Virtual Realities 2.0


Book Description




Understanding Virtual Reality


Book Description

Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design, Second Edition arrives at a time when the technologies behind virtual reality have advanced dramatically. The book helps users take advantage of the ways they can identify and prepare for the applications of VR in their field. By approaching VR as a communications medium, the authors have created a resource that will remain relevant even as underlying technologies evolve. Included are a history of VR, systems currently in use, the application of VR, and the many issues that arise in application design and implementation, including hardware requirements, system integration, interaction techniques and usability. - Features substantive, illuminating coverage designed for technical or business readers and the classroom - Examines VR's constituent technologies, drawn from visualization, representation, graphics, human-computer interaction and other fields - Provides (via a companion website) additional case studies, tutorials, instructional materials, and a link to an open-source VR programming system - Includes updated perception material and new sections on game engines, optical tracking, VR visual interface software, and a new glossary with pictures




Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy


Book Description

A leading philosopher takes a mind-bending journey through virtual worlds, illuminating the nature of reality and our place within it. Virtual reality is genuine reality; that’s the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of “technophilosophy,” David J. Chalmers gives a compelling analysis of our technological future. He argues that virtual worlds are not second-class worlds, and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be in a virtual world already. Along the way, Chalmers conducts a grand tour of big ideas in philosophy and science. He uses virtual reality technology to offer a new perspective on long-established philosophical questions. How do we know that there’s an external world? Is there a god? What is the nature of reality? What’s the relation between mind and body? How can we lead a good life? All of these questions are illuminated or transformed by Chalmers’ mind-bending analysis. Studded with illustrations that bring philosophical issues to life, Reality+ is a major statement that will shape discussion of philosophy, science, and technology for years to come.




Dawn of the New Everything


Book Description

The Microsoft interdisciplinary scientist largely credited with popularizing virtual reality reflects on his lifelong relationship with technology, showing VR's ability to illuminate and amplify our understanding of our species and how the brain and body connect to the world. By the author of You Are Not a Gadget. --Publisher.




Virtual Reality


Book Description

Virtual reality is a powerful emerging technology using advanced computing techniques to create perceptual illusions that transcend ordinary human experiences. This interdisciplinary text explains fundamentals and industry insights from engineering to psychology, enabling students, researchers, and developers to contribute to this growing field.




Advances in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality


Book Description

This book gathers the recent advances in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). It includes topics on classification of computer assisted environments, field-of-views on visuospatial memory in complex virtual environment, free-roam VR for gaming, simulation of physical processes in an electric circuit, motion study of mated gears, ternary reversible gates with virtual reality, inclusiveness of AR and VR for agricultural disease detection, application of AR and VR in medical and pharmaceuticals, drones for medical assistance, machine learning based AR technologies for human face detection, recognition, and automated vehicles for medical assistance. The book is targeted towards advancing undergraduate, graduate, and post graduate students, researchers, academicians, policymakers, various government officials, NGOs, and industry research professionals who are currently working in the field of science and technology either directly or indirectly to benefit the common masses.




Virtual Reality Technology


Book Description

Thorough overview of virtual reality technology fundamentals and latest advances, with coverage of hardware, software, human factors and applications, plus companion Laboratory Manual in Unity 3D. The Third Edition of the first comprehensive technical book on the subject of virtual reality, Virtual Reality Technology, provides updated and expanded coverage of VR technology, including where it originated, how it has evolved, and where it is going. Its primary objective is to be a complete, up-to-date textbook, as well as a source of information on a rapidly developing field of science and technology with broad societal impact. The two highly qualified authors cover all of the latest innovations and applications that are making virtual reality more important than ever before. Unlike other books on the subject, the book also includes a chapter on Human Factors, which are very important in designing technology around the human user. Virtual Reality Technology provides Instructors with a website-accessible Laboratory Manual using the Unity 3D game engine and programming language. Unity 3D is the preferred VR language these days and will prepare the student for the VR gaming and mobile applications industry. For universities Unity 3D is cost-effective as its student license is freely available. With comprehensive coverage of the subject, Virtual Reality Technology discusses sample topics such as: Input and output interfaces, including holographic displays, foveated head-mounted displays, neural interfaces, haptic and olfactory feedback Computing architecture, with emphasis on the rendering pipeline, the graphics processing unit and distributed/edge rendering Object modeling, including physical and behavioral aspects, Artificial Intelligence controlled characters, and model management techniques Programming toolkits for virtual reality and the game production pipeline Human factors issues such as user performance and sensorial conflict, cybersickness and societal impact aspects of VR Application examples in medical education, virtual rehabilitation, virtual heritage, gaming, and military use of virtual reality. Virtual Reality Technology provides thorough and complete coverage of an in-demand sector of technology, making it a highly valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students in computer science, engineering, and science, along with a variety of professionals across many different industries, including but not limited to engineering, gaming, healthcare, and defense.







Defying Reality


Book Description

A fascinating exploration of the history, development, and future of virtual reality, a technology with world-changing potential, written by award-winning journalist and author David Ewalt, stemming from his 2015 Forbes cover story about the Oculus Rift and its creator Palmer Luckey. You’ve heard about virtual reality, seen the new gadgets, and read about how VR will be the next big thing. But you probably haven’t yet realized the extent to which this technology will change the way we live. We used to be bound to a physical reality, but new immersive computer simulations allow us to escape our homes and bodies. Suddenly anyone can see what it’s like to stand on the peak of Mount Everest. A person who can’t walk can experience a marathon from the perspective of an Olympic champion. And why stop there? Become a dragon and fly through the universe. But it’s not only about spectacle. Virtual and augmented reality will impact nearly every aspect of our lives—commerce, medicine, politics—the applications are infinite. It may sound like science fiction, but this vision of the future drives billions of dollars in business and is a top priority for such companies as Facebook, Google, and Sony. Yet little is known about the history of these technologies. In Defying Reality, David M. Ewalt traces the story from ancient amphitheaters to Cold War military laboratories, through decades of hype and failure, to a nineteen-year-old video game aficionado who made the impossible possible. Ewalt looks at how businesses are already using this tech to revolutionize the world around us, and what we can expect in the future. Writing for a mainstream audience as well as for technology enthusiasts, Ewalt offers a unique perspective on VR. With firsthand accounts and on-the-ground reporting, Defying Reality shows how virtual reality will change our work, our play, and the way we relate to one another.




Virtual Reality


Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Second International Conference on Virtual Reality, ICVR 2007, held in Beijing, China. It covers 3D rendering and visualization, interacting and navigating in virtual and augmented environments, industrial applications of virtual reality, as well as health, cultural, educational and entertainment applications.