Module A: Virtual and Augmented Reality

The course offers a comprehensive insight into the world of extended, mixed, augmented and virtual reality, shedding light on human perception (visual, auditory, haptic, vestibular) and the motor system. It introduces the kinematics and dynamics of the virtual world, including motion, deformations, and collision detection and modelling. It focuses on tracking user's movement, measuring posture, movement, interaction forces and perceiving the environment. Interactions include object manipulation, virtual navigation and interaction with others. The course explores the visual, auditory and haptic modality of virtual environments, including graphical modelling, animation, 3D graphical displays, acoustics, spatial sound, kinaesthetic and tactile haptic interfaces. It emphasises collaboration in multi-user virtual environments and the concepts of virtual presence and its measurement. It addresses the use of augmented reality in various areas such as industry, medicine, education and design.

The course addresses the interaction between a human and a computer-generated virtual environment. It analyzes physical background, technological challenges as well as opportunities and constraints related to the construction of multimodal virtual and augmented environments. The emphasis is on concepts necessary for understanding virtual environments and user’s responses to synthetic visual, auditory and haptic stimuli. Students acquire practical knowledge in the laboratory while completing interdisciplinary research projects.

Students have access to a book with the course content. In the lectures, the emphasis is on theoretical basics of multimodal virtual environments. Due to the specificity of the course, lectures are mostly conducted with the help of multimedia presentations. Latest developments in the field of virtual environments are presented in the form of “video lectures". Practical exercises are conducted in the laboratory, which is equipped with a number of different haptic robots, surround sound systems and 3D stereoscopic graphical displays. Students work in interdisciplinary project teams, where each student engages in a particular modality of virtual environment.