Web 1.0 was Information - Web 2.0 is Interaction - Web 3.0 will be Immersion in the 3D Internet
These gadgets and machines will make total immersion in the rapidly growing 3D Internet Cyberspace possible - the Matrix is coming closer!
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MyVu’s Video Cyberdisplay goggles.
You can connect this video player to your iPhone or iPod. Soon we’ll be able to connect it to the net, and surf 3D websites with it.
Even Paris Hilton tried this personal media viewer by Myvu!
Myvu.com
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Google’s 3D interactive internet visor ‘Google Goggles’
Apparently Google is preparing a new revolutionary product called Google Goggles, an interactive visor which will display Internet content in three dimensions.
Insiders already call this gadget “the Googgles”. Anybody who puts on this device will be immersed in a three dimensional ’stereo-vision’ virtual reality called 3dLife.
3dLife is a pun referring to the three dimensional nature of the interface, but also a reference to the increasingly popular Second Life virtual reality.
The Google Goggles may also function as a phone, but that is not their main purpose. The main purpose is to give users a three dimensional interface with the Internet.
Google builds this device with Israel-based Mirage Innovations. They call their gadget-technology LightVu Personal Viewer. Mirage Innovations try to specifically design their LightVu eyewear to eliminate the effects of cyberstress (nausea, dizziness, disorientation).
Mirageinnovations.com
Pandia.com - google googgles
…However, theses glasses might also soon be a thing of the past due to these innovative new screens:
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Philips‘ 3D TV (WOW vx).
Philips has added a new immersive experience with the WOWvx technology.
With the Philips 3D WOW displays you can experience 3D television without the use of those special glasses that one normally has to wear.
The 3D display is suitable for simultaneous use by a number of viewers thanks to its large viewing zone.
Dimensionalstudios.com - philips wowvx
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Holografika’s HoloVizio 3D Screen.
HoloVizio, while first looking like just another 3D screen, completely changes the approach to three-dimensional displays using voxels instead of pixels. Each voxel can project multiple light beams of different intensity and colors and it does so in several directions, simultaneously.
Anyone standing around the monitor will actually see an object from a different perspective, with no need for goggles or other stereoscopic tricks.
The HoloVizio sets a standard for 3D visualisation as viewers can see a 3D image on the screen, quite similarly as they would see an object in reality.
Holografika.com
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Yet these screens are obviously still not really portraying a realistic three dimensional world. They’re just simulating three dimensions on simple 2D screens. The Visionstation goes a step further and allows a more ‘ inclusive’ 3D view:
Elumens‘ fully immersive 160° display Visionstation.
The VisionStation by Elumens is a portable and low-cost 3D immersive viewing system with a wide range of real-world applications. It can be used with applications such as: Simulation and training, oil and gas exploration, product presentation and entertainment applications.
Standard flat-screen applications can display a field of view of no more than 60°. The Elumens VisionStation however allows for a fully immersive display of 160°. The VisionStation’s ultra-wide field of view creates an amazing sense of space and depth, without need for goggles or glasses. The large size of the VisionStation screen (1.5 meters) also helps promote an excellent sense of immersive 3D.
Inition.com - elumens visionstation
A hologram-like solution comes from Actuality Systems with their Perspecta 3D display:
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Actuality Systems‘ Perspecta Spatial 3-D System.
Perspecta is a hologram-like fisheye three-dimensional display that allows users to view moving objects from any angle with the unaided eye, simply by walking around them as you would if you were looking at real 3D objects.
Users experience an all-encompassing 360 degree view and simultaneous multi view collaboration without goggles or any assistive device.
Perspecta consists of a rotating round white polymer screen resting on a box containing software, hardware, and an optical system. Slices of successive 2D images generate moving images that seemingly float inside a crystal ball-like structure. As they are rapidly projected one after another onto the screen, they create the illusion of a real 3D image.
Actuality Systems develops hardware/software-based visualization products for medical imaging, the earth sciences (oil/gas), and consumer electronics.
Actuality-medical.com - perspecta spatial 3d
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University of Tokyo’s TWISTER 360-degree rotating 3D display.
TWISTER (Telexistence Wide-angle Immersive STEReoscope) is an immersive full-color autostereoscopic display, designed for a face-to-face telecommunication system called ‘mutual telexistence’, where people in distant locations can communicate as if they were in the same virtual three dimensional space.
Researchers from the University of Tokyo, led by Susumu Tachi, have developed a unique display that allows viewers to be immersed in a 3D video environment.
