91721 - Laboratory of Virtual Reality and Advanced Reality

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student knows the fundamental theoretical principles, the hardware and the main software platforms required to design and create virtual and augmented reality environments. Furthermore, the student acquires the skills necessary to design, create, modify and interact with such environments

Course contents

• Introduction to Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
• Principles: Computer Graphics in AR/VR
• Principles: Perception and Human Factors (Designing and developing 3D UI: strategies and evaluation)
• Principles: Interaction in AR/VR (Selection and manipulation, Travel, Navigation, Way finding, System control, Symbolic input)
• Hardware: Output (Visual, Auditory, Haptic, Vestibular, and Olfactory Channels)
• Hardware: Input (Tracking Systems, Input Devices)
• VR contents (Standards and Designing)
• Software: Platforms (Introduction, VR runtime systems, Real Time Physics Engines, Distributed Virtual Environments, Collaborative Virtual Environments, Game Engines)
• Mixed Reality (Mixed Reality Continuum - AR to VR, Mixed Reality Technologies)
• Applications of AR/VR
• Future of AR/VR
• Exercises/Demonstrations

Readings/Bibliography

LaValle, Steven. "Virtual reality." (2016). Harvard

JERALD J.: The VR Book: Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality. ACM and Morgan & Claypool Publishers, 2016.

SCHMALSTIEG D., HAULLERER T.: Augmented Reality Principles and Practice (Usability). Addison-Wesley Professional, 2016.

Teaching methods

Lectures and lab hours.

Assessment methods

Students will be asked to carry out a project (individually or in a group) documenting the idea and all of the steps leading to its implementation, including testing and evaluation. For examples of older projects carried out in previous editions of the course, please refer to the VARLAB website.

Teaching tools

Students will be able to utilize the AR/VR infrastructure available at the VARLAB, comprising AR/VR HMDs (HTC Vive, Microsoft Hololen 2, Magic Leap 2, etc.), 3D PowerWall, 3D scanner, 360 camera, computing resources for AI and 3D modeling.

Office hours

See the website of Gustavo Marfia