ABSTRACT

The word “ergonomics” has its roots in the Greek language and it can be defined as the “natural laws of work.” For human beings the most natural way to select fieldof-view is by turning our heads. When viewing conventional monitor displays, users cannot fully utilize this “natural” capability. When the displays are used to present twodimensional (2D) materials such as text, graphs and charts, the loss of “head-pointing” capability does not affect the performance and the satisfaction levels of the viewers. However, when presenting three-dimensional (3D) graphics simulation, the lack of “head-pointing” can degrade the sense of realism and, hence, reduce the satisfaction levels of the viewers (e.g. in a driving simulator). Examples of applications with 3D graphics include computer-aided designs (CAD), interactive digital tours and training simulations. With VR display systems, the ability to select the field-of-view using head movements has been retained. A typical VR display system consists of a head-mounted display (HMD) and a head position tracking system. As the viewer turns his/her head, the orientation of the head is measured so that images presented on the HMD can be updated according to the head-pointing angle. In other words, the viewer can select the field-of-view by turning his/her head. This VR display enables the viewer to view and “immerse” into a visual environment generated by a computer. Not surprisingly, in the early days of VR displays, they have been referred to as “visually-coupled” displays. A user wearing a commercially available HMD is shown in Figure 1. With an HMD, stereoscopic images can also be presented. One of the earliest VR displays was developed in 1968 by I.E. Sunderlands in the USA. Since then, the technology has advanced rapidly. Even as this chapter is being written, break-through in high-resolution displays, haptics interfaces and 3D audio interfaces are taking place. This chapter would be of limited use if the author focused only on the capability of the current VR technology. Therefore, the focus will be on the fundamental promises of VR technology and their contributions towards better

tools for designers, ergonomists and engineers to design more user-friendly and safer products, equipment, workplaces and living environments.