B.TECH (COMP) 4TH SEMROLL NO. - 14BCS0036JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

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INTRODUCTIONWhile pressing the keys of keyboard or keypad to convert the lost games to last moment victories the chances are that the person has encountered the virtual reality. These games involve with the characters or objects and with the amplification of the involvement, one feels a part of this virtual world. By using 3D imagery with a head mounted device (HMD) and high quality surrounding sound equipments, these games creates more involvement in the virtual world and consequently shut down the cues of real world. This is virtual reality, which has applications far beyond gaming.

DEFINITIONThe definition of virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definitions for both ‘virtual’ and ‘reality’. The definition of ‘virtual’ is near and reality is what we experience as human beings. So the term ‘virtual reality’ basically means ‘near-reality’. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific type of reality emulation.

Virtual reality (VR) also referred to as immersive multimedia or computer-simulated reality is an artificial environment that is created and presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. The user becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and in there, able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions.

Virtual Reality replicates an environment that simulates a physical presence in places in the real world or an imagined world, allowing the user to interact with that world. Virtual realities artificially create sensory experience, which can include sight, hearing, touch and smell, of which the former two of these are primarily experienced.  VR provides a different way to see and experience information, one that is dynamic and immediate.

VR ENVIRONMENTIn a virtual reality environment, a user experiences immersion, or the feeling of being inside and a part of that world. He is also able

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to interact with his environment in meaningful ways. The combination of a sense of immersion and interactivity is called telepresence.

Computer scientist Jonathan Steuer defined it as “the extent to which one feels present in the mediated environment, rather than in the immediate physical environment.” In other words, an effective VR experience causes one to become unaware of real surroundings and focus on his existence inside the virtual environment.

Following are the main components of a virtual environment:1. The visual displays that immerse the user in the virtual world and

block out contradictory sensory impressions from the real world.2. The graphics rendering system that generates the ever changing

images at 20 to 30 frames per second.3. A tracking system that continuously informs the position and

orientation of the user’s movements.4. The database construction and maintenance system to build and

maintain a detailed and realistic model of the virtual world.5. A sound system that can produce high quality directional sounds

and simulated sound fields.6. Devices like tracked gloves with pushbuttons to enable users to

specify their interactions with the virtual objects.

HOW VIRTUAL REALITY WORKSThe software program for the game is the major element which runs with the help of the computer system and the interfaced input output devices. Every Character and environment within the game behaves closely to reality as per the code written for

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them. The code facilitates characters and environment to interact with the other characters controlled by the input devices. The code is interpreted by the processor which handles the input – output devices accordingly. This is the simplest example of how VR works. The working of more immersive virtual reality environment is quite similar to working of the game besides the fact that a number of advanced input and output devices along with a high performance processor are added to increase the immersion. The processor executes the processes quickly according to the input given by the user and output is presented to the user in a way that user feels itself a part of the environment and its objects.

TYPES OF VIRTUAL REALITYBroadly speaking, there are three major classifications of virtual reality:

1.Non-Immersive (Desktop) Systems: Non- immersive systems, as the name suggests, are the least immersive implementation of VR techniques. It involves displaying a 3-dimensional virtual world on a regular desktop display without use of any specialized movement-tracking equipment. The virtual environment (VE) is viewed through a portal or window by utilizing a standard high resolution monitor. Many modern computer games can be used as an example, using various triggers, responsive characters, and other such interactive devices to make the user feel as though they are in a virtual world.

2.Semi-Immersive Projection Systems (Telepresence): Semi-immersive systems are a relatively new implementation of VR technology and borrow considerably from technologies developed in the flight simulation field. A semi-immersive system will comprise a relatively high performance graphics computing system which can be coupled with

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either a large screen projector system, multiple television projection systems.

