt http//www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/10766.cfmgt
Brian A White, Second Life, A guide
to Your Virtual World. Indianapolis Que
Publishing, 2007
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VIRTUAL REALITY
ITEC 610 Technical
Presentation Thomas Baker