What are the three basic characteristics of a virtual reality system?

The three basic characteristics are: 1. Multi-sensory, which means that in addition to the visual perception of general computer technology, there are also auditory perception, force perception, tactile perception, motion perception, and even taste. Perception, olfactory perception, etc. 2. Immersion refers to the degree to which users feel that they are the protagonist in a simulated environment. An ideal simulation environment should make it difficult for users to distinguish between real and fake, allowing users to fully immerse themselves in the three-dimensional virtual environment created by the computer. 3. Interactivity refers to the degree to which users can operate objects in the simulated environment and the degree to which feedback from the environment is natural (including real-time).

The operating environment of this tutorial: Windows 7 system, Dell G3 computer.

Virtual Reality System (Virtual Reality System, referred to as VR; also translated as spiritual realm, illusion) is a high-tech technology in the field of graphics and images that has emerged in recent years. It is also called spiritual realm technology or artificial environment. Virtual reality uses computer simulation to generate a three-dimensional virtual world, providing users with simulations of vision, hearing, touch and other senses, allowing users to observe events in the three-dimensional space in real time and without restrictions, as if they were immersed in the scene. thing. In addition, the virtual reality system, also known as the virtual reality platform, is (Virtual Reality Platform, referred to as VR-Platform or VRP).

Three basic characteristics of virtual reality system

1. Multi-sensory

（ Multi-Sensory) - The so-called multi-sensory refers to that in addition to the visual perception of general computer technology, there are also auditory perception, force perception, tactile perception, motion perception, and even taste perception, smell perception, etc. The ideal virtual reality technology should have the perceptual function that all people have. Due to the limitations of related technologies, especially sensing technologies, the perceptual functions of virtual reality technology are limited to vision, hearing, force sense, touch, movement, etc.

2. Immersion

(Immersion) - also known as the sense of presence, refers to the real degree to which the user feels that he is the protagonist existing in the simulated environment. The ideal simulation environment should make it difficult for users to distinguish between real and fake, allowing users to fully immerse themselves in the three-dimensional virtual environment created by the computer. Everything in this environment looks real, sounds real, moves real, and even Everything smells, tastes, and feels real, just like it would in the real world.

3. Interactivity

(Interactivity) - refers to the degree to which the user can operate the objects in the simulated environment and from the environment How natural (including real-time) feedback is. For example, users can directly grab virtual objects in the simulated environment with their hands. At this time, the hands have the feeling of holding something and can feel the weight of the object. The grabbed objects in the field of view can also move immediately with the movement of the hand.

Classification of virtual reality systems

In practical applications, we classify " Depending on the degree of "immersion" and the degree of interaction, four typical types are divided: immersive virtual reality system, desktop virtual reality system, augmented virtual reality system, and distributed virtual reality system.

Among them, the desktop virtual reality system is widely used in practical applications due to its very simple technology, strong practicability, and low investment cost.

1. Immersive Virtual Reality System

Immersive VR system (Immersive VR) is an advanced and ideal virtual reality system. It provides a completely immersive experience, making users feel as if they are in the real world. The feeling of being in the world. It usually uses equipment such as cave-type stereoscopic display devices or helmet-mounted displays to first seal off the user's vision, hearing and other senses, and provide a new, virtual sensory space, using spatial position trackers, data gloves, and three-dimensional mice. and other input devices and visual, auditory and other devices, allowing users to have a feeling of being on the scene, fully involved and immersed in it.

2. Desktop virtual reality system

Desktop VR system (Desktop VR), also known as window virtual reality system, uses equipment such as personal computers or primary graphics workstations to use the computer screen as a window for users to observe the virtual world, using three-dimensional graphics, natural interaction, etc. technology, generates interactive scenes in three-dimensional space, and controls the virtual world through various input devices including keyboard, mouse, and torque ball to realize interaction with the virtual world.

Desktop virtual reality systems generally require participants to use spatial position trackers and other input devices (such as data gloves and 6-degree-of-freedom three-dimensional space mice), so that although the user is sitting in front of the monitor, they can observe through the computer screen A virtual world within 360°. In a desktop virtual reality system, the computer screen is a window for users to observe the virtual world. With the help of some virtual reality tool software, participants can make various designs during the simulation process.

