Virtual Reality: Simulating and Enhancing the World With Computers (Science and Technology in Focus)

CONTENTS......Page 6
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 11
INTRODUCTION......Page 12
1 A QUICK TOUR OF VR......Page 16
Adapting Computers to Users......Page 17
VR Basics......Page 19
Augmented Reality......Page 21
Where the Virtual Worlds Are......Page 22
2 CREATING PRACTICAL COMPUTERS......Page 24
Starting on the Path to Computers......Page 25
Faster Calculators for Science......Page 28
New Designs for Computers......Page 30
3 DEVELOPING BETTER INTERFACES......Page 33
A SAGE Approach to National Defense......Page 34
Sketching the Future of Computing......Page 36
Building a New Form of Computing......Page 38
An Easier Human-Computer Interface......Page 39
4 PRECURSORS TO VR......Page 41
Reality to Go......Page 42
Immersing the Audience......Page 43
Entertaining the Senses......Page 44
Simulating Flight......Page 46
"The Ultimate Display"......Page 49
Forging the Sword of Damocles......Page 51
Computer Data that Can Be Touched......Page 53
Putting People in Artificial Realities......Page 55
6 A NEW COURSE FOR INDOOR FLIGHT TRAINING......Page 57
An Overwhelming Interface......Page 58
"Darth Vader" in the Cockpit......Page 60
7 MIMICKING REALITY......Page 65
Remaking Reality at NASA......Page 67
A New View of Computer Data......Page 69
Naming the New Wave of Computing......Page 71
8 REALITY SIMULATORS: SUPERCOMPUTERS TO PCs......Page 73
Putting Reality in a Box......Page 74
Levels of Reality Engines......Page 75
Inside a Reality Simulator......Page 77
Reality Simulation Across the Internet......Page 80
9 GRAPHICS: POLYGONS AND PERSPECTIVES......Page 83
The Starting Point for Computer Graphics......Page 84
Making a Virtual Scene Come “Alive”......Page 87
Coordinating Virtual Worlds......Page 91
10 DISPLAYS: LOOKING AND LISTENING IN VR......Page 93
Virtual Visualization......Page 94
“Sunglasses” for the VR World......Page 96
Three-dimensional Sound......Page 99
11 MANIPULATORS: GLOVES, WANDS, AND TRACKERS......Page 103
Touching Objects in Thin Air......Page 104
Keeping Track of Where You Are......Page 109
12 THE LARGER VIEW: CAVEs, WALLS, AND DESKS......Page 114
Computing in a CAVE......Page 115
Desktop Displays......Page 117
Artificial Reality......Page 119
Augmented Reality......Page 121
13 VR AS ARESEARCH TOOL......Page 123
Blowing in the (Virtual) Wind......Page 125
Force-feedback Soccer in the Microscopic World......Page 126
Running Experiments in Virtual Labs......Page 130
Re-forming Dinosaurs Through Scientific Visualization......Page 134
14 VR AS A TRAINING TOOL......Page 136
Virtual Reality in the Military......Page 137
A Wide DIStribution of Military VR......Page 139
To the Sea in Simulated Ships......Page 141
Cruising Around Virtual Streets......Page 143
Virtual Industrial Training......Page 146
15 VR AS A TEACHING TOOL......Page 148
Classroom Virtual Reality......Page 149
VR on Campus......Page 151
Preserving the Past with VR......Page 152
16 VR AS A DESIGN TOOL......Page 156
Speeding Up Vehicle Design......Page 157
Virtual Architecture......Page 159
Detecting Design Flaws with Virtual Reality......Page 162
A Virtually Guaranteed Presentation......Page 164
Buildings for a Virtual World......Page 165
Comfort and Convenience, Courtesy of VR......Page 166
17 VR AS A HEALING TOOL......Page 168
Surgical Simulations......Page 169
Virtual Operating Rooms......Page 172
Physical Therapy in a Virtual World......Page 173
Feeling Virtually No Pain......Page 176
18 DEVELOPING VR AS A BUSINESS......Page 178
VR Enters the Business World......Page 179
Cyberhype: Mistaking Possibilities for Predictions......Page 182
The VR Market Today......Page 185
19 DRAWBACKS TO VR......Page 188
Cyberspace Sickness......Page 189
Decompressing from VR......Page 192
The Human Factor......Page 194
20 VIRTUAL PHILOSOPHY......Page 196
Is VR Following the Right Path?......Page 197
What Really Is Virtual Reality?......Page 200
Virtual Reality's Image......Page 202
VR'S FUTURE......Page 205
Thawing VR's Winter......Page 206
The Best of Both Worlds?......Page 208
Closing In on the “Ultimate Display”......Page 210
A Final Note......Page 211
GLOSSARY......Page 212
FURTHER READING......Page 221
Academic Sites......Page 227
Virtual Reality Company Sites......Page 228
INDEX......Page 230