Inspiring equal contribution and opportunity in a 3d multi-user virtual environment: Bringing together men gamers and women non-gamers in Second Life

A 3D multi-user virtual environment holds promise to support and enhance student online learning communities due to its ability to promote global synchronous interaction and collaboration, rich multisensory experience and expression, and elaborate design capabilities. Second Life^®, a multi-user virtual environment intended for adult users 18 and older, is the most cited in educational literature, so it is important to explore how college-aged students are using it to form online learning communities. Previous research suggests that there is unbalanced participation between traditional college-aged men and women with regards to 3D multi-user video games, which closely resemble Second Life^®. In this research study, we investigated in what manner women and men college students projected their virtual identities and engaged in interaction in Second Life^®, and how this influenced their learning of course content. Analysis of multiple data sources revealed that conceptions of identity, beliefs of the nature of the virtual world, and technical skill were primary factors which affected group cohesion and learning within the community. Results from this study can provide insight into the class activities that can support all learners in accessing and contributing to the multi-user virtual environment learning community.     

基于增强现实的虚拟实景空间漫游机制研究与实现

增强现实技术可以把计算机产生的虚拟物体或其它信息合成到用户看到的真实场景中.将增强现实技术与基于图像的绘制技术有机的结合起来,介绍了虚拟实景空间的构造,探讨了虚拟物体与实景空间的合成方法,给出了一种在虚拟实景空间中漫游的机制及其实现方法,综合考虑了机制的复杂度和漫游的自由度,在两者之间取得了平衡,该方法具有较好的实用性.     

用于虚拟现实的360度视频编码技术新进展*

随着虚拟现实技术不断发展,360度视频编码开始成为研究热点。应用于虚拟现实的360度视频与传统的视频相比分辨率更高,编码数据量更大,在实际应用中面临传输带宽有限的瓶颈,编码效率问题有待解决。归纳分析了国际标准组织联合视频研究组（joint video exploration team, JVET）正在制定的360度视频编码投影变换技术及其编码优化方法,综合对比了各变换技术的编码性能。根据当前最新研究成果,对下一步研究需要解决的问题进行了探讨总结,给出未来的研究方向和思路。     

A comparative study using an autostereoscopic display with augmented and virtual reality

Advances in display devices are facilitating the integration of stereoscopic visualisation in our daily lives. However, autostereoscopic visualisation has not been extensively exploited. In this paper, we present a system that combines augmented reality (AR) and autostereoscopic visualisation. We also present the first study that compares different aspects using an autostereoscopic display with AR and virtual reality (VR), in which 39 children from 8 to 10 years old participated. In our study, no statistically significant differences were found between AR and VR. However, the scores were very high in nearly all of the questions, and the children also scored the AR version higher in all cases. Moreover, the children explicitly preferred the AR version (81%). For the AR version, a strong and significant correlation was found between the use of the autostereoscopic screen in games and seeing the virtual object on the marker. For the VR version, two strong and significant correlations were found. The first correlation was between the ease of play and the use of the rotatory controller. The second correlation was between depth perception and the game global score. Therefore, the combinations of AR and VR with autostereoscopic visualisation are possibilities for developing edutainment systems for children.     

A survey of level of detail support in current virtual reality solutions

The technique of Level of Detail (LOD) offers a powerful method of reducing the computational burden of a virtual reality (VR) system. As a result, it represents a valuable and important facility which one would expect to find in all serious VR graphics systems. This survey aims to present many of the rendering engines commonly employed in state-of-the-art VR solutions and details the degree of support which these systems provide for LOD. The investigation reveals a significant lack of support for this facility over the range of packages reviewed. Consequently, a call is made for improved LOD support in future VR products.     

虚拟工厂现实场景系统平台设计与实现

随着现代化工业不断发展,模拟过程工业真实环境,并在此基础上进行地理信息显示与空间分析等成为当前的研究热点。构建基于虚拟现实(VR)和地理信息系统的(GIS)的虚拟工厂现实场景系统是进行工业生产仿真的一条有效途径,为此,设计开发一个三维的、可维护性强并具有一定扩展性的虚拟工厂现实场景系统具有重要的实用价值。本文通过数据准备、数据生成、系统扩展及客户端设计,实现了虚拟工厂现实场景系统开发过程。通过应用分析与对比,结果表明,该平台化系统具有更高的可扩展性且开发成本低,为虚拟工厂现实场景系统平台设计提供了一个良好的、可扩展的开发途径。     

基于VRML-Java的网络虚拟现实的实现

受到网络速度的限制,传统的网页只能显示文本和图片等二维信息,而网络虚拟现实技术把交互的、逼真的虚拟三维场景引入网络.虚拟现实建模语言（VRML）是一种在互联网上构筑三维虚拟场景的语言标准,通过VRML脚本节点及Java小应用程序实现了用户与虚拟场景更好的交互,并通过Java数据库连接（JDBC）,系统实现了三维场景与二维信息的集成.     

