A cross-platform virtual reality experience

Abstract

Virtual reality refers to a realistic and interactive experience whereby a user is able to observe and interact with a simulated three-dimensional environment. However, although immersive by nature, most modern virtual reality systems require the use of specialized head-mounted displays that result in experiences that are wholly detached and isolated from other potential users as well as from the primary user's immediate surrounding. This thesis describes a system that aims to solve the isolative nature of virtual reality through incorporating a new form of multi-person interaction within virtual reality worlds that enables cross-platform observation and agency within the digital domain. Namely, this new form of human-to-human virtual interaction method allows two or more individuals to simultaneously observe and interact with the same virtual world through inherently different perspectives. More specifically, this thesis details an example application of such a system in which two users, one connected through a virtual reality interface and the other connected via a standard monitor interface, concurrently play a virtual air hockey game similar to the physical equivalent. Although a single example, the principles of the described system may be extended and applied to a variety of applications within the virtual reality domain.