Published By: EurekAlert!, 3/20/2017

>> View the Article <<

Summary

Disney researchers are developing ways to improve virtual-reality interactions with physical objects. Specifically, they are seeking to make it easier to catch a real physical object like a ball while using a VR system. Possible applications include enhancing interactive gaming systems, and even potentially helping people train their hand-eye coordination.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of Article: 13.3

Extended Discussion Questions

• Are there any mobile, PC, or console games that you play that might benefit from using a VR system like this one?
  • What are some actions that could be more interactive with a VR system that tracked real moving objects?
• What are some impacts the availability of VR physical-interaction systems might have on the development of games?
• Could any of the different modes (tracking location, predicting trajectory, or predicting landing spot) be used to help children with motor-skills development? (Besides catching a ball?)
  • What benefits do you think this might provide over learning those skills by trial and error?
• Imagine if you were a professional basketball player training for the upcoming season. How might you use this technology to improve your shooting ability?
• What other applications could this software be used for, besides sports training and motor-skills development?

Alternative Article

“Disney Shows How You Catch a Real Ball in VR”
Published By: Engadget, 3/20/2017|| View the Article
Includes image and video of the experiment and more speculation about potential applications. (But the explanation of the technology is less clear than EurekAlert!‘s.)

Relating This Story to the CSP Curriculum Framework

Global Impact Learning Objectives:

• LO 7.1.1 Explain how computing innovations affect communication, interaction, and cognition.
• LO 7.2.1 Explain how computing has impacted innovations in other fields.

Global Impact Essential Knowledge:

• EK 7.1.1J Sensor networks facilitate new ways of interacting with the environment and with physical systems.
• EK 7.2.1G Advances in computing as an enabling technology have generated and increased the creativity in other fields.

Other CSP Big Ideas:

• Idea 1 Creativity

Banner Image: “Network Visualization – Violet – Offset Crop“, derivative work by ICSI. New license: CC BY-SA 4.0. Based on “Social Network Analysis Visualization” by Martin Grandjean. Original license: CC BY-SA 3.0.