Unit - 3: Virtual Reality 3.1 Introduction To Virtual Reality

Multimedia And Animation [By- Ms. Shilpy Gupta (M.Tech, BE), Asst. Prof. – Dept.
of CSE/IT]
Unit - 3: Virtual Reality
3.1 Introduction to Virtual Reality

Virtual reality refers to the capability of simulating normal, abnormal, dangerous
or unforeseen events, scenes, and situations in which the human mind can participate,
interact, and exist. It allows one to be actually present in a virtual environment of
destruction without inflicting any injury to anyone. This can be created by the computers
using various sensors that work on human responses and not on programs.
Virtual reality can, thus, be defined as “a way for humans to visualize, manipulate
and interact with computers and extremely complex data”.
Comparison between Animation and Virtual Reality

The computer animation sequences are developed on a frame – by – frame basis,
which when played back at a suitable speed, create the desired animation. On the other
end, virtual reality is a real time environment where animated movement is a natural
feature of the experience.
Summary
Virtual Reality is a term that refers to a computer generated environment where
sight, sound, and sometimes even touch are simulated to create pictures, sounds, and
objects that actually seems real.
Virtual reality uses Head Mounted Displays, or gloves; gesture tracks; and 3–
dimensional sounds.
3.2 Desktop Virtual Reality

Some virtual reality systems uses a conventional computer monitor to display the
visual work. This is called as desktop virtual reality (DVR). DVR is a subset of virtual
reality that does not require all four conditions of full immersion (Immersion refers to the
state of being absorbed deeply involved):
Full field of vision display, usually produced by the wearing of a Head

Mounted Display.
Tracking of the position and the attitude of the participant’s body
Computer tracking of participant’s movements and actions.
Negligible delay in updating the display with feedback from the body
movements and actions.
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Multimedia And Animation [By- Ms. Shilpy Gupta (M.Tech, BE), Asst. Prof. – Dept. of CSE/IT]
Desktop VR is very popular because it can be used at little additional cost to a

typical Personal Computer (PC). It is delivered through computer graphics and
multimedia. It is not considered as Virtual Reality.
Common Criticism: Desktop VR focusses the lack of peripheral vision afforded

by a display. It claims that the user is not aware of their surroundings or of their location in
the virtual space.
3.2.1 Working of Desktop VR

VR refers to an interactive human experience with the computer that ultimately
leads to an effective information dissemination (distribution). The working of Desktop VR
is described by the various components as explained below:
Output
Devices
VR Computer
User VR Engine
Input
Devices
Normally a computer has its human user using an input device to feed information
and commands to it.
Computer with an output device delivers the results back to the user.
VR set – up consists of a pair of appropriate input and output devices that are
placed between VR users and computer controlled VR engine. VR engine acts as the
controller that processes the input from the input devices and provides the output to the
output devices.
Depending on the degree of immersion, interaction and navigation, one can have a
number of different types of VR experience.
3.2.2 Requirements in VR Systems

VR systems uses a mode of interaction which is possible with immersive real –
time computer graphics systems. Therefore the primary requirement of any computer
system intended for VR applications is that it should be able to update images at high
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speed. This speed should not be slower than conventional video frame refresh rates which
are 25 Hz for PAL and 30 Hz for NTSC.
PC also provides a cost – effective platform for desktop VR systems.
A single pentium processor with 8 Mb RAM, is a typical configuration for

software products.
3.3 Types of VR Systems

VR systems can be divided into 3 groups:
Immersive
Non – immersive
Hybrid
3.3.1 Immersive VR Systems

Replaces our view of a real world with the computer – generated images that react
to the position and orientation of the user’s body.
3.3.2 Non – Immersive VR Systems

Leaves the user visually aware of the real world but let the user observe the virtual
world through some display device such as a graphics workstation.
3.3.3 Hybrid VR Systems

Permits the user to view the real world with virtual images superimposed over this
view. For example, a surgeon’s view of a brain surgery is overlaid with images from
earlier CT scans and real – time ulrasound.
3.4 Levels of VR Systems

Depending upon the hardware and software used in a VR system, it can be
classified into various levels as follows:
3.4.1 Entry VR (EVR)

Uses a PC or workstation and implements a WoW system (Window on a World:
complete VR displayed on a computer – screen). It includes graphics display, 2–
dimensional input device (keyboard, mouse, memory, hard disk).
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3.4.2 Basic VR (BVR)

Next level VR which adds some basic interaction and display enhancements like
input / output control.
3.4.3 Advanced VR (AVR)

Adds a rendering accelerator and a frame buffer for input handling, etc.
3.4.4 Immersion VR (IVR)

Adds some type of immersive display system. Eg, Head Mounted Displays. Also
adds some form of touch, feedback, or force interaction mechanisms.
3.4.5 Big Time VR (EVR)

