001.28 Tehnologies / Function
The technologies we will seek out in this project is basically what is presented to us in the curse itself, but we´ll be adding at large VR / AR technologies, which are very interesting to us. And the very well built GPS 3D Mapping systems which exist, in order to see what we can achieve in visualizing the scenarios.
001.29 Virtual Rality VR & Augmented Reality AR
Many people remember these technologies from the 80`s, as the technology which would revolutianize the gaming industry. And as such one can say that it never really reached its potential, at least not in the Western Industrialized Countries. The systems basically concist of goggles with screens inside them, and gloves, that show up on the screens. Then you can put in whatever scenario you wish, not ever having to step outside.
www.wikipedia.org
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, be it a real or imagined one. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special or stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. Some advanced, haptic systems now include tactile information, generally known as force feedback, in medical and gaming applications. Users can interact with a virtual environment or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove, the Polhemus boom arm, and omnidirectional treadmill. The simulated environment can be similar to the real world, for example, simulations for pilot or combat training, or it can differ significantly from reality, as in VR games. In practice, it is currently very difficult to create a high-fidelity virtual reality experience, due largely to technical limitations on processing power, image resolution and communication bandwidth. However, those limitations are expected to eventually be overcome as processor, imaging and data communication technologies become more powerful and cost-effective over time
www.wikipedia.org
Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data. At present, most AR research is concerned with the use of live video imagery which is digitally processed and “augmented” by the addition of computer-generated graphics. Advanced research includes the use of motion-tracking data, fiducial marker recognition using machine vision, and the construction of controlled environments containing any number of sensors and actuators.
www.howstuffworks.com
On the spectrum between virtual reality, which creates immersible, computer-generated environments, and the real world, augmented reality is closer to the real world. Augmented reality adds graphics, sounds, haptics and smell to the natural world as it exists. You can expect video games to drive the development of augmented reality, but this technology will have countless applications. Everyone from tourists to military troops will benefit from the ability to place computer-generated graphics in their field of vision.
Augmented reality will truly change the way we view the world. Picture yourself walking or driving down the street. With augmented-reality displays, which will eventually look much like a normal pair of glasses, informative graphics will appear in your field of view, and audio will coincide with whatever you see. These enhancements will be refreshed continually to reflect the movements of your head. In this article, we will take a look at this future technology, its components and how it will be used.
www.cs.unc.edu
What is Augmented Reality good for? Basically, applications of this technology use the virtual objects to aid the user’s understanding of his environment. For example, a group at UNC scanned a fetus inside a womb with an ultrasonic sensor, then overlayed a three-dimensional model of the fetus on top of the mother’s womb. The goal is to give the doctor “X-ray vision,” enabling him to “see inside” the womb. Instructions for building or repairing complex equipment might be easier to understand if they were available not in the form of manuals with text and 2D pictures, but as 3D drawings superimposed upon the machinery itself, telling the mechanic what to do and where to do it. Groups at Boeing and Columbia are exploring these types of applications. Fundamentally, Augmented Reality is about augmentation of human perception: supplying information not ordinarily detectable by human sences.
001.30 GPS 3d Mapping
The Simulator sceneries have reached new peaks the last years, making true digital environments practically realistic. And with the use of GPS positioning one will in the future be able to land aircraft by looking at a computer generated scenario portraying real life. With mm precision, the car industry will also benefit from these developments, and in this project we look at this as one of our main focalpoints.
www.gpsrview.net
When most people think of GPS devices with a “3D” display, what they picture is a view of the road ahead from the perspective of near-ground level. The width of the road ahead narrows to give the illusion of 3D. The area at the bottom of the GPS covers a shorter distance (more closely zoomed in) than the area at the top of the GPS furthest away from you. But we will soon need to drop this definition of 3D displays, because “true” 3D maps are coming to GPS devices before too long. So what is different about the new “3D”?
Instead of just displaying a 2D map at an angle to give a 3D perspective, new devices and maps will actually be able to represent height of relative objects. Medians can be drawn on the GPS and those drawings can have shadows to illustrate their relative height. More importantly buildings can be shown in 3D to serve as landmarks, guiding the driver to know exactly when to turn.
While we won’t likely see these types of maps in the next few months, we will see them over the next few years. These images come courtesy of Tele Atlas and show the progress they are making on their 3D models. Note in the first image that you can actually see the color and construction of the buildings…. think of the possibilities of verbal instructions that might be possible with such data. “In 500 feet turn right after the red brick building”. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Volkswagen is reportedly working with Google to provide data and software as well as Nvidia (graphics chipset maker) to provide some of the necessary hardware. The idea is to build a GPS navigation system that doesn’t just take 2D maps and display then in 3D view like current GPS system do, but to actually display 3D data (terrain and buildings) on screen.
