Computer Science 4654
MW 2:30 -4:30 pm, F 2:30 -3:30 pm

Architecture (Special Experimental) Studio
MWF 12:30 -4:30 pm

For almost a half century the concepts of virtual reality have been speculated, portrayed in movies, used in games and contemplated for design, but to date the technology has failed to reach its promise. However, now for the first time, it appears that the convergence of multiple technologies can make virtual reality real. In March 2014, Facebook agreed to acquire Oculus VR, a Virtual Reality company, for $2.2Bn. Microsoft, Apple, Google, Valve, and HTC have also recently announced major efforts in the Virtual and Augmented Reality space. This novel course has been designed to experiment with this new technology and to demonstrate its feasibility as a design tool.

This class has been organized as a design studio with collaboration between architectural designers and computer graphics majors. A significant amount of reading in multiple disciplines (visual perception, digital photography, modeling, geometry capture, color science, display technology & computer graphics) will be required.

To fully investigate this new technology, the class will be divided into groups with the hope that each group will consist of one designer and two computer scientists. Each group will submit its term project consisting of a novel design with its virtual reality implementation.

Cornell’s Program of Computer Graphics has been very fortunate to have received major support to investigate this technology from Autodesk, nVidia, and all of the relevant VR companies mentioned above. We will have installed the tracking technology in a dedicated laboratory. We will also have a sufficient number of VR headsets as well as high-powered graphics work stations.

How do we design a virtual environment, and how does this fully virtual environment end up changing our understanding of a future physical environment? Potential design subjects include architectural (spatial) design, product (object) design, perception experiments, medical applications, and the development and use of new graphics algorithms. A major question to be answered is whether existing real-time graphics algorithms can be used in these future immersive environments. A major thrust of the course will be to identify those areas in virtual and augmented reality systems which need to be improved to make the systems more suitable for everyday use. Current implementations do not satisfy the current demands but the concepts and potential improvements will open up new possibilities. To me, it feels like “the wild west” again, similar to what computer graphics was when it was first introduced but rejected by all disciplines, including architectural design, engineering, and computer science. The major difference was that it used to take decades to improve the technology, but today this can be accomplished in a small number of years.

The course will be given concurrently with an architectural course, Design with Virtual Reality. (The course will possibly have a practicum for an additional 2 credits).

Class maximum: 15-18 students (1/3 architecture, 2/3 computer science).