Professor Tachi has spent years researching and developing a cylindrical display with over 50,000 LEDs positioned in columns. The display rotates around your head at 1.6 revolutions per second, the LEDs show a different image to each of your eyes, creating the illusion of a 3D image.
At the moment, all you can watch in TWISTER are pre-recorded 3D video from a source such as a computer, but the researchers are currently developing 3D videophone capabilities to the system by mounting a camera system that can capture 3D images of the person inside TWISTER.
Tachilab.org - twister 3d display
3DConnexion’s Space Navigator mouse
A 3D mouse lets you move effortlessly in all dimensions. Move the 3D mouse controller cap to zoom, pan and rotate simultaneously. The 3D mouse is a virtual extension of your body - and the ideal way to navigate virtual worlds like Second Life.
The Space Navigator is designed for precise control over 3D objects in virtual worlds. Move, fly and build effortlessly without having to think about keyboard commands, which makes the experience more lifelike. Controlling your avatar with this 3D mouse is fluid and effortless. Walk or fly spontaneously, with ease. In flycam mode you just move the cap in all directions to fly over the landscape and through the virtual world.
3dconnexion.com - 3d mouse space navigator
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Vlad Bjornson’s movie impressively demonstrates how the Space Navigator mouse improves the user-experience in cyberspace.
Join him for a flight around the virtual Africa cyberworld in Second Life.
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University of California’s StarCAVE Virtual World
The StarCAVE at the University of California, San Diego is a virtual-reality environment which allows groups of scientists to explore worlds as big as the cosmos and as small as nanoparticles.
This 360-degree VR room offers a fully immersive 3-D experience:
Users of this virtual reality can interact with the visuals on the 360-degree display by pointing a “wand” which results in flying through the 3-D images and zoom in or out. The exact position of the wand and the user is determined by a multi-camera wireless tracking system.
Internet3d.org - starcave 3d virtual reality
The problem of walking.
Though Virtual Reality is moving quickly towards realism on many fronts, one of the major problems in creating realistic immersion is that of walking.
If people walk around with a VR headset on, they might bump into something. Researchers are questing for a suitable device which offers proprioceptive feedback for virtual reality walking.
Scientists at the University of Tsukuba in Japan are developing such solutions. Their Stringwalker uses eight strings actuated by motor-pulley mechanisms mounted on a turntable. VirtusSpere Inc. from Redmond USA uses a different approach:
VirtuSphere Inc.’s Full Body Immersion Virtual Reality Virtusphere.
The Virtusphere allows lifelike movements in cyberspace by letting the user walk ‘inside’ computer generated virtual space. The user could carry out "virtual explorations" of museums or a new city, or conduct police or military training in a much more realistic and immersive manner than that which has been possible until now.
This unique simulation platform allows six degrees of freedom.
One can walk, crawl and run over virtually unlimited distances in all directions. Virtusphere can be compatible with all computer based simulations.
The user enters the sphere with a head mounted display, which permits virtual vision in any direction. As the user moves, the sensors under the sphere transmit information about the users speed and direction to the computer. The user looks at the head mounted display and sees a virtual three dimensional space which is generated by the computer in response to his-or-her movements. The user can interact with objects in virtual space with the help of a special manipulator.
Virtusphere.net
(www.internet3d.org)
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Wednesday, 8th October 2008
University of California in San Diego develops a virtual reality world called StarCAVE.
Calit2 visualization researchers surrounded by proteins from the Protein Data Bank in the StarCAVE virtual reality environment at the University of California in San Diego.
What is the StarCAVE?
The StarCAVE at the University of California, San Diego is a virtual-reality environment which allows groups of scientists to explore worlds as big as the cosmos and as small as nanoparticles. This 360-degree VR room offers a fully immersive 3-D experience: Users of this virtual reality can interact with the visuals on the 360-degree display by pointing a “wand” which results in flying through the 3-D images and zoom in or out. The exact position of the wand and the user is determined by a multi-camera wireless tracking system.
What are the technical specifications?
The StarCAVE is a five-sided virtual reality (VR) room. In this virtual world, scientific animations and models can be projected in stereo on 360-degree screens surrounding the viewer, and onto the floor as well. Thanks to the room’s unique shape and special screens which allow viewers to use 3-D polarizing glasses, the images are very high contrast. The StarCAVE is also equipped with a surround sound system, which uses wave field synthesis which is a way to maximize the perception of many channels of sound emanating from different sides of the room.
Who uses this virtual world and what for?
