Mobile 3D Virtual Real Worlds?   by Ken Rigby

Most office computers are largely restricted to desk-based activities. This was historically due to the lack of mobility (in terms of size, weight, and power requirements) of the computer equipment. Computers have been made more portable but has this really changed the way we can use them? Laptop computers, with their conventional interface, are probably used 99% of the time at a desk or table. They are portable but not truly mobile in that they are not designed to be used whilst on the move. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) and palmtop computers can be used on the move, if the user is prepared to stand still to operate the keyboard or touch screen, however they have been designed to be exclusively used to mimic the functions of desktop machines.

Research into wearable computing investigates ways of how a computer carried on the body can be used in a truly mobile way to effectively support the richness of 'situated' communications and tasks that occur when we are moving, most of which are chance encounters and random events.

The central technology being researched within this task is 'enhanced 3D virtual real worlds', interfaces in which users perceive and interact with reality augmented with computer-generated graphics and sound. Specifically, research is being focused on how enhanced 3D virtual real worlds interfaces can be maintained to users via networked wearable computers, an area of research supported by many universities and technology labs world-wide. Our aim is to demonstrate how a wearable computer user, equipped with a look-through head mounted display, is able to communicate with users of different interface technologies via a collaborative virtual real world environment.

This technology will lead to a new era in virtual reality by removing the need of cumbersome equipment and enabling a light and usable system.
See http://mellanium.com/ for more information.

About the Author

Ken has spent most of his life in the 2D world and since the invention of the www with all its search engines for retreiving 2D information realised that the a new way must be found to understand all this information. This and other 3D challenges are to be found at http://mellanium.com/ Ken has spent most of is time working on standardizing engineering processes.