Distributed Multi-User VR With Full-Body Avatars

Information

• Publication Type: Bachelor Thesis
• Workgroup(s)/Project(s):
  • Virtual Reality Group
• Date: January 2021
• Date (Start): 2020
• Date (End): 2021
• Matrikelnummer: 01625757
• First Supervisor: Iana Podkosova
• Keywords: virtual reality; multi-user; hand tracking; Inverse Kinematics

Abstract

Social Virtual Reality applications have the potential to provide a unique way to convey a sense of social presence when compared with other ways of communication in the area of computer mediated communication. Having a virtual body in a social Virtual Reality application can not only heighten the sense of embodiment of the user but can also convey a sense of presence to other users. General interest in social virtual reality applications is rising partly due to virtual reality devices become more affordable, including input technologies like hand tracking. This thesis aims to create a multi-user Virtual Reality application that heightens social presence by representing users with a full-body avatar utilizing current entry level consumer grade virtual reality hardware. Hand tracking in combination with inverse kinematics is used to enhance perceived social presence. Those technologies provide a sufficiently convincing representation of the performed action of the user in a multi user context, while being significantly less cumbersome as solutions using additional trackers or controllers to realize a full body avatar.

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BibTeX

@bachelorsthesis{perl_oskar_2021_DVR,
  title =      "Distributed Multi-User VR With Full-Body Avatars",
  author =     "Oskar Perl",
  year =       "2021",
  abstract =   "Social Virtual Reality applications have the potential to
               provide a unique way to convey a sense of social presence
               when compared with other ways of communication in the area
               of computer mediated communication. Having a virtual body in
               a social Virtual Reality application can not only heighten
               the sense of embodiment of the user but can also convey a
               sense of presence to other users. General interest in social
               virtual reality applications is rising partly due to virtual
               reality devices become more affordable, including input
               technologies like hand tracking. This thesis aims to create
               a multi-user Virtual Reality application that heightens
               social presence by representing users with a full-body
               avatar utilizing current entry level consumer grade virtual
               reality hardware. Hand tracking in combination with inverse
               kinematics is used to enhance perceived social presence.
               Those technologies provide a sufficiently convincing
               representation of the performed action of the user in a
               multi user context, while being significantly less
               cumbersome as solutions using additional trackers or
               controllers to realize a full body avatar.",
  month =      jan,
  address =    "Favoritenstrasse 9-11/E193-02, A-1040 Vienna, Austria",
  school =     "Research Unit of Computer Graphics, Institute of Visual
               Computing and Human-Centered Technology, Faculty of
               Informatics, TU Wien ",
  keywords =   "virtual reality; multi-user; hand tracking; Inverse
               Kinematics",
  URL =        "https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2021/perl_oskar_2021_DVR/",
}