Gizmodo: Virtual reality

3D Force Field Opens Door for Holodeck, Virtual Touchable Leia

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EDT

Here's the video of the Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display, one of those technologies that will probably change entertainment forever: A high-fidelity 3D force field on the air that allows you to actually touch virtual objects with your bare hands. Initially, this technology could find its way into virtual keyboards, but in the future—as the size and resolution increases—there are endless possibilities. And with "endless possibilities" I really mean "virtual sex." Don't believe me? See what the developer has to say about it:

This tactile display enables tactile feedback superimposed over 3D graphics projected in free space, which provides more intuitive handling of 3D "touchable" graphics. For example, users could touch Princess Leia projected in the air.

...

Again:

This tactile display enables tactile feedback superimposed over 3D graphics projected in free space, which provides more intuitive handling of 3D "touchable" graphics. For example, users could touch Princess Leia projected in the air.

...

Yes. Users can touch Princess Leia projected in the air. In her metal bikini. Oiled. OK, that's just me, but you get the idea.

How is this force field produced? The Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display uses multiple ultrasound transducers to project waves into the air. Without gloves or attachments, and without risk of penetration in the body, the device takes advantage of a nonlinear ultrasound phenomena called acoustic radiation pressure. This allows for the creation of spatial shapes of acoustic ultrasound radiation pressure, which is what gives you the sensation of touching Princess Leia's breasts for real, even feeling the nature of the material: The authors of the device say that eventually you will be able to "probe the surface of an object to measure the visc-oelastic properties of the object from a distant point." Paraphrasing Hank Moody, I think I got my manhood back and got hungry at the same time.

This version produces a 3D force field "that is sufficient for handling virtual objects with hands. The force field designed to be effective within a 30 cm3 region, with 10 gf, 1 kHz bandwidth, and 1cm spatial resolution." Holodeck, here we go. [University of Tokyo]

UCSD's StarCAVE Is a Real 3D Super-High-Def Danger Room

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EDT

UC at San Diego has the closest thing to an X-Men-style Danger Room in its new StarCAVE, a small room that entirely surrounds you, hurtling 68 million pixels at your eyeballs at near-perfect resolution. Pop on polarized glasses and the whole thing goes 3D. Grasping a wireless "wand," you can walk through tall buildings, fly over cities, pick apart tiny cell structures or embrace entire galaxies. All the while pretending to do actual academic research, of course. Here's how to build your own for under $1 million:

The room—the third and by far best generation of the "Cave Automated Virtual Environment" pioneered in Chicago in the early 1990s—is pentagon shaped. Each wall has three panels, the top and bottom of which are angled 15 degrees inward for an immersive (and slightly Roddenberry-esque) experience. Each individual panel gets two of its own 2K-resolution (2048 x 1536) projectors, providing a discrete experience for each eye when viewing in 3D. Even the floor gets a pair of projectors. The effect is a better-than-HD view—the equivalent of 20/40 vision—anywhere you turn.

Previous generations of VR CAVE used those powered shutter glasses for 3D; the StarCAVE is the first to let you use the basic lightweight polarized glasses to add that more enjoyable, natural-feeling third dimension.

Lest you were worried about an appropriately complementary sound system, fear not. There are three five-speaker arrays hidden behind the panels for all kinds of surround-sound configurations, and there's a subwoofer built into the floor, too.

As you may have guessed, each panel gets its own serious processing muscle: a quad-core Linux-based PC with dual Nvidia GPUs and gigabit ethernet (in some cases 10-gigabit). Besides the higher resolution, it's the networking that makes this the most powerful VR room in existence—it ain't real unless you can tie it all together.

The room was designed to be earthquake proof, but also wheel-chair accessible. (Hear that, Dr. Hawking?) The entrance itself is hidden: One of the walls, including six projectors and three computers, rolls aside so that users can get in and out. As I mentioned, the crazy thing is that the StarCAVE cost less than $1 million to build. I am assuming that doesn't include the grad-student slave labor. (Don't worry, kids, if this kind of thing takes off, you'll all be rich soon enough.)

