Terms like "virtual reality" and "augmented reality" have existed for a long time. In recent years, thanks to products like Google Cardboard and games like Pokemon Go, an increasing number of people have gained first-hand experience with these once-exotic technologies. The MIT Libraries are no exception to this trend. The Program on Information Science has conducted enough experimentation that we would like to share what we have learned, and solicit ideas for further investigation. This discussion will present participants with a first-hand opportunity to not only to hear about the ongoing learning in the VR and AR space in the MIT Libraries, but to also witness some of these technologies in action – both for viewing and creating relevant content. A variety of data will be shared and collected during the discussion.

1. Reality Bytes
An overview of Virtual and Augmented Reality

3. A Word From Our Sponsor
The MIT Libraries provide support for all researchers at MIT.
Research consulting:
bibliographic information management; literature searches; subject-specific
consultation
Data management:
data management plan consulting; data archiving; metadata creation
Data acquisition and analysis:
database licensing; statistical software training; GIS consulting, analysis &
data collection
Scholarly publishing:
open access publication & licensing
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4. A Word From Our Sponsor
Thanks to Micah Altman, Kelly Hopkins, and everyone else for their
feedback and guidance during the investigation so far.
The Program on Information Science has funded the acquisition of
much of the equipment that we’ll talk about here.
http://informatics.mit.edu/labs
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5. Goals
• Review terms like “virtual reality”, “augmented reality”, and where they fit
into longer term trends in computing and media.
• Provide an overview of the hardware and software that helps create this
set of technologies, both for content viewing and content creation.
• Share first-hand experience with these technologies.
• Introduce some principles for what determines a good (and poor)
application for VR/AR.
• Invite those interested in learning more to visit our Information Lab.
vr-lib@mit.edu
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6. Questions
• What preceded the current VR/AR moment?
• How does someone consume – and create – this type of content?
• What makes something a good candidate for virtual reality? What is
already being done?
• What should be avoided?
• Where can I try out this technology myself?
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7. About Matt
• Web Developer, MIT Libraries
• Master of Architecture, Ohio State, 1999
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8. About Matt
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9. About Matt
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10. Framing
Defining terms
History of the technology

11. Defining “Virtual Reality”
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12. Defining “Virtual Reality”
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13. Defining “Augmented Reality”
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14. Defining “Augmented Reality”
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15. Defining “Augmented Reality”
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16. Background – Second Life
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17. Background – Games
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18. Background – Movies
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19. Framing VR and AR
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20. Framing VR and AR
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21. Content Viewing Platforms

22. Google Cardboard
• ~$15 simple headset
• Free or paid smartphone apps
• “Head in a beachball” content
• Phone gyroscopes to determine
view direction
• Only click in center of your vision
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23. Google Daydream
• ~$80 less simple headset
• Free or paid smartphone apps
• “Head and hand in beachball”
• Hand-held wand to separate
looking and clicking
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24. Oculus Rift
• ~$500 hardware kit
• Powerful computer required
• Free or paid software
applications
• Cubicle-sized space
• One body sensors
Handheld wand or controller
Headset with speakers
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25. HTC Vive
• ~$800 hardware kit
• Powerful computer required
• Free or paid software
applications
• Cubicle or Room-sized space
• Two body sensors
Two handheld wands
Headset with speakers
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26. FOVE VR
• ~$600 hardware kit
• Headset with eye tracking
• ?
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27. Hololens
• ~$3000 hardware kit
• Augmented, not Virtual, reality
• Development kits started selling
February 29, 2016
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28. Content Creation Platforms
Photography
New Hardware

29. Photo Spheres
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30. Photogrammetry
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31. 3d Scanning
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32. Ricoh Theta
• ~$300 digital camera
• Twin fisheye lenses
• Still photographs or video
• Includes streaming capability
• Suitable for Cardboard or
Daydream-style viewers
• Output supported by Facebook,
Flickr, YouTube, etc
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33. VUZE
• ~$800 digital camera
• Four pairs of fisheye lenses
• Still photographs or video
• Stereo 3d photo spheres
• Suitable for Cardboard or
Daydream-style viewers
• Output suitable for YouTube
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34. Sense
• $400 3d scanner
• Time of flight and white light
scanner
• Useful for generating 3d models
to import into VR/AR content
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35. Unity
• Free for hobbyists and beginners
• Content authoring platform for
games and more
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36. Applications
Criteria for good VR candidate experiences
Some mistakes to avoid

37. Jeremy Bailenson on good candidates for VR
1. Expensive
Visit the statue of David in Florence
2. Dangerous
Tour the Chernobyl reactor
3. Impossible
Experience a bug’s life, or Godzilla’s
4. Rare
Whale watching
(via Slate, “There are only four good reasons to do Virtual Reality”)
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38. Expensive: Travel
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39. Expensive: Travel
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40. Expensive: VR Museum of Fine Art
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41. Dangerous
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42. Dangerous
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43. Impossible
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44. Rare
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45. Games: The Lab
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46. Games: Fantastic Contraption
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47. Games: Vivecraft
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48. Filmmaking
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49. Filmmaking
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50. Sports
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51. Social Networks
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52. What not to do
Miss the forest for the trees

53. Re-create the wrong parts of reality
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54. Exacerbate existing problems
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55. …What?
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56. Libraries
First steps

57. Lore Books

58. LitCity

59. Storymapp
“StoryMapp is a mobile application that
creates custom walks based on your
location and provides a playlist of stories
that correspond to landmarks on your
route.
StoryMapp uses your location and your
selected parameters (e.g., time and
distance) to create a custom walk with
accompanying audio clips – freely available
for download.
The stories map to the types of scenery or
landmarks you encounter on your walk. For
example, walking by a post office you may
listen to a story about generations of
postmasters in a small town.”

60. MIT-generated content

61. The workflow
to visualize spatial data in VR is
being made into a workshop series to be
shared with the MIT community this Fall.
Feel free to stop by the GIS lab to demo
our current VR experience of Cambridge!
• The Libraries Special Collections Fund
has allowed the GIS Lab to explore
alternative uses for our spatial
data collection through the
use of VR & drones:
MIT Libraries & GIS

62. Goals
• Review terms like “virtual reality”, “augmented reality”, and where they fit
into longer term trends in computing and media.
• Provide an overview of the hardware and software that helps create this
set of technologies, both for content viewing and content creation.
• Share first-hand experience with these technologies.
• Introduce some principles for what determines a good (and poor)
application for VR/AR.
• Invite those interested in learning more to visit our Information Lab.
vr-lib@mit.edu
http://informatics.mit.edu/labs
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