Vulgamore 1

Patrick Vulgamore
Professor Duffy
ENG 446
8 April 2014
Virtuality
Immersion is defined in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as the act of putting
someone or something completely in a liquid or the state of being completely in a liquid. This
definition can be stretched further, applying to someone surrounded not only by liquid, but by
anything which completely envelops a person physically, mentally, or otherwise. According to
Robert Almond in his dissertation entitled Sensory and Emotional Immersion in Art, Technology
and Architecture, an immersive environment can describe any environment in which the
particular user feels immersed (9). This type of immersion commonly occurs in many different
forms of entertainmentsuch as books, movies, or gamesin which the participants feel like
they are part of a false world, and not just observers. In art, this phenomenon was first discovered
in the 14th century by a painter named Giotto di Bondone, who made the first attempts at threedimensional art in his paintings in Padua of the Arena Chapel. From his technique came many
others, each improving upon Giottos original method. Today, programmers and technical
engineers develop new technologies which contribute to this immersive experience with hopes of
reaching their collective goal: total immersion into a virtual reality.
According to Merriam-Webster, virtual reality, or VR, refers to an artificial world that
consists of images and sounds created by a computer and that is affected by the actions of a
person who is experiencing it. When considering virtual reality, developers must hurdle two
obstacles: sight and movement. Previously, for a person to experience a virtual world, he or she

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would have to sit and stare at a television screen. However, a large variety of promising gadgets
have risen from obscurity, offering a much greater amount of immersion than ever before.
Though each are unique in their own ways, these devices are highly likely to insert themselves or
a version of themselves into daily life through their potential real-world application, ultimately
contributing to a more immersive and productive future.
Considered the forerunner and inspiration of modern virtual reality, the Oculus Rift,
developed for video-gaming by a company known as Oculus VR, is a head-mounted pair of
goggles that immerse the user wholly in a virtual world. Utilizing a seven-inch screen that sits
less than two inches from the wearers face, the Rift displays images that overlap slightly,
mimicking human sight. In other words, the images on the screen extend to the edges of the
wearers peripheral vision, fully immersing his or her sight into a computer-generated world. In
addition, the Oculus Rift is equipped with a gyroscope and motion-sensitive camera, allowing for
extremely accurate head movement. Users can turn, tilt, lean, and duck, and the goggles will
translate the movement into visual elements on the screen in real-time. In Sean Hollisters article,
Virtual reality check: why controllers havent caught up to the Oculus Rift, he writes, When
you put on the Oculus Riftit feels like youre in another world. The kind of effect produced
by the Oculus Rift offers a new level of immersion rivaling that of the real world. While the
device is specifically catered toward video-games, the applications go far beyond. Consider a
vehicle developer designing the interior of a new car. The developer could create a digital
rendering of his or her designed interior, and then, after strapping in to the Oculus Rift, the
developer could tour his or her own creation before it was built, effectively saving money and
eliminating design flaws. This is just one of the countless potential real-world applications of this
kind of technology. Furthermore, the Oculus Rift Developer Kit is available for purchase online,

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allowing for public use and modification, and the final, fully-developed version should be
released sometime in 2015. Because the product is currently available for purchase, many
technologically adept consumers are free to modify the Oculus Rift, and William Stepoe, a postdoctoral research associate at University College London, is one such consumer.
By adding two cameras to the front of the Oculus Rift, Stepoe has carried the device from
virtual reality to a similar concept known as augmented reality. According to the MerriamWebster, augmented reality is an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to
overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device. To
achieve augmented reality, one must be able to look at something, such as a tree or a building,
and receive additional information that was not readily available before. This requires a virtual,
informational overlay to seemingly appear around or on top of real-world objects. This
information can include specific details on whatever the wearer is looking at, visual
representations of the internet, or virtually augmented textures of the surrounding environment.
Stepoes modification is specifically designed for real-world application. Equipped with the
correct tools and equipment, the Oculus Rift could offer a firefighter information on the
structural integrity of a burning building, indicate potential choke-points for military soldiers, or
allow the use of tool-tips or enhanced vision for surgeons. With these potential uses, it is easy to
see how the Oculus Rift could enter into mainstream technology. With the help of funding from
Facebook, a wildly popular social-networking site that purchased Oculus VR, the Rift could
branch off into countless directions. While it is clear that these designers are well on their way to
perfecting virtual sight, they have yet to perfect movement in a virtual world. However, they
have certainly improved upon the concept with a new assortment of technologies that give hope
to their fully immersive dream.

