From: mg@cgl.citri.edu.au (Mike Gigante)
Subject: PUBS: New book on "Virtual Reality Systems"
Date: 31 Mar 93 12:26:08 GMT
Organization: Collaborative Information Technology Research Institute



"VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEMS"

Eds R.A.Earnshaw, M.A.Gigante, H.Jones
ISBN: 0 12 227748 1, pp 327.   Price: 29.95 pounds sterling (in the UK).
49.95 dollars in the USA.  Published April 1993.
16 pages of colour plates.

Summary

The increasing belief that Virtual Reality Systems will soon be widely
used is only part of the reason for the explosion of interest in the
area.  There is a fascination with the nature of systems that can
provide an escape from the everyday environment, creating a scenario
which a few years ago only existed within the realms of science
fiction.

This volume brings together some of the leading practitioners and
exponents of the field of virtual reality and explores some of the
main issues of the area.  The main components of the current
generation of virtual reality systems are outlined and the major
recent developments are discussed.

The book has an introductory section which gives the background and
development of virtual reality and an overview of the technology.
This is followed by a discussion of practical systems and environments
by pioneer developers in the field.  The next section is on
techniques, and reviews the use of gestures and physical constraints
in virtual reality systems.

The use of VR in flight simulation, animation, and information systems
is presented.  VR is seen to be a useful and enabling tool which
enhances the application environment.  Some aspects of the human
computer interface are considered next - usability is a key issue on
VR systems.  Finally the ethical and societal implications of the use
of VR are considered.

A comprehensive Bibliography of 600 references to the field of Virtual
Reality and its applications provides complete coverage of the area
and will be a useful source of information to all readers.

Virtual Reality Systems will be of interest to all researchers and
practitioners in computer graphics and human-computer interaction who
wish to gain a broad understanding of the issues involved in this
complex and exciting area.

Henry Fuchs, Federico Gil Professor of Computer Science at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, has provided a
Foreword to the book.