An introduction to Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and the mechanics of human depth perception.
Undergraduate Lecture Series
AR overlays digital information onto the physical world.
VR creates a fully immersive, computer-generated environment.
Reality and VR exist on a spectrum:
1. Physical Reality (Purely real)
2. Augmented Reality (Real + Digital)
3. Mixed Reality (MR) (Digital interacts with real)
4. Virtual Reality (Purely digital)
To feel "present" in VR, the system must mimic how humans perceive depth.
Binocular Cues: Rely on both eyes.
Depth cues available to a single eye:
A critical cue for VR immersion.
As a user moves their head, objects closer to the camera appear to move faster across the field of view than objects in the distance.
Failure to sync this movement leads to "Motion Sickness".
Understanding the intersection of optical physics and computer graphics is key to mastering XR.
End of Presentation.