High resolution virtual reality

An important component of many virtual reality systems is head-tracked stereo display. The head-tracker enables the image rendering system to produce images from a viewpoint location that dynamically tracks the viewers head movement, creating a convincing 3D illusion. A viewer can achieve intricate hand/eye coordination on virtual objects if virtual and physical objects can be registered [o within a fraction of a centimeter. Computer graphics has traditionally been concerned with forming the correct image on a screen. When this goal is expanded to forming the correct pair of images on the viewers retinas, a number of additional physical factors must be taken into account. This paper presents the general steps that must be taken to achieve accurate high resolution headtracked stereo display on a workstation CRT: the need for predictive head-tracking, the dynamic optical location of the viewers eyepoints, physically accurate stereo perspective viewing matrices, and corrections for refractive and curvature distortions of glass CRTs. Employing these steps, a system is described that achieves sub-centimeter virtual to physical registration.