CS6360 – Virtual Reality

Instructor: David Johnson

dejohnso@cs.utah.edu

Computing Paradigms

• What is the overall computing theme for– Windows GUI– Unix– Google docs

• VR?

Virtual Reality Goal• Take human senses

– Sight– Sound– Touch– Taste– Smell– Proprioception

• Replace them with computer generated data• Create sense of immersion

Lawnmower Man start at 2:38

Virtual Reality Research• Improving the quality of computer generated worlds

through better– Tracking

• Accuracy• Latency

– Real-time computer graphics– Displays (HMD, tiled wall, etc)– Sound rendering– Collision and response– Force feedback

• Finding new ways for people to interact with these worlds– Interfaces for 3D (GUIs)– Devices

Course Topics

• Virtual Reality– Using VR equipment– Mathematical background– Software background– Simulation– Graphics– Historical development– Human factors

My Interests

• Geometric algorithms and their applications

• Dissertation on force-feedback interfaces– Leads to a larger interest in VR

• Recent problem areas are symbolic solvers, path planning, and algorithms for biology.

Haptics Research Geometric Design and Computation (GDC) Group

Geometric Foundations

Haptic rendering of spline models

Manipulation of trimmed CAD models

Spline model-model haptics

Six DOF haptics for polygonal models

Haptics Applications

Virtual Prototyping

Mechanical Part Accessibility

Haptic Paint

Molecular Activities Geometric Design and Computation (GDC) Group

Tangible Models

• Articulated protein backbone model

• DNA with magnetic bonds

Computer Simulation

• Haptics– Use force-feedback to feel accessibility

• Computer Path Planning– Efficient search in high-dimensional spaces– Local methods with critical point analysis

Symbolic Constraint Solvers Geometric Design and Computation (GDC) Group

Spline-based Polygonal-BasedHierarchical Normal Cones

Silhouettes Shadows

Local minimum distances

Error-bounded Constraint Space Sampling

Future: Develop approaches for high-dimensional spaces with applications in path-planning and molecular Future: Develop approaches for high-dimensional spaces with applications in path-planning and molecular simulationsimulation

Robust tracking of closest points using a higher-dimensional symbolic formulation

Intersection curve evolution for deformable models

Offset surfaces

Bisector surfaces Max clearance paths

Path Planning with Constraints

Reverse Engineering Geometric Design and Computation (GDC) Group

Improved Data Acquisition MERGE - a VR environment for reverse engineering

Agent-based text extraction (with T. Henderson)

3D Data

Legacy Drawing

Virtual 3D Artifact

Laser range data smoothing, hole filling, and surface fitting

Combine drawings, laser data, features, and derived models to reverse engineer parts and assemblies

Vision–based part fixturing for CMM probing

Office

• 2875 WEB ph# 585-1726

bridge

MeThis class (down one level)

WEB

Lab• 2172 MEB - will need to get card access

MEB 2nd Floor

2172

What is in the lab

• Trackers– Polhemus– Ultrasound

• Haptic devices• Projectors• HMD (when needed)

Syllabus

• Check class web page for updates– www.cs.utah.edu/classes/cs6360– Lecture slides in

• www.cs.utah.edu/classes/cs6360/Lectures

Introduce yourself

• Name

• Background (where from, department, etc)

• What are your interests?

• What has been your exposure to VR?