[Virtual Reality: Tutorial #2] Basic Principle

The Virtual Reality System works on the following principle – It tracks the physical movements in the real world, then a rendering computer redraws the virtual world to reflects those movements. The updated virtual world is sent to the output (to the user in the real world).

In this case, the output is sent back to a head mounted display. Hence, The user feels “immersed” in the virtual world – as if she was in the virtual world itself as all she can see is her rendered movements in the virtual world.

However, to really be able to relate to the concept, we need to look for something from our real lives that works on this concept. In 2010, Microsoft introduced Kinect for Xbox 360. This is essentially a virtual reality system which does not need any equipment on the user – no head mounted display, no equipment on hands or body to track movements. Everything is done by a camera & a microphone on the device itself.

If you’re not familiar with Kinect, please watch the following video before you continue to read:

This should definitely remind of the film Ra One where Ra One was meant to be a Virtual Reality System (as a game) but it eventually gets integrated into the real world using holography. So, they’ve basically tried to combine VR & Holography.. But failed to impress.

The next section describes the components/functionality used to make up a Virtual Reality System – System Components