Interactive Virtual Reality Environments

Recommended Prerequisites

Knowledge of Object-Oriented Programming, knowledge of JavaScript programming.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical lectures and discussion of concepts and concrete examples of interaction techniques. Practical Laboratory classes for completion of exercises about implementation of interactions in VR based on the adaptation of existing solutions.

Synthesis work about scientific publication or essay that demonstrates comprehension and analytical skills about VR systems.

Implementation of a mini-project regarding the creation and evaluation of an interactive VR environment applied to a concrete context, with presentation and individual defense. 

Learning Outcomes

To know and understand the main characteristics of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR); To analyse and dinstinguish between VR, AR, and MR systems. To know the main historical moments in the evolution of VR; To know the applications of VR; To know the technological possitilities for experiencing VR and understand their limitations; To know, understand, and be able to analyse the human factors, phisiological and perceptive, relevant in the experience of VR environmets; To know and to classify the main interaction tasks in VR environments; To distinguish implementations of the specific interaction technique and understand the implications for the performance of the interaction task; To know about techniques for evaluating interactive experiences in VR environments; To conceive, implement, and evaluate interaction techniques to support a given interaction task in VR.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Characteristics and main concepts related to Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR)

2. History of VR

3. VR applications (e.g., Medicine, Cultural Heritage, Entertainment/Gaming, Industry - Digital Twins)

4. Current technologies for VR

5. Relevant human factors in VR

6. Interaction tasks in VR (e.g., Locomotion, Selection, Manipulation) and interaction techniques

7. Evaluation of the VR experience (e.g., feeling of presence, usability, effort, phsicophysical thresholds)

8. Frameworks for development of VR experiences.

Head Lecturer(s)

Jorge Carlos dos Santos Cardoso

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Resolution Problems: 20.0%
Synthesis work: 30.0%
Project: 50.0%

Bibliography

LaValle, S. M. (2019). Virtual Reality. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://lavalle.pl/vr/

Sherman, W. R., & Craig, A. B. (2018). Understanding Virtual Reality: Interfaces, Application, and Design. Morgan Kaufmann.

Milgram, P., Takemura, H., Utsumi, A., & Kishino, F. (1995). Augmented reality: a class of displays on the reality-virtuality continuum. In Proc. SPIE 2351, Telemanipulator and Telepresence Technologies (pp. 282–292). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.197321

Martin-Gutierrez, J., Ginters, E., & Olmedo, H. (2013). Virtuality Continuum’s State of the Art. Procedia Computer Science, 25, 261–270. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050913012374

Cardoso, Jorge C. S. (2018). Virtual Reality Environments Course Materials. Retrieved from https://aframe-course.glitch.me/index.html

Cardoso, J. C. S. (2020). VR Movies Database. Retrieved from https://www.notion.so/jorgecardoso/VR-Movies-Database-5226dc5aeb354021b4b7d030a6f4fc11.