Virtual Reality Technology, Second Edition with CD-ROM

Rating:
Summary: A highly useful textbook on virtual reality
Review: Dr. Grigore Burdea and Dr. Philippe Coiffet have years of experience in the field of virtual reality, and Virtual Reality Technology reflects their combined expertise to the benefit of all. I used the first edition as a required textbook in my undergraduate and graduate virtual reality courses for many years, almost from the time it was published in 1994. I am now going to use the second edition in my classes.

Instructors in need of a textbook for undergraduate or graduate introductory virtual reality courses, students looking for a guide to the field of VR, persons interested in knowing something about the current state of virtual reality, and practitioners, researchers, and businesses involved in VR, will all find this a must-have book.

Like the first edition of Virtual Reality Technology, the second edition is a book that provides an enormous amount of information. Because of its coverage of all the important areas of VR, it is the perfect textbook. The inclusion of a CD-ROM, which contains well-chosen video clips and a laboratory manual with programming assignments, adds to the book's usefulness for students. The manual uses VRML and Java 3D languages, which are free and thus reduce the cost of creating VR teaching laboratories in connection with the book.

The book includes mathematical and technical background and explanations, for courses that need that information. As a further aid to instructors and students, this textbook edition has review questions at the end of each chapter. Rounding out the list of valuable teaching aids, there is a companion website for instructors at http://www.vrtechnology.org with additional teaching material, such as sample term projects, quiz and exam examples, and lecture notes.

As a highly satisfied user of the first edition with many VR classes, I can wholeheartedly recommend the second edition of Virtual Reality Technology.

Dr. Veronica S. Pantelidis, Distinguished Professor, Co-Director, Virtual Reality and Education Laboratory, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina USA

Rating:
Summary: A highly useful textbook on virtual reality.
Review: Dr. Grigore Burdea and Dr. Philippe Coiffet have years of experience in the field of virtual reality, and Virtual Reality Technology reflects their combined expertise, to the benefit of all. I used the first edition as a required textbook in my undergraduate and graduate virtual reality courses for many years, almost from the time it was published in 1994. I am now going to use the second edition in my classes.

Instructors in need of a textbook for undergraduate or graduate introductory virtual reality courses, students looking for a guide to the field of VR, persons interested in knowing something about the current state of virtual reality, and practitioners, researchers, and businesses involved in VR, will all find this a must-have book.

Like the first edition of Virtual Reality Technology, the second edition is a book that provides an enormous amount of information. Because of its coverage of all the important areas of VR, it is the perfect textbook. The inclusion of a CD-ROM, which contains well-chosen video clips and a laboratory manual with programming assignments, adds to the book's usefulness for students. The manual uses VRML and Java 3D languages, which are free and thus reduce the cost of creating VR teaching laboratories in connection with the book.

The book includes mathematical and technical background and explanations, for courses that need that information. As a further aid to instructors and students, this textbook edition has review questions at the end of each chapter. Rounding out the list of valuable teaching aids, there is a companion website for instructors at http://www.vrtechnology.org with additional teaching material, such as sample term projects, quiz and exam examples, and lecture notes.

As a highly satisfied user of the first edition with many VR classes, I can wholeheartedly recommend the second edition of Virtual Reality Technology.

Dr. Veronica S. Pantelidis, Distinguished Professor, Co-Director, Virtual Reality and Education Laboratory, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina USA

Rating:
Summary: One of the most comprehensive VR texts yet ...
Review: Greg Burdea and Philippe Coiffet have, in essence, done it again. At a time when Virtual Reality is experiencing something of a comeback, and is delivering real results and benefits, they have produced a timely tome that will be of immense value to practitioners and students alike. This is the second edition of a book that "broke the mould" almost a decade ago - a time when the entertainment VR industry was experiencing its last major fortunes and industry was just about beginning to wake up to the fact that VR might - just might - bring them competitive advantage in the future. The Burdea & Coiffet partnership worked for the VR community then, and it will certainly work for that same community again. OK, ignore the initial preoccupation with the "three I's" of Virtual Reality - Immersion, Interaction and Imagination. VR is not actually about immersion, as you will conclude by reading the book. Immersion is still the "Holy Grail" of VR, as anyone who has tried a head-mounted display or CAVE will (if they're being truthful) admit. Imagination is a nice idea (and you certainly need a lot of it to feel immersed using today's technology!), but the term doesn't really reflect what happens in the VR development community at the present time. However, Interaction - real-time human interaction, that is - is the most important facet of VR. Fortunately, the book is very focussed on real-time interaction and this focus outweighs some of the flights of fancy in the opening chapter.

