What do you think
of when you hear the words virtual reality (VR)?
Do you imagine someone wearing a clunky helmet attached to a computer with
a thick cable? Today, you're more likely to hear someone use the
words virtual environment (VE) to refer to what the
public knows as virtual reality. We'll use the terms interchangeably in this
article.
Opinions differ on
what exactly constitutes a true VR experience, but in general it should
include:
- Three-dimensional images that appear to be life-sized from the perspective of the user.
- The ability to track a user's motions, particularly his head and eye movements, and correspondingly adjust the images on the user's display to reflect the change in perspective.
Virtual Reality Immersion
In a virtual
reality environment, a user experiences immersion, or the feeling
of being inside and a part of that world. He is also able to interact with
his environment in meaningful ways. The combination of a sense of immersion and
interactivity is called telepresence. An effective VR experience causes you to become unaware of your real
surroundings and focus on your existence inside the virtual environment.
For immersion to be
effective, a user must be able to explore what appears to be a life-sized
virtual environment and be able to change perspectives seamlessly. If the
virtual environment consists of a single pedestal in the middle of a room, a
user should be able to view the pedestal from any angle and the point of view
should shift according to where the user is looking.
The Virtual Reality Environment
Other sensory
output from the VE system should adjust in real time as a user explores the
environment. If the environment incorporates 3-D sound, the user must be
convinced that the sound’s orientation shifts in a natural way as he maneuvers
through the environment. Sensory stimulation must be consistent if a user is to
feel immersed within a VE. If the VE shows a perfectly still scene, you
wouldn’t expect to feel gale-force winds. Likewise, if the VE puts you in the
middle of a hurricane, you wouldn’t expect to feel a
gentle breeze or detect the scent of roses.
Lag time between
when a user acts and when the virtual environment reflects that action is
called latency. Latency usually refers to the delay between the
time a user turns his head or moves his eyes and the change in the point of view,
though the term can also be used for a lag in other sensory outputs. Studies
with flight simulators show that humans can detect a latency of more than 50
milliseconds. When a user detects latency, it causes him to become aware of
being in an artificial environment and destroys the sense of immersion.
An immersive
experience suffers if a user becomes aware of the real world around him. Truly
immersive experiences make the user forget his real surroundings, effectively
causing the computer to become a non entity. In order
to reach the goal of true immersion, developers have to come up with input
methods that are more natural for users. As long as a user is aware of the
interaction device, he is not truly immersed.
Virtual Reality Interactivity
Immersion within a
virtual environment is one thing, but for a user to feel truly involved there
must also be an element of interaction. Early applications using
the technology common in VE systems today allowed the user to have a relatively
passive experience. Users could watch a pre-recorded film while
wearing a head-mounted display (HMD). They would sit in
a motion chair and watch the film as the
system subjected them to various stimuli, such as blowing air on them to
simulate wind. While users felt a sense of immersion, interactivity was limited
to shifting their point of view by looking around. Their path was
pre-determined and unalterable.
Today, you can find
virtual roller coasters that use the same sort of
technology. DisneyQuest in Orlando, Florida features CyberSpace
Mountain, where patrons can design their own roller coaster, then enter a simulator
to ride their virtual creation. The system is very immersive, but apart from
the initial design phase there isn't any interaction, so it's not an example of
a true virtual environment.
Interactivity
depends on many factors. Steuer suggests that three of these factors are speed, range and mapping.
Steuer defines speed as the rate that a user's actions are incorporated into
the computer model and reflected in a way the
user can perceive. Range refers to how many possible outcomes could result from
any particular user action. Mapping is the system's ability to produce natural
results in response to a user's actions.
Navigation within a
virtual environment is one kind of interactivity. If a user can direct his own
movement within the environment, it can be called an interactive experience.
Most virtual environments include other forms of interaction, since users can
easily become bored after just a few minutes of exploration. Computer Scientist
Mary Whitton points out that poorly designed interaction can drastically reduce
the sense of immersion, while finding ways to engage users can increase it.
When a virtual environment is interesting and engaging, users are more willing
to suspend disbelief and become immersed.
True interactivity
also includes being able to modify the environment. A good virtual environment
will respond to the user's actions in a way that makes sense, even if it only
makes sense within the realm of the virtual environment. If a virtual environment
changes in outlandish and unpredictable ways, it risks disrupting the user's
sense of telepresence.
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