Understanding Virtual Reality

Understanding Virtual Reality

by William R. Sherman, Alan B. Craig
Released September 2002
Publisher(s): Morgan Kaufmann
ISBN: 9780080520094

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Book description

Understanding Virtual Reality arrives at a time when the technologies behind virtual reality have advanced to the point that it is possible to develop and deploy meaningful, productive virtual reality applications. The aim of this thorough, accessible exploration is to help you take advantage of this moment, equipping you with the understanding needed to identify and prepare for ways VR can be used in your field, whatever your field may be.

By approaching VR as a communications medium, the authors have created a resource that will remain relevant even as the underlying technologies evolve. You get a history of VR, along with a good look at systems currently in use. However, the focus remains squarely on the application of VR and the many issues that arise in the application design and implementation, including hardware requirements, system integration, interaction techniques, and usability. This book also counters both exaggerated claims for VR and the view that would reduce it to entertainment, citing dozens of real-world examples from many different fields and presenting (in a series of appendices) four in-depth application case studies.

* Substantive, illuminating coverage designed for technical and business readers and well-suited to the classroom.* Examines VR's constituent technologies, drawn from visualization, representation, graphics, human-computer interaction, and other fields, and explains how they are being united in cohesive VR systems.* Via a companion Web site, provides additional case studies, tutorials, instructional materials, and a link to an open-source VR programming system.

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Title page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Praise for Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design
  5. The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling
  6. Copyright
  7. Dedication
  8. Preface
  9. PART I: WHAT IS VIRTUAL REALITY?
    1. Introduction to What Is Virtual Reality?
    2. CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Virtual Reality
      1. Defining Virtual Reality
      2. Four Key Elements of Virtual Reality Experience
      3. A History of VR: Where Did Virtual Reality Technology Come From?
      4. Chapter Summary
    3. CHAPTER 2: VR: The Medium
      1. Communicating Through a Medium
      2. A Medium’s Content: A Virtual World
      3. How Are Ideas Transmitted?
      4. Common Issues of Human Communication Media
      5. Narrative: Immotive Versus Interactive
      6. Form and Genre
      7. Experience Versus Information
      8. Chapter Summary
  10. PART II: VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEMS
    1. Introduction to Virtual Reality Systems
    2. CHAPTER 3: Interface to the Virtual World — Input
      1. User Monitoring (User Input to the Virtual World)
      2. World Monitoring (Input to the Virtual World)
      3. Chapter Summary
    3. CHAPTER 4: Interface to the Virtual World — Output
      1. Visual Displays
      2. Aural Displays
      3. Haptic Displays
      4. Vestibular and Other Senses
      5. Chapter Summary
    4. CHAPTER 5: Rendering the Virtual World
      1. Representation of the Virtual World
      2. Visual Representation in VR
      3. Aural Representation in VR
      4. Haptic Representation in VR
      5. Representation Summary
      6. Rendering Systems
      7. Visual Rendering Systems
      8. Aural Rendering Systems
      9. Haptic Rendering Systems
      10. Chapter Summary
    5. Color Plates
    6. CHAPTER 6: Interacting with the Virtual World
      1. User Interface Metaphors
      2. Manipulating a Virtual World
      3. Navigating in a Virtual World
      4. Interacting with Others
      5. Interacting with the VR System (Metacommands)
      6. Chapter Summary
    7. CHAPTER 7: The Virtual Reality Experience
      1. Immersion
      2. Rules of the Virtual World: Physics
      3. Substance of the Virtual World
      4. Chapter Summary
    8. CHAPTER 8: Experience Design: Applying VR to a Problem
      1. Will VR Meet Your Goals?
      2. Creating a VR Application
      3. Designing a VR Experience
      4. The Future of VR Design
      5. Chapter Summary
    9. CHAPTER 9: The Future of Virtual Reality
      1. The State of VR
      2. The Field of VR Research
      3. Trends
      4. Technology Futures
      5. Software
      6. Application Futures
      7. Chapter Summary: The Future Is Happening Now
  11. PART III: THE APPENDICES
    1. Appendix A: NICE, An Educational Experience
    2. Appendix B: Crumbs, A Tool for Scientific Visualization
    3. Appendix C: Boeing Wire Bundles, An Augmented Reality Application
    4. Appendix D: Placeholder, An Artistic Exploration
  12. References
  13. Index
  14. About the Authors

Product information

  • Title: Understanding Virtual Reality
  • Author(s): William R. Sherman, Alan B. Craig
  • Release date: September 2002
  • Publisher(s): Morgan Kaufmann
  • ISBN: 9780080520094