Realtime 3D / virtual reality
 Virtual
Reality allows user interaction with a computer generated environment.
Typically viewed via a head-mounted display, interaction is usually
achieved via tracking devices attached to the user.
We have a wealth of experience
in the development of virtual environments and with the many hardware
devices available to interact with them.
 VR
has come of age. No longer the stuff of science fiction, Virtual
Reality is being used in real world applications today. From military
simulation to location based entertainment, medical image-guided
surgery to industrial plant design, VR is making a real impact on
the way we interact with computers.
But
what is Virtual Reality? How do I cut through the hype and find
out if it's useful to me? VR in essence is the ability to display
information in 3D and allow people to interact with it in real-time.
Typically this involves
a head mounted display (HMD) but can just as well be projected stereoscopic
graphics (see below) or an ordinary computer monitor, the only difference
being the degree of immersion felt by the user. Interaction
can be accomplished via a glove, motion tracker, 6DOF input device,
 joystick
or even a mouse. The glue sticking all this together is the real-time
3D graphics engine which responds to the changing input from the
user a nd
provides a compelling sense of presence within the virtual world.
The greater the degree of immersion felt by the
participant, the more naturally he/she may interact with the virtual
world. This may mean a more compelling flight around a two thousand-year-old
roman villa, or the ability to stand in the middle of an oil refinery
which exists only as CAD data and realising you can't reach the
critical valve whilst looking at the pressure gauge.
Need help with the jargon? See our glossary
of VR related terms here.
Realtime 3D / virtual reality guides:
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Realtime 3D / virtual reality
