Applications of Virtual Reality in various fields

8/12/2019 Applications of Virtual Reality in various fields

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Chapter -1

Introduction1.1 Artificial Intelligence

Instead of trying to produce a programme to simulate the adult mind, why not rather tryto produce one which simulates the child's? If this were then subjected to anappropriate course of education one would obtain the adult brain. ALAN TURING

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the human-like intelligence exhibited by machines or software.The AI field is interdisciplinary, in which a number of sciences and professions converge,science , psychology , linguistics , philosophy and neuroscience , as well as other specializedfields such as artificial psychology . Major AI researchers and textbooks define the field as"the study and design of intelligent agents", [1] where an intelligent agent is a system that

perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of success. [2] JohnMcCarthy , who coined the term in 1955, [3] defines it as "the science and engineering ofmaking intelligent machines".

Russell and Norvig go on to quote a few definitions and classify them in mainly twodimensions. The ones on top in Fig1 are concerned with thought processes and reasoning,whereas the ones on the bottom address behaviour. In the same figure, definitions on the leftmeasure success in terms of human performance whereas the ones on the right measureagainst an ideal concept of intelligence, which we call rationality.


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Thinking Humanly

"The exciting new effort to makecomputers think ... mad7ines with minds,in the full and literal sense."(Moorland, 1985)

"The automation 04 activities that weassociate with human thinking, activitiessuch as decision-making, problemsolving, learning ..." (Hellman, 1978)

Thinking Rationally

"The study of mental faculties throughthe use of computational models."(Ourniok and McDermott, 1985)

"The study of the computations that makeit possible to perceive, reason, and act."(Winston, 1992)

Acting Humanly

"The art of creating machines that per-form functions that require intelligencewhen performed by people."(Kurzweil, 1990)

"The study of how to make computers dothings at Which, at the moment, people22C better." (Rich and Knight, 1991)

Acting Rationally

"Computational Intelligence is the studyof the design of intelligent agents."(Poole el al, 1998)

"Al is concerned with intelligent behaviour in artifacts." (Nilsson, 1998)

Fig1.1 Definitions of artificial intelligence categorized

The main advances over the past sixty years have been advances in search algorithms,machine learning algorithms, and integrating statistical analysis into understanding the worldat large. However most of the breakthroughs in AI arent noticeable to most people. Ratherthan talking machines, AI is used in more subtle ways such as examining purchase historiesand influence marketing decisions.


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1.2 Evolution of Artificial Intelligence

384BC: Aristotle described the syllogism, a method of formal, mechanical thought.

1st century: Heron of Alexandria created mechanical men and other automatons

1600s: Hobbes, who has been described by Haugeland (1985),[4] as the "Grandfatherof AI," believed that thinking was symbolic reasoning like talking out loud orworking out an answer with pen and paper.

1800s: The first general-purpose computer was the Analytical Engine by Babbage

Early 1900s: Church-Turing thesis

1950s: Samuel built a checkers program and implemented it, which learnt to play

checkers. Newell and Simon (1956) built a program, Logic Theorist thatdiscovers proofs in propositional logic.

1956: The field of AI research was founded at a conference on the campusof Dartmouth College in the summer of 1956. The attendees, including JohnMcCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Allen Newell and Herbert Simon, became theleaders of AI research for many decades

1950s: McCulloch and Pitts showed how a simple thresholding "formal neuron" could be the basis for a Turing-complete machine. The first learning for these neural

networks was described by Minsky (1952). One of the early significant workswas the Perceptron of Rosenblatt (1958).

1970-80s: A period when AI reasoning became widespread in languages such as Prolog.

1997: Deep Blue became the first computer chess-playing system to beat a reigningworld chess champion, Garry Kasparov.

2011: In Jeopardy! Quiz show exhibition match, IBM's question answeringsystem, Watson, defeated the two greatest Jeopardy champions, BradRutter and Ken Jennings, by a significant margin.


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1.3 Turing Test

The test was introduced by Alan Turing in his 1950 paper " Computing Machinery andIntelligence ," which opens with the words: "I propose to consider the question, 'Can

machines think?'" Because "thinking" is difficult to define, Turing chooses to "replace thequestion by another, which is closely related to it and is expressed in relatively unambiguouswords." Turing's new question is: "Are there imaginable digital computers which would dowell in the imitation game ?"[5] This question, Turing believed, is one that can actually beanswered.

