From: broehl@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Bernie Roehl)
Subject: Re: APP: Architecture
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 1992 20:08:46 GMT
Message-ID: <1992Feb6.200846.21452@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
Organization: University of Waterloo



In article <1992Feb4.072610.18263@milton.u.washington.edu> HEETER@msu.edu 
(Carrie.Heeter) writes:

>APP: How to Design a "VR-Ready" Building
>
>I received a call from an architect today whose company has been commissioned
>to built a data center.  They break ground in approximately 4 months.  One
>criteria for the design is that he is supposed to create a "VR-Ready" building
>which will be able to accomodate virtual reality in the future.  Anyone have
>any advice?

This may sound far-fetched, but a "VR-Ready" building may be no (physical)
building at all.

Given even modest improvements in bandwidth, much of what is accomplished now
by moving people around in automobiles and buses could best be done by having
them meet with each other in VR itself.  There'll still be times when face-to-
face meetings will make sense, but I suspect a lot of companies may choose to
just rent meeting space as needed on an occasional basis rather than spend
extra money on a building.

The idea of people commuting into work in order to immerse themselves in VR
seems silly to me; I have visions of row upon row of identical cubicles, each
with one person wearing an HMD and glove and communicating with all the others.

Why not just let them leave their bodies at home inside of lugging them into
the "office"?

If your architects are determined to create a space to do VR in, my suggestions
would be:

      - lots of empty floor space; no pillars or internal barricades that
        can't easily be removed

      - lots of cable runs, so there's room to add as much cable as needed

      - provision for connecting the building's data systems to the outside
        world cheaply and easily

>Carrie Heeter
>VR Coordinator
>Michigan State University

-- 
	Bernie Roehl, University of Waterloo Electrical Engineering Dept
	Mail: broehl@sunee.waterloo.edu OR broehl@sunee.UWaterloo.ca
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