Virtual reality (VR) is the creation of a highly
interactive computer based multimedia environment in which the user becomes a
participant with the computer in what is known as a “synthetic environment.”
Virtual reality uses computers to immerse one inside a threedimensional program
rather than simulate it in two-dimensions on a monitor. Utilizing the concept
of virtual reality, the computer engineer integrates video technology, high
resolution image-processing, and sensor technology into the data processor so
that a person can enter into and react with three-dimensional spaces generated
by computer graphics. The goal computer engineers have is to create an
artificial world that feels genuine and will respond to every movement one
makes, just as the real world does. Naming discrepancies aside, the concept
remains the same - using computer technology to create a simulated,
three-dimensional world that a user can manipulate and explore while feeling as
if he were in that world. Scientists, theorists and engineers have designed
dozens of devices and applications to achieve this goal.
Opinions differ on what exactly constitutes a true VR
experience, but in general it should include:
Three-dimensional images that appear to be
life-sized from the perspective of the user·
The ability to
track a user's motions, particularly his head and eye movements, and
correspondingly adjust the images on the user's display to reflect the change
in perspective Virtual realities are a set of emerging electronic technologies,
with applications in a wide range of fields. This includes education, training,
athletics, industrial design, architecture and landscape architecture, urban
planning, space exploration, medicine and rehabilitation, entertainment, and
model building and research in many fields of science.·
Virtual reality (VR) can be defined as a class of
computer-controlled multisensory communication technologies that allow more
intuitive interactions with data and involve human senses in new ways. Virtual
reality can also be defined as an environment created by the computer in which
the user feels present. This technology was devised to enable people to deal with
information more easily. Virtual Reality provides a different way to see and
experience information, one that is dynamic and immediate. It is also a tool
for model building and problem solving. Virtual Reality is potentially a tool
for experiential learning.
The virtual world is interactive; it responds to the
user’s actions. Virtual Reality is defined as a highly interactive,
computer-based multimedia environment in which the user becomes the participant
in a computer-generated world. It is the simulation of a real or imagined
environment that can be experienced visually in the three dimensions of width,
height, and depth and that may additionally provide an interactive experience
visually in full real-time motion with sound and possibly with tactile and
other forms of feedback. VR incorporates 3D technologies that give a real life
illusion. VR creates a simulation of real-life situation. The emergence of
augmented reality technology in the form of interactive games has produced a
valuable tool for education. One of the emerging strengths of VR is that it
enables objects and their behaviour to be more accessible and understandable to
the human user.
KINECT:
Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect has revolutionized gaming In
that you are able to use your entire body as the controller. Conventional
Controllers are not required because the Kinect Sensor picks Up on natural body
movements as inputs for the game. Three major components play a part in making
the Kinect function as it does; the movement tracking, the speech recognition,
and the motorized tilt of the sensor itself. The name “Kinect” is a permutation
of two words; Kinetic and Connect. The Kinect was first announced on June 1,
2009 at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) as “Project Natal,” the name stems
from one of the key project leader’s hometown named “Natal” in Brazil. The
software that makes Kinect function was by and large developed by Rare, a
Microsoft subsidiary.
A company based In Israel known as PrimeSense
developed the 3D sensing technology. Microsoft purchased the rights to use the
technology for their gaming system. In the first 60 days on the market,
Microsoft shipped 8 million units to retailers around the globe. The estimated
Bill of Materials cost for the Kinect is estimated to be $56, which does not
include Research and Development or Marketing costs, merely the cost of the
hardware.
Sensing Technology:
Behind the scene of PrimeSense's 3D sensing technology
there are three main parts that make it work. An infrared laser projector,
infrared camera, and the RGB colored camera. The depth projector simply floods
the room with IR laser beams creating a depth field that can be seen only by
the IR camera. Due to infrared’s insensitivity to ambient light, the Kinect can
be played in any lighting conditions. However, because the face recognition
system is dependent on the RGB camera along with the depth sensor, light is
needed for the Kinect to recognize a calibrated player accurately. The
following image shows a generalized concept of how kinect's depth sensing
works.
In more detail, the IR depth sensor is a monochrome
complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera. This means that it is
only sees two colors, in this case black and white which is all that’s needed
to create a "depth map" of any room. The IR camera used in the Kinect
is VGA resolution (640x480) refreshing at a rate of 30Hz. Each camera pixel has
a photodiode connected to it, which receives the IR light beams being bounced
off objects in the room. The corresponding voltage level of each photodiode depends
on how far the object is from the camera. An object that is closer to the
camera appears brighter than an object that is farther away. The voltage
produced by the photodiode is directly proportional to the distance the object.
Each voltage produced by the photodiode is then amplified and then sent to an
image processor for further processing. With this process being updated 30
times per second, you can imagine the Kinect has no problem detecting full-body
human movements very accurately considering the player is within recommended
distance.
Infrared Beams in the Room
Although the hardware is the basis for creating an
image that the processor can interpret, the software behind the Kinect is what
makes everything possible. Using statistics, probability, and hours of testing
different natural human movements the programmers developed software to track
the movements of 20 main joints on a human body. This software is how the
Kinect can differentiate a player from say a dog that happens to run in front
of the IR projector or different players that are playing a game together. The
Kinect has the capabilities of tracking up to six different players at a time,
but as of now the software can only track up to two active players.
One of the main features of the Kinect is that it can
recognize you individually. When calibrating yourself with the Kinect, the
depth sensing and the color camera work together to develop an accurate digital
image of how your face looks. The 8- bit color camera, also VGA resolution,
detects and stores the skin tone of the person it is calibrating. The depth
sensor helps make the facial recognition more accurately by creating 3-D shape
of your face. Storing these images of your face and skin tone color is how the
Kinect can recognize you when you step in front of the projected IR beams. As
mentioned earlier, for the facial recognition to work accurately there needs to
be a certain amount of light. Another added feature of the color camera is it
takes videos or snapshots at key moments during game play so you can see how
you look while playing.
Conclusion
This seminar deals with virtual reality technology and
its application in entertainment field. Very recently, the most advanced and a
revolutionary technology related to virtual reality and entertainment; the
Kinect technology was introduced by Microsoft for its X-Box 360 gaming console.
A lot of advancements have been made using VR and VR technology. VR has cut
across all facets of human endeavours-manufacturing/business, exploration,
defence, leisure activities, and medicine among others. The exciting field of
VR has the potential to change our lives in many ways. There are many
applications of VR presently and there will be many more in the future.
Many VR applications have been developed for manufacturing,
education, simulation, design evaluation, architectural walk-through, ergonomic
studies, simulation of assembly sequences and maintenance tasks, assistance for
the handicapped, study and treatment of phobias, entertainment, rapid
prototyping and much more. VR technology is now widely recognized as a major
breakthrough in the technological advance of science. VR is changing our life,
eventually VR will increasingly become a part of our life.
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