UCS525

ASSIGNMENT – 2

REPORT ON VIRTUAL REALITY

Submitted By:
AKASH (101703634)

Submitted to:
Dr. Shalini Batra

Computer Science Department, Summer-Semester 2020

Page 1
 ABSTRACT:

Today Virtual Reality technology is being used in many advanced fields such as medicine,
architecture, engineering, education, military training, design and entertainment. Virtual Reality means
using computer technology to create a simulated experience of three dimensional world or objects that can
either be similar or completely different from the real world. The purpose of VR is to make the user feel
immersed in their virtual environment. This environment is perceived by the user through a device called
the Virtual Reality Headset or helmet. VR allows us to immerse ourselves in 3D video games as if we
were one of the characters, learn how to perform heart surgery or improve the quality of sports training to
maximize performance.

Unlike the classical user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of viewing a
screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to interact with 3D worlds. By simulating as many
senses as possible, such as vision, hearing, touch, even smell, the computer is transformed into a gateway
to this virtual world. The only limitations to a nearly perfect VR experiences are the low computing power
and the potential health issues related with long usage of VR devices.

While VR sounds very modern and futuristic, its concept as a technology is more than half a century old.
The first VR machine named ‘Sensorama’ was made by Cinematographer Morton Heilig as early as 1962.
In this report, we present a brief introduction into Virtual Reality as a major emerging technology.

Page 2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS:

 ABSTRACT 2

 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

 INTRODUCTION 4

 HISTORY OF VR 5

 COMPONENTS OF VR 6

 HARDARE 6

 SOFTARE 6

 VIRTUAL REALITY VS AUGMENTED REALITY 7

 APPLICATIONS 8

 ARCHITECHTURE & CONTRUCTION 8

 EDUCATION & TRAINING 9

 BUISNESS 9

 MARKETING 9

 GAMES 10

 MEDICINE 10

 LIMITATIONS OF VR 11

 FUTURE OF VR 12

 REFERENCES 13

Page 3
 INTRODUCTION
Encyclopedia Britannica defines Virtual reality (VR) as, the use of computer modeling and
simulation that enables a person to interact with an artificial three-dimensional (3-D) visual or other
sensory environment. VR applications try to immerse the user in a computer-generated environment that
simulates reality through the use of interactive devices, which send and receive information and are worn
as goggles, headsets, gloves, or body suits. VR is also known as "artificial reality," "virtual world,"
“virtual space” and “cyberspace.” In simple terms VR refers to computer generated immersive simulations
which let the user experience and interact with the artificial environment through various electric stimuli.

The virtually created environment can either be similar to the physical world, like it is in
simulations created for aviation or military training, or it can be a totally different one with its own set of
rule, as in VR games. In practice, it is currently very difficult to create a high-fidelity virtual reality
experience, due to many technical and societal limitations such as the limitations on processing power,
image resolution, communication bandwidth and the side effects of using VR HMD’s for long time .
However, all these limitations are expected to eventually be overcome as processor, imaging and data
communication technologies become more powerful and cost-effective over time.

The Virtual Reality (VR) market was valued at USD 11.52 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach
USD 87.97 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 48.7% over the forecast period 2020 - 2025. VR technology has
gained widespread recognition and adoption over the past few years. Virtual Reality is being used in
increasingly larger number of fields as more and more research is being done into this field and although it
is not clear whether it will be next big thing after mobile phone, one thing is clear that virtual reality has
already become a major field of computer technology and its value is only going to increase.

Page 4
 HITORY OF VR

The first references to the concept of VR appeared as a part of science fiction. Story writer Stanley G.
Weinbaum in his short story named “Pymalion’s Spectables” presented an idea of goggle-based virtual
reality world through holographics, smell, taste and touch making him a true visionary of the field. Then in
1962 cinematographer Morton Heilig created Sensorama, the first VR machine. It was an arcade-style
booth that could fit four people and it would stimulate all the senses, not just sight and sound. Later in
1968 Ivan Sutherland designed the first VR head mounted display, named ‘Sword of Damocles’ that was
connected to a computer and not a camera.
After this various companies such as Nintendo and Sega released commercial VR devices but they proved
to be commercial failures and the interest in VR slowly died down. That is until 2014 when Facebook
bought Oculus, a startup that makes HMD for VR technology for a record breaking US$2 Billion. After
this deal, interest in VR devices has gone through a major boom and many major companies such as
Google, HTC, Sony and others have released their own HMD’s and other VR devices. Research is also
being done to improve the performance of said devices.

Page 5
 COMPONENTS OF VR SYSTEM

Typically, VR systems contain the following key components.

Hardware:

1) Personal Computer (PC)/Console/Smartphone:

Smartphone/Computers are used to process the inputs and outputs received by the VR system.
They are required for the creation of the 3d graphics as required by the VR software. To process such
graphics in real time requires high computing/processing power; therefore to generate a more
immersive VR environment high end computers with superior computing speed are necessary.