Internet aggression in online communities: a contemporary deterrence perspective

Internet users' activities are critical to the development and success of Web 2.0 systems, such as online communities. Within the community's participation, knowledge sharing, and communications, users may conduct aggressive behaviors that would have a negative impact on that online community. This study investigates factors that affect Chinese users' aggression intention in online communities. Research findings show that online aggression can be inhibited by internal deterrents of face saving and moral beliefs, which may be enhanced through implementation of consequences from an effective community policy and peer pressure among community members. Differences in the effects of the deterrence measures exist between younger and older users. This paper contributes theoretically and empirically to Web 2.0 research and has practical implications for virtual community management.     

Examining the role of perceived value in virtual communities continuance: its antecedents and the influence of experience

Although perceived value has long been recognised as an influential means of affecting continuance intention in information systems (IS), little attention has been devoted to explore its antecedents, which constitutes an important research issue. This study, building on prior literature on continued usage in IS as well as the resource-based view, proposed a model to address this gap. Our model suggests that perceived value, a major driving force for members’ satisfaction and continuance intention, is affected by four kinds of resources embedded in virtual communities, which are relationship resources, technology infrastructure, knowledge resources and human resources. To provide additional insights on the pivotal role of perceived value, we also postulate that experience moderates the link between perceived value and its antecedents. Data collected from 235 members of a professional virtual community provide strong support for the research model. It was found that perceived value exerts a great effect on both satisfaction and continuance intention. In addition, when different levels of experience are taken into consideration, relationship resources, knowledge resources and human resources were found to be more salient to high-experience members, whereas technology infrastructure was found to be more salient to low-experience members. Finally, this study discusses the implications of these findings and offers direction for future research.     

Evaluation of procedural learning transfer from a virtual environment to a real situation: a case study on tank maintenance training

Virtual reality opens new opportunities for operator training in complex tasks. It lowers costs and has fewer constraints than traditional training. The ultimate goal of virtual training is to transfer knowledge gained in a virtual environment to an actual real-world setting. This study tested whether a maintenance procedure could be learnt equally well by virtual-environment and conventional training. Forty-two adults were divided into three equally sized groups: virtual training (GVT® [generic virtual training]), conventional training (using a real tank suspension and preparation station) and control (no training). Participants then performed the procedure individually in the real environment. Both training types (conventional and virtual) produced similar levels of performance when the procedure was carried out in real conditions. Performance level for the two trained groups was better in terms of success and time taken to complete the task, time spent consulting job instructions and number of times the instructor provided guidance.     

集成虚拟现实环境在工程设计分析中的应用 *

虚拟现实技术在工程设计与分析上有很大的应用潜力。可是 ,虚拟环境的创建时间长、成本高,极大地限制了虚拟现实技术在工程上的应用。为此 ,提出了虚拟现实脚本生成器的概念,将虚拟现实技术与过程的设计、分析集成化,创造性地提出了一种自上而下的设计方法———VR-IEDA,以便高效、快速地创建虚拟原型,提高计算机虚拟复杂系统工程的性价比。在 VR-IEDA中复杂系统的结构和行为被计算机捕捉并自动生成可执行的 VR仿真代码 ,从而减少了创建虚拟环境的时间,便利了基于仿真的过程分析和设计。最后 ,以武器系统的维修过程为     

Virtualizing the real: a virtual reality contemporary sculpture park for children

This paper discusses a virtual reality experience for a contemporary sculpture park, Jupiter Artland, developed in Minecraft targeting 9–11-year-old children. Issues of fidelity, realism and authenticity are considered, examining the use of Minecraft to create visual representations loosely coupled with reality that generate affective responses. We discuss the build of our virtual sculpture park outlining our approach to creating a facsimile of the sculpture park through adopting practices from the Minecraft community and refining and improving the artworks and experience informed by a class of 9–10 year old children. Using the real and virtual sculpture parks we explore the impact of engaging with the real before the virtual Jupiter Artland and vice versa, with the results from a three class study outlined in this paper.     

