From Booklist
Larijani gives an up-to-the-minute survey of this emerging technology and is, while accessible, agreeably more technical than her predecessors. Her chapter "Displaying Virtually Real Images," for instance, quite clearly lays out the differences between the haptic environment, in which objects are pushed or pulled to simulate feelings of speed or gravity, and "real-space imaging," in which virtual objects have reference to real objects and will appear or disappear according to precise conditions of place and context. Her chapters "Things You Need to Create a Virtual World" and "Behind the Scenes: Software, Databases, etc." are similarly technical, and, if read in tandem with some of the titles in her excellent bibliography, would provide a workable introduction for the enthusiast eager to begin programming virtual worlds. Larijani follows with a survey of what has happened and may happen in medicine, entertainment, architecture, the military, and the office; she concludes with a warning that this U.S. technology is rapidly being taken over by the French, Germans, British, and Japanese. The best book on this subject since Howard Rheingold's ground-breaking
Virtual Reality (1991).
John Mort
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
A straight-forward guide written for anyone interested in the rapidly advancing virtual reality technology. This guide includes no sensationalism or technical jargon and is therefore easy to understand and follow. It considers the state of virtual reality at present, including its commercial uses, future applications and impact. The Primer includes descriptions of the things needed to create a virtual reality world: hardware, software, networking capabilities and audio/video requirements; how virtual reality brings together other popular computer technologies; a detailed look at VR's current and potential applications; coverage of advances in R&D, available products and current investors and a detailed glossary of more than 200 terms.
