April 12th, 2008 by
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Though not the first omni-directional treadmill we’ve ever seen, this version crafted for the EU-funded CyberWalk Project is entirely more interesting. The 6- x 6-meter device features an active walking area of 4.5- x 4.5-meters, and later this month, individuals anxious to prance through a virtual city will be able to strap on a head-mounted display, lace up their LA Lights and indulge in escapism. Aside from giving curious persons the ability to walk through a recreated version of ancient Pompeii, the device could also be used to meander through buildings not yet created or give firefighters a way to train without placing them in harm’s way. Now, if only there was an option to dissolve into pixels and teleport to locales you find particularly intriguing, we’d be sold.
[Via Slashdot]
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Posted in hmd, treadmill, head-mounted display, Head-mountedDisplay, virtual reality, VirtualReality, vr, CityEngine, CyberCarpet, CyberWalk | No Comments »
March 11th, 2008 by
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Considering how much impact our gadgets already have on our day-to-day lives, we not sure we don’t already live in a mixed reality environment, but researchers at the University of Illinois have created what they say is the first true mixed reality system based on a pendulum and its virtual counterpart. Both the real pendulum and the simulation mimic each others’ movements exactly — adjusting the motor affects the simulation and adjusting the parameters of the simulation affects the motor — blurring the line between the real and the virtual. That sounds simple, sure, but it’s the first successful system of its kind — as researcher Alfred Hubler put it, “[The pendulums] suddenly noticed each other, synchronized their motions, and danced together indefinitely.” Seeing as simply creating a mixed-reality pendulum took super-fast processors, we doubt we’re any closer to the Matrix — unless it’s a Matrix inside another Matrix. We need to go lie down.
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Posted in virtual reality, VirtualReality, vr, mixed reality, MixedReality | No Comments »
February 1st, 2008 by
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
The Wiimote may be spurring on the majority of desktop VR hackery these days, but at least one enterprising developer seems to be aiming to change that, and he’s now showing that you can do more or less the same thing with a PlayStation Eye. As with the Wiimote, you need a pair of homemade IR-equipped glasses, but you’ll also need to perform a couple of minor modifications to the PS Eye itself. That all-important detail consists simply of a homemade lens cap that houses some exposed and developed film, which lets the camera receive only the infrared signals from the glasses. Pair that with some custom-made software (now available for the taking), and you’ll be giving unsuspecting visitors motion sickness in no time. Head on over after the break for a peek at the setup in action.
Continue reading PlayStation Eye hacked for desktop VR use
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Posted in hack, playstation eye, PlaystationEye, homebrew, vr, desktop vr, DesktopVr, ps eye, PsEye | No Comments »
December 21st, 2007 by
Filed under: Gaming
DIY virtuoso Johnny Chung Lee has already more than proven himself with his Wiimote whiteboard and finger-tracking hacks (to say nothing of the famous $14 steadycam), but he now looks to have vaulted himself into a whole new league with his latest project, which uses a Wiimote for a full-on VR head-tracking system. As with his other recent hacks, the Wiimote and a sensor bar substitute swap their usual positions, with a pair of IR-equipped safety glasses stylishly getting the job done in this case. Toss in some custom-made software (available at the link below) and you’ve got a setup that’s sure to make anyone’s jaw drop. Whatever you do, be sure to hit up the video after the break (and watch ’till the end), as the image above certainly doesn’t do it justice.
[Via Hack a Day]
Continue reading DIY head-tracker takes Wiimote hacking to dizzying new heights
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Posted in Wii, wiimote, wii remote, WiiRemote, vr, wiimote hack, WiimoteHack, head-tracking | No Comments »
November 8th, 2007 by
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
It’s been a tick since we’ve heard any news on the 3D drawing front, but a number of computer scientists from Brown University are putting the art back in the proverbial foreground with its Drawing on Air installation. Put simply, users can slip on a virtual reality mask, grab a stylus and tracking device, and go to town. The system uses “drawing guidelines, force feedback, and two-handed interaction” to assist artists in drawing more precisely, and once movements are made, the patterns are transferred to a computer for use in 3D modeling and design programs. Unfortunately, such a system can’t currently be priced at points which John and / or Jane Doe would be happy with, but the researchers did state that commercialization wasn’t “too far away” and that prices should decrease from “thousands of dollars to hundreds of dollars in the next few years.”
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Posted in university, 3dDrawing on Air, 3ddrawingOnAir, air drawing, air-drawing, AirDrawing, Brown University, BrownUniversity, drawing, stylus, virtual reality, VirtualReality, vr | No Comments »
