Virtual Reality and the CAVE

The CAVE system or better known as the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment is developed by the students and researchers of the University of Illinois. This is taken as the most immersive display system for Virtual Environment by many VR specialists.

A CAVE is a cubicle or a tiny room where at least 3 walls and often the floor along with ceiling act as huge monitors. The display produces for the user a very broad field of view. This is something that most of the head-mounted displays are unable to do. Users are also allowed to roam around in a system of CAVE without being attached to computer. However, they should wear a pair of funky goggles that are similar to 3-D glasses.

The active walls are nothing but rear-projection screens. A computer supplies the images projected on individual screen, helping to create a cohesive environment. The images that are projected are in a stereoscopic format. They are further portrayed in a quick alternating pattern. The lenses in goggles of the users have shutters that open and also shut in synchronization with the alteration of images. Thus it lets the user to feel the depth of the illusion.

Tracking devices are added to the glasses instruct the computer in adjusting the projected images as you take a walk in and around the area. Users normally interact with the virtual object with the help of a controller wand or navigate through different sections of the environment. Moreover, multiple users can remain in a CAVE at the similar point of time.

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