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The most promising developments of immersive movement in a virtual world emanate
from a company called Virtuix. Their latest creation exists in the form of an omnidirectional
treadmill, referred to as the Omni, which allows the user to walk or run in any direction without
moving spatially. The Omni features a slippery platform with long slits which connect with
specially designed shoes, allowing for realistic running or walking. To prevent the user from
falling over, the platform connects to a fixed ring that surrounds the users midsection. This ring
provides stability for the user, while at the same time allowing him or her to jump at will. In
addition, the Virtuix Omni is the first virtual movement device small enough and affordable
enough for use in an average household. By appealing to a more general audience, the Omni has
the potential to enter homes everywhere.
Through collaboration between Oculus VR and Virtuix, the most immersive experience
to date has been created. By combining the effects of the Oculus Rift and Virtuix Omni, the two
companies have created the opportunity to traverse a virtual world in the most realistic way ever
before. Both devices were available to test together during the 2014 Game Developers
Conference in San Francisco. After attending, writer and video-game enthusiast Jill Scharr
related her experience with the devices in her article entitled Step Into Virtual Worlds with the
Virtuix Omni. She remarks, Playing both demoswas surprisingly physically demanding.
Trying to run on a strange device while wearing a virtual-reality helmet was not easy, and by the
end of it we were sweaty and out of breath. An effect generally expected from conventional
treadmills, the physical exertion from the Omni could be desirable for at-home fitness. The
experience would be attractive not only because of the high level of physical stress, but also
because the two devices together allow the user to explore a virtual world as he or she walks or
runs. It is easy to see how this concept could insert itself into a daily exercise routine.

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When considering the growing number of immersive technologies, we must recognize
their potential. Oculus VR revolutionized the area of virtual reality with the Oculus Rift,
revitalizing the concept with genius and skillful design. With their impressive device, they have
transcended virtual reality from an impractical, yet interesting, notion, to an item with the
potential to be in every home. From wildly immersive simulators to equally immersive videogames, the Oculus Rift will be a powerful factor in the digital future. With help from independent
tinkerers and programmers, the device will be transformed from a novelty pair of gaming
goggles to a powerful, life-altering device with real-world practicality. William Stepoe is the one
of the first of these people to see the potential in the Rift, and his efforts on augmented reality
will surely develop further. Even other companies are designing devices with virtual reality in
mind, such as Virtuix. Their Omni treadmill is another device that could see widespread use and
development. The sheer amount of physical exertion required could give the Omni a place in
homes, schools, or gyms. Because of these many real-world applications, one can determine that
we are currently in a virtual reality revolution, yet only those in certain technology circles are
aware. In his book, Digital Ground, Matthew McCullough states, your body is your first and
last site, your centre and scaleup is different from down, front from back. The world unfolds
before us and recedes behind us (qtd. in Almond). New devices and conceptssuch as the
Oculus Rift, the Omni, and augmented realityalter the way humans interpret stimuli, and it is
clear that a virtual world unfolds before us as well. Unfortunately, the impact of these new ideas
and inventions is uncertain, but these devices will certainly affect humanity one way or another,
and the Oculus Rift is the starting point and inspiration for the worlds current virtual reality
revolution.

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Works Cited
Almond, Richard. Sensory and Emotional Immersion in Art, Technology, and Architecture. Diss.
Mackintosh School of Architecture, 2011. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Fabio, Adam. "Oculus Rift Goes from Virtual to Augmented Reality." Hack a Day. N.p., 9 Dec.
2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Hollister, Sean. "Virtual Reality Check: Why Controllers Haven't Caught up to the Oculus Rift."
The Verge. N.p., 23 Dec. 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Roth, Alex, and Michael Rougeau. "Crystal Cove Is Improved and Ready for Developer."
TechRadar. N.p., 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.
Scharr, Jill. "Step Into Virtual Worlds with the Virtuix Omni." Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 21 Mar.
2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.