The Distributed Extensible Virtual Reality Laboratory
The Virtual Classroom continued
The virtual classroom is intended to provide distributed users a with
a number of coopertaive virtual reality based applications which allow them to experiment with
a simulated set of physical properties. A number of applications exist which demonstrate some
real word properties of objects.
Elastic Collisions
Below is a two user simulation of a simple "tennis" game. Each user may move their red paddle
to hit the white puck, thus preventing it from hitting their rear wall (in pink). This application
replicates the (simplified) phisical nature of an air hockey type game. The change in state within
this application is mainly concerned with the white puck, which may move slowly or rapidly
depending on how it was hit.
3D Pivot
A 3D pivot applications allows a number of object with differing mass to be moved around a hinged
plane. This plane pivots around its centre in the X and Z dimensions. The plane will pivot to
represent the sum of the momemts exerted by each of the masses placed onto it. The aim of this
application is balance the plane so that it is flat. This application may be used by any number of
participants in may scenarions, for example each participating user may only move their allocated
object and must work cooperatively to balance the plane. To ease this task in a monocular desktop
arrangement, users must view the plane from a number of different locations.
Inter-Particle Gravitational Fields
This application allows a number of objects to mutually attract in a gravitational
manner. As one object moves, the gravitational
force exhibited by it on each object changes, likewise the gravitational forces exhibited
on it by the other objects also change. This application allows users to experiment with
the properties of gravitational fields between independent objects.
Projectiles
A virtual cannon fires a virtual cannon ball into free space. The cannon ball is acted upon
by a simulated uniform gravitational field, which pulls the flying ball down as it travels.
During its flight the cannonball leaves a trail denoting its path. Users may alter the inital
velocity of the cannon ball and the angle of evevation of the cannon from which it is fired.
The Projectiles Experiment
Click here to view the nature of this experiment.
Status: Under revision
Last revision: 12th April 1995
Comments welcome.
Gareth Smith
/ gbs@comp.lancs.ac.uk
