2.03B Common Types and Interface
Devices and Systems of Virtual
Reality
2.03 Explore virtual reality.
Types of Virtual Realities
Types of Virtual Realities
 Desktop
 Uses 3-D Graphics
 Does not require additional equipment.
 Immersive
 Requires additional equipment.
 Is the most effective of Virtual Reality technologies.
 Eyes, ears, or other body senses are isolated from real environment
and fed information that is generated by the computer.
 Telepresence
 Allows a person to interact with another live, real place at a different
physical location other than their actual location.
 Involves life-size images.
 In some situations, participants may be able to manipulate devices or
the environment in the remote location.
Common Interface Devices
Interface Devices
Head-mounted display
(HMD)
Facial sensor/body
suit
Interface Devices
Wand
Data glove
Head-Mounted Display
(HMD)
 Device on top of helmet signals head movements.
 A computer continually updates the simulation to
reflect new perspectives.
 Its viewing screen adds depth to flat pictures.
 Blocks out surrounding
environment.
 Is popular with the entertainment
industry.
Data Glove
Programs the computer to change modes in response to gestures
made with data gloves.
 Some use fiber optic cables.
 Some use strain sensors over joints.
Facial sensor/body suit
Sensors read facial expressions/body movements and transfer
information to the computer for animation purposes.
Wand
 Is simplest of interface devices.
 Most have on/off buttons.
 Some have knobs, dials, or joy sticks.
 Wands operate with six degrees of freedom.
 By pointing a wand at an object, its position and
orientation can be changed in any of six
directions  forward or backward, up or down, or
left or right
 Example of Use: Biologists use wands like scalpels
to slice tissue samples from virtual brains.
Interface Systems
Interface Systems
Three common systems:
 HMD – Head-mounted Display
 BOOM – Binocular Omni Orientation
Monitor
 CAVE – Automatic Virtual Environment
BOOM
(Binocular Omni Orientation Monitor)
 Is similar to HMD – but no helmet.
 Viewing box suspended from rotating arm.
 Uses handles on box sides to move image
around.
 Buttons on handles allow user to interact
with object.
 Can also hook up data gloves.
CAVE
 One of the newest, most "immersive" virtual
environments.
 10 x 10 x 9-foot darkened cubicle.
 Is like climbing into the computer’s screen.
 Display enables user to experience the.
sensation of being "inside" the data.
Advantages of CAVE
 Only need special glasses and a wand
instead of clunky equipment.
 Has a large field of view of data that is
projected in stereoscopic images onto the
walls and floor of the CAVE.
 Multiple users can be in CAVE at same time.
 Sound can be added to images.
Shared Virtual
Environments
•In this illustration, three networked
users at different locations (anywhere in
the world) meet in the same virtual
world by using a BOOM device, a CAVE
system, and a Head-mounted Display.
•All users see the same virtual
environment from their respective points
of view.
•Each user is presented as a virtual
human (avatar) to the other
participants.
•The users can see each
other, communicate with
each other, and interact with
the virtual world as a team.
Review
Common virtual reality
 Types
 Interface devices
 Interface systems