http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/virtual_reality/ Virtual Reality. From the most realistic virtual reality game room in the world to training using virtual reality technology, find all the latest news here. en-us Fri, 16 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT Fri, 16 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/virtual_reality/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514213432.htm Does playing violent video games make players aggressive? It is a question that has taxed researchers, sociologists, and regulators ever since the first console was plugged into a TV and the first shots fired in a shoot 'em up game. Now researchers suggest that there is scant scientific evidence that video games are anything but harmless, and that they do not lead to real world aggression. Moreover, new research shows that previous work is biased towards the opposite conclusion. Thu, 15 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514213432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513191103.htm Today's video games serve a multitude of functions ranging from entertainment to exercise and even education. Now, three recent graduates have created a game with an even more important purpose --- to foster independence among disabled individuals. Graduating seniors have led an interdisciplinary student team made up of programmers, game designers, character and level artists, electrical engineers, and music composers to create a groundbreaking interactive game simulation to help individuals with disabilities develop life skills and obtain increased autonomy. Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513191103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094426.htm Can online networking sites help new students settle into university? Researchers are now looking for first-year University of Leicester students who use Facebook to help their pioneering research into this issue. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429170954.htm Researchers believe they can achieve a significant increase in the accuracy of one of the fundamental constants of nature by boosting an electron to an orbit as far as possible from the atomic nucleus that binds it. The experiment could put the modern theory of the atom to the most stringent tests yet. Thu, 01 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429170954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125446.htm Elderly patients suffering from chronic illnesses who receive 'virtual' care from a team of medical experts linked together via phone, fax and e-mail, make fewer emergency visits than patients who do not receive this kind of coordinated team care approach according to a new study by Rush University Medical Center. The study will be presented at the American Geriatrics Society's Annual Scientific Meeting on Friday, May 2. Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501125446.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428175336.htm Patients in therapy to overcome addictions have a new arena to test their coping skills -- the virtual world. A new study found that a virtual reality environment can provide the climate necessary to spark an alcohol craving so that patients can practice how to say "no" in a realistic and safe setting. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428175336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416212725.htm Over 77 million baby boomers will retire in the next 30 years, and robots are ready to assist with elder care. Engineers have created a robotic assistant that can recognize medical emergencies and call 911, remind clients to take their medication, help with grocery shopping and cleaning and allow retirees to communicate with loved ones. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416212725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm From cars and mobile phones to computers and furniture, most of today's products are created virtually on a computer before they are actually produced. Researchers are adding new functionalities to digital product development. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412174455.htm Imagine being able to take a step back in time and walk through the streets of ancient Pompeii hours before the eruption of Vesuvius. In April 2008, European researchers will demonstrate that walking through virtual environments is set to be a reality. In the virtual environment you have flight simulators, car simulators, but the most natural way of locomotion for humans is walking and this was practically impossible, according to the researchers. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080412174455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411150948.htm Supercomputers simulate products and manufacturing processes within minutes. In the Computer Aided Robust Design CAROD project, researchers are developing new methods and software that significantly improve the quality of the virtual components. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080411150948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144817.htm A surprisingly large fraction of Web traffic gets sucked into temporary black holes, in which information between two computers disappears en route. A new online observatory monitors Internet black holes so network administrators -- and frustrated Web users -- can diagnose problems in real time. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408144817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223826.htm A virtual reality underground ride has been used by researchers to reveal the extent that paranoia occurs in the general public. The research demonstrates that suspicious or paranoid thoughts are much more common in the general population than was previously thought, and that they are almost as common as anxiety and depression. Researchers found that the participants interpreted the same computer characters very differently. The most common reaction was to find the virtual reality characters friendly or neutral, but almost 40% of the participants experienced at least one paranoid thought. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330225933.htm Second Life is more than an on-line game for some young scientists. It is a handy three-dimensional tool used for resolving real issues. Computer Science students have recently used it to analyze and solve the everyday frustrations involved in borrowing a book from a library. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080330225933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321104655.htm Tufts University has literally expanded the visualization concept with a new 14-foot by 8-foot visualization wall that enables researchers to translate the most abstract, complex science into 3-dimensional images that are clearer and more precise than those produced by most conventional systems. "Users will be able to manipulate, simulate, touch and literally immerse themselves in data in a way they never have been able to before," according to the university. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080321104655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172415.htm Scientists have developed and patented a virtual telemicroscope. The software permits off-site pathologists to diagnose cancer or other diseases in patients living in remote locations around the world. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319152744.htm To a patient recovering from severe burns, no place would be more soothing than a polar landscape of gently falling snowflakes, snowmen, penguins, igloos and icy rivers. That's the thinking behind SnowWorld, an interactive, virtual-reality video game being used to manage pain felt by burn patients during wound care and physical therapy. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319152744.