Geek Immersion Labs

In recent years, humanity has seen a trend towards the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies for rehabilitation and disability support. This is partly driven not only by the decreasing cost and improved accessibility to technology, but also by the growth in expertise of virtual rehabilitation researchers and practitioners. The benefits of virtual reality are becoming well-established in a number of areas such as pain management, physical rehabilitation and cognitive interventions, and research studies have demonstrated benefits across a range of conditions including Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy, autism and anxiety disorders. However, the diversity of hardware and software available currently has little standardisation, and patients with disabilities or health conditions often have unique interaction needs which differ from the general population. In this book, the authors explore a number of these issues, presenting recent research findings and technical developments that help them to understand the unique challenges of virtual rehabilitation design and guide future VR system development

This book provides new research on the advances and applications of virtual reality (VR) in the medical field. Chapter One extends the notion of using virtual simulation to be the best alternative for surgical skills education and summarizes its key contributions to train future surgeons. Chapter Two reviews the most useful advances in the use of VR for the study and treatment of eating disorders and obesity. Chapter Three examines the use of VR for otolaryngology surgical rehearsal. Chapter Four reviews the use of virtual reality exposure treatment (VRET) for specific phobia, with a particular focus on the mechanisms of spontaneous recovery and renewal. Chapter Five studies the use of interactive game sets as tools for cerebral palsy rehabilitation. Chapter Six provides an overview on the use of VR in sport and exercise.

Themes: Virtual Reality, Technology, Nonfiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Students will learn about the history and ever-evolving technology behind virtual reality and explore what is possible with VR now and in the future. Engage your most struggling readers in grades 4-7 with Red Rhino Nonfiction! This new series features high-interest topics in every content area. Visually appealing full-color photographs and illustrations, fun facts, and short chapters keep emerging readers focused. Written at a 1.5-1.9 readability level, these books include pre-reading comprehension questions and a 20-word glossary for comprehension support.

The use of virtual reality for learning, training, and rehabilitation for people with special needs has been on the rise in recent years. Virtual reality allows the user to be trained, to gather information and to perform rehabilitation tasks in the virtual reality space. It allows the user to perform independently, safely, and efficiently, in a combined product of sensory, motor, and cognitive skills. The design, development, and evaluation of such virtual reality environments is a multidisciplinary work, the integration of medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, neuroscience, psychology, education, engineering, computer science, and art. In this book we cover a broad range of topics from virtual reality-augmented therapy in the development of cognitive neuroscience perspectives on motor rehabilitation, the potential of virtual environments to improve orientation and mobility skills for people who are blind, virtual reality for people with cerebral palsy, haptic virtual reality technologies for visual impairment and blindness, perception of space and subsequent design changes needed for accessibility, autism spectrum disorder to improving cognitive and intellectual skills via virtual environments in a range of different topics such as mathematical performance or prospective memory.

Virtual-reality headsets are a Modern Engineering Marvel! In this engaging title, readers will explore the history of virtual-reality immersion from the stereoscope and View-Master to flight simulators and arcade games to today's head mounted displays! Palmer Lucky and Occulus Rift are featured, and a colorful infographic shows how a virtual-reality headset works. Readers will learn about the future of virtual-reality headsets including military training and crime scene investigation. A timeline, a glossary, and an index supplement historical and color photos. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Read an interview with the editor now! The current price of virtual reality headsets may seem out of economic reach for most libraries, but the potential of "assisted reality" tools goes well beyond merely inviting patrons to strap on a pair of goggles. Ranging from enhanced training to using third-party apps to enrich digital collections, there is a kaleidoscope of library uses for augmented, virtual, or mixed reality. In this collection, Varnum and his hand-picked team of contributors share exciting, surprising, and inspiring case studies from a mix of institution types, spotlighting such topics as collaborative virtual reality for improved library instruction, education, and learning and teaching; 3D modeling using virtual reality; virtual reality as collaboration space, from gaming to teleconferencing; balancing access with security, and other privacy issues; future possibilities for augmented reality in public libraries; and augmented reality for museums and special collection libraries. A perfect introduction to the topic, this book will encourage libraries to look beyond their own reality and adapt the ideas inside.

Virtual reality is an immersive simulation of three-dimensional images or environments generated by a computer. Once thought to be the stuff of science fiction, virtual reality now is on the verge of widespread adoption. It has vast potential as a tool for education, job training, military exercises, and psychological therapy. Scientists and engineers are developing new ways to incorporate sensory data into virtual reality systems, enabling people to immerse themselves in other realities.

