About the Technology: A Brief Overview
It is difficult to describe VR in one simple, concrete definition due to the fact that it is
rapidly evolving. Steven LaValle describes VR as “inducing targeted behavior in an organism by
using artificial sensory stimulation, while the organism has little or no awareness of the
interference” (LaValle, 2017). LaValle breaks his definition into four components: targeted
behavior, organism, artificial sensory stimulation, and awareness. The first aspect he addresses
is targeted behavior. This is when the subject that is using VR is having an “experience” that
was devised by the inventor. Examples of “experiences” include flying, walking, exploring,
socializing with others, or watching an event. The second aspect, the “organism,” is the person
or animal using VR. Artificial sensory stimulation refers to how when someone is using VR, one
or more of their senses is seized and the traditional inputs are substituted with artificial
stimulation. As for awareness, this is when someone is experiencing VR and becomes unaware
of the interference. Therefore, they are being tricked into feeling like they are actually in the
virtual world.
According to LaValle, there are two extremes that exist when creating a virtual world to immerse VR users into. There is the synthetic aspect and the captured aspect. A synthetic realm must be formed when designing VR. This consists entirely of geometric primitives and simulated physics. Using modern imaging methods, new technology has allowed panoramic viewpoints to be captured. By using simultaneous localization and mapping techniques, a 3D depiction of the virtual world is able to be captured. Currently, there is the challenge that there is no easy way to make ourselves portrayed to someone else while both simultaneously using VR (LaValle, 2017). This would add a totally different aspect to VR and it has been argued whether or not people would actually enjoy this enhancement added into the VR experience.
According to LaValle, there are two extremes that exist when creating a virtual world to immerse VR users into. There is the synthetic aspect and the captured aspect. A synthetic realm must be formed when designing VR. This consists entirely of geometric primitives and simulated physics. Using modern imaging methods, new technology has allowed panoramic viewpoints to be captured. By using simultaneous localization and mapping techniques, a 3D depiction of the virtual world is able to be captured. Currently, there is the challenge that there is no easy way to make ourselves portrayed to someone else while both simultaneously using VR (LaValle, 2017). This would add a totally different aspect to VR and it has been argued whether or not people would actually enjoy this enhancement added into the VR experience.
Virtual reality headsets are often referred to as HMDs which simply translates to “head
mounted displays.” The goal of this piece of technology is to create a virtual world that seems
real, life-sized, and provides a 3D environment. Whatever the user looks at, the screen follows.
These headsets use two feeds sent to one display or two LCD displays which account for one
screen per eye. Additionally, there are lenses placed between the eyes and the pixels. VR
increases immersion by increasing the field the view. A 360-degree display would be high-
priced and unnecessary. Most luxurious headsets get away with having a 100 to 110-degree
field of view. In order for the user to not experience sickness, there must be a minimum frame
rate of approximately 60 frames per second. The current majority of VR headsets are capable of
much more than this. Oculus is capable of 90 frames per second and Sony’s PlayStation VR is
capable of 120 frames per second (Charara, 2017). The higher the frame rate is, the lesser the
chance of a user experiencing dizziness, nausea, or shakiness is.
Three core parts of VR include head tracking, motion tracking, and eye tracking. Head tracking refers to how when people move their heads while wearing a VR headset, the pictures in front of them turns as their heads move up, down, left, or right. 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) is a program that plots head movement in terms of X, Y, and Z axes. This program measures “head movements forward and backwards, side to side and shoulder to shoulder, otherwise known as pitch, yaw and roll” (Charara, 2017). The technology of head tracking needs very low latency to be effective. Headphones, particularly binaural or 3D audio, is used to enhance the immersion of the VR experience. Another core part of VR is motion tracking. This is a feature that premium headsets have over other simpler VR contraptions, such as cardboard VR headsets. Oculus, Valve, and Sony has the most intricate motion sensing technologies. For Oculus, there is a set of wireless controllers that are intended to make you feel like you are utilizing your own hands while immersed in the virtual world. Other ways to track motion can be through handheld controllers or joysticks. Eye tracking is the third core component to VR. There is still a lot to be discovered regarding eye tracking, but the end goal is for the VR device to be able to sensor monitor where your eyes are looking while experiencing VR. For standard VR headsets, every aspect is in exact focus which is not how the average person is used to experiencing the actual world. For example, a blur is present when someone focuses their eyes at an object far into the distance. To create that blur in VR will make it even more immersive.
Three core parts of VR include head tracking, motion tracking, and eye tracking. Head tracking refers to how when people move their heads while wearing a VR headset, the pictures in front of them turns as their heads move up, down, left, or right. 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) is a program that plots head movement in terms of X, Y, and Z axes. This program measures “head movements forward and backwards, side to side and shoulder to shoulder, otherwise known as pitch, yaw and roll” (Charara, 2017). The technology of head tracking needs very low latency to be effective. Headphones, particularly binaural or 3D audio, is used to enhance the immersion of the VR experience. Another core part of VR is motion tracking. This is a feature that premium headsets have over other simpler VR contraptions, such as cardboard VR headsets. Oculus, Valve, and Sony has the most intricate motion sensing technologies. For Oculus, there is a set of wireless controllers that are intended to make you feel like you are utilizing your own hands while immersed in the virtual world. Other ways to track motion can be through handheld controllers or joysticks. Eye tracking is the third core component to VR. There is still a lot to be discovered regarding eye tracking, but the end goal is for the VR device to be able to sensor monitor where your eyes are looking while experiencing VR. For standard VR headsets, every aspect is in exact focus which is not how the average person is used to experiencing the actual world. For example, a blur is present when someone focuses their eyes at an object far into the distance. To create that blur in VR will make it even more immersive.
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