Virtual reality (VR) techniques are becoming increasingly popular. The use of computer modeling and visualization is no longer uncommon in the area of ergonomics and occupational health and safety. This book explains how studies conducted in a simulated virtual world are making it possible to test new solutions for designed workstations, offering a high degree of ease for introducing modifications and eliminating risk and work-related accidents. Virtual reality techniques offer a wide range of possibilities including increasing the cognitive abilities of the elderly, adapting workstations for people with disabilities and special needs, and remote control of machines using collaborative robots. Detailed discussions include: Testing protective devices, safety systems, and the numerical reconstruction of work accidents Using computer simulation in generic virtual environments On the one hand, it is a self-study book made so by well-crafted and numerous examples. On the other hand, through a detailed analysis of the virtual reality from a point of view of work safety and ergonomics and health improvement. Ewa Grabska, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland Noteworthy is the broad scope and diversity of the addressed problems, ranging from training employees using VR environments with different degrees of perceived reality; training and rehabilitation of the elderly; to designing, testing, modifying, and adapting workplaces to various needs including those of disabled workers; to simulation and investigation of the cause of accidents at a workplace. Andrzej Krawiecki, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland

Despite widespread interest in virtual reality, research and development efforts in synthetic environments (SE)â€"the field encompassing virtual environments, teleoperation, and hybridsâ€"have remained fragmented. Virtual Reality is the first integrated treatment of the topic, presenting current knowledge along with thought-provoking vignettes about a future where SE is commonplace. This volume discusses all aspects of creating a system that will allow human operators to see, hear, smell, taste, move about, give commands, respond to conditions, and manipulate objects effectively in a real or virtual environment. The committee of computer scientists, engineers, and psychologists on the leading edge of SE development explores the potential applications of SE in the areas of manufacturing, medicine, education, training, scientific visualization, and teleoperation in hazardous environments. The committee also offers recommendations for development of improved SE technology, needed studies of human behavior and evaluation of SE systems, and government policy and infrastructure.

Aimed at engineers and scientists who require a thorough grounding in the new generation of Computer Interface, this unique book draws together previously inaccessible technical information into a single source. It provides the first comprehensive reference to Virtual Reality. Includes a detailed explanation of the underlying principles of Virtual Reality, including its current limitations.

Like the first edition, the central question this book addresses is how virtual reality can be used in the design, production and management of the built environment. The book aims to consider three key questions. What are the business drivers for the use of virtual reality? What are its limitations? How can virtual reality be implemented within organizations? Using international case studies it answers these questions whilst addressing the growth in the recent use of building information modelling (BIM) and the renewed interest in virtual reality to visualize and understand data to make decisions. With the aim of inspiring and informing future use, the authors take a fresh look at current applications in the construction sector, situating them within a broader trajectory of innovation. The new edition expands the scope to consider both immersive virtual reality as a way of bringing professionals inside a building information model, and augmented reality as a way of taking this model and related asset information out to the job-site. The updated edition also considers these technologies in the context of other developments that were in their infancy when the first edition was written – such as laser scanning, mobile technologies and big data. Virtual Reality in the Built Environment is essential reading for professionals in architecture, construction, design, surveying and engineering and students on related courses who need an understanding of BIM, CAD and virtual reality in the sector. Please follow the book's Twitter account: @vrandbe http://buildingvr.blogspot.co.uk/

This book offers an easily understood introduction to the core concepts of Virtual Reality, Virtual Environments and related topics of Augmented Reality and Extended Reality. These complex technological concepts are demystified and broken down in 10 lectures, written in an approachable and easy to understand way. If you find yourself enticed and mystified by this new technology, this book can help you make sense of its core concepts and internal workings.

Produced as part of the Art and Virtual Environment Project conducted at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Banff, Canada from 1991 to 1994.

This is the first text to focus on virtual reality applications for design of the built environment. This guide explores the use of virtual reality at the practical level. It provides an overview of industrial applications of virtual reality and explores relevant scientific research. Virtual Reality in the Built Environment is a guide to the practical uses of virtual design, construction, and management. Providing an overview of industrial applications for virtual reality and exploring relevant research, this book is an accessible and innovative resource for architects, designers and built environment professionals--bridging the gap between technological vision and current practice. Author Jennifer Whyte shows how interactive, spatial, real-time technologies can radically improve modelling and communication of ideas, enable partcipation in the design process, and facilitated planning and management at the urban scale. The experience of lead users of virtual reality is used as the basis for understanding its promise and problems. Explanations of the underlying principles of this exciting interactive medium, a discussion of the cognitive, technical and organizational issues it raises, and international case studies illustrating practical applications are all included in this guide. The author also provides a companion web site which provides online learning materials, including test-yourself questions, virtual reality models, and links to relevant sites, making it a valuable design resource and a stimulus for innovation.