virtualreality
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Canon unveils augmented reality dinosaur show in Japan
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
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
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!]
Marco Tempest's Augmented Reality card trick makes David Copperfield look positively ludditic
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]
AlloSphere three story virtual environment not available for birthday parties, Bat Mitzvahs
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]
VR headset offers the sights, sounds, and smells of cyberspace - and tastes, and hot air
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
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]
Barco demoes 10MP 3D stereo CADWall setup
Barco has a knack for stopping shows, and while Tokyo's Industrial Virtual Reality expo didn't exactly shut down, we can only imagine how many folks took the time to check out the CADWall concept. Hailed as a "multi-channel display system with a high pixel density that consists completely of Barco technology," said system utilizes a pair of LX-5 projectors, a superflat high-contrast screen and just two-channels to create a 10-megapixel 3D stereo image. Sure beats six or eight to make the third-dimension come to life, huh?[Via AboutProjectors]
Omni-directional treadmill allows individuals to sashay through virtual cities
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]
Mixed reality research takes a first hesitant step
Considering how much impact our gadgets already have on our day-to-day lives, we not sure we don't already live in a mixed reality environment, but researchers at the University of Illinois have created what they say is the first true mixed reality system based on a pendulum and its virtual counterpart. Both the real pendulum and the simulation mimic each others' movements exactly -- adjusting the motor affects the simulation and adjusting the parameters of the simulation affects the motor -- blurring the line between the real and the virtual. That sounds simple, sure, but it's the first successful system of its kind -- as researcher Alfred Hubler put it, "[The pendulums] suddenly noticed each other, synchronized their motions, and danced together indefinitely." Seeing as simply creating a mixed-reality pendulum took super-fast processors, we doubt we're any closer to the Matrix -- unless it's a Matrix inside another Matrix. We need to go lie down.
Get your head in the game with Wii remote VR display
While other people use the Wii for its intended purposes (playing party games and bludgeoning loved ones), Johnny Chung Lee sees its true potential. You might remember him as the guy who used a Wiimote to set up a Minority Report-esque finger tracking system, or the one who used the same peripheral to turn any surface into an an incredible multi-touch interactive whiteboard. Further proving that Lee is a reverse engineer from the future, his newest video shows what might just be the next big thing in gaming -- immersive virtual reality displays using, you guessed it, a Wii remote. While this may conjure up bad memories of massive, plasticky helmets and unresponsive controls, Lee's method seems extremely functional, and only requires you to wear a pair of LED-infused safety glasses (which for all we know is the hip style in the futureworld Lee comes from). Seriously, how 'bout it, Nintendo? (Thanks, Rich.)
Brown University demonstrates Drawing on Air system
It's been a tick since we've heard any news on the 3D drawing front, but a number of computer scientists from Brown University are putting the art back in the proverbial foreground with its Drawing on Air installation. Put simply, users can slip on a virtual reality mask, grab a stylus and tracking device, and go to town. The system uses "drawing guidelines, force feedback, and two-handed interaction" to assist artists in drawing more precisely, and once movements are made, the patterns are transferred to a computer for use in 3D modeling and design programs. Unfortunately, such a system can't currently be priced at points which John and / or Jane Doe would be happy with, but the researchers did state that commercialization wasn't "too far away" and that prices should decrease from "thousands of dollars to hundreds of dollars in the next few years."
Multiple Sclerosis patients walk faster thanks to VR technology
Using virtual reality technology coupled with sensors, scientists at Technion, Israel's Institute of Technology have developed a system to enable people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis to walk more effectively. The virtual reality tech takes the form of a small screen attached to glasses which projects a moving, virtual ground computed using sensors that measure the user's eye and body movements. This "virtual floor" apparently improves the walking ability of MS sufferers, and helps them to remain stable. The device even improves walking performance after it has been taken off, so patients won't have to look completely awesome with their goggles on 24/7.[Via TFOT]
VR goggles turn the real world into ASCII art
Sure, ASCII art is cool for making lewd gestures and the unicorn that you use for your e-mail signature, but couldn't we be doing more with it? Well, some Russian artists / DIY'ers certainly think so, and as a result they've created an immersive system which allows you to view the world through the lens of real-time ASCII art (amongst other effects). The designers of this VR headset / live video-effects-unit were hoping to modify "real" reality for the user, thus creating a "virtual reality" experience via video effects (similar to Photoshop filters) in a binocular viewer. The creators used a pair of goggles with a camera attached, a proprietary "black box" consisting of a CPU, battery, and radio transmitter, and custom-coded video processing modes (we assume, considering the box has no "operating system"). The result? Well, besides ASCII -- which looks a bit like the Matrix numbers -- you can do an effect akin to the Predator's POV... though we're pretty sure it won't make you invisible, or a lethal, alien killer. Check the video after the break to see the psychedelic magic unfold.[Via Slashdot]
Using virtual reality to induce out-of-body experience
Yeah, we've seen bizarre apparatuses that bring about otherworldly feelings, but new studies have reportedly been able to induce out-of-body experiences with just a set of "virtual reality goggles, a camera, and a stick." Apparently, the "research reveals that the sense of having a body, of being in a bodily self, is actually constructed from multiple sensory streams," and when the newfangled system forces individuals to peer at "an illusory image of themselves" while the stick prods them "in a certain way," the guinea pigs said they felt as if they had been removed from their bodies. Of course, it seems the real purpose here circles more around the science of the brain rather than hashing out a DIY guide to accomplish this on your own, and no, so far as we can tell, it (unfortunately) does not play Doom.
