A comprehensive overview of developments in augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality—and how they could affect every part of our lives. After years of hype, extended reality—augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR)—has entered the mainstream. Commercially available, relatively inexpensive VR headsets transport wearers to other realities—fantasy worlds, faraway countries, sporting events—in ways that even the most ultra-high-definition screen cannot. AR glasses receive data in visual and auditory forms that are more useful than any laptop or smartphone can deliver. Immersive MR environments blend physical and virtual reality to create a new reality. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, technology writer Samuel Greengard offers an accessible overview of developments in extended reality, explaining the technology, considering the social and psychological ramifications, and discussing possible future directions. Greengard describes the history and technological development of augmented and virtual realities, including the latest research in the field, and surveys the various shapes and forms of VR, AR, and MR, including head-mounted displays, mobile systems, and goggles. He examines the way these technologies are shaping and reshaping some professions and industries, and explores how extended reality affects psychology, morality, law, and social constructs. It's not a question of whether extended reality will become a standard part of our world, he argues, but how, when, and where these technologies will take hold. Will extended reality help create a better world? Will it benefit society as a whole? Or will it merely provide financial windfalls for a select few? Greengard's account equips us to ask the right questions about a transformative technology.

This book explores the realities of virtual reality, explaining what VR is and how it works, and even includes an app download for five exclusive VR experiences and a cardboard viewer with stickers so kids can make it their own. Full color. 8 1/2 x 10 15/16. Consumable.

Of interest to developers of virtual reality applications and others interested in potential uses for virtual reality, this book presents a selection of useful VR applications and gives readers guidance on how VR might be applied.

Virtual reality is a powerful emerging technology using advanced computing techniques to create perceptual illusions that transcend ordinary human experiences. This interdisciplinary text explains fundamentals and industry insights from engineering to psychology, enabling students, researchers, and developers to contribute to this growing field.

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION WITH VIRTUAL REALITY The book provides an in-depth and comprehensive knowledge reviewof the use of virtual reality in the education industry and businesses. Virtual reality (VR) technology has thoroughly transformed education by providing engaging and immersive ways for students to experience their education and by offering visual learning, creative development, etc., to enhance their studies. Moreover, with increasing accessibility, both students and educators can utilize it for effective teaching and learning. By embracing this VR-related technology, teachers can transform traditional classrooms into lively ones. Businesses can also leverage VR for skilling, up-skilling, and re-skilling. This book is divided into two parts. Part I discusses the opportunities, challenges, and application of VR technology, and Part II focuses on reimagining education with the metaverse. Readers will find in this book: a description of the relationship between virtual reality and student behavior; a review of VR-enabled tools and techniques for an immersive environment; a discussion on VR in the context of vocational education by developing a conceptual framework and roadmap for its adoption; an overview of the advantages, disadvantages, and mechanisms of VR through a detailed analysis showing a comparison of the strong and weak points of the technologies being used in education; a look at the future of learning in the context of VR; a description of the relevance of VR in emerging economies with the help of bibliometric analysis and discusses its future potential; a review of Metaverse as a new education avatar showcasing diverse educational experiences and how to reimagine teaching; an explanation of the relevance of emerging digital technologies in upskilling employees in fashion retail to impart an immersive experience for customers; a proposed framework for mapping the use of VR for students with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Audience The book is designed for information technologists, educational researchers, teachers, policymakers, government officials, and business managers.

The idea of virtual realities has a long and complex historical trajectory, spanning from Plato's concept of the cave and the simulacrum, to artistic styles such as Trompe L'oeil, and more recently developments in 3D film, television and gaming. However, this book will pay particular attention to the time between the 1980s to the 1990s when virtual reality and cyberspace were represented, particularly in fiction, as a wondrous technology that enabled transcendence from the limitations of physical embodiment. The purpose of this critical historical analysis of representations of virtual reality is to examine how they might deny, repress or overlook embodied experience. Specifically, the author will contend that embodiment is a fundamental aspect of immersion in virtual reality, rather than something which is to be transcended. In this way, the book aims to challenge distorted ideas about transcendence and productively contribute to debates about embodiment and technology.

A groundbreaking Virtual Reality textbook is now even better Virtual reality is a very powerful and compelling computer application by which humans interact with computer-generated environments in a way that mimics real life and engages various senses. Although its most widely known application is in the entertainment industry, the real promise of virtual reality lies in such fields as medicine, engineering, oil exploration, and the military, to name just a few. Through virtual reality, scientists can triple the rate of oil discovery, pilots can dogfight numerically superior "bandits," and surgeons can improve their skills on virtual (rather than real) patients. This Second Edition of the first comprehensive technical book on virtual reality provides updated and expanded coverage of the technology such as: Input and output interfaces including touch and force feedback Computing architecture (with emphasis on the rendering pipeline and task distribution) Object modeling (including physical and behavioral aspects) Programming for virtual reality (WorldToolKit, Java 3D, GHOST, and PeopleShop) An in-depth look at human factors issues, user performance, and sensorial conflict aspects of VR Traditional and emerging VR applications The new edition of Virtual Reality Technology is specifically designed for use as a textbook. Thus, it includes definitions, review questions, and a CD-ROM with video clips that reinforce the topics covered. The CD-ROM also contains a Laboratory Manual with homework and programming assignments in VRML and Java 3D, as follows: Introduction to VRML and Java 3D Sensor and Event Processing VRML and JavaScript Scene Hierarchy, Geometry, and Texture VRML PROTO and Glove Devices Viewpoint Control, Sound, and Haptic Effects The Second Edition will serve as a state-of-the-art resource for both undergraduate and graduate students in engineering, computer science, and other disciplines.