Unreal Engine 4 for virtual reality game design, development, User Experience design techniques and Blueprint programming to create virtual reality gameplay for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Key Features Build VR games from scratch with the power of Unreal Engine 4 Learn User Experience design practices to take your VR game to the next level Understand the best practices to creating art for games on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PSVR Book Description With the ability to put players directly in the game, virtual reality gives users the chance to experience digital worlds directly. Nevertheless, many designers are unsure where to start when working with this amazing technology. With this book, you will learn user experience design processes and create immersive gameplay experiences designed for entertainment and player comfort. Using the power of Unreal Engine 4's Blueprint visual scripting language, you will build player interaction and locomotion systems from scratch and use these flexible systems to create a sample game, as well as develop functional 2D and 3D user interfaces for players to interact with. And also learn the best practices for creating game art for virtual reality. Finally, you will learn how to test your application with your target audience and finalize your game for distribution. By the end of this book, you will have the knowledge to be able to make the leap from traditional game development to creating immersive virtual reality experiences using Unreal Engine 4. What you will learn Understand how to get started with VR development in Unreal Engine 4 Design and create interaction and locomotion systems from scratch Plan and program a sample game for VR Understand how VR affects user experience and user interfaces Discuss what is needed to create optimized art for VR Test your game with users and prepare for distribution Who this book is for The audience for this book is intermediate or advanced users of Unreal Engine 4 but who have not begun working with VR technology. These users are familiar with the game engine and have an interest in VR technology. They are just beginning to explore the VR features that the game engine has to offer.

Explore the latest features of Unity 2018 to create immersive VR projects for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Daydream and Gear VR Key Features A project-based guide to teach you how to develop immersive and fun VR applications using Unity 3D Build experiences with interactable objects, physics, UI, animations, C# scripting, and other Unity features Explore the world of VR by building experiences such as diorama, first-person characters, 360-degree projections, social VR, audio fireball game, and VR storytelling Book Description Unity has become the leading platform for building virtual reality games, applications, and experiences for this new generation of consumer VR devices. Unity Virtual Reality Projects walks you through a series of hands-on tutorials and in-depth discussions on using the Unity game engine to develop VR applications. With its practical and project-based approach, this book will get you up to speed with the specifics of VR development in Unity. You will learn how to use Unity to develop VR applications that can be experienced with devices such as Oculus, Daydream, and Vive. Among the many topics and projects, you will explore gaze-based versus hand-controller input, world space UI canvases, locomotion and teleportation, software design patterns, 360-degree media, timeline animation, and multiplayer networking. You will learn about the Unity 3D game engine via the interactive Unity Editor, and you will also learn about C# programming. By the end of the book, you will be fully equipped to develop rich, interactive VR experiences using Unity. What you will learn Create 3D scenes with Unity and other 3D tools while learning about world space and scale Build and run VR applications for specific headsets, including Oculus, Vive, and Daydream Interact with virtual objects using eye gaze, hand controllers, and user input events Move around your VR scenes using locomotion and teleportation Implement an audio fireball game using physics and particle systems Implement an art gallery tour with teleportation and data info Design and build a VR storytelling animation with a soundtrack and timelines Create social VR experiences with Unity networking Who this book is for If you're a non-programmer unfamiliar with 3D computer graphics, or experienced in both but new to virtual reality, and are interested in building your own VR games or applications, then this book is for you. Any experience in Unity is an advantage.

By putting on a headset, virtual reality users can transport themselves to a world that only exists inside a computer. How Virtual Reality Will Impact Society examines the progress in this field, looks at the science behind it, and discusses how it will shape our world in the future.

Explore the world of Virtual Reality by building immersive and fun VR projects using Unity 3DAbout This Book- Learn the basic principles of virtual reality applications and get to know how they differ from games and desktop apps- Build various types of VR experiences, including diorama, first-person characters, riding on rails, 360 degree projections, and social VR- A project-based guide that teaches you to use Unity to develop VR applications, which can be experienced with devices such as the Oculus Rift or Google CardboardWho This Book Is ForIf you're a non-programmer unfamiliar with 3D computer graphics, or experienced in both but new to virtual reality, and are interested in building your own VR games or applications then this book is for you. Any experience in Unity is an advantage.What You Will Learn- Create 3D scenes with Unity and Blender while learning about world space and scale- Build and run VR applications for consumer headsets including Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard- Build interactive environments with physics, gravity, animations, and lighting using the Unity engine- Experiment with various user interface (UI) techniques that you can use in your VR applications- Implement the first-person and third-person experiences that use only head motion gestures for input- Create animated walkthroughs, use 360-degree media, and build multi-user social VR experiences- Learn about the technology and psychology of VR including rendering, performance and VR motion sickness- Gain introductory and advanced experience in Unity programming with the C# languageIn DetailWhat is consumer "virtual reality"? Wearing a head-mounted display you view stereoscopic 3D scenes. You can look around by moving your head, and walk around using hand controls or motion sensors. You are engaged in a fully immersive experience. On the other hand, Unity is a powerful game development engine that provides a rich set of features such as visual lighting, materials, physics, audio, special effects, and animation for creating 2D and 3D games. Unity 5 has become the leading platform for building virtual reality games, applications and experiences for this new generation of consumer VR devices.Using a practical and project-based approach, this book will educate you about the specifics of virtual reality development in Unity.You will learn how to use Unity to develop VR applications which can be experienced with devices such as the Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard. We will then learn how to engage with virtual worlds from a third person and first person character point of view. Furthermore, you will explore the technical considerations especially important and possibly unique to VR. The projects in the book will demonstrate how to build a variety of VR experiences. You will be diving into the Unity 3D game engine via the interactive Unity Editor as well as C-Sharp programming.By the end of the book, you will be equipped to develop rich, interactive virtual reality experiences using Unity.So, let's get to it!Style and approachThis book takes a practical, project-based approach to teach specifics of virtual reality development in Unity. Using a reader-friendly approach, this book will not only provide detailed step-by-step instructions but also discuss the broader context and applications covered within.