2) Input Devices:
These devices provide the users a sense of immersion and determine how the user communicates
with the artificial environment. Ideally input devices are supposed to help users navigate and interact
within a virtual environment in as intuitive and natural a way as possible. Unfortunately the present
technology is not developed enough to support this ideal yet but still there are many input devices
present in the market which let the user interact with the virtual world. Commonly used input devices
are joysticks; data gloves, force Balls/Tracking balls, On-device control buttons, controller wands,
track pads, motion trackers, bodysuits, treadmills etc.

3) Output Devices
Each output device is used to stimulate a sense organ of the user. These devices are the means
through which the VR content is presented to the user and they are the most important components of
the VR system, required to generate an immersive feeling. Output Devices generally include visual
displays and auditory or haptic feedback devices. Like input devices, the technology of output devices
is also underdeveloped currently as the present state-of-art VR systems do not allow us to stimulate
human senses in the perfect and ideal manners. Most of the latest VR systems support only audio and
visual feedback and only some of them have it by using haptic technology.

Software:

Apart from the hardware devices, the underlying software is also equally important for an immersive VR
experience. The software is required to manage the I/O devices, analyzing the incoming inputs and
generating appropriate feedback. In order to maintain the feeling of immersion the software must manage
the whole application in real time and without any lag. Input data has to be handled timely and the system
feedback that is shown on the output displays must be prompt. Most VR Headset vendors provide a basic
software development kit (SDK) for developers to build their own Virtual world from scratch. SDK
generally provide the developers with basic drivers, an interface to access tracking data and the necessary
graphical rendering libraries.

Page 6
 VIRTUAL REALITY vs. AUGMENTED REALITY

People often get confused between Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR) and tend
to think that AR is a phone technology while VR requires HMD’s (Head Mounted Displays). In truth,
VR and AR are two sides of the same coin. Augmented reality can be thought of as VR with one step
in the real world and other in the Virtual world. Augmented Reality means to simulate artificial/virtual
objects in the real environment; while Virtual Reality creates a totally new artificial environment to
inhabit.

In Augmented Reality, the computer renders 3D graphics on the screen in such a way that the
computer-generated graphic superimposes over a user’s view of the real world. The processor uses
software algorithms and the input from sensors (attached to the Smartphone, HMD’s or other devices)
to determine the position and orientation of a camera. The computer then renders the virtual objects as
they would appear from the viewpoint of the camera.

In Virtual Reality, the computer similarly uses algorithms and input from the sensors to render
3D graphics on the display. However, inn VR rather than locating a physical camera within a real
world environment, the position of the user’s head and eyes is located within the simulated
environment and the graphics are rendered according to this data. If the user’s moves his head, the
virtual objects will react accordingly. So unlike Augmented Reality that places virtual objects on top of
real world to make it more meaningful, Virtual Reality technology creates a whole new artificial
environment for the user to immerse him-self in and interact with.

The most famous example of AR would be the PokemonGo Mobile game and the IKEA app.
The IKEA app uses the mobile camera so users can visualize the furniture being placed at their home.

Virtual and Augmented Reality are not competitors as they are both just different ways to use
the same technology. VR, for example, is amazing for video gaming and entertainment. Similarly the
ability to interact with the real world as well as elements of the virtual world at the same time is great
for marketing and some forms of entertainment.

Page 7
 APPLICATIONS OF VIRTUAL REALITY:

 ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION

Virtual reality is already showing its potential in the architecture and construction industries. A
building can be created as a navigable, interactive, and immersive experience while still being
designed, so that both architect and client can experience the structure and make changes before
construction begins. It has been said that every building built today is actually a physical prototype,
leaving little room for input or changes until after construction. Virtual reality would allow for an
electronic prototype to be created and modified, so that costly changes during or after construction are
avoided.

In the future, clients will want to experience their house or building in virtual reality before
final designs are completed and construction begins. Beyond today's capabilities, clients will not
only be able to see the structure, but hear sounds from within it, feel its textures, and experience its
fragrances. Homebuilders and real-estate developers are particularly excited about the potential of
virtual reality to sell their designs. City planners will use virtual reality to consider various changes
in the community, greatly assisting the work of zoning and planning boards.

Page 8
 EDUCATION & TRANING:

 VR is just beginning to be applied in education and training. Students can study anatomy or
explore our galaxy.
 In the future, students will be able to learn through studying in virtual worlds. Chemistry
students will be able to conduct experiments without risking an accidental explosion in the
lab.
 Astronomy students will be able to visit a range of virtual galaxies to study their properties.
 History students will be able to visit different historical events and perhaps even participate
in the action with historical figures.
 English students could be on stage at the Globe Theater as it was when Shakespeare's plays
were first presented. They will also be able to enter into a book and interact with its
characters.
 Virtual reality will also be used in teaching adults. Trainees in a wide variety of
environments will be able to safely try out new techniques. They will use these practice
tasks in hazardous environs and also practice dealing with emergencies on the job.

