Virtual Reality
Un campo que ha venido ganando terreno en el mundo moderno es la realidad virtual (VR por sus siglas en inglés), a partir de hoy daré inicio a una serie de contribuciones relacionadas con esta área. Inicialmente se presentarán fragmentos de documentos relacionados con el concepto de la realidad virtual, posteriormente se presentarán documentos en los cuales se visualiza el uso de la realidad virtual en el campo de la ingeniería y en éste, específicamente en el campo del diseño. Los textos y documentos son tomados de la literatura científica pública disponible actualmente.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is virtual reality?
"When we speak of “virtual reality” (VR) we refer to a computer simulation that creates an image of a world that appears to our senses in much the same way we perceive the real world, or “physical” reality. In order to convince the brain that the synthetic world is authentic, the computer simulation monitors the movements of the participant and adjusts the sensory display or displays in a manner that gives the feeling of being immersed or being present in the simulation. Concisely, virtual reality is a means of letting participants physically engage in some simulated environment that is distinct from their physical reality.
Virtual reality is a medium, a means by which humans can share ideas and experiences. We use the word experience to convey an entire virtual reality participation session. The part of the experience that is “the world” witnessed by the participant and with which they interact is referred to as the virtual world. However, the term “virtual world” does not only refer specifically to virtual reality worlds. It can also be used to refer to the content of other media, such as novels, movies, and other communication conventions.
Here is a more formal definition for virtual reality from Sherman and Craig:
A medium composed of interactive computer simulations that sense the participant’s position and actions, providing synthetic feedback to one or more senses, giving the feeling of being immersed or being present in the simulation.
Note that the definition states that a virtual reality experience provides synthetic stimuli to one or more of the user’s senses. A typical VR system will substitute at least the visual stimuli, with aural stimuli also frequently provided. A third, less common sense that is included is skin-sensation and force feedback, which is jointly referred to as the haptic (touch) sense. Less frequently used senses include vestibular (balance), olfaction (smell), and gustation (taste)."
From the book:
Developing Virtual Reality Applications
Foundations of Effective Design
By : Alan B. Craig; William R. Sherman; Jeffrey D. Will