[PDF] Virtual Realism eBook

Author : Michael Heim
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 263 pages
File Size : 42,92 MB
Release : 2000-04-13
Category : Computers
ISBN : 019535009X

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Virtual reality has introduced what is literally a new dimension of reality to daily life. But it is not without controversy. Indeed, some say that a collision is inevitable between those passionately involved in the computer industry and those increasingly alienated from (and often replaced by) its applications. Opinions range from the cyberpunk attitude of Wired magazine and Bill Gates's commercial optimism to the violent opposition of the Unabomber. Now, with Virtual Realism, readers have a thought-provoking guide to the "cyberspace backlash" debate and the implications of cyberspace for our culture. Michael Heim offers a comprehensive introduction to virtual reality and a provocative commentary on its present and future impact on our lives. Heim describes the fascinating and important industrial and military uses of virtual reality, as well as its artistic and entertainment applications. He argues that we must balance the idealist's enthusiasm for computerized life with the need to ground ourselves more deeply in primary reality. This "uneasy balance" he calls virtual realism.

Author : David J. Chalmers
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 544 pages
File Size : 25,49 MB
Release : 2022-01-25
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0393635813

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A leading philosopher takes a mind-bending journey through virtual worlds, illuminating the nature of reality and our place within it. Virtual reality is genuine reality; that’s the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of “technophilosophy,” David J. Chalmers gives a compelling analysis of our technological future. He argues that virtual worlds are not second-class worlds, and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be in a virtual world already. Along the way, Chalmers conducts a grand tour of big ideas in philosophy and science. He uses virtual reality technology to offer a new perspective on long-established philosophical questions. How do we know that there’s an external world? Is there a god? What is the nature of reality? What’s the relation between mind and body? How can we lead a good life? All of these questions are illuminated or transformed by Chalmers’ mind-bending analysis. Studded with illustrations that bring philosophical issues to life, Reality+ is a major statement that will shape discussion of philosophy, science, and technology for years to come.

Author : Michael Heim
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 263 pages
File Size : 16,22 MB
Release : 2000
Category : Computers
ISBN : 0195138740

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From the simple VR games found in upscale video arcades to the ultimate "immersion"--The CAVE, a surround screen, surround sound system that projects 3-D computer graphics into a ten-foot high cube--virtual reality has introduced what is literally a new dimension of reality to daily life. This book takes a thought-provoking look at the implications of virtual reality for our culture and suggests ways of living with this technology. 20 color illustrations.

Author : Mubbasir Kapadia
Publisher : Morgan & Claypool Publishers
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 29,78 MB
Release : 2015-11-01
Category : Computers
ISBN : 162705829X

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This volume presents novel computational models for representing digital humans and their interactions with other virtual characters and meaningful environments. In this context, we describe efficient algorithms to animate, control, and author human-like agents having their own set of unique capabilities, personalities, and desires. We begin with the lowest level of footstep determination to steer agents in collision-free paths. Steering choices are controlled by navigation in complex environments, including multi-domain planning with dynamically changing situations. Virtual agents are given perceptual capabilities analogous to those of real people, including sound perception, multi-sense attention, and understanding of environment semantics which affect their behavior choices. The roles and impacts of individual attributes, such as memory and personality are explored. The animation challenges of integrating a number of simultaneous behavior and movement demands on an agent are addressed through an open source software system. Finally, the creation of stories and narratives with groups of agents subject to planning and environmental constraints culminates the presentation.

