Virtual Reality

1. Objectives
2. Specialization and Activities
3. Course Syllabus
4. Practical Works
5. Knowledge Assessment
6. References

 

Objectives:

The course concerns with concepts and fundamental notions of the virtual reality systems. The students study the development, processing, user interaction and visualization of the virtual space models. The course covers virtual system architecture, user input and output devices, graphics rendering systems, graphics engines, graphics clusters, parallel and distributed processing, and physical models. User interaction techniques, object animation and avatar navigation in virtual space are highligted by developing interactive applications. The students get ability to develop a 3D scene of virtual objects by using actual technologies, modeling languages, particular tools and frameworks. The students get ability to carry out a reasearch work throughout the specific literature and to elaborate a scientific report in conference paper format.

Lecturer: Prof. Dorian Gorgan

Specialization: Computer Science and Information Technology

Year of study: Master, 2nd year, 1st semester

Teaching language: Romanian, English

Activities: 2C each week

 

Course Syllabus:

Introduction. History.
Conceptual architecture of the Virtual Reality systems. Application domain.
Computing architecture. Rendering pipeline. Graphics engines.
Parallel graphical processing. Graphics clusters. 
Use input devices in Virtual Reality systems.
User output devices in Virtual Reality systems.
User interaction techniques to 3D objects in virtual space.
Distributed architecture to model and process the virtual space. Grid architecture.
Model, process and visualize the virtual geographical space.
Physical models. Particle based models. Dynamical 3D surfaces.
Enhanced virtual reality.
Active objects model.
Software components to model, process and visualize the virtual space.
Technologies, tools and environments for VR application development.

Practical Works:

Scientific Paper - the students get the ability to carry out a research in the literature by a given subject, and based on a few references and sources they learn to write an essay in a scientific paper format. They prove the ability to search the significant references, to study and synthesize in a critical manner the relevant information, and to edit the results in a conference paper format.
Practical Project – the students develop a specific project in the field of virtual reality. The subjects concern with virtual space modeling, 3D object animation and visualization, virtual space navigation, and user interaction techniques.

 

Knowledge Assessment:

Assessment approach: There are four types of assessment - written paper (E), scientific paper (S), practical project (P), and activity at the course (AC).
Mark computation: M=0,4*E+0,5*[(S+P)/2]+0.1*AC
Graduate req.: M≥5; E≥5; S≥5; P≥5

 

References:

1. Course Resources Repository, http://cgis.utcluj.ro/teaching/
2. Burdea G. C., Coiffet P., “Virtual Reality Technology”, J. Wiley & Sons, Second Ed., 2003.
3. Watt A., Policarpo F., “3D Games. Real-time Rendering and Software Technology". Addison-Wesley, 2001.