I can guess what you, dear Gizmodo reader, would use the StarCAVE for (Halo? Spore? WoW? Tiger Woods Golf?) but what the UCSD people are up to is a tad more educational. As you can see in the gallery (complete with UCSD's helpful captions), applications for visual research in biology, archaeology, structural engineering and architecture are already underway at the StarCAVE. Our hope is to pop by and burn some of this amazingness into our retinas, maybe plug in something a little less edutaining and more entertaining while we're at it. Regardless, if you currently go to UCSD, you are a lucky bastard.

Note: Photos taken in 2D mode so that that they didn't look like double-vision. Obviously, normal 3D view would look a tad different. [UCSD; Also PhysOrg.com via KurzweilAI.net]

Scientists Say Virtual Imaging Colonoscopy As Good As Real Thing, With Less Probing

Kit Eaton — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:59:00 EDT

According to the results of a new study, a virtual-reality 3D-graphic colonoscopy is about as good as the real thing for screening for colon cancer. The virtual procedure is made by image processing the results of an abdominal CT scan, then a doctor views the results in a sort of first-person-shooter "fly through" of the patient's inner tubes, looking for abnormalities to ~~shoot~~ examine. The graphical technology is of course less invasive *ahem*, more convenient and preferred by patients...though it'll likely come down to a dollars-based calculation before you start seeing this in your local medical facility. [Medgadgets]

Iowa State Researchers Turn UAVs into Virtual Reality Simulator

Jack Loftus — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Iowa State University researchers further blurred the line between wartime operations and video games this week when they revealed a "next generation control interface" for military UAVs. The $4.2 million system, currently under development at the university's Virtual Reality Applications Center, will provide ground control UAV stations with views of the drones, the surrounding terrain, and overall battlefield. If the program sees complete success, it will allow a single operator to control multiple UAVs, and monitor each of their on-board instruments, cameras and, naturally, weapons. The system does this using a combination of eye-tracking, voice control and interactive large screen displays—in other words, the kind of rig many uber geeks already use to play an online FPS.

VRAC officials have seen early success with the program thanks, in part, to the ass-backwards approach they've taken to remote UAV control:

This approach inverts the typical paradigm for conveying information to UAV jockeys, according to VRAC. Because rather than augmenting the real-time camera picture with sensor generated information, the new interface works more like a virtual operating theater-one that's constantly fed by a myriad array of spatial and temporal information sources.

"We're also developing and measuring the effectiveness of new human interface techniques, which will enable operators to effectively control multiple, semi-autonomous aircraft," said research director Dr. James Oliver. "Already, up to 230 persons can be interfaced to participate in the system simultaneously."

Again, that sounds like a kick ass LAN party to me. A deadly LAN party, that is. [CNET]

VR Treadmill Makes Running Indoors Feel Like Running Outdoors

Adam Frucci — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:20:00 EDT

This extremely fancy treadmill puts in a whole lot of effort to make you feel like you're running outside when you, in actuality, aren't. While it'd be easy to cynically joke about how people hate the sun so much that they're devising ways to pretend to run outside, this is clearly designed for physical therapy in hospitals. But really, what makes me interested in it is the potential to put something completely different up on that screen. Like a video game.

Why not allow people to jog through, say, the underwater city of Rapture from BioShock? Sure, a country dirt road in the summertime might be nice, but when you can put anything at all up there you might as well think outside the box. And if you can make running on a treadmill feel like a video game, maybe, just maybe you'll be able to get a whole new group of people into exercising. And that wouldn't be something even the biggest cynics could make fun of. Much. [New Launches via Ubergizmos]

Cyber Figure Alice Creates Interactive Virtual Peepshow Right On Your Desk

Jack Loftus — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EDT

If the PlayStation 3's Eye of Judgment ever got drunk and made some bad decisions in Tokyo's nefarious Kabukicho district, the resulting offspring would probably resemble this Cyber-Maid Augmented Reality device from Geisha Tokyo Entertainment. The "Dennoh Figure ARis" (Cyber Figure Alice), on sale this fall, will come with all manner up alternate reality upskirts, strip teases and "augmented" promiscuity. And yes, because you asked, it comes with a virtual poker.

