Written by experts from the world’s leading institutions in the field, this is the only book to cover virtual and augmented reality in manufacturing from a manufacturing perspective, rather than a computer science angle. It details applications of state-of-the-art technologies in real industrial situations.

As virtual reality expands from the imaginary worlds of science fiction and pervades every corner of everyday life, it is becoming increasingly important for students and professionals alike to understand the diverse aspects of this technology. This book aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the theoretical and practical elements of virtual reality, from the mathematical and technological foundations of virtual worlds to the human factors and the applications that enrich our lives: in the fields of medicine, entertainment, education and others. After providing a brief introduction to the topic, the book describes the kinematic and dynamic mathematical models of virtual worlds. It explores the many ways a computer can track and interpret human movement, then progresses through the modalities that make up a virtual world: visual, acoustic and haptic. It explores the interaction between the actual and virtual environments, as well as design principles of the latter. The book closes with an examination of different applications, focusing on augmented reality as a special case. Though the content is primarily VR-related, it is also relevant for many other fields.

The two-volume set LNCS 6773-6774 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Virtual and Mixed Reality 2011, held as Part of HCI International 2011, in Orlando, FL, USA, in July 2011, jointly with 10 other conferences addressing the latest research and development efforts and highlighting the human aspects of design and use of computing systems. The 47 revised papers included in the first volume were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: VR in education, training and health; VR for culture and entertainment; virtual humans and avatars; developing virtual and mixed environments.

An increasing number of systems are exploiting mixed reality but to date there are no systematic methods, techniques or guidelines for the development of such systems. In bringing together contributions on a broad range of mixed reality development issues this book provides a sound theoretical foundation for a disciplined approach to mixed reality engineering. Divided into three parts: interaction design, software design and implementation, the first section covers generic and specific mixed reality design elements and provides an overview of the design method; Part 2 addresses technical solutions for interaction techniques, development tools and a global view of the mixed reality software development process. The final section contains detailed case studies to highlight the application of mixed reality in a variety of fields including aviation, architecture, emergency management, games, and healthcare.

The two-volume set LNCS 6773-6774 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Virtual and Mixed Reality 2011, held as Part of HCI International 2011, in Orlando, FL, USA, in July 2011, jointly with 10 other conferences addressing the latest research and development efforts and highlighting the human aspects of design and use of computing systems. The 47 revised papers included in the first volume were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: VR in education, training and health; VR for culture and entertainment; virtual humans and avatars; developing virtual and mixed environments.

Virtual Reality systems enable organizations to cut costs and time, maintain financial and organizational control over the development process, digitally evaluate products before having them created, and allow for greater creative exploration. In this book, VR developers Alan Craig, William Sherman, and Jeffrey Will examine a comprehensive collection of current,unique, and foundational VR applications in a multitude of fields, such as business, science, medicine, art, entertainment, and public safety among others.An insider’s view of what works, what doesn’t work, and why, Developing Virtual Reality Applications explores core technical information and background theory as well as the evolution of key applications from their genesis to their most current form. Developmental techniques are cross-referenced between different applications linking information to describe overall VR trends and fundamental best practices. This synergy, coupled with the most up to date research being conducted, provides a hands-on guide for building applications, and an enhanced, panoramic view of VR development. Developing Virtual Reality Applications is an indispensable one-stop reference for anyone working in this burgeoning field. Dozens of detailed application descriptions provide practical ideas for VR development in ALL areas of interest! Development techniques are cross referenced between different application areas, providing fundamental best practices!

The most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the technologies, applications and human factors considerations of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) systems and wearable computing devices. Practical Augmented Reality is ideal for practitioners and students concerned with any application, from gaming to medicine. It brings together comprehensive coverage of both theory and practice, emphasizing leading-edge displays, sensors, and DIY tools that are already available commercially or will be soon. Beginning with a Foreword by NASA research scientist Victor Luo, this guide begins by explaining the mechanics of human sight, hearing and touch, showing how these perceptual mechanisms (and their performance ranges) directly dictate the design and use of wearable displays, 3-D audio systems, and tactile/force feedback devices. Steve Aukstakalnis presents revealing case studies of real-world applications from gaming, entertainment, science, engineering, aeronautics and aerospace, defense, medicine, telerobotics, architecture, law enforcement, and geophysics. Readers will find clear, easy-to-understand explanations, photos, and illustrations of devices including the Atheer AiR, HTC Vive, DAQRI Smart Helmet, Oculus (Facebook) CV1, Sony PlayStation VR, Vuzix M300, Google Glass, and many more. Functional diagrams and photographs clearly explain how these devices operate, and link directly to relevant theoretical and practical content. Practical Augmented Reality thoroughly considers the human factors of these systems, including sensory and motor physiology constraints, monocular and binocular depth cues, elements contributing to visually-induced motion sickness and nausea, and vergence–accommodation conflicts. It concludes by assessing both the legal and societal implications of new and emerging AR, VR, and wearable technologies as well as provides a look next generation systems.