Virtual Reality: An Introduction

twvrrect

VIRTUAL REALITY

www.meetup.com/tawanvirtualreality
www.facebook.com/groups/taiwan3d

For a number of my courses at the university, I include a unit on Virtual Reality for various contexts which may sometimes include one or more Virtual Reality Days in which the students are able to experience VR for themselves. In some courses, the students report on or even create their own VR content. For instance, on 8 June 2016, the focus was on Virtual Reality and Narrative Storytelling in the Literature and Film course I teach at NCCU. I brought a LOT of VR headsets and glasses for students to use (fifty three students, so that’s a lot of Google Cardboard to lug around). See below for some images of the session (360 panos) as well as links to some of the media we used.

360 PHOTOS, Click and Drag to Explore the Images:

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Oculus Quest Two
https://www.oculus.com/quest-2
Excellent Standalone VR Headset.

Welcome to the world of VIRTUAL REALITY.

Included here are a number of VR pieces as part of the introduction to VR.

For some courses, we will be exploring a number of pieces together in class so please do NOT click ahead of the class as Dr. Phillips has a number of non-VR sources to showcase as well.

For a fairly nice bit of a good introduction is the Youtube VR Introduction page at vr.youtube.com.

Each video is included with an external open link. The pieces that are intended for VR viewing are marked with (VR) in front of the link. If you are on your smartphone, opt to open the video in Youtube to allow you to use the Google Cardboard option to view the piece in VR. Other pieces are included for reference later.

twvrrect

VIRTUAL REALITY
Resources for Discussion
Prof. Brian David Phillips
National Chengchi University; Taipei, Taiwan

WORTHWHILE VR PROGRAMS

STARTER FUN

INTRO TO VR
My students at the university should start here.

PLAYLIST FOR STUDENTS

When viewing on a mobile device with a Google Cardboard style Virtual Reality headset, be sure to install and setup the Cardboard app first then choose to play the video playlist in the Youtube app and select the VR Cardboard viewing option.



INTRODUCTION TO CONCEPTS

BEYOND THE FRAME

NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY OF VIRTUAL REALITY

VR DRIBBLE: How to Make a 360º VR Video

MINI: PRODUCTION EXAMPLE

STORYTELLING & VIRTUAL REALITY

SENSE OF PRESENCE:
Empathy Machine

PRESENCE GAINED

HELP

PEARL

FUNIQUE

FUnique Virtual Reality Studio (http://www.funique.tv) is based in Taiwan. You can also check out their Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Fbqw3ruVEeOb1mLuJNZwA.

BUILDING EXPERIENCES:
Narrative and Otherwise

SERIES PRODUCTION

CIRQUE

GREAT PERFORMERS: L.A. Noir

INVISIBLE

REDFOO

MUSIC VIDEO

CINEMATIC EXTENSION

NOVEL EXPERIENCES

STAR WARS

MORE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

MORE MUSIC VIDEOS

OTHER VIDEOS OF INTEREST

BDP Videos of Possible Interest

POV (Point of View) and Approaching Adult VR Content

YOUTUBE 360°

MEETUP QUICKIE LINKS
Taiwan Virtual Reality Meetup

Get Your Own VR Viewer

Oculus Quest Two
https://www.oculus.com/quest-2
Excellent Standalone VR Headset

When he introduces Virtual Reality (VR) to classes, Dr. Phillips will often bring a number of vitual reality viewers to class for students to use. They are Unofficial Cardboard 2.0+, VR Fold V1 3D Virtual Reality Glasses, and VR Fold V1 3D Virtual Reality Glasses with Remote Controller.

Here are some places online you can order your own Google Cardboard as well (always get Version 2.0, not an older version). If you get a viewer that is not specifically Google Cardboard V. 2.0, make certain it is compatible. There are some very nice plastic viewers that are not cardboard certified and which don’t have a built-in controller so you may need to use an external bluetooth controller – a hassle but not impossible.

