Virtual reality input devices and sensory immersion technologies

Virtual Reality

Virtually reality is a broad term that is used in regards to a computer simulated environment that can simulate a real world experience or an imaginary world that can be rather creative. Most of these computer simulations are primarily based on a visual experience however more sensory information is also being created and intergrade into the experience as well. These systems are mostly used for either training or entertainment; sometimes a combination of each. For example, a virtual reality programs are built to teach everything from piloting an airplane to landing a parachute. These training programs can be invaluable tools to help people learn how to perform advanced tasks that are often too dangerous or expensive to practice in real life.

Figure 1 - VR Parachute Trainer (U.S. Navy, 2002)

Virtual Reality Input Devices

Although the visual experience has served at the center of the virtual reality experience is it was envisioned, focusing attention on the other sensory organs is what heightens the experience. This has been well-known for some time now. In 1960 a cinematographer named Morton Heilig built a console that allowed users to become more engulfed in a movie. The setup was equipped with fans, odor emitters, stereo speakers, and a chair that moved at certain times during the film to make the viewer feel more like they were actually experiencing the movie as if they were there (Strickland, 2012). Although this technology only allowed movie goers to play a passive role in the experience, the same desire to incorporate more and more elements into a virtual reality still drives the development of the technology today.

The first input devices that served users of the first generations of virtual reality technologies were primarily the mouse and keyboard as well as some rudimentary gadgets that were connected to a pc. However, the modern achievements in technology have opened up a flood of possibilities for virtual realities. For example, there are now head mounted displays that can project a simulated environment through a fully immersed experience, as well as arm mounted displays and a wide range of semi-immersion technologies that can also be used to develop a simulation (LaViola, 2010). One of the most popular and wide spread VR applications is known as the cube in which a special projector surrounds the walls in a small room designed to its specifications with images.

Figure 2 - A VR Cube (Sensen, 2007)

Users can now interact with their virtual environment in a variety of ways as well. There are a variety of sensors that can capture a user's movements and integrate these into the experience. A glove was one of the first examples of a body mounted input capture device however now there are full body suits that users can wear to capture their every movement in precise detail. Cameras can also be used as a substitute to a body suit that can serve a similar purpose and track body movements. However, cameras have yet to be able to capture the subtleties of movement as accurately as physical sensors. However, cameras offer a low cost alternative that has been integrated into many popular gaming systems such as the Nintendo Wii that has been introduced the technology on a broad scale.

Reconnaissance - providing battlefield intelligence

Combat - providing attack capability for high-risk missions Research and development - used to further develop UAV technologies to be integrated into field deployed UAV aircraft

Civil and Commercial UAVs - UAVs specifically designed for civil and commercial applications.

These vehicles are often piloted by remote control from over seven thousand miles away and can fire on the enemy through a series of commands that are entered into their computer control system (Bumiller, 2012).

Figure 3 - A Virtual Cockpit for a UAV (Bumiller, 2012)

Conclusion

Virtual reality technology has only begun to utilize some of its potential and it is already shaping many aspects of the modern world. From virtual meetings in which business people can meet and collaborate through cyberspace, to the training of professionals in various fields, to surgeons using the technology to help treat patients, and the military using unmanned aircraft to various military functions, virtual reality has changed the world in many ways. As the technology continues to develop, virtual reality will undoubtedly become ubiquitous in our daily lives.