MATH Seminar

Title: Considering the importance of realism in virtual reality
and Awards Ceremony: Annual Evans/Hall Lecture Series
Speaker: Dr. Doug Bowman of Virginia Tech
Contact: Erin Nagle, erin@mathcs.emory.edu
Date: 2013-04-29 at 4:00PM
Venue: MSC E208
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Abstract: It is often implied or assumed that the ultimate goal of virtual reality (VR) systems is the perfect reproduction of reality. It seems that the objective is making graphics, audio, haptics, physics, and interaction as indistinguishable from the real world as possible. In other words, the hypothetical Star Trek Holodeck is seen as the gold standard of VR systems. The word "reality" is even part of the name of the field! However, increasing realism can have a steep cost, and evidence for the benefits of higher levels of realism is often lacking. In this talk, I want to take a step back to evaluate how, when, and why high levels of realism are desirable. I will review a decade of research in my group focusing on understanding the effects of various types of realism in VR systems, and will draw some potentially surprising conclusions about where research efforts should be focused and how much realism is enough. Along the way, I will share some lessons learned about life in academia and a career in research.