Creating VR Experiences
Introduction to Virtual and Augmented Reality
Course Overview
AIE have developed an introductory course to Virtual and augmented reality development, a rapidly expanding field, as the technology becoming increasingly accessible to consumer and enterprise markets alike. The course will teach participants how to create their own VR experiences using the Unity 3D engine, with modules covering subject from the required technical knowledge to the physiological considerations that go into creating a comfortable VR experience.
With access to AIE's VR Lab, participants will complete the course in 10 weeks with the practical skills and knowledge, to create experiences such as VR architectural visualisations, simple VR games, and VR simulations for industry. This is made easier with ready access to current equipment, including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and a Mobile VR Devices. Participants can expect to be taught by Industry developers and have access to resources that can be used to create your own VR environment.
This course is intended for active participants or interest in VR applications or who have some experience in either programming or game design.
Subject / Topic Breakdown
Make virtual environments suited for Virtual Reality in a game engine
- History of VR and AR
- Types of hardware
- Current hardware
- Differences between delivering normal experience vs VR / AR
- VR - HMDs, cameras, lenses, tracking and controllers
- AR - Slam, Accelerometers, Mixed Reality and Markers
- Practical considerations / current-gen limitations
- Maintaining framerate
- Texture fidelity
- Eye-strain and player fatigue
- Scale considerations
- Consider player’s ability to lean and change stance
- Consider locomotion method used by player
- Cannot force the player to look in specific locations without taking away control
- Sense of scale can be influenced by manipulation of virtual IPD
- Demonstrate project setup for VR in Unity or UE4
- Demonstrate ability to work in the editor with headset attached for testing
- Demonstrate build process for a standalone Rift/Vive build
Understand the relationship between virtual and physical spaces
- Best suited for cockpit style experiences, or those where you have a disembodied camera
- Some users can handle seated playing of FPS style games, others will quickly get disoriented
- Experiences such as virtual desktop and virtual cinemas
- QANTAS use of seated VR for inflight entertainment
- Immersion
- Making the most of the space
- Making use of different sized spaces
- Safety considerations
- VIVE Wireless adapter
- Omni-directional treadmills
- Current research
- Consumer
- Research into redirected walking, minimum viable space required
- Gear VR
- Funhouse VR
- Future technology
Adapt and apply concepts learned to a variety of applications
- Serious games / Simulation / Military applications / Mining
- Film / Industry
- Applications / Tools
- Art and installations
- LoTR / Avatar CG directing with VR / AR
- Cinematic experiences (storytelling)
- Training and simulation applications (serious games)
- Treatment for phobias, PTSD
- Rehabilitation from brain damage such as strokes (neuroplasticity)
- Treatment for phantom limb syndrome
- Capstone project (could be a good, tool or simulation) customised to individual learner needs.
Design interactions with Virtual / Augmented reality
- Presence
- Standard controllers
- Head movement and gaze control
- Motion Controllers
- Hand controls
- Simulator controls
- Custom controls
- Consideration of how input choice will affect environment design
- Lack of physical sensation
- Haptic feedback
- Visual feedback
- Physical exertion
- Stability of real-time physics in games
- Gun peripheral
- Motion capture suits
- Kinect
- Possibility of markers coming to market that allow you to make any real world object trackable in VR
- Menus
- Consider player’s ability to lean and change stance
- Huds
- Cursors
- Demonstrate project setup for VR in Unity or UE4
- Demonstrate ability to work in the editor with headset attached for testing
- Demonstrate build process for a standalone Rift/Vive build
Understand the physiological constraints of VR applications and how to design around them
- How the vestibular system actually works - humans can sense such as change in orientation and acceleration
- How these senses can conflict.
- Long running research problem, many VR issues are similar to Simulator Sickness issues encountered in the aviation industry
- Different types of reactions that can occur:
- Nausea
- Oculomotor - most difficult to overcome in VR due to limitations of technology
- Disorientation
- Not all motion is equal.
- Tolerance to vestibular conflicts over time
- Previous VR experience, training, age and even sex can influence susceptibility to some issues
- Artificial locomotion
- Strategies that can be used to reduce problems
- Vection illusions and design strategies that can be used to reduce or enhance them
- Examples of games/applications that adopt strategies to mitigate issues.
- Dealing with restricting player movement
- Future technology
- Strategies to most effectively manipulate a user's visual processing
- Stereoscopic cues
- Convergence information
- Environment design for best results
- Pictorial monocular depth cues
Course Details
| Date | Tuesday 3rd October 2017 |
| Time | 5.30pm - 9.30pm | Tue & Thu session |
| Duration | 10 weeks |
| Cost | $5,500.00 |
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