DIYer concocts homegrown View-Master, relies on HTC Magic and Google Street View (video)
by Darren Murph 
posted Oct 27th 2009 at 11:21AM
virtual reality posts
Mice run through Quake, Princeton neuroscientists scan their brains for traces of evil (video)
by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 15th 2009 at 8:54AM
[Via Switched]
Miruko wearable gaming eyeball robot turns the creep factor up significantly
by Laura June posted Sep 27th 2009 at 11:28AM
[Via Pink Tentacle]
$500 Acceleglove promises to finally bring Rad Racer to life
by Donald Melanson posted Jul 13th 2009 at 2:16PM
Data gloves may have come a long way since the days of the Power Glove, but they've also tended to get pretty expensive as more and more tech found their way into 'em. The folks at AnthroTronix look to be doing their small part to change that with their new Acceleglove, however, which packs a not too crazy price tag of $500 and, according to the company, all the features you'd expect to find on a $5,000 glove. Chief among those features are accelerometers on each finger, which can track precise gestures like pinching and, as you can see in the video after the break, are more than up to all-important the task of controlling a robotic arm. Best of all, the glove comes complete with an open source SDK to let you get as much out of the glove as you're willing to put into it.
[Via OhGizmo!]
[Via OhGizmo!]
Nokia interface patent fits like an AR-enhancing glove
by Ross Miller posted Jul 11th 2009 at 10:37AM
[Via Pocket-lint]
Video: TAT's augmented reality concept unveiled
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 9th 2009 at 2:18PM
You remember TAT, right? Amongst other things The Astonishing Tribe has done some bang-up work with the user interface for the G1, unveiled a pretty impressive 3D eye-tracking concept, and now they're hard at work developing something called Augmented ID, an augmented reality concept that uses facial recognition software to attach your visage to a profile. When someone views you through their handset's camera, pre-selected info and social networking links appear to hover around you, letting your new found friend in on more than just your pretty smile. Of course, this is only a concept at the present moment, but when it does become real, make sure you remember to remove those links to JDate and the Cracked Magazine forums before that important corporate presentation. Trust us -- you don't want those worlds colliding. Hit up that read link for the latest from the Swedish design team, but not before you peep this stellar video after the break.
Read - TAT Showroom
Read - TAT Showroom
Canon unveils augmented reality dinosaur show in Japan
by Laura June posted Jul 8th 2009 at 8:59PM
Canon's just unveiled its new augmented reality display in Chiba, Japan, and we have to say, we're thinking about heading over there to check it out... and hopefully experience what it's like to be eaten (virtually) by a T-Rex. Featuring 260 dinosaur specimens, the display makes us of a virtual reality viewer -- one for each person roaming round the exhibit -- putting the dinosaurs at a "distance" of about 5 meters. The exhibit will make use of various Canon products, including an inkjet printer, an LCD projector and several different cameras. The dinosaurs will be on display starting July 18th until August 1st, so you probably want to just go ahead and book a flight right now.
Video: Researchers learning to make VR more realistic, uncomfortable
by Joseph L. Flatley posted May 11th 2009 at 12:27PM
Researcher Mel Slater (a computer scientist who divides his time between ICREA in Barcelona and University College, London) and his stalwart band of cybernauts are currently studying people when immersed in virtual environments, hoping to gain insight into why we respond to fake stimuli as if it's real. In one experiment, test subjects enter a "virtual bar" in which patrons schmooze, booze, and do the Frug. At a point during the virtual carousing, a fire breaks out. "We have had people literally run out of the VR room, even though they know that what they are witnessing is not real," says Slater. "They take their cues from the other characters." Other studies include a recreation of the classic Milgram Experiment of the 1960s (where the subject is ordered to give an electric shock to a "student" when they answer a question incorrectly) and a phobia study that introduces subjects to virtual heights. The researchers hope to gain insight into how the brain functions, eventually creating more intense and realistic virtual experiences, with applications in healthcare, training, social research and entertainment. What's next? According to Slater, the group is currently developing a project that is designed to help shy men overcome their fear of women (at the very least, it'll help you meet that Second Life avatar of your dreams). If this is your kinda thing, check out the video after the break. [Warning: the first several seconds of the video are audio only.]
Canon gets all 'Steve Zissou' with its Mixed Reality Aquarium
by Joseph L. Flatley posted May 1st 2009 at 3:17PM
In some ways, augmented reality is an elegant solution to the main problem with VR: while there are some areas where insane levels of immersion are required, this stuff ain't cheap -- relegating solutions like CirculaFloor to academics, the military, and the extremely well-heeled. But how about those who just want to see wild graphics while they, you know, "party?" Canon's Mixed Reality Aquarium headset transforms any area you inhabit into a giant fishbowl. Not the sort of thing that you'll want to do more than once, probably -- although, to the company's credit, this is more of a research project than an actual product. How about an option to swim with Daryl Hannah from Splash? That would be pure gadget gold. That said, this does make for a fun video -- which we've graciously provided for you, after the break.