More advanced systems acts as a substitute for different input devices and
simulation systems.
3.5 Intelligent Multimedia Systems

The concept of a multimedia system consists of an integrated environment with a
human – computer interface designed as an intelligent agent. The human – computer
interaction should be based on the model in which two people or more communicate
naturally.
Intelligent VR software systems supports the following issues:
It should be 3 – dimensional and interactive.
It must use one or more devices in an attempt to provide the user with a
sense of presence, be it visual, or auditory.
An intelligent multimedia system should have the ability to:
Conduct a dialogue with the user.
Maintain knowledge and belief models to enable the system to understand

user inputs and compose system outputs.
Maintain knowledge base of information
Act as an intelligent assistant for accessing and using application system.
Decide on how information and responses are to be presented to the user
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This is possible only if following requirements are fulfilled:
VR displays should respond to changes in tracked objects atleast 10 times

per second for the virtual environment to be convincing. The solution is to
distribute VR systems over multiple processes.
VR systems should not have tightly coupled process to achieve scalability

for hardwares and softwares.
VR systems should scale up graceful solutions that may use adaptive

algorithms, dynamic environments, and adaptive protocols.
VR systems should have immersive, fully synthesized and photorealistic

graphical displays. Partial solution to this requirement might be graphical
display with:
• Rendering of full scenes
• Rendering of selected objects
• Renderig images from viewpoint of a given image.
3.6 VR Operating Systems

In VR, the computer generates visual, auditory or ther sensual outputs to the user
of a “World within computer”. The user can interact with the world and directly
manipulate objects within the world. Some worlds are animated by other processes also
like physical simulations or simple animation scripts.
A VR operating system should support light weight shared memory processes.

This will minimize the time required for context switching and interprocess
communication.
The operating system should be capable of assuming that high priority processes
can be serviced at very short and regular intervals.
Some systems uses a conventional computer monitor to display the visual world
(Desktop VR).
A virtual environment is an interactive visual simulating system which rightly

integrate real dimension, 3 – dimensional computer graphics, wide angle stereoscopic
displays, hand and gesture tracking, natural sound, and voice input / output technologies to
create realistic synthetic environment for users.
VR with the evolutions of silicon technology, personal computers and workstations

have gained more computing power with less cost.
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By carefully exploring the parallelism among various tasks of a VR system, one

can easily interconnect several computers by networking and employing pipeline
techniques to design a high performance virtual environment over distributed low – end
computers.
To achieve this goal, each distributed task is treated as physical process of various
capabilities that are connected by network.
The communication among distributed tasks is then achieved via message passing
methodology or shared memory mechanism.

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Multimedia And Animation [By- Ms. Shilpy Gupta (M.Tech, BE), Asst. Prof. – Dept.

Unit - 3: Virtual Reality

3.1 Introduction to Virtual Reality

Comparison between Animation and Virtual Reality

3.2 Desktop Virtual Reality

Full field of vision display, usually produced by the wearing of a Head

Desktop VR is very popular because it can be used at little additional cost to a

Common Criticism: Desktop VR focusses the lack of peripheral vision afforded

3.2.1 Working of Desktop VR

3.2.2 Requirements in VR Systems

PC also provides a cost – effective platform for desktop VR systems.

A single pentium processor with 8 Mb RAM, is a typical configuration for

3.3 Types of VR Systems

3.3.1 Immersive VR Systems

3.3.2 Non – Immersive VR Systems

3.3.3 Hybrid VR Systems

3.4 Levels of VR Systems

3.4.1 Entry VR (EVR)

3.4.2 Basic VR (BVR)

3.4.3 Advanced VR (AVR)

3.4.4 Immersion VR (IVR)

3.4.5 Big Time VR (EVR)

3.5 Intelligent Multimedia Systems

Intelligent VR software systems supports the following issues:

It should be 3 – dimensional and interactive.

An intelligent multimedia system should have the ability to:

Conduct a dialogue with the user.

Maintain knowledge and belief models to enable the system to understand

Maintain knowledge base of information

Act as an intelligent assistant for accessing and using application system.

Decide on how information and responses are to be presented to the user

This is possible only if following requirements are fulfilled:

VR displays should respond to changes in tracked objects atleast 10 times

VR systems should not have tightly coupled process to achieve scalability

VR systems should scale up graceful solutions that may use adaptive

VR systems should have immersive, fully synthesized and photorealistic

• Rendering of full scenes

• Rendering of selected objects

• Renderig images from viewpoint of a given image.

3.6 VR Operating Systems

A VR operating system should support light weight shared memory processes.

A virtual environment is an interactive visual simulating system which rightly

VR with the evolutions of silicon technology, personal computers and workstations

By carefully exploring the parallelism among various tasks of a VR system, one

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