Term Papers on Virtual Reality - What It Is And How It Works

Term Paper Title	Virtual Reality - What It Is And How It Works
# of Words	3185
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	12.74

Virtual Reality - What it is and How it Works

Imagine  being able  to point into  the sky and  fly.  Or
perhaps  walk through space  and connect molecules together.
These  are  some  of  the dreams  that  have  come  with the
invention  of  virtual reality.    With the  introduction of
computers,  numerous  applications  have  been  enhanced  or
created.  The newest technology that is being tapped is that
of  artificial  reality, or  "virtual  reality" (VR).   When
Morton   Heilig  first  got  a  patent  for  his  "Sensorama
Simulator"  in  1962, he  had no  idea  that 30  years later
people  would still be  trying to simulate  reality and that
they  would be doing it so  effectively.  Jaron Lanier first
coined  the phrase "virtual reality" around 1989, and it has
stuck  ever  since.   Unfortunately,  this  catchy  name has
caused   people  to  dream  up   incredible  uses  for  this
technology including using it as a sort of drug. This became
evident  when,  among  other  people,  Timothy  Leary became
interested  in  VR.    This has  also  worried  some  of the
researchers  who are trying to create very real applications
for  medical, space,  physical, chemical,  and entertainment
uses among other things.

In  order to create this  alternate reality, however, you
need  to find ways to create  the illusion of reality with a
piece of machinery known as the computer.  This is done with
several   computer-user  interfaces  used  to  simulate  the
senses.   Among these, are  stereoscopic glasses to make the
simulated  world look  real, a  3D auditory  display to give
depth  to  sound, sensor  lined  gloves to  simulate tactile
feedback, and head-trackers to follow the orientation of the
head.     Since  the  technology   is  fairly  young,  these
interfaces  have not  been perfected, making  for a somewhat
cartoonish simulated reality.

Stereoscopic   vision  is  probably  the  most  important
feature  of VR because  in real life,  people rely mainly on
vision   to  get  places  and  do  things.    The  eyes  are
approximately 6.5 centimeters apart, and allow you to have a
full-colour, three-dimensional view of the world.
Stereoscopy,  in itself, is not a very new idea, but the new
twist  is trying to generate  completely new images in real-
time.   In 1933,  Sir Charles Wheatstone  invented the first
stereoscope  with  the same  basic  principle being  used in
today's  head-mounted displays.   Presenting different views
to  each eye  gives the illusion  of three  dimensions.  The
glasses  that are used today work by using what is called an
"electronic  shutter".  The lenses of the glasses interleaveÔ   h)         0*0*0*°°  ÔŒthe  left-eye  and  right-eye  views  every  thirtieth  of a
second.   The shutters selectively  block and admit views of
the  screen  in  sync with  the  interleaving,  allowing the
proper  views to  go into each  eye.  The  problem with this
method though is that you have to wear special glasses.

Most  VR researchers use complicated  headsets, but it is
possible  to  create  stereoscopic  three-dimensional images
without them.  One such way is through the use of lenticular
lenses.   These lenses, known since Herman Ives experimented
with  them in 1930,  allow one to take  two images, cut them
into  thin vertical  slices and  interleave them  in precise
order  (also  called multiplexing)  and put  cylinder shaped
lenses  in front  of them  so that  when you  look into them
directly,  the  images  correspond  with  each  eye.    This
illusion  of  depth is  based  on what  is  called binocular
parallax.    Another problem  that is  solved is  that which
occurs  when one turns their head.  Nearby objects appear to
move  more  than distant  objects.   This  is  called motion
parallax.    Lenticular screens  can  show users  the proper
stereo  images  when moving  their heads  well when  a head-
motion sensor is used to adjust the effect.

Sound  is another important part of daily life, and thus
must  be  simulated  well  in  order  to  create  artif...

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