The technical sections of the book - Chapters 2 to 6 - are excellent. Illustrations are used extremely effectively and I must applaud the authors for their efforts in extracting information from the VR hardware and software suppliers and delivering what is otherwise marketing hype in a meaningful and independent way. Unlike previous texts, the authors also devote sections of the text to PC architectures as well as those underpinning their graphics "supercomputer" counterparts. The advent of low-cost, high-performance graphics capabilities for PC platforms has been a major stimulus in the resurrection of interest in VR and these systems are given a satisfactory level of attention. Indeed, despite the fact that the graphics cards covered in the book have been superseded since publication, the authors have defined the key features and benchmarks to be aware of so well (eg. graphics pipeline characteristics, rendering terminology, etc.), that the reader will be able to make his or her own judgements with regard to post-publication developments in this rapidly expanding field.

The book has been designed to enable readers to "dip in" and read about different facets of the VR community - hardware, software, 3D design, applications, and so on - without too much trouble. Even so, some of the chapters assume the reader is au fait with certain mathematical principles, from inverse kinematics to physical modelling. This may put some readers off, but I would recommend they stick at it, as some of the concepts are well worth delving deeper into, even if you are not particularly mathematically minded!

As has often been the case in VR texts (Lawrence Erlbaum's Virtual Environments Handbook, edited by Kay Stanney, is one example), a bias towards the US side of the Atlantic is evident, from both an historical perspective and in the applications examples quoted. True, VR was born in the US, but there are many international applications of the technology well worth covering that have been omitted from this book - particularly those that have "migrated" from the academic or corporate research labs into real world settings. Another chapter I found lacking was Chapter 7 - Human Factors in VR. Certainly, the collection of user performance studies is valuable, but the coverage of how to execute a human-centred approach to the design of VR systems for (for example) real-world applications needs more detailed attention, especially as it is now known that such an approach carries with it a high probability of success, not only in the development of meaningful VE content and the selection of appropriate display/interaction technologies, but also in post-delivery cost-benefit and human performance analyses.

Despite these minor criticisms, overall Burdea and Coiffet have done an excellent job at revising the first edition of their book. The inclusion of a CD with video excerpts of technologies and applications, not to mention the VRML/Java laboratory examples represents a major step towards bringing the concept of real-time interaction in VR to life - two-dimensional book pages (no matter how hard one tries) always fail to achieve this. Without doubt, I will be adopting this book as the prime reference for my University courses in VR and related technologies.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most comprehensive VR texts yet ...
Review: Greg Burdea and Philippe Coiffet have, in essence, done it again. At a time when Virtual Reality is experiencing something of a comeback, and is delivering real results and benefits, they have produced a timely tome that will be of immense value to practitioners and students alike. This is the second edition of a book that "broke the mould" almost a decade ago - a time when the entertainment VR industry was experiencing its last major fortunes and industry was just about beginning to wake up to the fact that VR might - just might - bring them competitive advantage in the future. The Burdea & Coiffet partnership worked for the VR community then, and it will certainly work for that same community again. OK, ignore the initial preoccupation with the "three I's" of Virtual Reality - Immersion, Interaction and Imagination. VR is not actually about immersion, as you will conclude by reading the book. Immersion is still the "Holy Grail" of VR, as anyone who has tried a head-mounted display or CAVE will (if they're being truthful) admit. Imagination is a nice idea (and you certainly need a lot of it to feel immersed using today's technology!), but the term doesn't really reflect what happens in the VR development community at the present time. However, Interaction - real-time human interaction, that is - is the most important facet of VR. Fortunately, the book is very focussed on real-time interaction and this focus outweighs some of the flights of fancy in the opening chapter.

The technical sections of the book - Chapters 2 to 6 - are excellent. Illustrations are used extremely effectively and I must applaud the authors for their efforts in extracting information from the VR hardware and software suppliers and delivering what is otherwise marketing hype in a meaningful and independent way. Unlike previous texts, the authors also devote sections of the text to PC architectures as well as those underpinning their graphics "supercomputer" counterparts. The advent of low-cost, high-performance graphics capabilities for PC platforms has been a major stimulus in the resurrection of interest in VR and these systems are given a satisfactory level of attention. Indeed, despite the fact that the graphics cards covered in the book have been superseded since publication, the authors have defined the key features and benchmarks to be aware of so well (eg. graphics pipeline characteristics, rendering terminology, etc.), that the reader will be able to make his or her own judgements with regard to post-publication developments in this rapidly expanding field.

