AUGMENTED VIRTUALITY
(Augmented Virtual Reality)
A BASIC EXAMPLE
To view this Augmented Virtuality space, you should download the free viewer 5,1 M.
This example is a virtual world that fuses physical world through a virtual video-wall whose video is being updated every 15 seconds. It is a web-cam streaming video that captures a place in National Technical Univerity of Athens premises at Zografou, in Greece. Interaction between virtual and physical visitors as well as between virtual and physical space is therefore taking place. To view this virtual world, you should download the free viewer 5,1 M - it may be useful to have the user's guide. For other virtual spaces which may be accessed with this viewer, see Exercise on VRML, Virtual_Studyroom.
This is an example application, much like a video game, intended to demonstrate what Augmented Virtuality is by including its various degrees from completely "real" (physical) to completely virtual. An animated semi-transparent virtual teapot interacts with the semi-transparent physical video on the video-wall. The user is represented virtually as an avatar.
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This Augmented Virtuality space has a pair of yellow virtual leaves that are semi-transparent. Two women are physically presented in this virtual space, through real-time integration of the semi-transparent video captured by a webcam. As we navigate in this space we notice how virtual and physical elements interact. You may download this example, Augmented_Virtuality.exe, 6,67K. This is a standalone application, much like a video game - no viewer is needed.
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BASICS INSTRUCTIONS FOR NAVIGATING IN THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT
You may use a speaker in conjuction with a voice recognition software in place of your keyboard. This augments the ffeling of immersion in the Virtual Environment, as further isolation from the physical environment is achieved (see My_MR_Lab). |
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Most of the times Augmented Virtuality spaces are being developed, by embedding streaming video from physical spaces, objects e.t.c. on virtual objects as textures.
Another interesting option is to further improve the previous technique, by using opacity mapping to make certain parts of the streaming video invisible.
Other techniques can as well be used for creating Augmented Virtuality spaces. Last years, 3-Dimensional real-time scanning is used so that 3D digital objects with their outside view simultaneously textured on them, are dynamically integrated in virtual spaces. This case corresponds to Augmented Reality case, where virtual objects are spacially integrated in a physical space.
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Augmented Virtuality example, where on a virtual monitor, a streaming video of a physical space is textured. These "Augmented Virtuality monitors" are often used for Augmented Virtuality conferences. Window on the World (WOW) case. |
Augmented Virtuality example, where the physical video has a opacity mapping, the physical enviroment in which we not interested, becomes invisible. |
Tele-Immersion case where 3D real time scanning/texturing and integration of physical models (here people) is taking place. (picture from Tele-Immersion@UC Berkeley) |
LINKS
AUGMENTED VIRTUALITY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_virtuality : Augmented Virtuality in Wikipedia
http://www.sics.se/dive : The Distributed Interactive Virtual Environment (DIVE) Home Page
http://www.igroup.org/projects/carpe/ : cAR/PE! – 3D Teleconferencing , igroup.org – project consortium
TELE-IMMERSION
http://tele-immersion.citris-uc.org/ : Tele-Immersion@UC Berkeley
http://www.advanced.org/teleimmersion2.html : National Tele-immersion Initiative - NTII
http://graphics.cs.brown.edu/research/telei/ : Tele-Immersion, Brown University, Computer Graphics Group
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telepresence : "Telepresence" in Wikipedia