In the early 1990s, a small group of individuals recognized how virtual reality (VR) could transform medicine by immersing physicians, students and patients in data more completely. Technical obstacles delayed progress but VR is now enjoying a renaissance, with breakthrough applications available for healthcare.This book presents papers from the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 22 conference, held in Los Angeles, California, USA, in April 2016. Engineers, physicians, scientists, educators, students, industry, military, and futurists participated in its creative mix of unorthodox thinking and validated investigation. The topics covered include medical simulation and modeling, imaging and visualization, robotics, haptics, sensors, physical and mental rehabilitation tools, and more. Providing an overview of the state-of-the-art, this book will interest all those involved in medical VR and in innovative healthcare, generally.

Three-dimensional (3D) immersive virtual worlds have been touted asbeing capable of facilitating highly interactive, engaging, multimodallearning experiences. Much of the evidence gathered to support theseclaims has been anecdotal but the potential that these environmentshold to solve traditional problems in online and technology-mediatededucation--primarily learner isolation and studentdisengagement--has resulted in considerable investments in virtualworld platforms like Second Life, OpenSimulator, and Open Wonderland byboth professors and institutions. To justify this ongoing and sustainedinvestment, institutions and proponents of simulated learningenvironments must assemble a robust body of evidence that illustratesthe most effective use of this powerful learning tool. In this authoritative collection, a team of international expertsoutline the emerging trends and developments in the use of 3D virtualworlds for teaching and learning. They explore aspects of learnerinteraction with virtual worlds, such as user wayfinding in SecondLife, communication modes and perceived presence, and accessibilityissues for elderly or disabled learners. They also examine advancedtechnologies that hold potential for the enhancement of learnerimmersion and discuss best practices in the design and implementationof virtual world-based learning interventions and tasks. By evaluatingand documenting different methods, approaches, and strategies, thecontributors to Learning in Virtual Worlds offer importantinformation and insight to both scholars and practitioners in thefield.

Explore the new frontier of virtual reality with the Oculus Rift and bring the VR revolution to your own projectsAbout This Book- Create immersive 3D games especially designed for the Oculus Rift platform- Build complex realistic virtual reality (VR) games with the Unity Engine- Create striking VR environments with advanced graphical techniquesWho This Book Is ForThis book is for aspiring indie developers and VR enthusiasts who want to bring their ideas into virtual reality with a new platform that provides an unprecedented level of realism and immersion.What You Will Learn- Increase immersion with 3D audio and intuitive interfaces- Create group VR experiences using multi-player networking- Design fun and engaging mechanics that utilize VR principles- Explore the best ways to navigate and interact using the Oculus Rift- Design intuitive ways to navigate and interact with scenes in VR- Add stunning realism to a scene with three-dimensional audio- Invent mechanics and features that take full advantage of VR hardwareIn DetailVirtual reality (VR) is changing the world of gaming and entertainment as we know it. VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift immerse players in a virtual world by tracking their head movements and simulating depth, giving them the feeling that they are actually present in the environment. We will first use the Oculus SDK in the book and will then move on to the widely popular Unity Engine, showing you how you can add that extra edge to your VR games using the power of Unity.In this book, you'll learn how to take advantage of this new medium by designing around each of its unique features. This book will demonstrate the Unity 5 game engine, one of most widely-used engines for VR development, and will take you through a comprehensive project that covers everything necessary to create and publish a complete VR experience for the Oculus Rift. You will also be able to identify the common perils and pitfalls of VR development to ensure that your audience has the most comfortable experience possible.By the end of the book, you will be able to create an advanced VR game for the Oculus Rift, and you'll have everything you need to bring your ideas into a new reality.Style and approachThis book takes a step-by-step tutorial approach with illustrative examples to help you implement the projects on your own. The book lets you first get to grips with the Oculus SDK and then moves on to the Unity Engine to add realistic graphics and features in your games.