Alice comes with two marked cubes and two similarly marked sticks. Using a webcam to track the cubes and sticks, the software displays your personal maid onscreen. You can then use the sticks to, well, this is perhaps best said in pictures.
[Geisha Tokyo Entertainment via Asiajin]

Virtual Fitting Room Turns You Into An Online Paper Doll

Elaine Chow — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:30:00 EDT

The one thing I never buy on the Internet anymore is clothing, after realizing for the umpteenth time that the dress that looked great on the 6 foot, 100lb model doesn't quite hang the same on me. But Japan-based Aveilan Company's virtual fitting room technology might make me give Internet clothes shopping another chance.

Aveilan's Awesaba is a program that lets you create an online mannequin of yourself. To use it, you upload a photograph of yourself in a specific pose - face forward, standing straight, with your arms at your sides a little out from your body. You then have a virtual you to click and drag clothes onto.

The company sells Awesaba to online merchants, who then provide the service free to their customers. As with all things that would make my life a lot easier, it's Japan only right now. Maybe by the time they get version 2.0, complete with 3D modeling and a style adviser who'll tell you not to match that hat with those shoes, we'll have finally jumped on Awesaba in the U.S. [Popgadget]

FrogConcept Facemask Makes Any Dystopian Future a Happy Funtime Land

Jack Loftus — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT

When the future goes to crap in the next 10 years or so, and anarchy rules as humanity falls into a deep, dark pit of despair, this alternate reality mask concept from Frog Design will be there to soften the blow. Invoking mental images of cowed sheep, Aldous Huxley's soma and even the Matrix, Frog Designs describes its FrogConcept mask as an escape for the doomed people of the future, complete with a "re-skinned" reality.

The visual design casts the mask as a lifestyle product of the future, as it plays with a glaring, exaggerated coolness of the wearer. It gives an almost robotic appearance, and suggests a diversion from what we define today as "normal" physical human interaction.
Within the mask, smells, sounds, even air quality would be imitated to create a full sensory experience. The facial expressions of those wearing the device would be detected and projected onto personal avatars visible to others also living behind the shield of the mask.

I don't know about you guys, but I've been wearing my own version of this "next-gen" technology for a while now. It's called beer goggles, courtesy of my good friend Sam Adams, and it's been turning the bar scene into a beauty pageant for the past seven years. [Frog Design via Boing Boing]

3D-Sensing Cameras Bring Second Life One Step Closer To The Metaverse

Elaine Chow — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Those of you who have always wanted to move around Second Life while actually moving around may be in luck. Linden Lab Chair Mitchell Kapor has teamed up with 3DV Systems to show the Zcam, an inexpensive video camera that can judge when you're leaning forward and backwards. No news yet on whether it can also sense when you're thrusting — sorry, Second Life sex fans.

The camera works by translating hand and body motions into an avatar's movements in Second Life. Tip a bit forward and the avatar will walk, tip faster and the avatar will run, tip too fast and you'll fall down (presumably). The included demo also shows the camera translating various movements into jumping, flying and landing "gracefully."

Low-priced 3D cameras, such as the Zcam, will not only make playing Second Life more immersive than other peripherals out there , it'll also completely rethink human-computer interactions, Kapor said.

Well, we'll see about that. All I know is, if years from now I'm suddenly standing in a Los Angeles parking lot half naked and swinging away at things with my katana thanks to a particularly crazy bar fight in a virtual reality world - I'll know who to blame. [New York Times]

Xdream Fitness Bike: Ride Outdoors Without All of That Pesky Fresh Air

Sean Fallon — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:30:01 EDT

According to the manufacturer, the Xdream is the "first indoor fitness product that accurately simulates the experience of riding outdoors." Basically, the bike thrusts you into a virtual world via the attached computer screen. As you ride, the full experience on the screen is translated to the equipment—right down to the track surfaces and conditions. Plus, it utilizes a full range of muscles in the upper body and lower body, which makes for a more complete workout. Pricing isn't advertised, but expect it to set you back many thousands of dollars. Alternatively, you could grab a bike and actually go outside. [Xdream]