One thing you might do is to check out the official Google Cardboard page at https://vr.google.com/cardboard/get-cardboard/ and see the selection of models out there then go to one of the Taiwan based web store sites to search for the model you like (or order from the overseas site if not available locally). However, not all of these are 2.0 so be sure to do a bit of research and get a Google Cardboard V. 2.0 device. Obviously, if you would like a much better experience then you might consider one of the more expensive higher end devices. We use Google Cardboard in class because it’s pretty inexpensive and easy to get. If you wish better experiences on your own, then go for it!

  • OCULUS QUEST TWO – At this time, pretty much the best option for your first real VR headset is the Oculus Quest Two which has high quality virtual reality experiences in a standalone package which can also work with PC for much more powerful experiences and games. The cardboard is simple and quick to use but the experience is nothing compared to a proper VR headset. If you honestly wish to give proper VR a go, then the Oculus Quest Two is the best choice at this time. Yes, the OCULUS QUEST TWO is owned by Facebook and they do ship to Taiwan.
  • Ruten – local Taiwan-based online shopping service. Search for VR or Google Cardboard for a lot of options. Make sure you are getting V 2.0 or it may not be compatible with your phone.
  • PC Home Online – local Taiwan-based online shopping service. Search for Google Cardboard for a lot of options. Make sure you are getting V 2.0 or it may not be compatible with your phone.
  • Unofficial Cardboard – excellent resource. Their Google Cardboard 2.0+ is excellent. The plus version lets you change the space between your eyes. The design accommodates regular or larger phones too. They also have a less expensive UC Lite viewer. They have a whole bunch of cool designs to choose from. They are based in the US but I have found them to be very reliable.
  • I Am Cardboard – they have excellent viewers. Their Cardboard 2.0 is solid (I like Unofficial Cardboard more though). The plastic DSCVR viewer is excellent and compatible with cardboard 2.0. They are based in Hong Kong and I have found them to be very reliable.
  • GearBest – search for Google Cardboard or Virtual Reality or VR Glasses to see various options. They have a LOT of options. Make sure whatever you get is cardboard 2.0 compatible. Some of the plastic viewers are not cardboard compatible but do come with remote controllers. However, whether or not the controller works may depend upon your phone. You may need to find another controller. However, if you have a controller that works, some of these are very good viewers (some fancy ones let you adjust the distance between the eyes as well as the distance of the lens from the phone so you can adjust for your eye prescription if you wear glasses. They are in China and I have found them to be less than helpful on answering questions. If you order from them, opt to pay for insurance and for expedited delivery (the free postage is nice but it takes forever and they have a reputation for losing orders – if you get the tracking insurance and expedited deliever, you will get your order.
  • In addition to these, there are some shops that have viewers you can get. The FarEastTone on the first floor of the complex where the Viewshow movie theatre is at near Taipei 101 has a few different viewer designs in addition to a demo of the HTC Vive virtual reality system (a high-end system).

Check out our hub of things 3D, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and 360° materials here:

3D/VR/AR/360°

3D/VR/AR/360°
http://www.briandavidphillips.net/vr

Join our discussion group related to 3D, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and 360° materials on Facebook here:

3D/VR/AR/360° Facebook

3D/VR/AR/360° Taiwan on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/taiwan3d

Join our meetins, workshops, and seminars related to 3D, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and 360° materials in Taiwan on Meetup here:

3D/VR/AR/360° Meetup

Taiwan Virtual Reality Meetup
http://www.meetup.com/tawanvirtualreality

Panorama Photos of Class
Use Your Mouse to Rotate Images
www.flickr.com/photos/briandavidphillips/sets/72157669044262271

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More Panorama Photos of Class
www.flickr.com/photos/briandavidphillips/sets/72157669044262271

TAIWAN VIRTUAL REALITY

www.meetup.com/tawanvirtualreality
www.facebook.com/groups/taiwan3d

Taiwan Virtual Reality

3D/VR/AR/360°