pete_leaback@compulink.co.uk (Peter Leaback) (08/23/90)
I am sorry my reply comes so late, i have been having problems posting. I hope the thread can be picked up. Steve Glicker said, >Simulations are usually intended for a purpose. Stick water molecules >are not intended for this purpose. This example simply illustrates >the incorrect use of stick water molecules. The stick water molecule >is not invalid for its intended purpose. > >Is is usually not wise to examine a simulation model without regard >to its purpose. This is my exact point, a simulation model is only designed to function with a limited domain.Taken out of this domain, and the simulation ceases to act correctly. But a virtual reality *can't* be taken out of the context it was intended for. This is because all influences on the virtual reality keep the world consistent. If a reference to mass has been made about an object then all objects in the virtual reality must be assigned a mass also. An input device to this VR must give force feedback if one wants to interact with any object.This is because without force feedback, an inconsistency has been created between objects and that input device. Paul Fishwick said, >In addition -- a computer simulation need not be of a "real" physical >phenomenon. A simulation can define a model of some process, possibly >unrealistic. The output of the simulation is then validated against >data of some sort. We can see, then, that one can define simulations >not only of physical systems, but also of mental models (in AI) and >futuristic galactical adventures. I agree, simulations and virtual realities are not restricted to a reality similar to our own.If an analog to hands, eyes, light etc can be found in "mental models" then a virtual reality of "mental processes" can be created. >SIMULATION: Emphasis is on modeling and analysis of time dependent >complex phenomena (real or imaginary). >VIRTUAL REALITY: Emphasis is on human factors and psychological >effectiveness. I feel your view is the result of the complexity of building virtual reality I/O. VR research at the moment is focused on building input/output devices, they are complex to build and use technologies that are still in their infancy. This does not mean that they are the underlying principal of VR's, they are the _effect_ of the underlying principlals. >The issue of "reality" is a function of the fidelity of input >and output devices. I disagree, the fidelity of a head mounted VDU does not effect the validity of the virtual reality it is interfacing with.A low resolution display can be thought of as an eye with a small number of rods and cones. Pete Leaback.
klw11037@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (08/24/90)
>>The issue of "reality" is a function of the fidelity of input >>and output devices. > >I disagree, the fidelity of a head mounted VDU does not effect the >validity of the virtual reality it is interfacing with.A low resolution >display can be thought of as an eye with a small number of rods and >cones. > >Pete Leaback. This almost seems more a matter of definition of just *what* is the virtual reality. Is it the self consistent set of sensory input that is received from the output devices, in which case the "reality" is a function of the fidelity (to some extent, since the mind can fill in quite a lot given a basic framework). If it is defined to be the "world" mapped into the algorithms generating the VR, then the "reality" is not a function of the fidelity of the IO gear. Kyle Webb
brandonl%gold.gvg.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET (Brandon Lovested) (08/30/90)
In article <138900005@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> klw11037@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > >This almost seems more a matter of definition of just *what* is the virtual >reality. Is it the self consistent set of sensory input that is received >from the output devices, in which case the "reality" is a function of the >fidelity (to some extent, since the mind can fill in quite a lot given a >basic framework). If it is defined to be the "world" mapped into the >algorithms generating the VR, then the "reality" is not a function of the >fidelity of the IO gear. Then VR is a subset of cyberspace. Cyberspace is not limited to mapping that which is real. It will allow new ways of information expression not yet developed in our normal perceptual space. ============================================================================== BRANDON G. LOVESTED FOR EVERY VISION, Software Design Engineer THERE IS AN Grass Valley Group EQUAL AND OPPOSITE brandonl@gold.gvg.tek.com REVISION... ==============================================================================