Early users of the StarCAVE include UC San Diego researchers in biomedicine, neuroscience, structural engineering, archaeology, earth science, genomics, art history and other disciplines. One can for example navigate through the superstructure of a building to detect where damage from an earthquake may have occurred or fly over a strand of DNA and look in front, behind and below oneself.
What’s the history of the StarCAVE?
The StarCAVE represents the third generation of surround-VR rooms. The original Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE) has been developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1991. The standard surround-VR technology is now the second-generation model, which was built ten years later at EVL. It is widely used around the world and marketed by Mechdyne Corp. Previous generations of these virtual environments used powered shutter glasses for the 3D effect. The StarCAVE lets you use the lightweight polarized glasses which lead to a more enjoyable, natural-feeling third dimension experience.
Where was it constructed and what were the costs?
It was constructed by the UC San Diego division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2). At less than $1 million, the StarCAVE immersive environment costs about the same as earlier VR systems. Still it offers much higher resolution and contrast.
Who are the creators of the StarCAVE virtual world?
Thomas A. DeFanti, director of visualization at Calit2 and his co-authors include Gregory Dawe, Peter Otto, Jurgen P. Schulze, Falko Kuester, Javier Girado, Ramesh Rao, Larry Smarr and others at UC San Diego. Furthermore Daniel J. Sandin of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Electronic Visualization Lab (EVL), and Javier Girado (now at Qualcomm Inc.).
More about the Starcave virtual reality world:
Universityofcalifornia.edu - starcave virtual reality
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Sunday, 7th September 2008
Several 3D-Worlds already exist and they are turning into increasingly realistic spaces.
Gary Hayes video ‘The Social Virtual World’s A Stage’ impressively demonstrates how popular, ubiquitous and progressive many of these virtual spaces already are, and gives us an apprehension how cyberspace will look like in a few years. (© Personalizemedia 2008)
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The virtual worlds portrayed in Gary Hayes video:
Second Life, HiPiHi, Kaneva, Twinity, ActiveWorlds, LagunaBeach vMTV. There.com, Habbo, Google Lively, FootballSuperstars, Weblin, AmazingWorlds, CyWorld, Whyville, Gaia Online, RocketOn, Club Penguin, YoVille, Webkinz, BarbieGirls, Prototerra, IMVU, Spore, vSide, Tale in the Desert, SpineWorld, Stardoll, The Manor, There.com, ExitReality, Vastpark, Qwaq, PS3Home, GoSupermodel, Grockit, Croquet, Metaplace, Coke Studios, Dreamville, Dubit, Mokitown, Moove, Muse, The Palace, Playdo, Sora City, Voodoo Chat, TowerChat, Traveler, Virtual Ibiza |
Internet’s current major evolution: 3D Web leads to the establishment of virtual worlds.
Web3D is the basis for these virtual worlds, in which people are represented visually by avatars that can move in space, communicate with others, and interact with objects and information - making the digital world more and more similar to the real world. Some virtual worlds are demonstrating the precursor to smooth natural motion and photo-realistic rendering of objects, avatars and landscapes. Others focus more on the social networking aspects and provide intimacy with your friends in more artificial environments.
How will virtual worlds of the future look like?
Virtual 3D-worlds of the future will be all-encompassing, often photo-realistic, digital playgrounds. People will spend a lot of time in virtual space, using high quality, 3D, immersive, computer generated environments to socialise and do business in. Age, race, gender and the other inescapable ‘realities’ of life will be overcome by the ever increasing creative freedom possible in more and more highly advanced virtual worlds. We will be able to continuously immerse (and possibly lose…) ourselves in a fantastic always-on matrix of digital information.
What will we be able to do in the cyberspace of the future?
Pretty soon, avatars (the virtual representations of yourself in the cyberspace) will mirror your physical movements as Philip Rosedale, creator of Second Life, points out:
Cameras are being built into all the latest laptops and that technology is becoming pretty ubiquitous. So, one thing that will happen within the next year or two is that whenever you turn on the camera on your computer, we will be able to watch your body, head, and hands and we can match your avatar’s movements to yours.
So if you’re in front of any camera-enabled computer, looking from left to right, nodding your head, or gesturing - we’ll be able to reach out, look at what you’re doing and make your avatar move the same way. That’s going to be an amazing improvement in the interface.
Later on, avatars will look, react, and behave even more like real persons. Imagine a degree of realism when technology gives you a life-size 3D image which is linked to your nervous system: It will for example allow you to shake hands, which will feel like being in the other person’s office. The matrix will become real!