The book has been designed to enable readers to "dip in" and read about different facets of the VR community - hardware, software, 3D design, applications, and so on - without too much trouble. Even so, some of the chapters assume the reader is au fait with certain mathematical principles, from inverse kinematics to physical modelling. This may put some readers off, but I would recommend they stick at it, as some of the concepts are well worth delving deeper into, even if you are not particularly mathematically minded!

As has often been the case in VR texts (Lawrence Erlbaum's Virtual Environments Handbook, edited by Kay Stanney, is one example), a bias towards the US side of the Atlantic is evident, from both an historical perspective and in the applications examples quoted. True, VR was born in the US, but there are many international applications of the technology well worth covering that have been omitted from this book - particularly those that have "migrated" from the academic or corporate research labs into real world settings. Another chapter I found lacking was Chapter 7 - Human Factors in VR. Certainly, the collection of user performance studies is valuable, but the coverage of how to execute a human-centred approach to the design of VR systems for (for example) real-world applications needs more detailed attention, especially as it is now known that such an approach carries with it a high probability of success, not only in the development of meaningful VE content and the selection of appropriate display/interaction technologies, but also in post-delivery cost-benefit and human performance analyses.

Despite these minor criticisms, overall Burdea and Coiffet have done an excellent job at revising the first edition of their book. The inclusion of a CD with video excerpts of technologies and applications, not to mention the VRML/Java laboratory examples represents a major step towards bringing the concept of real-time interaction in VR to life - two-dimensional book pages (no matter how hard one tries) always fail to achieve this. Without doubt, I will be adopting this book as the prime reference for my University courses in VR and related technologies.

Rating:
Summary: Burdea and Coiffet DID IT AGAIN!
Review: I am honored to review "Virtual Reality Technology," Second Edition by Dr. Grigore Burdea and Dr. Philippe Coiffet.

I was so impressed with both editions of this textbook that I adopted it for courses I've taught at several universities. Since introducing the text to my students, I've received positive comments and feedback. I have also used the authors' techniques in my research. Their work has helped lay the pioneering groundwork for much of the research being done to advance the field of Virtual Reality Therapy.

Because of my personal commitment to the field of Virtual Reality Therapy, I think it is fitting to acknowledge that one of the simplest and most powerful working definitions of virtual reality is offered by the authors in the second edition of their book, gives the three "I"s of virtual reality. The three "I"s make a triangle of Immersion, Interaction, and Imagination. Most virtual reality researchers and enthusiasts are familiar with the first two "I"s, essentials to a virtual reality system. The introduction of the third "I" by Burdea and Coiffet makes their interpretation and philosophy of virtual reality unique and innovative. This insight is inspiring and is complemented by empirical data that supports the belief that imagination (or what the user brings to the environment), compared to immersion and interaction, is the most important feature of any virtual reality system. This brilliant view is a tremendous contribution to our field.

Although the first edition was written as a research review rather than a textbook, the second edition has tremendously enhanced the field. It has developed into a textbook as well as a major resource reference for researchers and practitioners. Such a textbook is valuable in structuring and integrating virtual reality technology. A textbook of this caliber is welcomed asset for researchers, universities and others in the field. My specific comments are as follows:

---The organization of this edition is well done, logically organized and presented with clarity.
---In general, this edition seems to cover most of the important topics in the field.
---An impressive manual for the VRML/Java 3D Lab in helping organize the very necessary VR Teaching Laboratories as companions to teaching a VR class.
---The authors' writing style cleverly accommodates undergraduate readers and researchers from other fields.
---The materials in this edition are technically valuable and up-to-date.
---The authors provide additional, appropriate diagrams and photographs, which allows a wider range of readers to grasp the concepts presented.
---This new edition allows many students, researchers and others the opportunity to acquire state-of-the-art knowledge about virtual reality technology not provided in other books.