The Turing test is a test of a machine 's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour equivalent to, orindistinguishable from, that of a human . In the original illustrative example, a human judgeengages in natural language conversations with a human and a machine designed to generate

performance indistinguishable from that of a human being. All participants are separated

from one another. If the judge cannot reliably tell the machine from the human, the machineis said to have passed the test. The test does not check the ability to give the correct answer toquestions; it checks how closely the answer resembles typical human answers. The paperitself was built on ideas proposed by Kurt Godel that there are statements about computingnumbers that are true, but that can t be proven . Alan Turing worked on the problem in aneffort to help define a system for identifying which statements could be proven. In the

process he proposed the Turing Machine. The paper defines a computing machine with theability to read and write symbols to a tape using those symbols to execute an algorithm. This

paper and the Turing machine provided that basis for the theory of computation.

The idea of such a long term, difficult problem was a key to defining the field of AI becauseit cuts to the heart of the matter rather than solving a small problem it defines an end goalthat can pull research down many paths. Without a vision of what AI could achieve, the fielditself might never have formed or simply remained a branch of math or philosophy. The factthat the Turing test is still discussed and researchers attempt to produce software capable of

passing it are indications that Alan Turing and the proposed test provided a strong and usefulvision to the field of AI. Its relevance to this day seems to indicate that it will be a goal forthe field for many years to come and a necessary marker in tracking the progress of the AIfield as a whole.


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Chapter -2

Virtual Reality2.1 What is Virtual Reality?

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Arthur Clarke

Many people take "virtual" to mean fake or unreal, and "reality" to refer to the real world.This results in an oxymoron. The actual definition of virtual, however, is "to have the effectof being such without actually being such". The definition of "reality" is "the property of

being real", and one of the definitions of "real" is "to have concrete existence". Using thesedefinitions "virtual reality" means "to have the effect of concrete existence without actuallyhaving concrete existence", which is exactly the effect achieved in a good virtual realitysystem. There is no requirement that the virtual environment match the real world. Inspired

by these considerations we adapt the following definition:

Vir tual reali ty is the use of computer technology to create the effect of an i nteractivethr ee-dimensional world in whi ch the objects have a sense of spatial presence.

VR (VIRTUALREALITY) is a term that describes computer-simulated environments which mimic actual physical presences within locations in the real world (or in fantasyworlds). Typically, experiences are visual only. They are comprised of info that is displayedvia a computer monitor or via stereoscopic displays. VR, sometimes referred to as immersivemultimedia, is a computer-simulated environment that can simulate physical presence in

places in the real world or imagined worlds. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or throughspecial stereoscopic displays , but some simulations include additional sensory information,such as sound through speakers or headphones. Some advanced haptic systems now includetactile information, generally known as force feedback in medical, gaming and militaryapplications. Furthermore, virtual reality covers remote communication environments which

provide virtual presence of users with the concept of telepresence and telexistence or a virtual artefact either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse,devices such as a wired glove. The simulated environment can be similar to the real world inorder to create a lifelike experience for example, in simulations for pilot or combat training.


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2.2 Evolution of Virtual Reality

The inception of VR began in the 50s. At this point in time, computers were huge behemoths. They had to be housed in air-conditioned rooms. These computers were utilized by experts only. In most peoples eyes, early computers were little more than outsizedcalculators. However, there was one person who realized the full potential of computers, asthey related to the concept of VR . This was Douglas Engelbart - a radar technician. He wasalso a true visionary in the field of VR. Because of his experience with radar, he was able toenvision digital displays that came from computers, rather than seeing computers as giantadding machines. By connecting a computer to a screen, Engelbart knew it would be

possible to take things further

Fig2. A product of the vision of Engelbart

We can take a look at the evolution of VR in the fashion of a timeline

1950s: Morton Heilig wrote in the 1950s of an "Experience Theatre" that couldencompass all the senses in an effective manner, thus drawing the viewer into theonscreen activity. He built a prototype of his vision dubbed the Sensorama in 1962, alongwith five short films to be displayed in it while engaging multiple senses (sight, sound,smell, and touch). Predating digital computing, the Sensorama was a mechanical device,which reportedly still functions today. Around this time, Douglas Englebart usescomputer screens as both input and output devices.

1966: Thomas A. Furness III introduces a visual flight stimulator for the Air Force. 1968: Ivan Sutherland created what is widely considered to be the first virtual reality

and augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD) system. It was primitive bothin terms of user interface and realism, and the HMD to be worn by the user was so heavyit had to be suspended from the ceiling. The graphics comprising the virtual environmentwere simple wire-frame model rooms.

