tracking human motion in virtual reality systems

Some technologies used in Virtual Reality systems to track our movement for human to computer communication include: multi-axis mouse and control levers; wired gloves with mechanical, magnetic, ultrasound or optical monitors that register finger, wrist, and hand location and motion; gesture recognition systems that encode hand configurations and facial expressions using optical or mechanical monitors; head mounted displays wherein motion is detected through mechanical, magnetic, ultrasound or optical monitors; electronically-wired clothing with multiple signal emitters and/or mechanical, magnetic, ultrasonic or optical location sensing machines; and multi-directional and gyroscopic treadmills. These science and equipment each have pros and cons. Mechanical devices track motion promptly and accurately, but are often cumbersome and limit the range of body movement caused by the tangible connections that they require. Inertial machines require fewer physical connectors. However, response happens gradually and with less accuracy. Devices based on magnetism and ultrasound also tend to be slow and magnetic devices can be skewed by nearby ferrous objects. A current method of optical movement tracking involves attaching multiple Light Emitting Diodes to clothing and then monitoring the movement of the LEDs through computer. In any event, this method only records a narrow quantity of places on one's body. Internet Pictures Corporation has further info.

Motion and touch are central to interaction from people to computers. It takes place through keypad strokes, mouse commands, gesture-sensing gloves, and other motion-tracking methods. Motion and touch are also important for interaction from the world to humans in the tangible world, but is far less prevalent in virtual reality due to the constraints of applied science now available. Mechanical machines to track our movement can react to movement promptly and precisely. However they can be clumsy to use and limit large-scale motion. Other devices track motion by the interaction of moving objects with magnetism, but these can be imprecise in addition to slow. Other devices use ultrasound to sense the location and motion by the human body. Also see Virtual Tours Port Jervis, New York for virtual reality information.

Continued discussion at Virtual Reality .