Virtual Reality Technology

A groundbreaking Virtual Reality textbook is now even better

Virtual reality is a very powerful and compelling computer application by which humans can interface and interact with computer-generated environments in a way that mimics real life and engages all the senses. Although its most widely known application is in the entertainment industry, the real promise of virtual reality lies in such fields as medicine, engineering, oil exploration and the military, to name just a few. Through virtual reality scientists can triple the rate of oil discovery, pilots can dogfight numerically-superior "bandits," and surgeons can improve their skills on virtual (rather than real) patients.

This Second Edition of the first comprehensive technical book on the subject of virtual reality provides updated and expanded coverage of the technology--where it originated, how it has evolved, and where it is going. The authors cover all of the latest innovations and applications that are making virtual reality more important than ever before, including:

• Coverage on input and output interfaces including touch and force feedback

• Computing architecture (with emphasis on the rendering pipeline and task distribution)

• Object modeling (including physical and behavioral aspects)

• Programming for virtual reality

• An in-depth look at human factors issues, user performance, and

• sensorial conflict aspects of VR

• Traditional and emerging VR applications

The new edition of Virtual Reality Technology is specifically designed for use as a textbook. Thus it includes definitions, review questions, and a Laboratory Manual with homework and programming assignments. The accompanying CD-ROM also contains video clips that reinforce the topics covered in the textbook. The Second Edition will serve as a state-of-the-art resource for both graduate and undergraduate students in engineering, computer science, and other disciplines.

GRIGORE C. BURDEA is a professor at Rutgers-the State University of New Jersey, and author of the book Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality, also published by Wiley.

PHILIPPE COIFFET is a Director of Research at CNRS (French National Scientific Research Center) and Member of the National Academy of Technologies of France. He authored 20 books on Robotics and VR translated into several languages.

Autorentext
GRIGORE C. BURDEA is a professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and author of the book Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality, also published by Wiley.

PHILIPPE COIFFET is a Director of Research at CNRS (French National Scientific Research Center) and Member of the National Academy of Technologies of France. He has authored twenty books on robotics and virtual reality, which have been translated into several languages.

Zusammenfassung
A groundbreaking Virtual Reality textbook is now even better

Virtual reality is a very powerful and compelling computer application by which humans can interface and interact with computer-generated environments in a way that mimics real life and engages all the senses. Although its most widely known application is in the entertainment industry, the real promise of virtual reality lies in such fields as medicine, engineering, oil exploration and the military, to name just a few. Through virtual reality scientists can triple the rate of oil discovery, pilots can dogfight numerically-superior "bandits," and surgeons can improve their skills on virtual (rather than real) patients.

This Second Edition of the first comprehensive technical book on the subject of virtual reality provides updated and expanded coverage of the technology--where it originated, how it has evolved, and where it is going. The authors cover all of the latest innovations and applications that are making virtual reality more important than ever before, including:

• Coverage on input and output interfaces including touch and force feedback
• Computing architecture (with emphasis on the rendering pipeline and task distribution)
• Object modeling (including physical and behavioral aspects)
• Programming for virtual reality
• An in-depth look at human factors issues, user performance, and
• sensorial conflict aspects of VR

• Traditional and emerging VR applications
  The new edition of Virtual Reality Technology is specifically designed for use as a textbook. Thus it includes definitions, review questions, and a Laboratory Manual with homework and programming assignments. The accompanying CD-ROM also contains video clips that reinforce the topics covered in the textbook. The Second Edition will serve as a state-of-the-art resource for both graduate and undergraduate students in engineering, computer science, and other disciplines.

  GRIGORE C. BURDEA is a professor at Rutgers-the State University of New Jersey, and author of the book Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality, also published by Wiley.

  PHILIPPE COIFFET is a Director of Research at CNRS (French National Scientific Research Center) and Member of the National Academy of Technologies of France. He authored 20 books on Robotics and VR translated into several languages.

Inhalt

Foreword xiii

Preface xv

1 Introduction 1

1.1 The Three I's of Virtual Reality 3

1.2 A Short History of Early Virtual Reality 3

1.3 Early Commercial VR Technology 8

1.4 VR Becomes an Industry 10

1.5 The Five Classic Components of a VR System 12

1.6 Review Questions 13

References 14

2 Input Devices: Trackers, Navigation, and Gesture Interfaces 16

2.1 Three-Dimensional Position Trackers 17

2.1.1 Tracker Performance Parameters 19

2.1.2 Mechanical Trackers 21

2.1.3 Magnetic Trackers 24

2.1.4 Ultrasonic Trackers 32

2.1.5 Optical Trackers 35

2.1.6 Hybrid Inertial Trackers 38

2.2 Navigation and Manipulation Interfaces 41

2.2.1 Tracker-Based Navigation/Manipulation Interfaces 42

2.2.2 Trackballs 44

2.2.3 Three-Dimensional Probes 45

2.3 Gesture Interfaces 46

2.3.1 The Pinch Glove 48

2.3.2 The 5DT Data Glove 49

2.3.3 The Didjiglove 51

2.3.4 The CyberGlove 53

2.4 Conclusion 54

2.5 Review Questions 54

References 54

3 Output Devices: Graphics, Three-Dimensional Sound, and Haptic Displays 57

3.1 Graphics Displays 58

3.1.1 The Human Visual System 58

3.1.2 Personal Graphics Displays 60

3.1.3 Large-Volume Displays 70

3.2 Sound Displays 84

3.2.1 The Human Auditory System 84

3.2.2 The Convolvotron 88

3.2.3 Speaker-Based Three-Dimensional Sound 90

3.3 Haptic Feedback 92

3.3.1 The Human Haptic System 93

3.3.2 Tactile Feedback Interfaces 97

3.3.3 Force Feedback Interfaces 102

3.4 Conclusion 110

3.5 Review Questions 110

References 111

4 Computing Architectures For VR 116

4.1 The Rendering Pipeline 117

4.1.1 The Graphics Rendering Pipeline 117

4.1.2 The Haptics Rendering Pipeline 125

4.2 PC Graphics Architecture 126

4.2.1 PC Graphics Accelerators 129

4.2.2 Graphics Benchmarks 133

4.3 Workstation-Based Architectures 135

4.3.1 The Sun Blade 1000 Architecture 136

4.3.2 The SGI Infinite Reality Architecture 137

4.4 Distributed VR Architectures 139

4.4.1 Multipipeline Synchronization 140

4.4.2 Colocated Rendering Pipelines 143

4.4.3 Distributed Virtual Environments 149

4.5 Conclusion 153

4.6 Review Questions 154

References 155

5 Modeling 157

5.1 Geometric Modeling 158

5.1.1 Virtual Object Shape 158

5.1.2 Object Visual Appearance 164

5.2 Kinematics Modeling 172

5.2.1 Homogeneous Transformation Matrices 172

5.2.2 Object Position 172

5.2.3 Transformation Invariants 175

5.2.4 Object Hierarchies 176

5.2.5 Viewing the Three-Dimensional World 178

5.3 Physical Modeling 180

5.3.1 Collision Detection 180

5.3.2 Surface Deformation 183

5.3.3 For…