1980s: The term "virtual reality" was popularized by Jaron Lanier, one of the modern pioneers of the field. Lanier had founded the company VPL Research.

2012: Oculus VR, a virtual reality technology company is founded by Brendan Iribe andPalmer Luckey

2014 : Facebook purchases Oculus VR for $2 billion


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2.3.1 Immersive:

Immersion into virtual reality is a perception of being physically present in a non-physicalworld. The perception is created by surrounding the user of the VR system in images, soundor other stimuli that provide an engrossing total environment. The name is a metaphoric useof the experience of submersion applied to representation, fiction or simulation. Immersioncan also be defined as the state of c onsciousness where a "visitors" or "immersants"awareness of physical self is transformed by being surrounded in an artificial environment;used for describing partial or complete suspension of disbelief, enabling action or reaction tostimulations encountered in a virtual or artistic environment. The degree to which the virtualor artistic environment faithfully reproduces reality determines the degree of suspension ofdisbelief. The greater the suspension of disbelief, the greater the degree of presence achieved.

Example: Head mounted displays such as Oculus Rift and CAVE ( Cave Automated Virtual

Environment)

Fig2.3a) Oculus Rift DK1 Fig2.3b) Persons experiencing VR in CAVE

2.3.2 Distributed:

The idea behind distributed VR is very simple; a simulated world runs not on one computersystem, but on several. The computers are connected over a network (possibly the globalInternet) and people using those computers are able to interact in real time, sharing the samevirtual world. In theory, people can be sitting at home in various cities around the world, allinteracting in a meaningful way in VR. The environment in which a DVE user is immersed isthree-dimensional to the eye and ear. Moving in the environment changes the users visualand auditory perspective. Unlike a video conferencing system (where an attendees screenshows other attendees in their own video- conferencing rooms), DVE users assemble in avirtual world - they are all seen, for example, seated together around a conference table in oneroom, or walking together in a virtual building. Every user of a DVE appears in the computer

environment as an avatar - either a customized graphical representation, a video of the user,or some combination of both - which he or she controls.


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2.3.3 Augmented Reality:

Augmented reality (AR) is a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environmentwhose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input suchas sound, video, graphics or GPS data. As a result, the technology functions by enhancingones current perception of reality [6] . Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and insemantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match.With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and objectrecognition ) the information about the surrounding real world of the user

becomes interactive and digitally manipulable.

Example: Google Glass and Layar app

Fig2.3c) Google Glass Fig2.3d) Layar App showing Abbey Road


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2.3.4 Telepresence:

It is the use of VR to enter a shared cyberspace graphic environment for the purposes ofhuman communication and interaction, or to become electronically present in a distantreal-world environment for the purposes of remote-controlled action and/or observation. Avariation of visualizing complete computer generated worlds. It links remote sensors in thereal world with the senses of a human operator. The remote sensors might be located on arobot. It is useful for performing operations in dangerous environments.Example: Telepresence in medicine

Fig2.3e) The idea of tele-operator


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2.4 Applications of VR

Architecture Training Medicine E-commerce Entertainment Manufacturing and Design

2.4.1 Architecture:

Architecture is probably one of the best real applications for VR. It can effectively be used toenhance the experience of walking inside or around a structure that does not exist. Blueprintsonly give a 2D representation of the building and 3D renderings on an ordinary computerscreen convey the spatial relation of a building in a very crude manner. VR enables us toexperience the building in an immersive way that gives an almost real-life representation. Theadvantages of such a visualization system are convincing it is clear that using thistechnology, the design process of complicated shapes of e.g., an aircraft, does not require the

building of expensive wooden models anymore. It makes the design phase much shorter andcheaper.

Fig2.4a) Outside view of NASAs Virtual Wind Tunnel Fig2.4b) Inside view of the same


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2.4.2 Training:

Some of the most effective applications of VR are in the field of education and training.Different kinds of VR simulators have been developed to safely train people for real-lifesituations. Airplane pilots train extensively on VR simulators before they take the controls ofa real plane. In addition to flight simulators virtual reality is also used to simulate combatsituations, sea navigation, space exploration, truck driving, fire fighting, medical surgeriesetc. Simulators used for education and training provide a more detailed virtual environmentand are more complex than those used for entertainment purposes. This also makes trainingsimulators a lot more expensive.

Fig2.4c) Flight simulator using VR

2.4.3 Medicine:

There are several practical VR applications in the medical industry including training,surgery, diagnostics and rehabilitation. VR visualization particularly creates new possibilitiesfor future doctors to perfect their life-saving skills. VR is also in tele-surgery where a robot isused to operate upon a subject to reduce human error and also achieve high precision whenminuteness and acuteness are of the main priority.