Author : Jason Jerald
Publisher : Morgan & Claypool
Page : 637 pages
File Size : 10,3 MB
Release : 2015-09-01
Category : Computers
ISBN : 1970001135

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This is a strong foundation of human-centric virtual reality design for anyone and everyone involved in creating VR experiences. Without a clear understanding of the human side of virtual reality (VR), the experience will always fail. The VR Book bridges this gap by focusing on human-centered design. Creating compelling VR applications is an incredibly complex challenge. When done well, these experiences can be brilliant and pleasurable, but when done badly, they can result in frustration and sickness. Whereas limitations of technology can cause bad VR execution, problems are oftentimes caused by a lack of understanding human perception, interaction, design principles, and real users. This book focuses on the human elements of VR, such as how users perceive and intuitively interact with various forms of reality, causes of VR sickness, creating useful and pleasing content, and how to design and iterate upon effective VR applications. This book is not just for VR designers, it is for managers, programmers, artists, psychologists, engineers, students, educators, and user experience professionals. It is for the entire VR team, as everyone contributing should understand at least the basics of the many aspects of VR design. The industry is rapidly evolving, and The VR Book stresses the importance of building prototypes, gathering feedback, and using adjustable processes to efficiently iterate towards success. It contains extensive details on the most important aspects of VR, more than 600 applicable guidelines, and over 300 additional references.

Author : James D. Westwood
Publisher : IOS Press
Page : 660 pages
File Size : 44,94 MB
Release : 2005
Category : Computers
ISBN : 1586034987

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Magical describes conditions that are outside our understanding of cause and effect. Even in modern societies, magic-based explanations are powerful because, given the complexity of the universe, there are so many opportunities to use them. The history of medicine is defined by progress in understanding the human body - from magical explanations to measurable results. To continue medical progress, physicians and scientists must openly question traditional models. For thirteen years, MMVR has been an incubator for technologies that create new medical understanding via the simulation, visualization, and extension of reality. Researchers create imaginary patients because they offer a more reliable and controllable experience to the novice surgeon. With imaging tools, reality is purposefully distorted to reveal to the clinician what the eye alone cannot see. Robotics and intelligence networks allow the healer's sight, hearing, touch, and judgment to be extended across distance, as if by magic. The moments when scientific truth is suddenly revealed after lengthy observation, experimentation, and measurement is the real magic. These moments are not miraculous, however. book.

Author : Grant Tavinor
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 249 pages
File Size : 34,12 MB
Release : 2021-09-30
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 1000452123

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This is the first book to present an aesthetics of virtual reality media. It situates virtual reality media in terms of the philosophy of the arts, comparing them to more familiar media such as painting, film and photography. When philosophers have approached virtual reality, they have almost always done so through the lens of metaphysics, asking questions about the reality of virtual items and worlds, about the value of such things, and indeed, about how they may reshape our understanding of the "real" world. Grant Tavinor finds that approach to be fundamentally mistaken, and that to really account for virtual reality, we must focus on the medium and its uses, and not the hypothetical and speculative instances that are typically the focus of earlier works. He also argues that much of the cultural and metaphysical hype around virtual reality is undeserved. But this does not mean that virtual reality is illusory or uninteresting; on the contrary, it is significant for the altogether different reason that it overturns much of our understanding of how representational media can function and what we can use them to achieve. The Aesthetics of Virtual Reality will be of interest to scholars and advanced students working in aesthetics, philosophy of art, philosophy of technology, metaphysics, and game studies.

Author : Tang, Yuk Ming
Publisher : IGI Global
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 36,32 MB
Release : 2021-12-17
Category : Computers
ISBN : 179988791X

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Virtual reality (VR) provides immersive stereoscopic visualization of virtual environments, and the visualization effect and computer graphics are critical to enhancing the engagement of participants and achieving optimal education and training effectiveness. Constructing realistic 3D models and scenarios for a specific application of VR simulation is no easy task. There are many different tools for 3D modeling. However, many of the modeling tools are used for manufacturing and product design applications and have advanced features and functions which may not be applicable to different levels of users and various specializations. Cases on Virtual Reality Modeling in Healthcare introduces the use of Blender for VR 3D modeling, demonstrates healthcare applications, and examines potential uses in modeling, dressing, and animation in healthcare. Covering a range of topics such as cross reality, rehabilitation games, and augmented reality, this book is ideal for engineers, industry professionals, practitioners, researchers, academicians, instructors, and students.