Toyota's Highly Advanced Driving Simulator, in Video

Mark Wilson — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:00:11 EST

A week ago we told you about Toyota's new driving simulator and now we've gotten our hands on some sweet video. Labeled one of the world's most realistic virtual driving environments, we'd love to load the new Forza into the simulator's 23-foot dome that moves over 6,000 square feet. Something tells us that Toyota doesn't share our interest. Or our taste in music. [carscoop]

Flight Sim + Vuzix VR920 Virtual Reality Goggles = Airsick Fun

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:35:53 EDT

Microsoft Flight Simulator X just got cooler: when you strap the $400 Vuzix VR920 headest on and look around, the camera follows your movements. The goggles show you an interactive 3D cockpit, while onscreen, onlookers see a 2D version. Vuzix (which was called Icuiti until a week or so ago) will soon launch an A/V version for $350 which connects to DVD players, phones or anything else with a composite video out. Video by Nick McGlynn [Vuzix]

Omnidirectional Treadmill to Allow for Immersive Virtual Reality, Finally

Adam Frucci — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:40:00 EDT

The problem with all the crappy "virtual reality" equipment that's been out there for so long is that you're always stuck standing in place as you "virtually" move around an environment. If you really want to feel immersed in something, you need to be able to walk around it as you walk around a real environment. Well, this omnidirectional treadmill will allow you to do just that. Created by Virtual Space Devices, Inc., which has one of the crappiest websites I've ever seen for a "high tech" company, it's been developed over the last 10 years for the US Army. Get this shit into arcades, stat! [Virtual Space Devices via New Launches]

Going Nowhere Fast: Virtual Reality Walking Shoes

Charlie White — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:40:00 EDT

Virtual reality may seem dead, but apparently it's only sleeping, because some researchers are busy creating a mechanical wardrobe for their virtual adventures. What shoes to wear when you go onto the holodeck? Reminding us of those convertible roller-skate shoes kids wear, these kicks have wheels on board, but these are computer controlled. A microcosm of everyday life, every time you take a step forward, this mechanism rolls you back whence you came.

Add to that a goofy head-mounted display, and you're completely tricked into thinking you're walking around while you're really just standing still. But it looks like this test subject was not exactly standing in one place in this cumbersome getup, nearly taking out a tripod or two in this demo. Perhaps this needs a bit more development before it's ready for prime time. – Charlie White

Virtual Reality Walking Shoes [Fresh Creation]

Trimension Virtual Reality Reviewed [Verdict: As Expected, It's Crap]

www.gizmodo.com — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:20:07 EDT

The IGN folks have got their stinking ape paws all over the Trimersion Virtual Reality kit for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC, and, not surprisingly, they say it is absolutely craptastic.

The bulky head-mounted unit, which weighs 1.2 pounds and has a pair of 1-inch 320 x 240 pixel LCD panels, makes you look like a dork while tracking your movements like any other VR system. However, the Trimersion has to work with current first person games that are not designed for VR, and therefore uses head motion to aim. The result: your head becomes the joystick, rather than using the included gun to point and shoot, independently of where you are looking at.

IGN says that "if you've ever wanted to know what it would be like to be a drunken Space Marine, this is it." Well, since I feel like that on a regular basis, I think I'll pass on spending $299 on it and instead spend that money on rum. One image of the complete kit after the jump.

–Jesus Diaz

Trimersion Virtual Reality Review [IGN]

Trimersion Virtual Reality Wireless Gun Controller: Look Like a Dork 24/7

Gizloco — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:32:40 EDT

CES is just about two months away, so that means we can expect to see some fairly wonky products come out of the woodwork, like the Trimersion. I'll give you a minute to stare at the potent animated GIF advertising straight out of 1997.