3.Fully Immersive Head-Mounted Display (HMD) Systems: All fully immersive systems will give a sense of presence that cannot be equaled by the other approaches discussed earlier. Its just like Hypothetical virtual reality that is as immersive as consensus reality. Its more likely to be produced using a Brain-computer interface. An intermediate stage may be produced by "Virtual Space" using a head-mounted display with head tracking and computer control of the image presented to the helmet. The sense of immersion depends on several parameters including the field of view of the HMD, the resolution, the update rate, and contrast and illumination of the display. 

AUGMENTED REALITY vs VIRTUAL REALITYAugmented reality is the blending of virtual reality and real life, as developers can create images within applications that blend in with contents in the real world. With AR, users are able to interact with virtual contents in the real world, and are able to distinguish between the two.

On the contrary, Virtual reality is all about the creation of a virtual world that users can interact with. This virtual world should be designed in such a way that users would find it difficult to tell the difference from what is real and what is not. Furthermore, VR is usually achieved by the wearing of a VR helmet or goggles similar to the Oculus Rift.

Both Augmented and Artificial reality mainly differ in following aspects:

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1. Purpose: Augmented reality enhances experiences by adding virtual components such as digital images, graphics, or sensations as a new layer of interaction with the real world. Contrastingly, virtual reality creates its own reality that is completely computer generated and driven.

2. Delivery Method: Virtual Reality is usually delivered to the user through a head-mounted, or hand-held controller. This equipment connects people to the virtual reality, and allows them to control and navigate their actions in an environment meant to simulate the real world. Augmented reality is being used more and more in mobile devices such as laptops, smart phones, and tablets to change how the real world and digital images, graphics intersect and interact.

VR DEVICESSome of the popular devices and technologies used to experience virtual reality are:

1. Most up-to-date virtual realities are displayed either on a computer screen or with an HD VR special   stereoscopic displays , and some simulations include additional sensory information and focus on real sound through speakers or headphones targeted towards VR users.

2. A head-mounted display (HMD) is a device, worn on the head that has a small display optic in front of one eye (monocular HMD) or each eye (binocular HMD) to reproduce a stereoscopic vision. Training with HMDs involve a wide range of applications from driving, welding and spray painting, flight and vehicle simulators, dismounted soldier training and medical procedure training.

3. Haptic technology is a tactile feedback technology involving that the man-machine interface system should be capable of recording the movements of the human hand and also of replicating virtual forces. Some advanced haptic systems now include tactile

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information, generally known as force feedback in medical, gaming and military applications.

4. CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) is a surround-screen, surround-sound, projection-based VR system. Illusion of immersion is created by projecting 3D computer graphics into a cube composed of display screens that completely surround viewer.

5. VR covers remote communication environments which provide virtual presence of users with the concepts of telepresence and telexistence or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove or  omni-directional treadmills.

6. A 3D scanner is a device that analyses a real-world object or environment to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance (i.e. color). The collected data can then be used to construct digital, three dimensional models. They are extensively used for the entertainment industry in the production of movies and video games, design, documentation of cultural artifacts involved in the design.

VR APPLICATION

1. MILITARY: Virtual reality has been adopted by the military – this includes all three services (army, navy and air force) – where it is used for training purposes. This is particularly useful for training soldiers for combat situations or other dangerous settings where they have to learn how to react in an appropriate manner. A virtual reality simulation enables them to do so but without the risk of death or a serious injury.

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2. EDUCATION: Education is another area which has adopted virtual reality for teaching and learning situations, using seminars,projectors 3-D modeling and many more. VR enables the learners to visualize experience, forsee and effectively learn better thereby minimizing the misconceptions in the subject. The learners can interact with the objects in that environment in order to discover more about them.

3. MEDICAL:a. Rehabilitation and help to disabled people:

Its also possible to create dialogue on hand gestures between a deaf real human and a deaf virtual human with the use of Sign Language. Muscular Dystrophy patients can learn to use a wheelchair through VR.

b. Psychiartry: With the advent of realistic virtual humans, it is possible to recreate situations in a Virtual World, immersing the real patient into virtual scenes. Therapists may also use VR to treat people who are afraid of heights.

c. Medicine: With the simulation of the entire physiology of the human body, the effects of various illness or organ replacement are visible. The surgeon using an HMD and Data Gloves may have a complete simulated view of the surgery. For medical students learning how to operate, the best way would be to start with 3D virtual patients.

4. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: Many areas of design are typically 3D. For example, the design of a car shape, where the designer looks for sweeping curves and good aesthetics from every possible view.

5. GAMING:  In gaming, through user’s gestures or some i/o devices, motions are tracked and the objects in the game are

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moved according to the movements. In the same way a simulated, three-dimensional world is created around the user in which he/she could interact with objects, people, and environments. The immersive environment can be similar to the real world in order to create a life-like experience—for example, in simulations for pilot or combat training — or it can differ significantly from reality, such as in VR games.

PROs AND CONS OF VR

PROS:

1. VR redefines the idea of communication, expanding it from people you know in real life to anyone connected to the internet. This means that relationships will begin to be formed more based off interests than general location.

2. Many different field can use VR to train people in a way that would usually put them at risk. This is used most notably in the fields of medicine, law enforcement, architecture and aviation.

3. Those who are not able to fully experience reality, such as disabled people, could explore the Virtual World and still experience a full life.

4. VR makes tourism and visiting sites more easy by giving a detailed view of the original place, e.g. Virtual tour.

5. VR provides a chance to experience things that are impossible in real life as if you were actually there e.g. fighting zombies in a game.

CONS:

1. Those who do not have access or cannot afford this technology will be left out. Could further separate social classes in Information Age based societies.

2. Communication using this technology would be susceptible to deception.

3. Due to the fast paced development of Virtual Reality and online worlds, there is a lack of laws regarding these worlds. Users can say and do things in these worlds that is illegal in reality. Also, users may be less

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inhibited than in real life due to a sense of anonymity, and may act in a way that is socially unacceptable

4. Many people may become addicted to living in these virtual worlds, and as a result forget or neglect their responsibilities in real life.

5. Technology is still developing and there are still many flaws to be worked to.

6. Some people have been known to have motion sickness due to using the VR headset. 

CHALLENGES TO VIRTUAL REALITYVirtual Reality faces a number of Challenges, most of which involve technical matter and simulation sickness due to Virtual Reality.

Users might become disoriented in a purely ‘virtual’ environment, causing balance issues.

A computer latency might affect the simulation, providing a less than satisfactory end-user experience.

The complicated nature of HMD and input systems such as specialized gloves and boots may require special training to operate, and navigating the ‘real’ environment might prove dangerous without ‘external’ sensory information.

Virtual Reality has been considered an inefficient method for navigating non-geographical information.

Another major obstacle in observing Virtual Reality is experiencing headaches due to eye strains.

RSI (Repetitive Strain Injuries) may also result from the repeated use of handset gloves.

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

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Science, Fiction, Literature and film have explored a range of futuristic VR technologies and the experiential opportunities they may offer.

Virtual experience and virtual identities via memory implants. Recording and sharing experiences. Different possible and highly enriched game scenarios. Use of VR for deception and control.

CONCLUSIONVirtual Reality is at a critical design phase. More of this technology is yet to be experienced.VR offers a new way to interact with the imaginary world that would have been impossible in real world. VR is changing our life. In the coming decades, eventually VR will increasingly become an indispensable part of our life.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality (Wikipedia - Virtual Reality)2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality (Wikipedia - Augmented Reality)3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_virtual_reality (Wikipedia - Methods of VR)4. http://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality (Virtual Reality Site)5. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-reality (WhatisTechTarget - Defining VR)6. http://www.engineersgarage.com/articles/virtual-reality-environment (Article on VR)7. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/virtual-reality1.htm

(Working of VR)8. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010532/virtual-reality-more-virtual-than-real.html

(Article on VR)9. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/virtual-reality (Latest trends on VR)

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