Concepts Of Virtual Reality Information Technology Essay

Introduction:

Virtual reality is a term applies to computer simulated surroundings that can take you into imaginary world and shows it like a real world. Most present virtual reality environments are mainly visual involvements , displayed on a computer screen or through special instruments like; stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional imaginary information, such as sound through devices like; speakers or headphones. Virtual reality also indicates the use of three-dimensional computer graphics technology to create artificial environments that give real-time interface and exploration. These are projected to give the user an impression of being present or absorbed in a computer-generated world. Moreover, virtual reality also covers the remote communication environments which provide imaginary presence of users with the concepts of imaginary presence and imaginary existence. Some advanced, haptic systems now consists of sensing information generally known as force feedback in the gaming and in the medical.

Users can relate with a virtual environment either through the use of simple input devices like; keyboard and mouse. In more advanced situations multimodal input devices are used to give advanced virtual object experience. Some examples of such input devices are mouse, keyboard, wired glove and joysticks. We can also input through other devices like; a wired glove, the Phloem’s, and not directional treadmills. The virtual simulated environment can be like the real world. For example, simulators used during the pilot training or during combat training or it can vary significantly from reality, such as in virtual reality games. IN reality, it is currently very difficult to produce a high quality virtual reality experience, due to technical limitations like; image resolution, communication bandwidth and processing power. But the technology supporters hope that such limitations like; imaging, processor power and data communication technologies will overcome and become more powerful and cost effective with the passage of time.

Virtual reality is frequently used to explain a wide variety of applications commonly linked with highly visualed, 3D environments. The development of graphic hardware accelerations, database gloves, head mounted displays and Computer-aided designed software have helped to promote the idea of virtual reality. In a book by (Michael R. Heim,1993), seven different concepts of virtual realities are recognized: simulation, network communication, artificiality, interaction, involvement, telepresence and full-body involvement. Virtual reality often classified by people with head mounted displays and data suits.

Now-a-days it is also being used in movies. In many of the movies actors are shown wearing automated glasses in which they can view a real world, these movies usually utilize virtual reality technological environment to make it more attractive to their viewers. Some of the advanced games using virtual reality phenomena are also being introduced in the markets which can show the best examples of the virtual environment.

Concepts and terminology:

The term “artificial reality” invented by Myron Krueger, and is still in use since the 1970s. Though, the foundation of term “virtual reality” can be drawn back to the French playwright actor, director and poet Antonin Arad. It has been used in the science fiction novel “The Judas Mandala” written by “Damien Broderick” in 1982. Where the condition of use is slightly different from that defined above. Artaud describes theatre as “la réalite virtuelle” in his book “Antonin Artaud (1938)” .A “virtual reality” in which images, objects, and characters take on the dream like force of transformation’s idealistic internal dramas. The earliest use mentioned by the “Oxford English Dictionary” in (1987) with article titled “Virtual reality”, but unfortunately the article is not about virtual reality technology. The popularization of virtual reality concept was mass media such as movies: (Brainstorm and The Lawnmower Man).The virtual reality research boom of the 1990s was convoyed by the reference book by Howard Rheingold (1991). This book helped to clarify the subject, making it more open to less technical scholars and supporters, with an effect similar to that which his book “The Virtual Community” had on virtual community research lines closely linked to virtual reality Multimedia: from Wagner to Virtual Reality, modified by “Randall Packer” and “Ken Jordan” and was first published in 2001, discovers the term and its history from an experimental viewpoint. Theoretical effects of the concept of virtual reality are scientifically discussed in the book by (Philip Zhai,1998). The idea of virtual reality is now being pushed to its ultimate opportunity and logical extreme. According to Zhai, virtual reality can be created to have an existence grade equal to that of definite realism. Digital Sensations like; Identity, Embodiment and Space written by (Ken Hillis, 1999).Suggests more serious and imagined theoretical assessment of the complex set of traditional and political desires and practices terminating in the development of the technology. Virtual reality is a concept base technology and everybody knows that virtual reality is a technology that creates a conceptual base mind and person using it feels like in another world. Virtual reality is also an amazing point in the field of technology and science. Virtual reality also resembles to a danger and worst thing of world “Drug”. A person using drugs also feels like in a dream and forgets everything like; tension and past. But virtual reality is a very best advancement of science. Now-a-days virtual reality is mostly being used in the field of gaming and everybody likes this and a person using virtual reality devices during playing games seems to fully involve in it. This technology is very forgiving peace of mind to game lover`s after playing games. But on the other hand virtual reality environment is not so easy to take place it needs some special kind of instruments, environments and also having some special kind of limitations.