001.31 Synthetic Vision Information System SVS
www.wikipedia.org
Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) are a set of technologies that provide pilots with clear and intuitive means of understanding their flying environment. Synthetic Vision provides situation awareness to the operators by using terrain, obstacle, geo-political, hydrological and other databases. A typical SVS application uses a set of databases stored on board the aircraft, an image generator computer, and a display. Navigation solution is obtained through the use of GPS and Intertial Reference Systems. Highway In The Sky (HITS), or Path-In-The-Sky, is often used to depict the projected path of the aircraft in perspective view. Pilots acquire instantaneous understanding of the current as well as the future state of the aircraft with respect to the terrain, towers, buildings and other environment features.
www.rockwellcollins.com
The Synthetic Vision Information Systems incorporates three types of displays to help increase pilot situational awareness. The head-up display includes terrain cues and helps keep the crew aware of the situation outside of the aircraft. The primary flight display (PFD) integrates all tactical information including flight path, pathway and terrain to augment the crew’s decision-making capability. The multifunction display (MFD) provides key strategic information, improving crew awareness of terrain, obstacles, traffic and weather.
001.32 Heat Sencitive Cameras
www.as.l-3com.com
As the human eye detects variations in color, the IR camera detects variations in heat. Originally developed for the military, this revolutionary system is now affordably available for all types of aircraft. IRIS technology measures heat signatures and creates an electronic image of everything in view. A real-time, black and white image of people, animals, aircraft and terrain is displayed on a variety of compatible cockpit display systems and electronic flight bags. Because the system detects heat and not light, bright oncoming light, solar glare or the darkness of night is not a problem for pilots flying IRIS equipped aircraft.
001.33 Night Vision Goggles
www.wikipedia.org
Night Vision are telescopes, binoculars or cameras with a large diameter objective. Large lenses can gather and concentrate light, thus intensifying light with purely optical means and enabling the user to see better in the dark than with naked eye alone. Often night glasses also have a fairly large exit pupil of 7 mm or more to let all gathered light into the user’s eye. However, many people can’t take advantage of this because of the limited dilation of the human pupil. To overcome this, soldiers were sometimes issued atropine eye drops to dilate pupils. Before the introduction of image intensifiers, night glasses were the only method of night vision, and thus were widely utilized, especially at sea. Second World War era night glasses usually had a lens diameter of 56 mm or more with magnification of seven or eight. Major drawbacks of night glasses are their large size and weight.
001.34 Laser Technology
www.wikipedia.org
A laser is an electronic-optical device that emits coherent light radiation. The term “laser” is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.[1] A typical laser emits light in a narrow, low-divergence monochromatic (single-coloured, if the laser is operating in the visible spectrum), beam with a well-defined wavelength. In this way, laser light is in contrast to a light source such as the incandescent light bulb, which emits light over a wide area and over a wide spectrum of wavelengths.
The first working laser was demonstrated in May 1960 by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories. Recently, lasers have become a multi-billion dollar industry. The most widespread use of lasers is in optical storage devices such as compact disc and DVD players, in which the laser (a few millimeters in size) scans the surface of the disc. Other common applications of lasers are bar code readers, laser printers and laser pointers.
In industry, lasers are used for cutting steel and other metals and for inscribing patterns (such as the letters on computer keyboards). Lasers are also commonly used in various fields in science, especially spectroscopy, typically because of their well-defined wavelength or short pulse duration in the case of pulsed lasers. Lasers are used by the military for rangefinding, target identification and illumination for weapons delivery. Lasers used in medicine are used for internal surgery and cosmetic applications.
Laser as distanse measuring device, is interesting, as that would allow for the points measured to be represented graphically, thus you could paint a representation of the world by using lasers. But that would demand many lasers.
001.35 Integration
The goal to a certain extent is to integrate these optical technologies (IR, SVS), in a AR system. Thus creating a new kind of interface not created before. This will be put into play in a module, that has the VR AR systems and new controlsystems integrated. That means a module with seating, controlsystems, HMD with the new integrated technology interface. And normal modules, not for controlling the automachine. And Modules for more than one person and soforth.
001.36 Environment Analysis
In order to get a clear overview of todays functions in a normal car, which in most cases must be present in future vehicles aswell. There was done tests. We drove 1 hour, and the whole ride was filmed in order to locate problemareas, and filter out functions, actions and reactions carried out by the driver. These were then written down and put in a system of “importance”, sorting out the main functions in a car “cockpit” from the lesser / but yet important secondary functions.
