An interactive swarm of flying 3D pixels (voxels) developed at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab is set to revolutionize the way people interact with virtual reality. The system, called BitDrones, allows users to explore virtual 3D information by interacting with physical self-levitating building blocks.
Queen’s professor Roel Vertegaal and his students are unveiling the BitDrones system on Monday, Nov. 9 at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology in Charlotte, North Carolina. BitDrones is the first step towards creating interactive self-levitating programmable matter – materials capable of changing their 3D shape in a programmable fashion – using swarms of nano quadcopters. The work highlights many possible applications for the new technology, including real-reality 3D modeling, gaming, molecular modeling, medical imaging, robotics and online information visualization.
“BitDrones brings flying programmable matter, such as featured in the futuristic Disney movie Big Hero 6, closer to reality,” says Dr. Vertegaal. “It is a first step towards allowing people to interact with virtual 3D objects as real physical objects.”
Dr. Vertegaal and his team at the Human Media Lab created three types of BitDrones, each representing self-levitating displays of distinct resolutions. “PixelDrones” are equipped with one LED and a small dot matrix display. “ShapeDrones” are augmented with a light-weight mesh and a 3D printed geometric frame, and serve as building blocks for complex 3D models. “DisplayDrones” are fitted with a curved flexible high resolution touchscreen, a forward-facing video camera and Android smartphone board. All three BitDrone types are equipped with reflective markers, allowing them to be individually tracked and positioned in real time via motion capture technology. The system also tracks the user’s hand motion and touch, allowing users to manipulate the voxels in space.
“We call this a Real Reality interface rather than a Virtual Reality interface. This is what distinguishes it from technologies such as Microsoft HoloLens and the Oculus Rift: you can actually touch these pixels, and see them without a headset,” says Dr. Vertegaal.
Dr. Vertegaal and his team describe a number of possible applications for this technology. In one scenario, users could physically explore a file folder by touching the folder’s associated PixelDrone. When the folder opens, its contents are shown by other PixelDrones flying in a horizontal wheel below it. Files in this wheel are browsed by physically swiping drones to the left or right.
Users would also be able to manipulate ShapeDrones to serve as building blocks for a real-time 3D model. Finally, the BitDrone system will allow for remote telepresence by allowing users to appear locally through a DisplayDrone with Skype. The DisplayDrone would be capable of automatically tracking and replicating all of the remote user’s head movements, allowing a remote user to virtually inspect a location and making it easier for the local user to understand the remote user’s actions.
While their system currently only supports dozens of comparatively large 2.5” – 5” sized drones, the team at the Human Media Lab are working to scale up their system to support thousands of drones. These future drones would measure no more than a half inch in size, allowing users to render more seamless, high resolution programmable matter.
The Latest on: Virtual Reality
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Virtual Reality” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Virtual Reality
- Veterans: Virtual reality is veteran’s path to recoveryon April 27, 2024 at 5:20 pm
It was my first time using virtual reality. There was a dichotomy in my brain between ‘I am perfectly fine and I am freaking out’ and ‘I am perfectly fine’ ...
- New virtual reality experience arrives in Atlantaon April 27, 2024 at 12:57 pm
Guests will embark on a virtual journey that unveils ancient secrets and explores the intricate tombs of Pharaoh Khufu, followed by a visit to the Giza Necropolis, the famous Egyptian site home to the ...
- Virtual reality could make seeing your favorite band less expensive, if these artists have their wayon April 27, 2024 at 6:06 am
Heavy-metal band Avenged Sevenfold and rapper T-Pain are among a growing number of artists who are using virtual reality to connect with their fans at a ...
- Alien: Rogue Incursion - A New Virtual Reality Horror Adventure Announcedon April 26, 2024 at 11:15 am
Marking the celebration of Alien Day, publisher 20th Century Games, in collaboration with developer Survios, has unveiled their latest project, Alien: Rogue Incursion. This new entry in the storied ...
- Conn. town implements virtual reality training for firefighters, EMS providerson April 26, 2024 at 9:12 am
The training system provides a variety of simulations for first responders, such as heart attacks, burns, childbirth, lacerations, broken bones and overdoses ...
- 4 Tips for Navigating Virtual Reality Safelyon April 26, 2024 at 6:47 am
Virtual reality (VR) has taken major leaps forward in recent years. With the release of the Apple Vision Pro in early 2024, people are starting to realize how truly powerful this technology is and how ...
- Virtual reality headsets ease treatments for young patients at Advocate Children’s Hospitalson April 26, 2024 at 3:05 am
At Advocate Children’s Hospitals in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge, virtual reality systems are helping young patients deal with the discomfort of invasive treatments such as chemotherapy.
- ‘Be the Witness’ virtual reality project features five Oct. 7th survivorson April 25, 2024 at 8:24 am
It all started after I joined the fight on October 7 against Hamas terrorists invading the Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip,” says Nimrod Palmach, CEO of Israel-is, which ...
- MSNBC Will Use Virtual-Reality Supreme Court Bench During Trump Insurrection Argumentson April 25, 2024 at 6:10 am
The average person won’t be able to see the nation’s Supreme Court justices contemplating arguments Thursday over whether Donald Trump’s efforts to undo his loss in the 2020 election to President Joe ...
- Virtual reality can motivate people to donate to refugee crises regardless of politicson April 24, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Political conservatives who watched a documentary on Syrian refugees with a virtual reality headset had far more sympathy for the people depicted in the film than those who viewed the same film on a ...
via Bing News