CS6360 – Virtual Reality David Johnson Virtual Reality History

CS6360 – Virtual RealityDavid Johnson

Virtual Reality HistoryVirtual Reality History


First, some class stuffFirst, some class stuff

• Paper critique on FridayPaper critique on Friday– Look on web pageLook on web page


Today’s GoalsToday’s Goals

• Provide some historical context.Provide some historical context.• Where did VR technology come Where did VR technology come

from?from?• What applications drove its What applications drove its

development?development?• Who are some luminaries in the Who are some luminaries in the

field?field?


Early HistoryEarly History

• Remarkably, VR concepts predate Remarkably, VR concepts predate computer graphics and modern VR computer graphics and modern VR (HMD, tracking, etc.) arose (HMD, tracking, etc.) arose simultaneously with computer simultaneously with computer imagery.imagery.


Early History Cont’d…Early History Cont’d…• PrehistoryPrehistory

– Cave paintingsCave paintings– Some researchers believe that Some researchers believe that

the images animate when the images animate when shown with flickering torch shown with flickering torch light!light!

• 3000BC - Egyptians 3000BC - Egyptians – First lensesFirst lenses

• 3000BC – Asian shadow play3000BC – Asian shadow play• ~450BC – Mo Tzu~450BC – Mo Tzu

– Pinhole projection onto screenPinhole projection onto screen• ~300BC – Euclid~300BC – Euclid

– Writes Writes The OpticsThe Optics• 200AD in China or 200AD in China or

1515 – Da Vinci1515 – Da Vinci– Magic lantern projector?Magic lantern projector? From http://www.precinemahistory.net


Early History Cont’d…Early History Cont’d…

• 1671 – Kircher1671 – Kircher– Magic lanternMagic lantern– A later A later exampleexample

• 1674 – de Chales1674 – de Chales– Successive glass Successive glass

slidesslides

• 1830s -Stroboscope1830s -Stroboscope

• 1838 – Wheatstone1838 – Wheatstone– Stereo viewerStereo viewer

From http://www.precinemahistory.net

http://www.galanteeshow.be/laternad.html



• 1860s – zoetrope1860s – zoetrope• 1879 –1879 –

– ZoopraxiscopeZoopraxiscope• Painted images on discPainted images on disc

• MoviesMovies– 1888 – first movie1888 – first movie– 1895: Skladanowsky – 1895: Skladanowsky –

BioscopBioscop– 1895: Lumiere –1895: Lumiere –

CinematographeCinematographe– 1896: Edison – 1896: Edison –

VitascopeVitascope– 1902 – special effects1902 – special effects

• A Trip to the Moon A Trip to the Moon – start 8:38start 8:38

From http://www.precinemahistory.net

http://www.precinemahistory.net/1895.htm



• 1916 – Pratt1916 – Pratt– Head-mounted Head-mounted

periscope display periscope display and gunand gun

– Augmented reality Augmented reality precursorprecursor



• 1929 – Link1929 – Link– Mechanical flight Mechanical flight

simulatorsimulator



• 1956 – Heilig1956 – Heilig– SensoramaSensorama

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSINEBZNCksv=vSINEBZNCks

– Multimodal display Multimodal display of a motorcycle ride of a motorcycle ride through Brooklynthrough Brooklyn• SightSight• SoundSound• SmellSmell• VibrationVibration

– 1957 HMD patent1957 HMD patent



• 1961 – Philco1961 – Philco– Telepresence with a Telepresence with a

HMDHMD• Remote cameraRemote camera

– Magnetic head Magnetic head trackertracker

– Single CRTSingle CRT


Birth of Modern VRBirth of Modern VR

• 1963 – Sutherland1963 – Sutherland– Interactive graphicsInteractive graphics– SketchpadSketchpad

• 1965 1965 – – Ultimate display paperUltimate display paper

• 19681968– A Head-mounted Three-A Head-mounted Three-

Dimensional DisplayDimensional Display

• 1970 – Krueger 1970 – Krueger – Videoplace - movieVideoplace - movie

• 1974 – Jim Clark1974 – Jim Clark– Ph.D. on HMD’sPh.D. on HMD’s


The Next WaveThe Next Wave

• 1980’s – Scott 1980’s – Scott Fisher (NASA-Fisher (NASA-Ames)Ames)– VIEW project –VIEW project –– movies – start movies – start

2:052:05

• 1980’s – Jaron 1980’s – Jaron LanierLanier– ““Virtual Reality”Virtual Reality”

• Tom FurnessTom Furness– Super cockpitSuper cockpit


More displaysMore displays

• 90s - Fakespace 90s - Fakespace boomboom– High resolutionHigh resolution– ergonomicergonomic


Force-feedback InterfacesForce-feedback Interfaces

Haptic Display Grope III

© Fred Brooks, University of North Carolina

The Force-Feedback Project, which began in 1967, first focused on the development of a system to support scientific visualization in the area of molecular docking, the Docker application. This application provides graphic (wire-frame) representations of molecules and their inter-atomic forces to allow a user to adjust the relative position and orientation of molecules while searching for minimum energy binding sites. A series of systems have been developed, evolving from a 2-D system, through a 3-D system and a 6-D system for a simple docking task, to a full 6-D molecular docking system called GROPE-III. These later systems have employed a modified Model E-3 Argonne Remote Manipulator (ARM).


GlovesGloves

• 1977 – Sayre1977 – Sayre– Light tube Light tube

attenuation to attenuation to measure bendmeasure bend

• 1981 – Grimes 1981 – Grimes (Bell)(Bell)– Bend, tactile sensorsBend, tactile sensors

• 1984 – VPL1984 – VPL– VPL DataGloveVPL DataGlove

• 1993 Utah/MIT 1993 Utah/MIT – Dextrous Hand Dextrous Hand

Master (Hollerbach)Master (Hollerbach)Dextrous Hand Master, Exos


CAVE displaysCAVE displays

• 1992 – EVL1992 – EVL– Users in a projected Users in a projected

roomroom– CAVE movieCAVE movie


CAVE displaysCAVE displays

CyberSphere (1998)The scientists Eyre and Eureka in VR-Systems UK have been researching a CyberSphere, a device, which consists of a large, translucent sphere containing the user. The images are distortion-corrected and then projected on the surface of the sphere, allowing the user a full 360 degree field of view. It also allows the user to move around in the world, by walking inside the ball, which will move in response to the users movements.

Movie

© VR-Systems, United Kingdom


CompaniesCompanies

• 1984 – VPL1984 – VPL• 1987 – Polhemus1987 – Polhemus• 1989 – Division1989 – Division

– Bought tech from UNC-CHBought tech from UNC-CH

• 1989 – Mattel1989 – Mattel– Nintendo powergloveNintendo powerglove

• 1990 – W1990 – W– VR arcadeVR arcade


Current CompaniesCurrent Companies

• SensicsSensics• IntersenseIntersense• RaytheonRaytheon• NintendoNintendo• Track-IRTrack-IR


SummarySummary

• Entertainment has often driven Entertainment has often driven “immersive” advances“immersive” advances

• The dream of a VR space has a long The dream of a VR space has a long historyhistory

• High-quality elements of VR are now High-quality elements of VR are now consumer productsconsumer products

Documents

CS6360 – Virtual Reality David Johnson Virtual Reality History