This page describes the hard- and software used to create our graphics lab's virtual reality environment.
The Workbench
Probably being the most expensive table tennis set in the world, the FakeSpace® Virtual Reality Workbench is our
VR lab's core.
The projection screen
The workbench's 85x65cm projection screen lets any 21" monitor look like a VLSI project in comparison. Usually aligned
horizontally, to serve its secondary purpose as a coffee table, it can be tilted upwards up to 30 degrees to enlarge
the visible VR space. A complex mirror arrangement, hidden beneath the wooden construction, always focusses the
projected image on the screen.
The projector
The positioning devices
The central emitter unit.
A tracker sensor, attached to a pinch glove.
The Polhemus FasTrack® positioning device allow the simultaneous tracking of up to four sensors in six
degrees of freedom. The trackable space is a hemisphere of up to 6 meters in diameter, centered at the emitter unit.
The Polhemus trackers use electromagnetic induction for their task, and hence are very sensitive to metal objects in the
tracked area (the reason for the workbench being made from wood!). Alas, there are lots of metal cabinets, desks and
computers around the workbench area, so the trackers almost never satisfy the promised accuracy of less than one
centimeter.
Some of the problems we are facing.
The next task will be to find an adequate calibration method to increase the inherently low accuracy by
post-processing means.
