January 2016 NTU Libraries presents What Is Virtual Reality Mashable Explains in this video A little bit of history VR is not really new Interest was high during the 80s and early 90s when the consumer PC took off However the computer hardware and software technologies then were ID: 722954
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Slide1
An Introduction to Virtual Reality (VR)
January 2016NTU Libraries presentsSlide2
What Is Virtual Reality?
Mashable Explains in this videoSlide3
A little bit of history…VR is not really new
Interest was high during the 80s and early 90s, when the consumer PC took off. However, the computer hardware and software technologies then were not good enough. VR still continued but remained niche and high-end ($$$), such as training simulators for soldiers, pilots, doctors.
Since 2012, all the stars aligned…
Computer
processing power, Memory and hard-disk space, High-end graphics, 3D technologies, Software developments, Materials technology, e.g. OLED display screens, Understanding of how human brains and senses
work, etc.Slide4
The biggest star is probably…Palmer Luckey
, who created the Oculus Rift
Said to have the world’s largest personal collection (over 50) of VR devices.
2014: Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion.
Born in 1992
.
23-year old
Developed his own prototype that was spotted
by John
Carmack
2012: Aimed to raise $250k from Kickstarter. Received $2.4 million
Opted out of collegeSlide5
Oculus Rift is now in production
On 6 January, Oculus announced the taking of pre-orders for the consumer version of the Rift (CV1). It is available at USD$599 and ships to selected countries (Singapore is not one of them yet). The first shipments will start from late March.
Along with the sale of Oculus Rift, we can
expect more and more VR content
to be made available in the next few years.
Most content available in the market now are beta (trial) versions.Slide6
Experiencing VRSlide7
What do I require to experience VR?
For VR experiences delivered from a PC (PC VR), you need a
high-end
VR
headset
(Oculus Rift, Sony’s Project Morpheus, or HTC’s Vive),
a compatible or VR-ready PC
, and headphones (optional, but recommended for a more immersive experience). You will need to download (purchase may or may not be required) the VR software application to run from the computer.For VR experiences delivered from a mobile phone (Mobile VR), you need a mobile VR headset and
earphones . You will need to download (purchase may or may not be required) the VR software apps to run from your mobile phone. Note that different mobile apps will have different (mobile phone) system requirements to run smoothly (if at all). In general, apps will run better on mobile phones with better processors, memory and graphics capabilities. Many VR apps are still at its beta (trial) stages.Slide8
Head-Mounted Device (HMD)
Takes over your visionQuality/price range from high-end (PC VR) to
low-end (mobile VR):
Oculus
Rift / Sony Morpheus / HTC Vive:
~USD350
Used with a PC (not laptop)
Samsung Gear VR: SGD299[Review from The Straits Times]Google
Cardboard: Range from USD3 to USD20+Slide9
Sony’s VR headset:
See The Straits Times (
left
,
right
) on 23 Sep 2015Slide10
Samsung Gear VR (for mobile)
Try it at Samsung Experience storesWorks with selected Samsung phonesPros: Very comfortableCons: A little expensive, and you need to have the designated phone
Content from Milk – their proprietary VR app store
Other manufacturers
in the US are also coming up with alternatives for Samsung Gear VR, but their price point is still rather high.Slide11
Baofeng Mojing III (for mobile)
Developed and made in ChinaSuitable for 4.7” to 6” smartphoneUnit Price: ~USD43.85Pros: More affordable, comfortable, suitable for various devices
From
website
: 99RMB about USD$16Slide12
Google Cardboard + Expeditions
A 20% project by David Coz from the Google Cultural Institute in Paris.See also: Google Expeditions
Manufacturing
specs publicly available
You can actually DIY, but the usual problem is finding good lenses.
Can be easily purchased online. There are many variants of Google Cardboard.Slide13
What kind of VR content is there?
The majority of VR content to be launched this year looks to be games. From these, we are likely get a better understanding of the potential of VR technologies beyond entertainment, in areas such as education, training and marketing.Here are some companies (non-games) that we know are producing or compiling VR content.
http
://www.jauntvr.com/
https://www.youvisit.com/virtual-reality
https://startwithv.com/
Some news organisations have also taken to mobile VR. Notable ones include: New York Times VR: See thisVRSE:
See thisSlide14
How are VR content produced?
