3D Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality

This chapter is dedicated to the description of 3D computer graphics used for the needs of virtual reality. Virtual reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a 3D virtual environment. The chapter presents some graphical features used in an environment as well as an explanation of good design practice. The chapter contains also the description of lighting settings, 3D objects/models and virtualization sequence, camera, and scenes where the wheelchair simulator is used as an example of the implementation environment

Computer Games as Virtual Environments for Safety-Critical Software Validation

Computer games became an inseparable part of everyday life in modern society and the time people spend playing them every day is increasing. This trend caused a noticeable research activity focused on utilizing the time spent playing in a meaningful way, for example to help solving scientific problems or tasks related to computer systems development. In this paper we present one contribution to this activity, a software system consisting of a modified version of the Open Rails train simulator and an application called TS2JavaConn, which allows to use separately developed software controllers with the simulator. The system is intended for validation of controllers developed by formal methods. The paper describes the overall architecture of the system and operation of its components. It also compares the system with other approaches to purposeful utilization of computer games, specifies suitable formal methods and illustrates its intended use on an example

Game Development and Testing in Education

The following chapter presents an experience with academic education in computer games design and development based on game theory, emphasizing iterative development, rapid (paper) prototyping, and game testing. We demonstrate and comment on various educational activities focused on game testing, describing them in steps and including benefits and motivation. Iteration of card game rules, design of a board game, design of a computer game with a paper prototype, and testing of early-access games are supplemented with students’ practical outputs in both text and graphical form. The results include feedback in the testing forms: Focus Groups, Playtesting, Usability Testing, and Quality Assurance

UNIFORM SMARTPHONE CONTROLLER FOR WEB-BASED VIRTUAL REALITY PURPOSES

This work introduces a uniform smartphone controller interface integrated into LIRKIS G-CVE web-based global collaborative virtual environments. In general, VR controllers provide various kinds of interaction techniques to manipulate virtual objects. Mostly, those aim focus on controlling the virtual context and the interaction with 3D GUI integrated in the virtual environment. With respect to web-based virtual reality, the progress in development of uniform interfaces is raising thanks to emerging web technologies and frameworks with cross-platform support. Although there are many manufacturers of VR controllers, their usage is often limited only for specified display device. Our intention is to cover multiple devices through only one simple controller interface, that is capable to provide a variety of interactions for web-based VR. In this study we proposed Enhanced Smart Client Interface designed for providing fully immersive interaction through smartphones. We performed several experiments focused on user experience and usability under two cloud platforms. Results obtained from experiments performed in our study confirm that utilization of our interface is mostly affected by the server response time. Based on the results this solution is suitable for further development and improvements

Mixed Reality: A Known Unknown

Mixed reality (MR) is an area of computer research dealing with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data (virtual reality), where computer-generated graphical objects are visually mixed into the real environment and vice versa in real time. This chapter contains an introduction to this modern technology. Mixed reality combines real and virtual and is interactive, real-time processed, and registered in three dimensions. We can create mixed reality by using at least one of the following technologies: augmented reality and augmented virtuality. The mixed reality system can be considered as the ultimate immersive system. MR systems are usually constructed as optical see-through systems (usually by using transparent displays) or video see-through. Implementation of MR systems is as marker systems (real scene will be added with special markers. These will be recognized during runtime and replaced with virtual objects) or (semi) markerless systems (processing and inserting of virtual objects is without exact markers. Additional information is usually needed, for example, image and face recognition, GPS coordinates, etc.). The chapter contains also a description of mixed reality as an advanced computer user interface and the newest collaborative mixed reality

Visualization of chaos

Subject of this article is visualization ofchaotic attractor in 3D space. 3D view of chaosenables create a demonstrative projection aboutrelations of chaos generated by physical circuit -Chua’s circuit. The program created in C++program language enables view on chaotic attractorboth in 2D and 3D space together with plane objectsvisualization – elements of singularities. The Chua’sattractor visualisation represents visualization oflarge graphical data set