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2.4.4 E-commerce:

The field of e-commerce uses VR purely for the purpose of visualisation of products acompany or seller has devised. The product is visualised in a particular area of interest usingVR so that the consumer can get the look and feel of it. This particular application makes useof augmented reality which can place the product wherever necessary.Example a furniture company has made a chair for consumers usage and wants them tovisualise the same in their living room so that they can decide easily on buying the product.

2.4.5 Entertainment:

The entertainment industry was one of the first to utilize virtual reality technology in real-

world applications and it has probably produced the most hype about the technology. Theidea of entering an immersive virtual environment where anything is possible gives gamedesigners a whole new dimension to work with. It can make games look and feel more likethe real thing which is for many gamers the ultimate goal. Example theme parks having video games which have feedback using hydraulics etc

Fig2.4d) A user playing game (wearing HMD etc) in a theme park


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2.4.6 Manufacturing and Design:

It is helpful for interior designers who can visualize their sketches. They can change colours,textures and positions of objects, observing instantaneously how the whole surroundingwould look like. VR was also successfully applied in the field of surface design where thedesigner could see the creation for himself and could alter it according to the needs. This alsohelps speed up the process of design and the need of making wooden or clay models can also

be neglected.VR is extensively used in manufacturing to visualize and prototype different types of objectsfor one simple reason it is a lot cheaper to test a machine e.g. a plane or a car in a virtualenvironment instead of building a real prototype. This of course does not eliminate the needfor real prototypes but it does enable the manufacturer to construct more complete prototypes.The automotive industry for example has adapted Virtual Reality into its development cycleand uses it to test the aerodynamic design and ergonomic elements of a car.

Fig2.4e) Designers visualising the design of car (left), inside of a car (right)


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2.5 Components of VR

VR requires more resources than standard desktop systems do. A VR system is made up of 2major subsystems, the hardware and software. The hardware can be further divided intocomputer or VR engine and I/O devices, while the software can be divided into applicationsoftware and database as illustrated below.

Fig2.5a) Components

The components can also be visualised as shown in the following figure

Fig2.5b) Visualisation of the components of VR


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Fig2.5b depicts the most important parts of human-computer-human interaction loopfundamental to every immersive system. The user is equipped with a head mounted display,tracker and optionally a manipulation device (e.g., three-dimensional mouse, data glove etc).As the human performs actions like walking, head rotating (i.e. changing the point of view),data describing his/her behaviour is fed to the computer from the input devices. The computer

processes the information in real-time and generates appropriate feedback that is passed backto the user by means of output displays. In general: input devices are responsible forinteraction, output devices for the feeling of immersion and software for a proper control andsynchronization of the whole environment.

2.5.1 Input devices

The input devices are the means by which the user interacts with the virtual world.They sendsignals to the system about the action of the user, so as to provide appropriate reactions backto the user through the output devices in real time. They can be classified into trackingdevice, point input device, bio-controllers and voice device. Tracking devices sometimesreferred to as position sensors, are used in tracking the position of the user , and they include,electromagnetic, ultrasonic, optical, mechanical and gyroscopic sensors, data gloves, neuraland bio or muscular controllers.Voice communication is a common way of interaction among humans. So it feels natural toincorporate it into a VR system. Voice recognition or processing software can be used inaccomplishing this. But this field is in nascent stages.

2.5.2 VR EngineIn VR systems, the VR engine or computer system has to be selected according to therequirement of the application. Graphic display and image generation are some of the mostimportant factors and time consuming task in a VR system. The choice of the VE enginedepends on the application field, user, I/O devices, level of immersion and the graphic outputrequired, since it is responsible for calculating and generating graphical models, objectrendering, lighting, mapping, texturing, simulation and display in real-time. The computeralso handles the interaction with users and serves as an interface with the I/O devices.

2.5.3 Output DevicesOutput devices are responsible for the presentation of the virtual environment and its

phenomena to the user they contribute to the generation of an immersive feeling at most.These include visual, auditory or haptic displays. As it is the case with input, the outputdevices are also underdeveloped. The current state of technology does not allow to stimulatehuman senses in a perfect manner, because VR output devices are far from ideal: they areheavy, low quality and low-resolution. In fact most systems support visual feedback, and onlysome of them enhance it by audio or haptic information.