Omni-directional treadmill could put you in the game
Sure, you get a pretty good workout on that regular treadmill, but don't you think you could burn more calories if you had a little directional freedom? Well, thanks to the ridiculously clever people at Virtual Space Devices, you're one step closer to breaking free of your staid workout -- and one step closer to fully immersive virtual environments. The Michigan-based company has been developing an omni-directional treadmill since 1996, and they appear to have come up with a real solution -- a self-contained unit which allows you to walk (or run) in any direction you choose, without actually covering any ground. Next up the company plans to manufacture a device called the iPlane, which will not only allow you to walk and run wherever you want, but fly as well, which should make future iterations of Doom really, really interesting. Watch the video after the break and be stunned and amazed.[Via Digg]
NTT's Tangible-3D prototype gives feeling to on-screen imagery
Regardless of general consensus, it looks like 3D display technology is making a run for our wallets (and to a lesser extent, our hearts), and just days after getting wind of Philips' latest iteration, NTT is hitting back with a newfangled approach of its own. Based around an improved version of the company's original 3D display, this prototype system relies on a sophisticated array of cameras and an actuator-stuffed glove that can allow the wearer to "feel the image" that shows up on the LCD. As the object changes, the glove moves along in real-time to give the user a lifelike idea of what the on-screen matter actually feels like, but unfortunately, it doesn't allow the individual to react. Thankfully, a two-way system that will enable tactile transmissions to be channeled in both directions is in the works, but those parked in Japan can check out the current system at the Industrial Virtual Reality Expo later next week.[Via Slashgear image courtesy of Mainichi]
Augmented reality relationship game plays with your emotions
If you couldn't quite make it to the last Wii marriage counseling session, there's still good news coming from Georgia Tech. Thanks to a group of engineering minds at the university, a new augmented reality game (dubbed AR Facade) is placing you in the center of a marital spat with nearly limitless options. The program apparently runs on a back-worn laptop and utilizes an oh-so-tacky head mountable display, and developers suggest that being placed in the midst of an "interactive drama" allows you to choose sides, attempt to mediate, and basically "define your own way to win" as you try to talk some sense into the flustered couple. Interestingly, there's even talk of bringing such games "onto mobile phones" and into the workplace, but it looks like they've got a bit of hardware trimming to do first.[Via The Raw Feed]
Student creates 3D Aztec suspended-flythrough for master's thesis
California State University multimedia student Tommy Lothian has come up with quite the master's thesis: a virtual flythrough of an imaginative Aztec world wherein players don 3D goggles and strap themselves into a harness that suspends them horizontally, enabling them to interact with objects and complete tasks, including stabbing a monster with a jade stone, scaling an active volcano, and, uh, not hallucinating over too much fermented agave juice. No word on what Tommy plans to do with the tech, but we bet that agave juice simulation would be a huge hit at parties.
Make it so: virtual reality Enterprise hits Canada
The 1,500 Trek-obssesed citizens of Vulcan, Alberta are spicing up their annual Galaxyfest this year with the launch of the "Vulcan Space Adventure," an immersive VR game that takes place inside a recreation of the Enterprise. The CA$250,000 game, built by VR firm GestureTek, allows up to three players cast as Starfleet trainees to simulataneously interact with a virtual environment created by multple cameras and holographic screens. After being led into the simulation chamber -- built to look like the bridge of the Enterprise -- by "Captain Krok," visitors take orders from Starfleet Command and then use GestureTek's "point-and-click" VR system to complete their mission. The system, which doesn't require the player to wear any cumbersome VR gear, is one of only two GestureTek installations in Canada. We just hope the game doesn't get too real: what happened to that poor redshirt in these photos? A couple more after the jump...