Limitations and environments of virtual reality:

Limitations present in virtual reality on the application of mental health research. It`s environments are also having some important factors and tools in mental health research but is limited to some technical factors and also to mental health research factors. Technical difficulties for virtual environment includes,

complexity and cost for virtual environment creation. Research like mental health is also having difficulties for virtual environments include current deficiency of standards to clarify needed particulars for designing virtual environments. Technical difficulties are now disappearing with the technological advancements, but it will take intensive effort to overcome mental health research difficulties. Some of these efforts will need to be fixed at the development of combined projects and standards for how such cooperation should continue. Virtual reality is also having some limitations. We know it is very difficult to generate a real experience of the REAL world. Now-a-days techno logicians are overcoming the power to work on the resolution of the image for virtual reality. The bandwidth used for the virtual environment communicational purpose is also not sufficient but it is estimated that the limitations of these things would be removed soon. Earlier or later virtual technology is likely to become more powerful and far more cost-effective.

Virtual reality is a discovery which more often gives the explanation for the wide variety of applications. Advancement in Virtual technology is not just specific to only use with computer and movies. Now, virtual technology is being used to create impression over people and now being promoted by many ways. So, more people will step in for the progression of the virtual reality. Greatest promoter of the virtual reality technology is the “Mass Media” and will always be a supporter of technology.

Many things are also the source of the virtual reality support like; Fiction books and motion pictures. Many great authors of their times have authored fiction books, while movies have always been produced by giving the clear picture of the technology. To make awareness of virtual technology among people Dramas and other series also have been produced and directed. For giving out the idea of virtual reality technology many animated movies are also been produced. The best example of ideas based on virtual reality and virtual artifact is “Johnny Quest” the best among one of the animated series.

To present the idea of virtual reality Music videos had also been produced by top singers and bands. Most of such videos have hit the top of the music charts. Games are also produced to present an idea of VIRTUAL REALITY.

Limitations in Mental Health Research Development:

A Question raise is that “how to properly create the goal of research that leads us to a second boundary” restricting the application virtual reality to the mental health research. To explain this argument, we first describe the term mental health research by limiting it to research that will explore mental illness is clearly-defined by regular arrangements for the classes of mental disorders such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV). The restriction we made is because however these efforts have clear boundaries and critics. They represent a widely known standard that is advanced through a defined, known process and method. As argued that “The current building of mental health research itself limits how the virtual reality can be applied’. Despite their weaknesses, it is the standardization procedure that has made these systems widely known, because of the standardization improvement in communication that creates sufficient fixedness of terminology. So that reasonable research and learning can take place. The standardization process has created groups of well-known experts for each type of mental disorderness and a set of acculturation with their own viewpoints that “what type of instrument should be used for research, techniques and analysis possess acceptable levels of scientific accuracy”. Such manuals, nevertheless, are the final common point of the communication. In many other ways, one could say that it is the philosophy of the humor disorders research community or the culture of the marginal personality disorder Investigation community that truly defines these disorders more than the limited explanations they have purified for the diagnostic manuals.