Wasn't that exciting? Billed as some sort of Omega controller, the Trimersion combines virtual reality glasses, a gun and wireless, um, awesomeness. Oh, and it's $395. Which is, you know, a lot. Just let the GIF take you to your happy place. Weird gadgets like the Trimersion might make you want to stay there for a while. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Page [Trimersion]

Remote Flying with VR Goggles and a Camera

Charlie White — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 11:52:37 EDT

Here's a remarkable video shot from the cockpit of a radio-controlled airplane. The camera's video is transmitted to the flyer on the ground below, who's wearing VR goggles. When he moves his head, the remote camera's pans and tilts correspond exactly to his movements. The result is a extraordinary feeling of actually being in the plane. Shouldn't all R/C airplanes be made this way? – Charlie White

A new way to control R/C planes! [Digg]

CYBEX Trazer: Virtual Reality Games, Costs As Much As a Pony

Mark Wilson — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 13:24:33 EDT

The Trazer is a "virtual reality" exercise machine by Cybex. The user wears an infrared belt, or "beacon", which tracks movement and mimics it on-screen in one of Trazer's 20 proprietary games. Yes, we said "proprietary". Instead of opening the technology to support real games, you are stuck with some Lawnmower Man-looking 3D titles. In the end, you are paying for what looks to be a basic PC with a basic infrared peripheral. The idea is sound, but we'd rather spend the $6,495 on a pony.– Mark Wilson

Product Page [via Born Rich]

Virtual Reality Used To Help Treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Jason Chen — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:15:41 EDT

The Virtual Reality Medical center in San Diego just got $4 million from Naval Research to improve their VR systems to help treat soldiers who are returning from battle with PTSD. How does VR work to treat PTSD? Doctors and psychologists set up a situation where the soldier is back in battle, in this case, Iraq. They then try to give soldiers the opportunity to experience some traumatic situations again, but this time, helping them explore their emotions and work through their psychological stress.

The aim is to get patients to draw on their meditation training to regain perspective—and stay calm—when a stimulus causes an emotional response. "The idea being to be in the high-stimulus environment for a long period of time, maintaining low psycho-physiological arousal," Wood says. "The person then can take that learning in the therapeutic environment and transport it out or generalize it to day-to-day life."

Other groups such as one at the University of Washington and one at USC, who are working with a modified version of the game Full Spectrum Warrior to help PTSD sufferers, have also benefitted from the $4 million grant. – Jason Chen

A Dose of Virtual Reality [Business Week via Medgadget]

Real, Virtual Reality Roller Shoes ... Huh?

Travis Hudson — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:36:21 EDT

The "powered shoes" are virtual reality assistants that were developed by Hiroo Iwata, Hiroshi Tomioka and Hiroaki Yano in Japan. The shoes—or hippie sandals as they appear—have motorized rollers built into the base. As you take steps, a computer strapped to your back will make the rollers on the bottom of the sandals roll the opposite direction canceling out your steps. So it is like really walking in place or being on a mobile treadmill. Get it?

The fun doesn't end there. The computer is also connected to a virtual reality helmet worn by the participant. So little to no room is needed to truly experience a virtual reality world where you can walk around anywhere. It is obvious that the virtual reality doesn't offer fashion tips, though. Socks with sandals? Bleh! The powered shoes will be on display at SIGGRAPH 2006 in Boston later this month. Check out the video here. – Travis Hudson

Powered shoes — perfect for a virtual stroll [NewScientistTech]

Virtual Reality with 100 Million Pixels

Charlie White — Thu, 11 May 2006 13:03:38 EDT

You've heard of virtual reality, but not like this: a $4 million 10-foot by 10-foot room that surrounds you on all six sides (four walls, ceiling and floor) with 100 million pixels, more than any virtual reality room in the world.

Iowa State University's facility, called C6, was already quite a virtual reality showplace, but when it's updated this summer with an HP computer with 96 GPUs and 24 Sony digital projectors, it will have 16 times the pixels it had before. University officials say the system will be used for research and learning, but we think they'll use it to have a little fun, too.

The Most Realistic Virtual Reality Room In The World [ScienceDaily]