Dr. Max North, Pioneer of Virtual Reality Therapy

Rating:
Summary: An excellent text for student, instructor and expert
Review: The 1st edition of "Virtual Reality Technology" by Burdea and Coiffet quickly established itself in a twin role as a basic VR teaching text, and an essential laboratory reference manual. Given the high rate of change in this field, this 2nd edition is well overdue, but it has to be said that it has been worth the wait.

The book has the potential to attract diverse audience from students (and instructors), to the non-VR professionals, and VR professional wishing to keep abreast of the state of the art outside their core domain. Undoubtedly this book has something for everyone, but the text (and its support materials) is particularly geared to the needs of the student and the instructor. I have to say that in this teaching role the book, the CD and the web site provide almost unparalleled support with each chapter providing comprehensive details of the relevant technologies and concluding with sample questions. This is supported by a well-organised web site with course material, exam questions, samples and quizzes. To use this site, instructor registration is required with access in less than 24hrs. The registration process is not fully user friendly for non-US and non-academic users but this small misgiving aside this is an excellent method of obtaining first rate lecturing material that can be used exactly as it stands or adapted to purpose. And still there is more! - in the form of a CD-ROM, which contains video clips to augment the text and a laboratory manual with programming assignments. Most of the video material is excellent and very instructive although some is little more than a commercial promotional video with uncritical appraisal. Nevertheless this whole concept is to be applauded. One minor point with the movies is the range of formats used (Avi, QuickTime, Real Media, and Mpeg) which does not suit all computers and their loaded software. The manual provided within the CD-ROM uses VRML and Java 3D languages, and also includes drivers and hardware manuals for several well-known devices all of which improves the educational content of the book.

Turning to consider the book, its content and layout in some detail, we see that early in the book the authors identify what they consider to be the key aspects of a "VR system architecture". At the start of each chapter they then highlight the position of the chapter material within this architecture. This simple mechanism clearly shows where each aspect of the technology is located in the bigger picture.

The introductory chapter deals primarily with a history of VR, showing some of the earliest systems, but also speculating on growth trends and the potential of the technology. This is an interesting but generally lightweight chapter and perhaps the only area with which I was a little disappointed.

Chapters 2,3,and 4 consider the system hardware, with chapters 2 and 3 concentrating on input/output hardware and chapter 4 focusing of the computer platforms. I found this very logically written and presented, providing an excellent overview, and in most instances good detail of the hardware and it operation. Given the number of devices highlighted it could be argued that there is insufficient detail and while this may be true for the expert reader I feel that it is well rounded to suit the student reader. At this same time the extensive list of references available at the end of each chapter should satisfy many of the demands of the expert. In chapter 4 dealing with the platforms, I was pleased to see that considerable effort has focused on the PC based systems which are becoming increasingly powerful and acceptable both to the public and commercial/professional user. Although the technology at this end of the market changes and dates so quickly the importance of this format makes it a valuable addition.

In chapter 5 dealing with modelling the authors explain; the difference between, the use of, and advantages with, different modelling techniques including polygon-based and NURBS-based models and the principles of physical modelling, behavioural modelling, and database management. There is no doubt that the content of this chapter will stretch those coming into the area with limited mathematical knowledge while perhaps falling short for those with specialist modelling requirements. Getting the right blend for the novice student and expert reader is always going to be difficult. Nonetheless, I believe that the blend achieved suits a wide (the widest) range of audience.

The sixth chapter considers programming and while not a programmers manual per se offers excellent explanations of the key limitations, advantages and quirks of some of the better known programming languages. Having studied this the reader is left in the position where they now possess the basic knowledge to consider some serious VR programming and this is no mean achievement given all the other content of the book.

A user's perspective is presented in chapter 7 looking at the human factors Unlike many texts which deal only with visual interaction quality, this book covers a wide range of effects including the nature of the input interface and multiple interactions with objects and other humans. This chapter not only explains the value of human factors studies, it actually gives a fairly complete explanation of how they are conducted. The chapter concludes with a discussion of health and safety issues including the causes and prevention of simulation sickness.

The final two chapters focus on the applications. Given the number of applications that are or have been developed and the natural bias of any reader, getting the right blend will never be easy or perhaps even possible. Nonetheless, the authors have tried and largely succeeded in identifying the key generic areas where VR is having or is likely to have an impact. It would be all to easy to nit pick over the exact choice which will never be to everyone's liking, but there is a good blend of current medical, entertainment and military uses followed by a brief exploration of emerging application trends.