The hardware devices used are mainly stereoscopic glasses and some interactive devices (such as data gloves and spatial tracking devices, etc.). Stereoscopic glasses are used to view the stereoscopic effect of virtual three-dimensional scenes on a computer screen. The stereoscopic vision it brings can give users a certain degree of immersion. Sometimes in order to enhance the effect of the desktop virtual reality system, professional projection equipment can also be used in the desktop virtual reality system to increase the screen range and allow multiple people to watch.

Desktop virtual reality systems use less equipment and have low implementation costs. For developers and users, applying desktop virtual reality technology is the initial stage of virtual reality research.

3. Augmented virtual reality system (immersive virtual reality system)

In the immersive virtual reality system, the human sense of immersion is emphasized, that is, immersion in the virtual world In , the virtual world that people live in is isolated from the real world, and they cannot see or hear the real world. The augmented virtual reality system (Augmented VR) allows users to see both the real world and virtual objects superimposed on the real world. It is a system that combines the real environment and the virtual environment. It can reduce the cost of constructing a complex real environment (because part of the real environment is replaced by a virtual environment), and can operate on actual objects (because some objects are real environments), truly achieving a realm of both reality and fantasy. In augmented virtual reality systems, the information provided by virtual objects is often deep information that users cannot directly perceive with their own sensory organs. Users can use the information provided by virtual objects to enhance cognition in the real world.

The augmented virtual reality system can add virtual objects to the real environment. For example, in interior design, you can add decorative materials to doors and windows, change various styles, colors, etc. to review the final effect. achieve the purpose of augmented reality.

Common augmented virtual reality systems include: systems based on desktop graphics displays, systems based on monocular displays (one eye sees the virtual world on the display screen, and the other eye sees the real world), Systems based on optical see-through helmet-mounted displays and video see-through helmet-mounted displays.

Currently, augmented reality systems are commonly used in medical visualization, military aircraft navigation, equipment maintenance and repair, entertainment, restoration of cultural relics, etc. A typical example is when a doctor wears a see-through helmet-mounted display during virtual surgery. He can see not only the situation at the surgery site, but also various information needed during the surgery.

4. Distributed virtual reality system

In recent years, the simultaneous development and mutual promotion of computer and communication technologies have become the main features of the rapid development of information technology and industry around the world. . In particular, the rapid rise of network technology has caused essential changes in the depth and breadth of information application systems. Distributed VR systems are a typical example. The distributed virtual reality system is the product of the development and combination of virtual reality technology and network technology. It is a system in the virtual world of the network where multiple users or multiple virtual worlds located in different physical locations are connected through the network to share information.

The goal of the distributed virtual reality system is to connect multiple users or multiple virtual worlds distributed in different geographical locations through the network based on the "immersive" virtual reality system, so that everyone can Several users participate in a virtual space at the same time, and the computer interacts with other users through the network to experience virtual experiences together to achieve the purpose of collaborative work. It elevates the application of virtual reality to a higher level.

There are two reasons why the virtual reality system runs under a distributed system: on the one hand, it makes full use of the powerful computing power provided by the distributed computer system; on the other hand, some applications themselves have distributed characteristics, such as multi-person Games and virtual war simulations are conducted over the Internet.

Application of virtual reality system:

Urban planning

Urban planning has always been one of the fields with the most urgent need for new visualization technology. Virtual reality technology can be widely used in all aspects of urban planning and brings tangible and considerable benefits: Display of planning solutions virtual reality system The immersion and interactivity can not only bring a strong and realistic sensory impact to users and obtain an immersive experience, but also can obtain project data at any time in a real-time virtual environment through its data interface, which facilitates large and complex engineering projects. The planning, design, bidding, approval and management are conducive to the design and management personnel to assist in the design and review of various planning and design plans. Avoid design risks The virtual environment established by virtual reality is composed of digital models based on real data. It strictly follows the standards and requirements of engineering project design to create realistic three-dimensional scenes and truly "reproduce" the planning project. Users can roam freely in the three-dimensional scene and interact with humans. In this way, many subtle design flaws can be easily discovered, reducing irreparable losses and regrets caused by poor prior planning, and greatly improving the quality of project evaluation. Accelerate the design speed Using the virtual reality system, we can easily make modifications at will, change the building height, change the material and color of the building facade, and change the greening density, just by modifying the parameters in the system. This greatly speeds up the speed and quality of program design, improves the efficiency of program design and revision, saves a lot of money, and provides a platform for cooperation.