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319160105.htm Electrical engineers are developing an on-chip imaging sensor with small pixels and 12,616 mini-optic lenses that are created as part of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Used in a digital camera, these lenses will record overlapping views of the scene, creating an electronic "depth map" as well as a photograph. Downloaded to a computer, the map can be used in many ways. The camera technology produces a "depth map" of a scene. The possible uses range from facial recognition to 'in vivo' biological imaging. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319160105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318215512.htm A new project will test how people respond to extreme social situations - particularly the 'bystander effect' - using an immersive virtual environment like Second Life where real people interact with each other socially through lifelike animated characters. The bystander effect suggests that the more witnesses there are to an emergency, the less likely an individual bystander is to intervene. This phenomenon was identified as a particular consequence of the assault and murder of Kitty Genovese in New York in 1964 which was witnessed by some 38 people, all of whom remained bystanders and failed to come to Kitty's aid. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318215512.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095617.htm Consumers in search of product related information and technical support often turn to virtual communities for help. An article on virtual P3 communities -- peer-to-peer problem solving communities -- presents evidence that social capital, widely described as declining in face-to-face neighborhood communities, has migrated online. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317095617.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131511.htm Using a virtual pendulum and its real-world counterpart, scientists have created the first mixed reality state in a physical system. Through bidirectional instantaneous coupling, each pendulum "sensed" the other, their motions became correlated, and the two began swinging as one. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310110859.htm A new computer program will be able to identify the type of brain damage a patient has had, to calculate the probability of recovery and recommend the most effective ways to treat the patient. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310110859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310112704.htm Scientists are engineering video game characters with the capacity to have beliefs and to reason about the beliefs of others. The characters will be able to predict and manipulate the behavior of even human players, with whom they will directly interact in the real, physical world, according to the team. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310112704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304130751.htm Video games like Wii Sports and Dance Dance Revolution can play an important role in getting kids off the couch and involved in physical activity. But are they a replacement for traditional exercise? Definitely not, a university wellness coordinator. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304130751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304200631.htm A man stands in front of a large screen gesticulating in a seemingly hectic manner. As if by magic, images suddenly appear on the display. Their movements follow the actor's gestures, rotate at the slightest turn of a finger, and become larger or smaller as desired. This scene will look familiar to anyone who has watched the science fiction film 'Minority Report'. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304200631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304101431.htm A new haptic interface based on magnetic levitation to give computer users a feel for what's on the screen. They can perceive textures, feel hard contacts, and sense the heft of a heavy block as they lift it. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304101431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229115314.htm Researchers are developing an intervention using "virtual peers" -- technology driven, animated life-size children -- to help develop communication and social skills in children with autism. Preliminary findings suggest children with autism produce more and more "contingent" (conversationally relevant) sentences when interacting with virtual peers than with real-life children. What's more, virtual peers are endlessly patient, never tire and can be programmed to elicit socially-skilled behavior. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229115314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229153126.htm Researchers have identified a key molecular mechanism that may account for the development of cystic fibrosis, which about 1 in 3,000 children are born with in the US every year. The findings add new knowledge to understanding the development of this disease and may also point the way to new corrective treatments. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229153126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226144524.htm On Jan. 26, 1700, at about 9 p.m. local time, the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the ocean in the Pacific Northwest suddenly moved, slipping some 60 feet eastward beneath the North American plate in a monster quake of approximately magnitude 9, setting in motion large tsunamis that struck the coast of North America and traveled to the shores of Japan. To help prepare for the next megathrust earthquake, researchers used a supercomputer-powered "virtual earthquake" program to calculate for the first time realistic three-dimensional simulations that describe the possible impacts of megathrust quakes on the Pacific Northwest region. What they learned was not reassuring. Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226144524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229132917.htm How do students, who may be located across the globe, collaborate together on team-based project work? European researchers have developed the first online platform that integrates elements of e-learning, social networking and project management to help virtual teams get the most from their practical experience. Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229132917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211215636.htm V-Frog, the world's first virtual-reality-based frog dissection software designed for biology education -- allowing not mere observation, but physically simulated dissection -- has been developed. V-Frog, which operates on a personal computer using a standard mouse, actually simulates nearly unlimited manipulation of specimen tissue. As a result, every dissection is different, reflecting each student's individual work. The software is designed for grades 7 through 12, plus advanced placement biology students. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211215636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206131640.htm Researchers are the first to create 3-D holographic displays that can be erased and rewritten in minutes. The holographic displays -- which are viewed without special eyewear -- are the first updatable three-dimensional displays with memory ever to be developed, making them ideal tools for medical, industrial and military applications that require "situational awareness." Dynamic hologram displays could be made into devices that help surgeons track progress during lengthy and complex brain surgeries, show airline or fighter pilots any hazards within their entire surrounding airspace, or give emergency response teams nearly real-time views of fast-changing flood or traffic problems, for example. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080206131640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201155704.htm Your mother always told you to do your geometry homework, and for scientists seeking new treatments for diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, this advice turns out to be right on the mark. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080201155704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125429.htm The combined supercomputing power of the UK and US 'national grids' has enabled scientists to simulate the efficacy of an HIV drug in blocking a key protein used by the lethal virus. The method -- an early example of the Virtual Physiological Human in action -- could one day be used to tailor personal drug treatments, for example for HIV patients developing resistance to their drugs. Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080129125429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080125233408.htm European researchers have pioneered a breakthrough interface that allows people to touch, stretch and pull virtual fabrics that feel like the real thing. The new multi-modal software linked to tactile hardware and haptics devices have enormous potential for shopping, design and human-machine interaction. A revolutionary new interface allows users to really feel virtual textiles. The system combines a specially designed glove, a sophisticated computer model and visual representation to reproduce the sensation of cloth with an impressive degree of realism. Thu, 31 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080125233408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113309.htm Recent research found that children with autism improved their road safety skills after practicing with a unique virtual reality system. The independence of children with autism depends on their receiving treatment in natural settings. One of the main problems they face is their inability to learn how to safely cross the street, a necessary skill for independent living. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117125636.htm Achieving superhuman vision like the Bionic Woman's could be as easy as popping in a contact lens. Engineers have for the first time combined a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117125636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080108100024.htm The inability of casual computer users to build 3-D objects is an anchor holding back the promise of virtual worlds, such as Second Life or World of Warcraft. Now computer science researchers are making things easier -- beginning with virtual trees. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080108100024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103135205.htm Researchers used virtual reality scenarios to investigate if spatial learning and memory in humans can be linked to sexual orientation. Differences in spatial learning and memory (our ability to record and recall information about our environment) are common between men and women. It has been shown that men consistently outperform women on tasks requiring navigation and discovering hidden objects; whereas women are more successful at tests which require them to remember where those objects lie in a particular space. This is the first study to investigate if those differences are also true for gay, lesbian and straight individuals. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103135205.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221225420.htm Serious games are designed not to entertain, but to teach. Students learn by doing, and games range from simulating medical procedures to promoting peace in Palestine. Now researchers are developing a platform to make the concept more accessible to businessmen. You cannot replace experience, but maybe you can acquire it faster. Action learning, learning by doing, is the most effective form of training a company can deploy. Instead of remembering facts or processes, students perform real tasks, employing both the knowledge and the method as they do. It is the difference between reading the manual and building the machine. It is experience over information. Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221225420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206231449.htm Many industrial processes involve reactions in places that are difficult to see directly. A novel tabletop touch screen allows hidden sequences of events to be observed in progress. It can be operated intuitively using a combination of fingers and recognizes swiping movements. A crowd of people is gathered around a large table with an illuminated surface, on which images of a journey through pipes and machines in a factory are being displayed. Users can select individual components by touching the corresponding image with a finger. The objects can be rotated and observed by swiping a finger over them -- and the same method can be used to watch a process in slow motion. Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206231449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127142134.htm Watching media violence significantly increases the risk that a viewer or video game player will behave aggressively in both the short and long term, according to a new study. Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127142134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126162542.htm A surgeon accidentally kills a patient, undoes the error, and starts over again. Can mathematics make such science fiction a reality? Virtual surgery is rapidly approaching, say mathematicians who are helping to make virtual surgery a viable technology that will save lives. Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126162542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071113144348.htm Virtual simulations indicate that various crowd formations affect the number of injuries and fatalities in the event of a pedestrian suicide bomb attack. A person that is in line-of-sight with the attacker, rushing toward the exit or in a stampede was found to be in the least safe position. The safest way to stand or sit in a crowd, the research found, was in vertical rows. Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071113144348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071022120216.htm Researchers have created a computer model called Pathogen Simulation to study the sometimes deadly Epstein-Barr virus, which infects greater than 90 percent of the world's population. Researchers hope to determine why some infected patients fall ill while others show no symptoms. Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071022120216.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019174410.htm Online video games with thousands of simultaneous players, such as "World of Warcraft," have become hugely popular in the last two decades and are now a multibillion dollar industry. Scientists have conducted a randomized trial study of college students contrasting the effects of playing online socially interconnected video games with more traditional single-player or arcade-style games. Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071019174410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009101818.htm Nurses and physicians are using the latest technology to help young burn victims endure the extreme pain of dressing changes and wound care. Instead of traditional distraction devices, such as books and music, Nationwide Children's Hospital Burn Center is now using virtual reality games to distract patients while nurses attend to the patients' burn wounds. Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071009101818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071007213855.htm An interactive role play game which helps children to cope with bullying at schools has been developed. Currently over 1,000 children all over Europe are part of pilot studies which aim to explore the impact that the software may have in the possible reduction of bullying among pupils. Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071007213855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001165915.htm Big waves in fierce storms have long been the focus of ship designers in simulations testing new vessels. But a new computer program and method of analysis makes it easy to see that a series of smaller waves -- a situation much more likely to occur -- could be just as dangerous. Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001165915.htm