[Via Oh Gizmo!]
[Via Oh Gizmo!]
Marco Tempest's Augmented Reality card trick makes David Copperfield look positively ludditic
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Apr 30th 2009 at 12:18PM
Illusionist and augmented reality artiste Marco Tempest has put together a video preview of his newest act, called (aptly enough) "Augmented Reality Magic 1.0," and has been kind enough to share it with us. In the video, Tempest uses AR to demonstrate what's going on in his fertile imagination as he performs a card trick -- cards levitate, Jokers dance, and the birthday cake? Well, you'll just have to see for yourself. The most impressive part is that the whole thing goes down in real time, and utilizes C++ with OpenFrameworks, OpenCV, ARToolkitPlus, MacCam, "and other Open Source goodies." Nothing's done in post-production. Are you prepared to have your mind blown? Video after the break.
[Via Make]
[Via Make]
AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Apr 16th 2009 at 10:33AM
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are developing an immense, wholly immersive VR environment that would allow groups of researchers the opportunity to explore their data aurally and visually on a scale never before seen. The AlloSphere is a three story metal sphere housed in an echo-free chamber, large enough that twenty researchers can stand on a bridge and take a walk through an atom, for instance, or a human brain. The project relies on a supercomputer for generating real-time, high-res 3D video and audio streams from a mountain of scientific data, and currently the team is hard at work building the bad boy's computing platform and interactive display. The project leader JoAnn Kuchera-Morin has yet to state whether or not the sense of smell would be incorporated into the finished product, but we sure hope not -- that would be rather distracting, don't you think? Check it out on video after the break.
[Via TED]
[Via TED]
VR headset offers the sights, sounds, and smells of cyberspace - and tastes, and hot air
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Mar 6th 2009 at 7:06AM
In an effort to bring the other three senses up to par with sight and sound in the virtual landscape, researchers in the UK have developed a headset that not only offers a stereoscopic display and four speaker surround sound, but throws in smells, tastes, and a fan for heating your grill up (or cooling it down) for good measure. The Virtual Cocoon doesn't look too terribly comfortable (this thing would be burdensome without the required tubes for the user's mouth and nose), but Professor Alan Chalmers of Warwick University doesn't seem to think this is a problem. If anything, the team is betting that you're going to welcome the opportunity to smell your co-workers when telecommuting, or your fellow cybernauts when running around Second Life. The device, which will have an estimated cost of £1,500 (around $2,100), should be ready for production within five years. More pics after the break.
CirculaFloor robot floor tiles keep you moving in virtual reality
by Joseph L. Flatley posted Feb 26th 2009 at 2:19PM
One of the big problems facing VR is the issue of mobility -- how do you allow users unrestricted movement in virtual reality, while keeping them relatively static in real reality? Omni-directional treadmills have been tried in the past, and now researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan have developed something called CirculaFloor. The system uses four robotic tiles that constantly shift position, ensuring that there's always a tile in the direction you're headed. Additionally, the entire assembly moves slowly backwards, giving one the impression of movement while they're actually standing relatively still. The tiles also incorporate lifts, for simulating staircases and the like. While this research is promising, there's still plenty of work to be done -- for instance, the tiles still move awful slowly, and while they seem sturdy enough for a leisurely stroll, a Left 4 Dead implementation is not likely to happen any time soon. Video after the break.
[Via Tech Digest]
[Via Tech Digest]
Barco demoes 10MP 3D stereo CADWall setup
by Darren Murph posted Sep 8th 2008 at 6:45PM
[Via AboutProjectors]
Omni-directional treadmill allows individuals to sashay through virtual cities
by Darren Murph posted Apr 12th 2008 at 1:32PM
Though not the first omni-directional treadmill we've ever seen, this version crafted for the EU-funded CyberWalk Project is entirely more interesting. The 6- x 6-meter device features an active walking area of 4.5- x 4.5-meters, and later this month, individuals anxious to prance through a virtual city will be able to strap on a head-mounted display, lace up their LA Lights and indulge in escapism. Aside from giving curious persons the ability to walk through a recreated version of ancient Pompeii, the device could also be used to meander through buildings not yet created or give firefighters a way to train without placing them in harm's way. Now, if only there was an option to dissolve into pixels and teleport to locales you find particularly intriguing, we'd be sold.[Via Slashdot]