Diagnostic manuals like the (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) DSM-IV contain only phenomenological measures and no establishment guidelines provided or even generalize what environmental features are

Dangerous for any particular complaint. With such definitions, the only possible guidelines to decide, what should be done in a virtual environment would be to present the hypothetical motivations to a clinical population. In acrophobia, e.g., many virtual environments have been created for virtual reality projects and also documented effective treatment of subjects, however this research did not apply (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) DSM or ICD Ð (International Classification of Diseases – frameworks). Actually, the (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) DSM and ICD (International Classification of Diseases – frameworks) do not provide specific choice of environmental elements for addition or the supposed qualities that these elements would need to have. Although, subjective and Clinical experience of these designers guides conclusions about highlighting the change in the angle for looking down upon a tree or adding more feature

to focus on the sizes of a window or the other type of blocks observed between a subject and the visible edge. In other conditions, such decisions list grew even more complex and longer. If one is to relate with a virtual Human, what adjustments in the rhythm of speech are right? What changes in choice of word should show changes in mental capacity or demand for social communication? In Marginal character disorder, what periods in body position will create ideal changes in comfort or discomfort? What environmental issues concerning the pragmatism or existence in the situation will inspire division or damages of reality testing? The decisions are made to answer, questions that need to be compatible with the types of conclusions that would be acceptable to the research culture for each of these complaints.

Finding such a level of specificity in our investigative descriptions is many years or even years away. However, as inferred above, research culture already contains much of this knowledge. In many cases knowledge and enough information is available to guide the improvement of virtual reality investigates in acceptable manner to the research mainstream. Limited speed is the true barrier and facilities within which members of a particular culture can be educated and started in the process of virtual environment development for experimental purposes. To overcome these barriers, we need to have researchers struggling together for the improvement of their researches and to discover that how this interface will work. We also have to create wide standards which will simplify and standardize the process of virtual environment design for mental situations, so that interested investigators can have a shape of how to proceed in a fashion that will be complete and effective.

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS:

A special hardware and software requirements are necessary to construct a

virtual reality system, these includes;

Hardware requirements;

Sensors and actuators,

Head-coupled displays, and

A personal computer with full multimedia facilities.

Software requirements:

Modeling virtual worlds using AutoCAD, 3Dstudio,…..

Physical simulation: computer animation systems,

Virtual reality toolkits: software environment to support a wide

range of applications.

A typical virtual reality system consists of four basic components, as illustrated these components are:

Virtual Environment: By the use of stereo display monitor and stereo glasses a user can view and interact with objects.

Virtual Reality Devices: These include; Stereo Glasses; which allows the user to view computer generated images in true 3-D stereo depth.

Gloves; User can communicate the virtual environment through their finger control with the use of this device.

Position Sensors; These are used to track the position and orientation of the user’s head and hands in 3-D space.

Data Acquisition and Distribution unit (card) for computer interfacing with virtual devices.

Virtual Reality Modeling: real-time modeling, which includes;

Mathematical models of real world environments, algorithms for on-line 3-D graphic generation and for creating virtual environments.

Virtual Reality Control Software; which signifies the main part of the virtual reality system. The functions of this software include;Signal processing on the real-time information from the virtual

world.

Real-time control of the changing virtual reality.

Real-time communication between different virtual reality

components.

Conclusion:

Virtual reality technology has vast potential of applications for the field of mental

Health research. Current technical limitations of virtual reality make it expensive and complex to create suitable virtual environments for experimentation. A complex, replicable incentive is provided for testing a broad range of Hypotheses from function of perceptional apparatus to function of the individual in specific

relational and social situations. Current virtual reality based research is difficult to be easily accepted because limitations in the construction of mental health research main line make it difficult. Need for

expertise and although technical difficulties will likely to be decrease with the continuing advancement in hardware, software and development of virtual reality in mental health. Skill to build relationships between,

it`s researchers and the experts who have define Mental health research standards. While virtual reality research without any acceptance from experts can continue, it is the making of values that will spread our work.As the advancement in VRML97 standard virtual environment is developed by creating a guideline to combine the work done in dozens of separately developed virtual reality.

New developed systems, standards can help us to make advancements in virtual experimentation of

mental Health by creating procedures to inspire and unify diverse mental health research efforts effectively using virtual reality.