WebVR: Virtual Reality On the Web

by Sandy Ressler

National Institute of Standards and Technology

 

Visualisation, Big Data, Art + Science, Feb, 2016

http://visualisation.matters.today/

Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

Disclaimer

Any mention of commercial products within this presentation or NIST web pages is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by NIST.

The views expressed in this presentation are solely those of the author and do not represent any official views of NIST or the US Government.

Follow Along!

 

https://slides.com/sressler/visartsci2016/

Agenda

  • Authoring (content creation)
  • Distribution (publishing)
  • Future (my speculations)

Authoring

(Content Creation)

  • Good old fasioned 3D computer graphics (polygons)
    • unreal or unity
  • Image based (photography/video): Creating 360 degree video environments: The Joy and Horror of the GoPro 360Heros Setup
  • Application specific

matterport

  • Declarative (like HTML for the Web
  • Imperative (like C or Java - webGL)

Distribution

Publishing

  • Standalone application (or mobile app)
  • Upload to distribution site - YouTube; vrideo
  • Web Browser as Universal Publishing Medium
  • Moving to the Browser - WebVR
  • WebGL for Universal 3D Content
  • Native Oculus Support (in the browser), sort-of

Jsbin is a JavaScript debugger - use it here for graphics!

Excuse me but there are some 3D objects in my web pages!!!

 

 

 

 

VR is back baby!

The Oculus Effect

  • clearly the excitement generated by Oculus (via kickstarter but mostly the $2B purchase by Facebook) instigated this second coming of VR
  • Browser vendors also get excited via the integration of WebGL and VR headsets

Oculus Rift brings about VR2.0

 

Google Cardboard crazy smart/cheap

 

Microsoft HoloLens

(Augmented Reality)

Microsoft HoloLens by Sketchfab on Sketchfab

Major Efforts

  • Facebook - Oculus
    • Samsung - GearVR (Oculus)
  • Microsoft - HoloLens
  • Google - Magic Leap (in stealth)
    • light field - retinal display?
  • Apple (hired Doug Bowman)

multiple BILLIONS of $$$

Oculus (and VR) Problems

  • it's not all sunshine and happy drugs ;-)
  • strap a brick to your face
  • hands disappear, making interaction difficult
    • partial solution: Leap Motion
  • eyes focus on images that are physically on close screen...
    • "simulator sickness"

VR Content

Content Types

  • 360 degree video
  • actual movies - Oculus Story Studio - Sundance Film Festival
  • games (of course) - good ole' fashioned computer graphics

360 Immersive Video is Compelling

I'm on stage with Paul FREAKING McCartney!! (jauntvr)

360 at Film Festivals

http://www.storybench.org/virtual-reality-makes-a-splash-at-sundance/

VR Salon in NYC

http://www.wired.com/2015/03/vr-filmmaking-storytelling-salon/

Content and more Content

Molly Wood@NYTimes

Full Immersion (Birdly)

Google's: Cardboard Design lab

The 10 brief lessons learned

in the app follow:

  1. Using a Reticle
  2. UI Depth & Eye Strain
  3. Using Constant Velocity
  4. Keeping the User Grounded
  5. Maintaining Head Tracking
  6. Guiding with Light
  7. Leveraging Scale
  8. Spatial Audio
  9. Gaze Cues
  10. Make it Beautiful

From: http://www.roadtovr.com/googles-new-cardboard-design-lab-app-uses-vr-to-teach-you-about-vr-design/

VR and Zombies!!

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/136603-htc-vive-virtually-dead-will-be-the-most-terrifying-vr-experience-yet-and-you-can-get-tickets

Immersive Theater experience in London

Photography and Stiching

Camera setup (360 Heros GoPro holder 12 cams -> 3D)

only need 6 cameras for 360 mono

Software to "stitch" the videos into a sphere"

Autopano Video Giga- manipulate stitch (rotate pieces)

360 video embed (results of GoPro stitched videos)

Viewing 360 Scene with Oculus (CSIRO/NIST)

Video

Web Browser as Universal Publishing Medium

  • If you want the widest possible audience..put it on the Web
  • If you want exposure via mobile devices..put it on the Web
    • and make sure the site is responsive

Speaking of Distribution

WebGL for Universal 3D Content

  • WebGL is GL with web wrappers
  • WebGL supported by most browsers and most mobile devices
  • WebGL led by Khronos Group (standardization/conformance is good thing)
  • ALL platforms..mobile,desktop,immersive
  • 3D Everywhere

  • 3 BILLION DEVICES!!

     

The Magic of WebGL

 

chromeexperiments.com

https://www.chromeexperiments.com/

Three.js editor

WebVR..what is it???

Scientific American article: Virtual Reality Comes to the Web-Maybe for Real This Time

Firefox is getting VR features that work with Oculus Rift

Browser vendors natively supporting the display and input (head position and orientation)

Web Browser

Display hardware - HMD or Mobile

WebGL

WebVR

Stack of Interfaces

GPU provides the graphic performance

WebVR Use Case: 360 degree video

  • hardware and software integration
  • YouTube will be offering a 360 degree video channel
  • http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/05/youtube-360-degree-video-support/

Mozilla WebVR

mozvr

360 Video on Web page

interaction via mouse versus head position

Future

Markup

ubiquity

more input solutions

clearer "language" visual conventions/semantics

exciting times! (again)

Magic Leap 

THE END

Useful Links