From: frerichs@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (David J Frerichs)
Subject: Re: Virtual Reality, Helmets, and Gloves
Date: 4 Apr 91 00:30:22 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana



In article <1991Apr3.231354.27540@milton.u.washington.edu> esz001@cck.
coventry.ac.uk (Will Overington) writes:
>
>My reason for asking is that it would seem possible to be able to
>get a lot of work done without helmets and just using a PC as
>the picture producing device. Maybe one could still use a glove,
>or maybe this could be an option.

>Will Overington

I think that the most important aspect of VR (IMHO), complete replacement
of a sensory modality, visual in this case, is missing in a non-helmet/boom
system.  (I am assuming he is speaking of just using the screen of the PC
as a mono visual system or using some sort of LCD shutter system.)  If you
are simply looking to visualize objects and datasets in 3d, this appoach
would be sufficient, but floating an object in space in front of your monitor
is not creating a virtual-world, even if it is interactive.  You achieve no
sense of what I like to call "being there."  The world beyond your 3d
rep is intruding onto your vision... there is no possiblility of tranfering
your awareness into the dataset.  On the other hand, with a goggle-type
display, all you see is the computer generated world, and it is very hard
NOT to get a feeling of inclusion.  Even with very limited systems, as long
as your vision is totally replaced, "being there" is almost inevitable.

[please note: for all of you who are about to flame me for saying that, this
 is from personal experience, so for me at least, this is true.            ]

In summary: Non-inclusive systems are good for a certain realm of tasks,
            but for Virtual World generation, inclusion is a must.

[dfRERICHS
 University of Illinois, Urbana         Designing systems that work...
 Dept. of Computer Engineering          Consumer VR. Networked VR.
 IEEE/SigGraph                            _    _    _
 frerichs@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu              _/_\__/_\__/_\_
 frerichs@well.sf.ca.us                  \_/  \_/  \_/                     ]