Manipulation Interface(Input devices) for Virtual Reality ~ VIRTUAL VIEW

For Virtual Reality applications, or for every computer-based applications the input device plays always an important role in system implementation. In case of V.R. the input device is also called Manipulation Interface. And Grigore C. gave a nice definition: A manipulation interface is a device that allows the interactive change of the view to the virtual environment and exploration through the selection and manipulation of a virtual object of interest.

A classical input device are of course the quite familiar hardwares: keyborad and mouse. But as a manipulation interface, they are truly ....................

Although so awful they are absolutely not, the limitation of space movement and less intuitive interaction way truly make us hard to see their perspective in the futures application of Virtual Reality. And a more intuitive device Trackball was developed and further improved as an important interface device for computer applications. The ball which is regarded as main function part of the device locates in a socket. And the socket is equiped with sensors which is able to detect the rotation of the ball and estimate the movement and final position of objects animated by computer. It could be manipulated by users more intuitively with diverse fingers' movement and through the combination of different function buttons, more functions can be realized more flexibly. However the location of this device is also fixed and the user's motion space is still limited.

In the recent ten years more and more powerful interaction devices are available with the special features and based on different implementation principles. They are either the trackers which has been introduced in my previous article i.e. Wii Remote, which I have also described here. It is used for the Nintendo's video game as a pose tracker. The user hold it and the approximate position as well as the rotation of Wii Remote could be detected and calculated by the signal receiver. Besides the Nintendo platform this remote device is also able to be used under the regular computer with proper setup. And as you know if it is connected with computer, unbelieable things will happen. I have found some interesting videos about it, first is how to set up the Wii Remote for computer applications and second one is a funny application about Head pose determination. Enjoy them:)

In addition to these devices I have also read about some unusual tools which are perhaps still under research period. One example is the so-called cubic mouse. It consists of a plastic cubic structure of dimensions 9cm x 9cm x 9cm. This plastic cube houses a Polhemus Fastrack, three mutually perpendicular translating rod, and six application-programmable control buttons. The buttons are placed on the face that normally is oriented upward, while wires from the tracker, the sensors embedded in the translating rods, and the buttons exit through the opposite face. A nice demo video is here:

Recently the movie "Avatar" is truly hot, the animation of this film is a typical V.R. application. Exactly speaking, it belongs to motion capture. Therefore the body suits for motion capture is another relevant input device for virtual reality. It is more likely a combination of a number of trackers, i.e. in the next video it is a optical-tracker-based suit. But the true principle is definitely not so simple just as a combination. It requires knowledge about biomechanics, photogrammetric methods and so on. Naja, it is a relatively large research aspect. Another interesting example is called Virtusphere, which is a spherical device with big size that could guarantee a common people move himself freely inside it. It rotates as the user walks, allowing for an unlimited plane upon which the user can walk and it is connected with computer to merge the human's movement into the virtual envirenmont. Oooook, have a look of them.....