Virtual reality technology enables government planning departments, project developers, engineering personnel and the public to interact in real time and truly see the planning effect from any angle, better grasp the shape of the city and understand the planner's design intention. Effective cooperation is the prerequisite to ensure the ultimate success of urban planning. Virtual reality technology provides an ideal bridge for this kind of cooperation, which cannot be achieved by traditional means such as floor plans, renderings, sand tables and even animations. Strengthen the publicity effect. For large-scale planning projects that the public cares about, during the project design process, the virtual reality system can export existing plans as video files to produce multimedia materials for publicity to a certain extent, allowing the public to truly participate in the project. Come. When the project plan is finalized, a multimedia promotional video can also be produced through video output to further improve the project's publicity and display effect.

Medicine

The application of VR in medicine has very important practical significance. In the virtual environment, a virtual human body model can be established. With the help of tracking balls, HMDs, and sensory gloves, students can easily understand the structure of various organs inside the human body, which is much more effective than the existing textbook method. Researchers such as Pieper and Satara built a virtual surgical trainer based on two SGI workstations in the early 1990s for leg and abdominal surgical simulation. This virtual environment includes virtual operating tables and operating lights, virtual surgical tools (such as scalpels, syringes, surgical forceps, etc.), virtual human models and organs, etc. With the help of HMD and sensory gloves, users can perform surgeries on virtual human models. However, the system needs to be further improved, such as improving the realism of the environment, adding network functions, allowing it to train multiple users at the same time, or working under the guidance of field experts. In addition, VR technology is of great significance in remote-controlled surgical operations, planning of complex operations, information guidance of surgical procedures, prediction of surgical consequences, improving the living conditions of disabled people, and even the development of new drugs.

Art Education

The rich sensory capabilities and 3D display environment make VR an ideal video game tool. Since the requirements for VR’s realism in entertainment are not too high, VR has developed most rapidly in this area in recent years. For example, Chicago has opened the world's first large-scale VR entertainment system that can be used by multiple people. Its theme is about a future war in 3025; a VR game system called "Virtuality" developed in the UK is equipped with HMD, which greatly enhances the sense of reality; a system called "Legeal Qust" in 1992 added artificial intelligence functions, giving the computer a self-learning function, greatly enhancing the fun and difficulty, making the system win the year VR Product Award. In addition, VR also shows good prospects in home entertainment.

As a medium for transmitting and displaying information, the potential application capabilities of VR in the future art field cannot be underestimated. The on-site participation and interactive capabilities of VR can transform static art (such as oil paintings, sculptures, etc.) into dynamic ones, allowing viewers to better appreciate the author's thoughts and art. In addition, VR improves artistic expression capabilities. For example, a virtual musician can play a variety of musical instruments, and people with handicapped hands or people who are far away can go to a virtual concert hall to enjoy concerts in their living room, etc. wait.

The potential application value of art also applies to education. For example, VR is a very powerful tool in explaining some complex systems and abstract concepts such as quantum physics. Lofin et al. established a " Virtual Physics Laboratory" is used to explain certain physical concepts, such as position and speed, force and displacement, etc.

Military Industry

Simulation and training have always been an important topic in the military and aerospace industry, which provides VR with broad application prospects. DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has been working on a virtual battlefield system called SIMNET since the 1980s to provide collaborative tank training. The system can connect more than 200 simulators. In addition, VR technology can be used to simulate a zero-gravity environment, which can replace non-standard underwater training methods for astronauts.

Interior Design

Virtual reality is not just a presentation medium but also a design tool. It reflects the designer's thoughts in a visual form. For example, before decorating a house, the first thing you have to do is to make a detailed conception of the structure and appearance of the house. In order to quantify it, you also need to design many drawings. Of course, these drawings Only insiders can understand it. Virtual reality can turn this idea into visible virtual objects and environments, so that in the past, only traditional design models can be used to upgrade to the perfect realm of digital, see-and-get, which greatly improves design. and planning quality and efficiency. Using virtual reality technology, designers can build and decorate a "virtual" room completely according to their own ideas, and can change their position in the room at will to observe the effect of the design until they are satisfied. It not only saves time, but also saves the cost of making models.

real estate development

With the intensification of competition in the real estate industry, traditional display methods such as floor plans, performance drawings, sand tables, model houses, etc. are far from being able to satisfy consumers. needs. Therefore, only by keenly grasping market trends, decisively using the latest technology and quickly converting it into productivity can we stay one step ahead and defeat our competitors. Virtual reality technology is the latest real estate marketing method that integrates film and television advertising, animation, multimedia, and network technology. It is very popular in large cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing in China, and in economically and technologically developed countries such as Canada and the United States. Popularity is a symbol and sign of comprehensive strength in today's real estate industry, and its main core is real estate sales! At the same time, there are very urgent needs in other important aspects of real estate development, including application, approval, design, publicity, etc.

