Flow Chart

Research

Johnny Chung Lee

Head tracking for Desktop Virtual Reality Displays using the Wii Remote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw

Johnny Lee demonstrates how to modify the hardware of the Nintendo Wii to allow it to track the head of the user in relation to the display. Normally, the infrared emitter is placed in a static spot in front of the television, but by placing the wii remote in that spot, the emitter can be attached to the head of a person for accurate head tracking.

Johnny demonstrates how the illusion is created. The background is essentially separated, moved back, and then shifted away from the direction of the users head. This renders the frame of the display as the border of a "window" into a virtual world.

This work is similar to my idea of changing the camera view in a display based on tracking the head. Here, however, the technology used is infrared sensors and emitters. I am using video capture which would be different. I would have to find a method of finding the users face in the camera's field of view.


Microsoft corp.

Xbox 360 Kinect

http://www.xbox.com/en-ca/kinect


The Xbox 360 Kinect is an add-on peripheral for the xbox 360 video game console. The peripheral has a regular 640 by 480 VGA camera, an infrared camera, a infrared dot matrix emitter, and a microphone array. The peripheral uses the infrared camera and the infrared emitter to capture 3 dimensional depth. The 3d data is then processed by the xbox 360 to track a persons entire body.

This piece of hardware represents a good advance in the direction of human interface with virtual worlds. The Kinect is touted as being easy too get into thanks to its "controller-less" system. Their catch phrase is "you are the controller". This peripheral is a good example at trying to make an interface more intuitive and easier to learn. I likewise wish to accomplish that with my project.

Sketches

My first idea was to create a sort of "robotic moderator" for the role playing game "werewolf". It would consist of a microphone and camera attached to a motorized swivel. Whenever a player in the game spoke, the microphone would pick it up, and the camera would rotate to view the speaker. The robot would be positioned in the center of a table and have speakers to announce the phases of night and day.

My other two ideas consist of a simple display screen and camera. In both ideas the camera tracks the users face. The first idea simply displays a 3D model/sculpture, the virtual camera viewing the sculpture pan or move depending on the position of the user in relation to the camera. This would create the illusion of bringing the sculpture to the attributes of viewing a real sculpture. The second ideas is a game where an object throws smaller objects at the virtual camera. The user must simply dodge the smaller objects by moving left or right. 

Statement of Interest

I am very interested in 3D modeling/animation etc. I have always been fascinated as to how machines can create shapes and patterns that allow people to perceive virtual objects/environments.

The perception of 3D is done by exaggerating the size of the foreground and depreciating the size of the background. If you look at the classic windows 98 3D maze screensaver, it shows a first person view of navigating a maze. The illusion of the camera moving through the maze is done by "stretching" the walls, floor, and ceiling towards and past the camera. Slowly exaggerating the height of furthest section of the walls and moving them away from the center until they equal the height of the screen.  

The advantage of 3D over 2D graphics is the automated illusion of depth that is present. 2D can achieve an illusion of depth, but it's existence and magnitude has to be implemented entirely by the artist, whereas the computer itself can take out the guesswork in 3D. However, now the artist has to input the coordinates for a model in 3D instead of flattening their visualization for a 2D environment.