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2.6 Various devices in VR

2.6.1 Tracking devices

The absolute minimum of information that immersive VR requires, is the position andorientation of the viewers head, needed for the proper rendering of images. Additionallyother parts of body may be tracked e.g., hands to allow interaction, chest or legs to allowthe graphical user representation etc.Example magnetic, optical, acoustic, mechanical trackers

The field of tracking device includes tracking of the movement made by the eye. Since it is a bit more complicated as it involves the line of sight and field of vision it requires different setof devices for tracking the movement.

2.6.2 Data glovesGloves are 3D input devices that can detect the joint angles of fingers. The measurement offinger flexion is done with the help of fiber-optic sensors (e.g., VPL Data Glove), foil-straintechnology (e.g., Virtex Cyber Glove) or resistive sensors (e.g., Mattel Power Glove). Theuse of gloves allows the user richer interaction than the 3D mouse, because hand gesturesmay be recognized and translated into proper actions [Mine95a]. Additionally gloves areequipped with a tracker that is attached to the users wrist to measure its position andorientation.

Figure 2.6 Gloves: (a) VPL Data Glove, (b) Virtex Cyber Glove

2.6.3 Other devices

Lots of other devices are also used for data input in VR such as optical data gloves, 3D mice,acquisition devices, stylus, joystick and microphone. These are included as and whennecessary.


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Chapter -3

Virtual Reality Challenges and Concerns

The big challenges in the field of virtual reality are developing better tracking systems,finding more natural ways to allow users to interact within a virtual environment anddecreasing the time it takes to build virtual spaces. There are not many companies whichwork for the development of tracking devices or other input devices specifically for the use ofVR. Most VR developers have to rely on and adapt technology originally meant for anotherdiscipline, and they have to hope that the company producing the technology stays in

business.Another challenge for VE system developers is creating a system that avoids bad ergonomics.Many systems rely on hardware that encumbers a user or limits his options through physicaltethers. Without well-designed hardware, a user could have trouble with his sense of balanceor inertia with a decrease in the sense of telepresence, or he could experience cybersickness,with symptoms that can include disorientation and nausea. Not all users seem to be at risk forcybersickness -- some people can explore a virtual environment for hours with no ill effects,while others may feel uneasy after just a few minutes. These drawbacks pose a question tothe engineers as they are detrimental and provide a roadblock in widespread usage andacceptance of the technology.

A number of possible items of technology that could solve these issues:

1. Head mounted displays that are the same size and shape as traditional eyewear.

2. High level of computation and graphics within a single handheld device.

3. Universal networking to allow the user to reduce the processing power they have to carry.

4. Lightweight wireless display panels that are either carried or ubiquitously placed in theenvironment.

5. Better tracking devices which are able to track the movement of the subject easily andaccurately hence reducing the lag and saving time.


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Proposed work

Since the data gloves available with us are very bulky and also slow response times. I propose development of a better tracking device namely glove which is not bulky and is more

efficient in tracking. The idea will incorporate devices from the field of sensors and alsomake use of some programming to keep the generated data in sync. The main idea behind the proposed glove is the delegation of computing to a central location away from body hence providing a lot of benefits simultaneously.


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References

1. Poole, Mackworth & Goebel 1998 , p. 12. Russell & Norvig 2003 , pp. 27, 32 58, 968 972

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John Mcarthy C|Net Interview 20064. Haugeland J. (1985) Artificial Intelligence: The Very Idea . MIT Press, Cambridge5. Turing 1950, p. 4426. Graham, M., Zook, M., and Boulton, A. "Augmented reality in urban places"7. Oculus Rift, White paper, Oculus VR Inc.8. Virtual Reality History, Applications, Technology and Future by Tomasz Mazuryk

and Michael Gervautz, Institute of Computer Graphics Vienna University ofTechnology, Austria

9. Prof Pallapa Venkataram, Protocol Engineering & Technology (PET) Unit, ElectricalCommunication Engineering, Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru

10. Open VR , Mark Bolas and Palmer Luckey with others11. FlexDGlove, Lucas Cassiano Pereira, Rafael Aroca, Rummenigge Dantas

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Natal, Brasil12. Virtual Reality and Robotics in Medicine surgical procedures, Grigore C Burdea, SU

of New Jersey13. Virtual Reality: A Training Tool in the 21Sf Century for Disabled Persons and

Medical Students, Jacqueline A. Chestnut and Lesia L. Crumpton14. History of AI, University of Washington15. Applications of Virtual Reality, Jaan Saar

Applications of Virtual Reality in various fields

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