Emerging technologies Industrial applications of virtual reality depend greatly on the capabilities of emerging VR technologies. These technologies are young, but in some areas are approaching a level of maturity that allows for practical use in selected applications. A computer with three-dimensional graphics capability is the workhorse of any VR system. A tremendous amount of computing power is necessary to create, display, and update a virtual image at the desired 20 to 30 frames per second. Some VR setups use head-mounted dual displays, which rely on a magnetic field or ultrasonic tracking to determine the location and orientation of your head, but the FakeSpace BOOMs suspend the displays in a box from an arm assembly.
Location data is updated quickly using optical encoders at the joints.
Both FakeSpace BOOMs feature high resolution, stereoscopic view displays that provide the illusion of true 3D. VRL group member Falko Kurster uses the FakeSpace BOOM and VPL dataglove to simulate an automobile interior. A data glove allows you to affect the virtual world with real-world arm and hand movements. A motion sensor located on the glove detects displacements and rotations of the glove and bending of the fingers and then sends this data to the viewer program. The viewer then uses the data to accurately place an image of the hand in the virtual environment. The integration of the above technologies is accomplished with custom software written using a collection of commercial software toolkits and libraries.