 BUSINESS:
Already, several companies have created three-dimensional visualizations of the stock market. The
use of virtual reality in stock market trading will greatly increase in the future.
Those companies trading on various stock markets globally will require this virtual-reality
application to identify trends and make trades more rapidly. They will, in fact, be interacting with the
stock market in real time.

 MARKETING:

Virtual reality is just beginning to be used by companies who want customers to

experience their products and to understand them better. They've found that a new technology,
such as virtual reality, draws people to their exhibits and involves them with a product much more
than standard displays.
In the future, virtual reality will be used to develop and test products with much greater customer
involvement. A company will be able to create products, gain customer feedback, and then modify
the products much more rapidly and inexpensively.

Page 9
 GAMES:

In 1991, the company Virtuality licensed the Amiga 3000 for use in their VR machines and
released a VR gaming system called the 1000CS.
This was a stand-up immersive HMD platform with a tracked 3D joystick. The system featured
several VR games including, Legend Quest (adventure and fantasy), Hero (VR puzzle). Etc.
Virtual Reality Wireless TV Tennis Game comes with a toy tennis racket that senses the
player's swing, while Wireless TV Virtual Reality Boxing includes boxing gloves that the player
wears and jabs with.

 MEDICINE:

Virtual reality is just beginning to be used in medicine and medical research. The
University of North Carolina (UNC) uses it in biochemical engineering. They test the docking of
molecules using visual and auditory displays and a force-feedback device.
Virtual reality is also being used at UNC and other locations to practice aiming X-rays
before cancer treatments of that type are performed.In the future, medical students will study
anatomy by dissecting virtual cadavers much more cost effective and efficient way of studying the
human body.
Medical students and surgeons will practice virtual surgery before attempting a new
procedure. They may even practice an operation for a specific patient, whose unique body
characteristics have been scanned into the computer. Different diseases and medical emergencies
can also be simulated to test a medical student or doctor’s knowledge regarding treatment.
On a different front, virtual reality could be used for treatments in guided visualization.
Patients could use virtual reality to assist in visualizing a part of their body for healing. Likewise,
virtual reality could help improve relaxation techniques, providing a pleasant world in which to
relax.

Page 10
 LIMITATIONS OF VR

The major limitations for VR technology are:

1) Cost of VR device

2) Size of VR software

3) Locomotion Sickness

4) The weight of VR devices

5) Lack of the vision of the surroundings

6) Potential Addiction

7) Potential Eye Damage

8) Graphical limitations

Page 11
 THE FUTURE OF VIRTUAL REALITY

Virtual Reality is one of the technologies with the highest projected potential for growth. According to the
latest forecasts from IDC Research (2018), investment in VR and AR will multiply 21-fold over the next
four years, reaching 15.5 billion euros by 2022. In addition, both technologies will be key to companies'
digital transformation plans and their spending in this area will exceed that of the consumer sector by
2019. It is, therefore expected that by 2020 over half of the larger European companies will have a VR and
RA strategy.

Nowadays, the market is demanding applications that go beyond leisure, tourism or marketing and are
more affordable for users. Virtual interfaces also need to be improved to avoid defects such as clipping,
which makes certain solid objects appear as though they can be passed through. Or to minimize the effects
that VR produces in people, among them motion sickness, which consists of a dizziness induced by the
mismatch between the movement of our body and what is being seen in the virtual world.

The big technology companies are already working to develop headsets that do not need cables and that
allow images to be seen in HD. They are developing Virtual Reality headsets in 8K and with much more
powerful processors. There is even talk that in the next few years they could integrate Artificial
Intelligence. The latest 5G standard can also provide very interesting scenarios for the evolution of VR.
This standard will allow more devices and large user communities to be connected. In addition, its almost
imperceptible latency will make it possible for consumers to receive images in real time, almost as if they
were seeing them with their own eyes.

All this means that Virtual Reality is no longer science fiction. It is integrated into our present and, in the
coming years, it will lead to advances that will shape the future.

Page 12
 REFERENCES

 Sutherland, I. E. (1965). The Ultimate Display. Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual Reality. New

York, NY: Norton.
 Sutherland, I. E. (1968). “A head-mounted three dimensional display,” in Proceedings of the
December 9-11, 1968, Fall Joint Computer Conference, Part I, (ACM), 757–764. doi:
10.1145/1476589.1476686
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality;
 https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/ethical-issues.html
 Pietro C., Irene A., Mariano A.R. The past, present, and future of virtual and augmented reality
research: A network and cluster analysis of the literature. Front. Psychol. 2018:1–20.
 https://www.britannica.com/technology/virtual-reality

Page 13