My three main research areas are, dramatic VR experiences, networked
VR and low-cost VR.
VR fiction/dramatic VR
When we read a novel or watch a film, we may identify with theprotagonist. In
virtual reality the relationship is more direct; the user is the protagonist.
This is the starting point for my research in VRfiction. My VR fiction applications
create a dramatic environment in which the user, as the main protagonist, interacts
with virtual characters. The fiction that results is something that happens
to the user; the application does not simply tell her a story, it activelyinvolves
her in a chain of events with emotional implications. These works are designed
for immersive VR systems such as the CAVE or ImmersaDesk - this means the user
is not looking at a monitor but is immersed in sound\and 3D graphics.
Low-Cost VR
In my VR fiction I aim to create intense VR experiences which the user is able
to respond to emotionally. If the user is being watched by a group of people
she will not be able to let herself go in the VR - if systems are cheaper it
will become much more possible for users to have one on one experiences in an
immersive virtual environment.
Networked VR
High speed, broad bandwidth, internet connections such as Internet2, allow users
in CAVE or Idesks across the country or aroundthe world to interact with each
other in shared virtual environments. I am interested in superivising students
who are interested in VR, and any other kind of work that uses realtime computer
graphics and sound, and focuses on the problems of creating interesting interactive
and responsive experiences.
