Knowledge Management and Specialized Information Systems - Principles of Information Systems - page 465

Computer manufacturers often use
expert systems to monitor
manufacturing processes and
improve yields.
(Source: © Colorblind/Getty
Images.)

VIRTUAL REALITY

The term virtual reality was initially coined by Jaron Lanier, founder of VPL Research, in
1989. Originally, the term referred to immersive virtual reality in which the user becomes
fully immersed in an artificial, three-dimensional world that is completely generated by a
computer. Immersive virtual reality can represent any three-dimensional setting, real or
abstract, such as a building, an archaeological excavation site, the human anatomy, a sculp-
ture, or a crime scene reconstruction. Through immersion, the user can gain a deeper
understanding of the virtual world's behavior and functionality. The Media Grid at Boston
College has a number of initiatives in the use of immersive virtual reality in education. 61
A virtual reality system enables one or more users to move and react in a computer-
simulated environment. Virtual reality simulations require special interface devices that
transmit the sights, sounds, and sensations of the simulated world to the user. These devices
can also record and send the speech and movements of the participants to the simulation
program, enabling users to sense and manipulate virtual objects much as they would real
objects. This natural style of interaction gives the participants the feeling that they are
immersed in the simulated world. For example, an auto manufacturer can use virtual reality
to help it simulate and design factories.

virtual reality system
A system that enables one or more
users to move and react in a
computer-simulated environment.

Interface Devices
To see in a virtual world, often the user wears a head-mounted display (HMD) with screens
directed at each eye. The HMD also contains a position tracker to monitor the location
of the user's head and the direction in which the user is looking. Using this information,
a computer generates images of the virtual world—a slightly different view for each eye—
to match the direction that the user is looking, and displays these images on the HMD.
Many companies sell or rent virtual-reality interface devices, including Virtual Realities
( www.vrealities.com ), Amusitronix ( www.amusitronix.com ), I-O Display Systems
( www.i-glassesstore.com ), and others.