Industrial Simulation

Today's world industry has undergone tremendous changes. Large-scale human sea tactics are no longer adapted to the development of industry. The application of advanced science and technology has shown the The huge power, especially the application of virtual reality technology, is carrying out an unprecedented revolution in industry. Virtual reality has been widely used in all aspects of industry by some large companies in the world, playing an important role in improving development efficiency, strengthening data collection, analysis, and processing capabilities, reducing decision-making errors, and reducing corporate risks. The introduction of virtual reality technology will make a qualitative leap in the means and ideas of industrial design, making it more in line with the needs of social development. It can be said that the application of virtual reality technology in industrial design is feasible and necessary.

In Games

Three-dimensional games are not only one of the important application directions of virtual reality technology, but also play a huge role in driving demand for the rapid development of virtual reality technology. Despite the numerous technical difficulties, virtual reality technology has received more and more attention and application in the highly competitive gaming market. It can be said that computer games have been developing in the direction of virtual reality since their creation. The ultimate goal of the development of virtual reality technology has become the lofty pursuit of three-dimensional game workers. From the initial text MUD games, to two-dimensional games, three-dimensional games, and then to online three-dimensional games, the real-time and interactive nature of the game are being improved and strengthened step by step. We believe that with the rapid development of 3D technology and the continuous advancement of software and hardware technology, in the near future, true virtual reality games will make new and greater contributions to human entertainment, education and economic development.

WEB3D

WEB3D mainly has four application directions: business, education, entertainment, and virtual community. For enterprises and e-commerce, three-dimensional representation can display an object in all directions, which has incomparable advantages over two-dimensional flat images. Companies publish their products into a three-dimensional online form, which can show all aspects of the product appearance, plus interactive operations, demonstrate the functions and usage of the product, and make full use of the high-speed and rapid communication advantages of the Internet to promote the company's products. For online e-commerce, the sales product display is made into an online three-dimensional form. Customers can have a more comprehensive understanding of the product by observing and operating it, and the probability of deciding to purchase will definitely increase significantly, bringing more to the sellers. profit. The most popular WEB3D platform in China now is VR-Platform Internet Explorer, also known as VRPIE or VRPIE3D Internet platform.

The current teaching methods in the education industry no longer rely solely on books and teacher teaching. The introduction of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has made up for many aspects that traditional teaching cannot achieve. When expressing some spatially three-dimensional knowledge, such as the structure of atoms and molecules, the bonding process of molecules, and mechanical movement, the three-dimensional display form will inevitably make the learning process more vivid and easier for students to accept and master. Many practical experiences tell us that we can receive more information by doing than by listening and speaking. Using 3D courseware with interactive functions, students can gain a deeper experience in actual hands-on operations.

For computer distance education systems, the introduction of Web3D content will definitely achieve good online education results. For the entertainment and game industry, the entertainment and game industry will always be an ever-growing market. Nowadays, the Internet is no longer a single static world. Dynamic HTML, flash animation, and streaming audio and video make the entire Internet appear full of vitality. Dynamic pages can attract more viewers than static pages. The introduction of three dimensions will definitely create a new round of visual impact and increase the number of visits to web pages. Entertainment sites can create characters such as three-dimensional virtual hosts on their pages to attract viewers. In addition to publishing 3D games on discs, game companies can run online 3D games in a network environment. Taking advantage of the interconnected network, audience and coverage expanded rapidly.

Using Web3D for virtual reality displays and virtual communities to realize VR displays on the Internet only requires building a three-dimensional scene and allowing people to walk through it from a first-person perspective. Interaction can occur between the scene and the controller, and the high-quality generated images make people feel immersed in the scene. It provides solutions for virtual exhibition halls and virtual roaming displays of construction and real estate. If an environment is established where multiple users can transfer information to each other, a so-called virtual community is formed.

