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Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)


kuhla

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I don't think there was a thread for this previously but it's really picking up steam so I think it's worth starting one.

 

The big players we have so far...

 

  1. Microsoft's Windows Holographic (HoloLens) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Holographic
  2. Sony's Project Morpheus (PS4) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Morpheus_%28virtual_reality%29
  3. HTC Vive (the one with Valve) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Vive
  4. Oculus Rift - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Rift

Big players. A lot of people talking about content, support, etc. For the HTC Vive, Epic Games announced yesterday that UE4 engine will support SteamVR (HTC Vive).

 

I am 100% ready to invest in one of these provided there is some decent content and the hardware is ok (Sony's Morpheus is 960x1080 per eye at 120fps).

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source - http://anandtech.com/show/9213/microsoft-hololens-handson

 

 

....

 

Another interaction method was using a mouse, and when looking at a PC, you can simply drag the mouse off the display and the mouse cursor just moves into free space. In my demo, which was based on an architecture theme, this allowed me to interact with the model and move walls around, and change the design.

 

Another cool feature was the ability to leave virtual notes. Looking at a wall, I could see that someone had left me a note, and with a simple air tap I was able to hear what they had left. Then I could leave a note of my own on the wall for that person to see later.

....

 

Neat.

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While the concept is really interesting, it would require a dedicated setup/space. While I could picture this being really cool in concept, I'm not sure there would be too many companies that would go to the effort of creating these virtual spaces if there wasn't a large market that would use them.

 

Also this is getting closer and closer to a holodeck.

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While the concept is really interesting, it would require a dedicated setup/space. While I could picture this being really cool in concept, I'm not sure there would be too many companies that would go to the effort of creating these virtual spaces if there wasn't a large market that would use them.

 

Also this is getting closer and closer to a holodeck.

 

A part of me imagines it like an in-door airsoft field type event. Because it's a "controlled" environment, you can have high speed cameras for motion capture and lots of wireless APs to cut down on lag, etc. It can be built up like a movie set with easily movable props, seasons... I dunno... it's not an easy fit but it brings up more interesting ideas.

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I imagine it like that as well, but let's start thinking of the limitations. How large can individual rooms be? How many individuals can you accurately track? More importantly, how much does it cost to set this up? How many people are going to be interested enough to come and pay for the experience?

 

I think it's an awesome idea, and it would make for a hell of a tech demo, but I'm not sure it would scale well or even be viable as a product/service people would buy.

 

I feel as though it would be cheaper and easier to push for more augmented reality setups than fully virtual ones. You could rent a big warehouse install a few wireless APs and then cover everything in QR codes that are read by a hololens/google glass type of setup.

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Apparently that gif came from this...

 

 

source - http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/25/epic-games-new-shooter-is-virtual-reality-killer-gaming-app/

 

 

....

 

"We made it so that it hits the [player's] expectations rather than a more accurate physical simulation of it," says Whiting of the current demo's design. "We had an accurate physics setup, and it's not very fun because people aren't assassins going through and shooting a bunch of people in a train station. ... You're playing to the expectation rather than the reality of it."

....

 

Exactly.

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  1. Microsoft's Windows Holographic (HoloLens) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Holographic
  2. Sony's Project Morpheus (PS4) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Morpheus_%28virtual_reality%29
  3. HTC Vive (the one with Valve) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Vive
  4. Oculus Rift - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus_Rift

 

Since I had a chance to try the Oculus Rift (dev kit mk2) at the car show over the weekend, small bump because I wanted to double check specs on the 3 main VR units out there. Last time I checked, Sony's had the highest resolution and refresh rate....

 

....and it looks like it has fallen a bit behind on the resolution part (960×1080 per eye vs 1080x1200 per eye) but still has the edge on refresh rate (120 Hz vs 90 Hz).

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So I got google cardboard. If used right it's kind of like how I felt about the Oculus that I tried, it's a cool experience but resolution still feels too low and the interaction is difficult but I'm glad I got it. I'll have to try it out more. There is a bit of lag but it's still low compared to what I would have expected. Quality of source videos is suppppper important. UI needs lots of work.

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So it will be "capable" of AR too is what I'm getting from this.

 

source - from article linked above

 

 

....

 

One of the first things you’ll notice about the new Vive headset is the camera mounted on the lower front of the HMD. This camera is the basis of the “breakthrough” that HTC hinted at last month. The camera is used to bring real objects into view while you’re wearing the headset, though I wouldn’t really call this AR per se. HTC is using this feature as an extension of the chaperone system, which is used to map the barriers of the room scale tracking area. With the camera, HTC is able to present a blue wireframe outline of the objects and even people in the room. Some of the editors at Tom’s Hardware have dubbed this “Tron Mode,” which actually describes what you see fairly well.

....

 

I guess sorta.

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I don't know if its been mentioned, but I got a Gear VR for Christmas and been loving/playing with it a bunch ever since. If you guys want to do a dinner one of these nights I'll bring it along.

 

Looking to get a controller too as I imagine I can do more with some of these apps with it.

 

http://www.roadtovr.com/watch-samsungs-gear-vr-motion-controllers-rink-in-action/

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The Oculus Rift is available to Pre-purchase.

https://shop.oculus.com/en-us/cart/

http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/6/10722212/oculus-rift-price-shipping-date-ces-2016

 

It's neat to see all of this VR tech coming out of CES and hopefully in the next few years this tech will catch on and we'll have some decent content for the VR setups out there.

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I got a steam update today and...

 

source - http://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/announcements/detail/887579816614870215

 

 

...

* Added new Desktop Game Theater support, run any of your normal desktop games and have them appear on a giant virtual screen in your headset. Any game that supports Steam Broadcast should work with this feature, some tuning of the games graphical settings may be required for the best experience. This feature is currently in beta and can be accessed by adding "-vr2dgames" the command line when launching Steam.

...

 

...I'm not sure what that means. Does it just do a 2D "window" in 3D space? Is there some curvature to it? Can't find much more info right now.

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I got a steam update today and...

 

source - http://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/announcements/detail/887579816614870215

 

 

...I'm not sure what that means. Does it just do a 2D "window" in 3D space? Is there some curvature to it? Can't find much more info right now.

 

....and now I have my answer.

 

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