基于3D虚拟现实技术的弹药检测虚拟训练系统设计

目前提出的弹药检测虚拟训练系统接收检测信号接收率较低,检测虚拟训练成功率较低。基于3D虚拟现实技术设计一种新的弹药检测虚拟训练系统,硬件由主控操作机、检测总线接口以及资源测试器组成,软件部分在3D虚拟现实技术下构建虚拟空间,在开放式软件结构构建的基础上进行检测指标划分,对用户界面的文件进行整改,按照弹药检测的指标数据提升整改的方向正确性,选用自检公式对检测的信息进行系统自检,依据检测到的问题的发生形式判断下一次问题发生的触发机制,由此避免下一次问题的产生,从而实现软件流程。实验结果表明,基于3D虚拟现实技术的弹药检测虚拟训练系统能有效提高信号接收率,增强虚拟训练接收成功率,具有较强的应用性。     

The design and realization of CoViD: a system for collaborative virtual 3D design

Many important decisions in the design process are made during fairly early on, after designers have presented initial concepts. In many domains, these concepts are already realized as 3D digital models. Then, in a meeting, the stakeholders for the project get together and evaluate these potential solutions. Frequently, the participants in this meeting want to interactively modify the proposed 3D designs to explore the design space better. Today’s systems and tools do not support this, as computer systems typically support only a single user and computer-aided design tools require significant training. This paper presents the design of a new system to facilitate a collaborative 3D design process. First, we discuss a set of guidelines which have been introduced by others and that are relevant to collaborative 3D design systems. Then, we introduce the new system, which consists of two main parts. The first part is an easy-to-use conceptual 3D design tool that can be used productively even by naive users. The tool provides novel interaction techniques that support important properties of conceptual design. The user interface is non-obtrusive, easy-to-learn, and supports rapid creation and modification of 3D models. The second part is a novel infrastructure for collaborative work, which offers an interactive table and several large interactive displays in a semi-immersive setup. It is designed to support multiple users working together. This infrastructure also includes novel pointing devices that work both as a stylus and a remote pointing device. The combination of the (modified) design tool with the collaborative infrastructure forms a new platform for collaborative virtual 3D design. Then, we present an evaluation of the system against the guidelines for collaborative 3D design. Finally, we present results of a preliminary user study, which asked naive users to collaborate in a 3D design task on the new system.     

船舶工程虚拟现实应用平台建设及研究

基于船舶工程虚拟现实平台建设过程中的技术与应用问题提出相应的解决办法.介绍了作为船舶工程虚拟现实系统所应达到的功能要求,以及与船舶设计、制造的相关问题.对虚拟现实应用和船舶工程仿真有一定的参考价值.     

The skin deformation of a 3D virtual human

This paper presents a skin deformation algorithm for creating 3D characters or virtual human models. The algorithm can be applied to rigid deformation, joint dependent localized deformation, skeleton driven deformation, cross contour deformation, and free-form deformation (FFD). These deformations are computed and demonstrated with examples and the algorithm is applied to overcome the difficulties in mechanically simulating the motion of the human body by club-shape models. The techniques described in this article enables the reconstruction of dynamic human models that can be used in defining and representing the geometrical and kinematical characteristics of human motion.     

智能家居虚拟场景设计与实现

面向智能家居应用,以Unity 3D为虚拟现实开发平台,给出了用虚拟智能化家庭场景实现虚拟场景家电设备及环境监测设备的模型设计。平台中的虚拟人可以在虚拟场景中自由漫游,并且通过虚拟人手中的终端设备,实时家电控制并获得环境监测设备的实时数据,使得家庭控制更加生动形象,实现虚拟与现实的融合。虚拟场景的设计有助于智能家居的宣传、培训和展示,同时让用户通过远程操作,也可以体验到真实的智能家居系统,零距离展示智能家居实验室的科研成果。     

Improving virtual reality navigation tasks using a haptic vest and upper body tracking

Haptic feedback is an important component of immersive virtual reality (VR) applications that is often suggested to complement visual information through the sense of touch. This paper investigates the use of a haptic vest in navigation tasks. The haptic vest produces a repulsive vibrotactile feedback from nearby static virtual obstacles that augments the user spatial awareness. The tasks require the user to perform complex movements in a 3D cluttered virtual environment, like avoiding obstacles while walking backwards and pulling a virtual object. The experimental setup consists of a room-scale environment. Our approach is the first study where a haptic vest is tracked in real time using a motion capture device so that proximity-based haptic feedback can be conveyed according to the actual movement of the upper body of the user.User study experiments have been conducted with and without haptic feedback in virtual environments involving both normal and limited visibility conditions. A quantitative evaluation was carried out by measuring task completion time and error (collision) rate. Multiple haptic rendering techniques have also been tested. Results show that under limited visibility conditions proximity-based haptic feedback generated by a wearable haptic vest can significantly reduce the number of collisions with obstacles in the virtual environment.     

基于增强现实的虚拟实景空间的研究与实现

增强现实可以把计算机产生的虚拟物体或其他信息合成到用户看到的真实场景中．本文将增强现实技术与基于图像的绘制技术有机的结合起来，研究并实现了一个基于增强现实技术的虚拟实景空间系统．首先介绍了虚拟实景空间的构造，然后着重探讨了虚拟物体与实景空间的合成方法，主要解决合成中的几何一致性和光照一致性问题。