Roads and bridges

The application status of virtual reality technology in roads and bridges Virtual reality technology has also been applied in the construction of highways and bridges. Since roads and bridges need to process a large amount of three-dimensional models and texture data at the same time, this situation requires high computer performance as background support. However, with the improvement of computer software and hardware technology in recent years, some original technical bottlenecks have been solved. , enabling the application of virtual reality to reach unprecedented development.

In our country, many colleges and institutions have also been engaged in research and application in this area. Three-dimensional virtual reality platform software can be widely used in industries such as bridge and road design. The software has strong applicability, simple operation, powerful functions, high visualization, and what you see is what you get. Its emergence will bring new vitality to the developing VR industry. Application of virtual reality technology in roads and bridges Virtual reality technology has a very broad application prospect in highway and bridge construction. Stable database information can be placed in the background to facilitate the audience to conduct real-time inquiries on various technical indicators, and the surrounding areas can be supplemented Use a variety of media information, such as project background introduction, bid section overview, technical data, cross-sections, etc., electronic maps, sounds, images, animations, and interact with the core virtual technology to achieve navigation, positioning and background in the demonstration scene Information introduction and many other practical and convenient functions.

Geography

Apply virtual reality technology to integrate three-dimensional ground models, orthophotos and three-dimensional models of city streets, buildings and municipal facilities to reproduce Urban buildings and street landscapes, users can intuitively see vivid and lifelike urban street landscapes on the display screen, and can perform a series of operations such as query, measurement, roaming, and flight browsing to meet the needs of digital city technology from two-dimensional GIS to The visualization development needs of 3D virtual reality provide visual spatial geographical information services for urban planning, community services, property management, fire safety, tourism and transportation, etc.

Electronic map technology is a comprehensive technology that integrates geographic information system technology, digital mapping technology, multimedia technology, virtual reality technology and other modern technologies. An electronic map is a modern information product that uses a visual digital map as a background and uses text, photos, charts, sounds, animations, videos and other multimedia as means of expression to show the comprehensive appearance of cities, enterprises, tourist attractions and other regions. It can store It is stored externally in the computer, disseminated in the form of CD-ROM, network, etc., and provided to the public in the form of desktop computer or touch screen computer. Because electronic map products combine the visualization functions of digital cartography technology, data query and analysis functions, and the information expression methods of multimedia technology and virtual reality technology, coupled with the role of modern electronic communication technology, it has won widespread interest from society as soon as it appeared!

Virtual show

With the development of advanced information technologies such as computer networks and three-dimensional graphics software, great changes have taken place in the way television programs are produced. Visual and auditory effects as well as human thinking can all be realized with virtual reality technology. It sublimates human logical thinking. Virtual studio is the specific embodiment of the combination of virtual reality technology and human thinking in TV program production. The main advantage of the virtual studio system is that it can express news information more effectively and enhance the appeal and interactivity of the information. Traditional studios have many restrictions on program production. The scenery produced by the virtual studio system is a proportional three-dimensional design. When the camera moves, the virtual scenery and foreground images will change accordingly, thereby increasing the realism of the program. Using virtual scenes is cost-effective in many ways. For example, it has the ability to change scenes in time, saving money in studio set production. Scenery does not have to be moved and preserved, thus reducing the pressure on employees. For single episodes, virtual production doesn't show huge financial benefits, but it can save a lot of money on series where backgrounds and camera positions don't change. Additionally, virtual studios have production advantages. When considering the layout of the show, producers have a wide range of choices and they don’t have to be too limited by the setting. It is not necessary to use the same studio for the same show because the backgrounds can be saved to disk. It can give full play to the artistic creativity and imagination of creators, and use a variety of existing three-dimensional animation software to create high-quality backgrounds.

hydrogeology

Virtual reality technology is a human-computer interface that uses a computer-generated virtual environment to realistically simulate human vision, hearing, movement and other behaviors in the natural environment. new technology. Utilize virtual reality technology immersion, computer interaction and real-time performance functions to establish relevant geological and hydrogeological models and professional models, and then realize the analysis of aquifer structure, groundwater flow, groundwater quality and environmental geological issues (such as land subsidence, Virtual expression of seawater intrusion, soil desertification, salinization, swampification and regional falling funnel expansion trends). Specific implementation steps include establishing a virtual reality database, three-dimensional geological model, groundwater flow model, professional model and real-time prediction model.

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