This is the complete practical introduction to virtual reality and multimedia for those wishing to build systems. It covers the foundations and engineering needed to design and construct projects incorporating video, audio and textural elements and including the use of the latest hardware, to create an artificial world for education, information or entertainment. Production and authoring platforms are described, computer animation and hypertext are covered, but those looking for pages of software listings and computerspeak will be disappointed. This book is about the nuts and bolts: sound and video cards, head mounted displays, CrystalEyes glasses, other 3D glasses for entertainment, audio and video production, and realistic auditory and visual stimulation including stereoscopy. The creation of Cyberspace, and strategies to achieve a complete Cyberatmosphere are presented. Three-dimensional sound generation and video techniques that have never previously been published are revealed. This is the handbook for anyone working in the industry, or hoping to enter it. It also provides a guide for those hoping to 'cross-fertilise' the industry, coming from audio, video, computing or engineering backgrounds. A complete technical guide to MM and VR Includes a Hypertext edition of the book with added audio and graphics on CD Hardware, software, video and never before published 3D audio techniques covered

Virtual and Augmented Reality have existed for a long time but were stuck to the research world or to some large manufacturing companies. With the appearance of low-cost devices, it is expected a number of new applications, including for the general audience. This book aims at making a statement about those novelties as well as distinguishing them from the complexes challenges they raise by proposing real use cases, replacing those recent evolutions through the VR/AR dynamic and by providing some perspective for the years to come.

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.

An introduction to virtual reality as it can be applied within the engineering profession, in such areas as the rapid prototyping of new products, simulation and systems management. The text combines tutorials with material which demonstrates the existing technology available.

"Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality in Industry" collects the proceedings of the 2nd Sino-German Workshop on the same topic held in Shanghai on April 16-17, 2009. The papers focus on the latest Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) technology and its application in industrial processes and presents readers with innovative methods, typical case studies and the latest information on VR/AR basic research results and industrial applications, such as 3D rendering, innovative human-machine design, VR/AR methodology and new tools for assisting in industry, virtual assembly, virtual factory, training and education, etc. The book is intended for computer scientists, IT engineers as well as researchers in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Dengzhe Ma and Dr. Xiumin Fan are both professors at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China; Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Gausemeier is a professor of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing at the Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn, Germany; Dipl.-Ing. Michael Grafe is a senior engineer in the Product Engineering Research Group at the Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn.

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.

A groundbreaking Virtual Reality textbook is now even better Virtual reality is a very powerful and compelling computer application by which humans can interface and interact with computer-generated environments in a way that mimics real life and engages all the senses. Although its most widely known application is in the entertainment industry, the real promise of virtual reality lies in such fields as medicine, engineering, oil exploration and the military, to name just a few. Through virtual reality scientists can triple the rate of oil discovery, pilots can dogfight numerically-superior "bandits," and surgeons can improve their skills on virtual (rather than real) patients. This Second Edition of the first comprehensive technical book on the subject of virtual reality provides updated and expanded coverage of the technology--where it originated, how it has evolved, and where it is going. The authors cover all of the latest innovations and applications that are making virtual reality more important than ever before, including: * Coverage on input and output interfaces including touch and force feedback * Computing architecture (with emphasis on the rendering pipeline and task distribution) * Object modeling (including physical and behavioral aspects) * Programming for virtual reality * An in-depth look at human factors issues, user performance, and * sensorial conflict aspects of VR * Traditional and emerging VR applications The new edition of Virtual Reality Technology is specifically designed for use as a textbook. Thus it includes definitions, review questions, and a Laboratory Manual with homework and programming assignments. The accompanying CD-ROM also contains video clips that reinforce the topics covered in the textbook. The Second Edition will serve as a state-of-the-art resource for both graduate and undergraduate students in engineering, computer science, and other disciplines. GRIGORE C. BURDEA is a professor at Rutgers-the State University of New Jersey, and author of the book Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality, also published by Wiley. PHILIPPE COIFFET is a Director of Research at CNRS (French National Scientific Research Center) and Member of the National Academy of Technologies of France. He authored 20 books on Robotics and VR translated into several languages.