Virtual Reality

The Reality of Virtual Reality

Presented by Nicole Miller

What is Virtual Reality? What are Virtual Worlds?

Virtual Reality

Virtual Worlds

Some definitions to get started…

A virtual community

Second Life

An avatar

A few more definitions…

MUD

Presence

Presence in Virtual Reality

Thoughts…. Media that is meant to feel

unmediated, why?

•Two Ways Non-mediation effect can occur

1. Become invisible2. Transform

But how does it work?

The willingness to suspend disbelief is part of human nature

How Presence has evolved

Concepts:“You are there” “It is here”

“We are together”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwVJqSlVMgw

Social Realism v. Perceptual Realism

High visual quality and perceptual realism

High intimacy and social realism

“Photorealistic” + low intimacy = perceptual realism

High intimacy + low visual quality = social realism

Today’s goal…High intimacy + “Photorealistic”

Perceptual and Psychological Immersion

All technologies are extensions of us –McLuhan

Social actors within mediums Mediums as social actors Not to harp on McLuhan but… “The

medium is the message.”

Timeline 1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

Now

Future?

The Appeal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THM16t5Cm_4

Fulfilling Needs

Engaging physical sensations: vection- excitement, fear, relaxation

Engaging emotional needs: gaining acceptance, filling voids, fulfilling fantasies, overcoming fears/anxieties

Achieving desired identity, forming self A learning environment

Social Effects

Exploration

The Proteus Effect

Persistence of Nonverbal behavior in VWs

Some important VR researchers/philosophers

Morton Heilig

Myron Krueger

Jaron Lanier

Put in the context of Mass Communication and Technology

What is the durable mutation?

References

http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/11/6/1041

http://www.sg.uu.nl/prog/2009a/doc/Geloof%20je%20ogen%20niet_Leestip_Bottomore.pdf

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/cpb.2006.9984

http://2jabaste.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/hypermedia-what-are-we-talking-about/

http://www.jaronlanier.com/general.html http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.10

89%2F109493102321018169 http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/a

bstract/135/7/786 http://crx.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/36/2/28

5 http://www.telepresenceoptions.com/2008/

09/theory_and_research_in_hci_mor/ http://www.hitl.washington.edu/publication

s/r-98-11/node17.html