The blue-c Distributed Scene Graph

In this paper we present a distributed scene graph architecture for use in the blue-c, a novel collaborative immersive virtual environment. We extend the widely used OpenGL Performer toolkit to provide a distributed scene graph maintaining full synchronization down to vertex and texel level. We propose a synchronization scheme including customizable, relaxed locking mechanisms. We demonstrate the functionality of our toolkit with two prototype applications in our high-performance virtual reality and visual simulation environment

Stride scheduling for time-critical collision detection

We present an event-based scheduling method for time-critical collision detection that meets real-time constraints by balancing and prioritizing computation spent on inter-section tests without starvation. We test each potentially colliding pair of objects at a different frequency, with un-bounded temporal resolution. We show that believability is preserved by adaptively prioritizing intersection tests to re-duce errors in collision detection, using information about the objects and scene. Through the combination of kinetic sweep and prune with stride scheduling we continuously interleave rendering, broad phase collision pruning, nar-row phase intersection testing, and collision response. Our method accrues no per-frame overhead and is interruptible at any point in collision detection, even the broad phase.

Stereo vision and acuity tests within a virtual reality set-up

Dankert T, Heil D, Pfeiffer T. Stereo vision and acuity tests within a virtual reality set-up. In: Latoschik ME, Staadt O, Steinicke F, eds. Virtuelle und Erweiterte Realität - 10. Workshop der GI-Fachgruppe VR/AR. Shaker Verlag; 2013: 185-188.The provision of stereo images to facilitate depth perception by stereopsis is one key aspect of many Virtual Reality installations and there are many technical approaches to do so. However, differences in visual capabilities of the user and technical limitations of a specific set-up might restrict the spatial range in which stereopsis can be facilitated. In this paper, we transfer an existent test for stereo vision from the real world to a virtual environment and extend it to measure stereo acuity

Wind and warmth in virtual reality - requirements and chances

Hülsmann F, Mattar N, Fröhlich J, Wachsmuth I. Wind and warmth in virtual reality - requirements and chances. In: Latoschik ME, Staadt O, Steinicke F, eds. Proceedings of the Workshop Virtuelle & Erweiterte Realität 2013. Aachen: Shaker Verlag; 2013: 133-144.Wind and warmth are often ignored in Virtual Reality systems – even though studies suggest that they are able to improve users’ presence as well as task performance for certain challenges. In this work, requirements of a wind and warmth system are analyzed and the hardware setup used to create this kind of sensations is described. According to requirements identified, a system able to create wind and warmth in a CAVE environment is presented. Special challenges as a possible disruptive influence of specialized hardware on user tracking and their solutions are faced. Furthermore an approach of how to integrate wind and warmth in Virtual Reality applications is described and discussed

Springen in der Virtuellen Realität: Analyse von Navigationsformen zur Überwindung von Höhenunterschieden am Beispiel von MinecraftVR

Orlikowski M, Bongartz R, Reddersen A, Reuter J, Pfeiffer T. Springen in der Virtuellen Realität: Analyse von Navigationsformen zur Überwindung von Höhenunterschieden am Beispiel von MinecraftVR. In: Latoschik ME, Staadt O, Steinicke F, eds. Virtuelle und Erweiterte Realität - 10. Workshop der GI-Fachgruppe VR/AR. Aachen, Germany: Shaker Verlag; 2013: 193-196.Das Paper arbeitet den Forschungsstand zur Überwindung von Höhenunterschieden in der Virtuellen Realität (VR) auf und diskutiert insbesondere deren Einsatz in egozentrischer Perspektive. Am konkreten Beispiel einer VR-Version des Computerspiels Minecraft wird herausgestellt, dass bestehende Ansätze den Anforderungen dieser Anwendungen nicht genügen