At the minimum, 360-degree video capture (e.g. GoPro Odyssey) or animation is required. Special editing software (e.g. VideoStitch or
Jump Assembler
) is required to stitch the images together such
that it
will display in response to the viewer’s movements and positions. For VR environments such as games that allows additional interactivity using input controllers (e.g. a game controller), special computer programming (e.g.
Unity
) is required.
https://ozo.nokia.com
/
JUMP: http://gopro.com/spherical Slide15
Is VR safe to experience?Slide16
Is VR safe to experience?
Consumer VR is exciting new ground, so we need to tread carefully. Here are some advice from Oculus.comVR is not for children
under the age of 13. Adults should monitor children above the age of 13
.
Like
with video
games or television,
some people (1 in 4000) may experience severe dizziness, seizures, or blackouts triggered by light flashes or patterns.Slide17
Is VR safe to experience?
Take note of your environment before you experience VR. As you may be so immersed in the content, check your surroundings for physical hazards
or anything that may compromise your
personal safety
.
You are advised to
remain seated
when experiencing VR, and do not use the VR headset while in a moving vehicle such as a car, bus, or train. Slide18
Is VR safe to experience?
You are advised to “ease into the use of the headset to allow your body to adjust; use for only a few minutes at a time at first, and only increase the amount of time using the headset gradually as you grow accustomed to virtual reality.”
You
are advised to “
take at least a 10 to 15 minute break every 30 minutes
, even if you don’t think you need it
.”Slide19
Is VR safe to experience?
Stop when you experience any symptom similar to motion sickness. Some symptoms can become more apparent hours after use. Do not drive or operate machinery until you have fully recovered from any symptoms.
Pregnant women, elderly, or anyone diagnosed with visual problems should seek medical advice prior to using VR. When
in doubt,
always consult
a doctor
first.
See also: Oculus’ webpage on Health and Safety WarningsSlide20
What you can watchSlide21
VR can help to build empathyKnight Talk: Barbara E.
Allen (2013)
https://
youtu.be/TC_9suXEswY
Slide22
Watch legendary Disney animator Glen Keane draw in virtual reality
http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/11/9309727/virtual-reality-drawing-glen-keane-disney
Video
https
://
vimeo.com/138790270#t=157s
Slide23
FOVE Virtual Reality Headset: Eye Play The Piano
Projecthttps://youtu.be/--
WyN7wJ5bI
Slide24
Diplopia, a VR game to correct the “lazy eye”
https://
youtu.be/HJ4AtzQaGiw
Slide25
LA Phil's VAN Beethoven: Behind the Scenes
https://youtu.be/WiHlVPj6i-o Slide26
Video Essay: "Is technology changing storytelling?"
Video https://
vimeo.com/122948501
Slide27
What you can readSlide28
What you can read
A Brief History of Oculus
The Inside Story of Oculus Rift and How Virtual Reality Became Reality
The Inside Story of Google’ Bizarre Plunge Into VR
What
is Virtual Reality, and what role will Android play
?
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Virtual Reality
10 mind-blowing Oculus Rift experiments that reveal VR's practical potential
Microsoft HololensCubitt, Sean. (2011).
Virtual Reality. In Donsbach, W. (Ed.). International encyclopedia of communication online. Malden, MA : Wiley/Blackwell.Stein, J. (2015).
Inside the Box
. (Cover story). Time, 186(6), 40-49
.
(
2015).
Virtual Reality Adoption in Enterprise and Industrial Markets Will Be Driven by Training, Simulation, Virtual Prototyping, and 3D
Modeling
Applications, According to
Tractica
. Marketing Weekly News.Slide29
Who to follow?
Road to VR
Virtual Reality ReporterSlide30
How is the Library involved in VR?
Libraries have been curating content and providing access in various forms, physical and electronic. We see consumer VR as an emerging content form.
There
may be VR content that the Library would want to collect and provide access to for our users. In particular, we are interested to see
how VR will be used for educational, training, or research
, and the costs involved to acquire or access such content.
With the launch of affordable VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and mobile VR headsets like the Google Cardboard, the Library is also keen to understand
VR as a communication and information medium, and how this medium could affect the usage of other mediums. We are still in the process of learning more about VR technologies. Slide31
Thank you!