CS 498SL
Spring 2017

CS 498: Virtual Reality

Course Calendar

Class # Date Lecture Topic Materials Assignments
Week 1
1 Jan 18 Course overview, defining VR, historical perspective LaValle, Ch 1  
Week 2
2 Jan 23 Bird's-eye view: VR hardware LaValle, Ch 2.1 MP1 out
3 Jan 25 Bird's-eye view: VR software, sensation and perception LaValle, Ch 2.2  
Week 3
4 Jan 30 Geometric modeling, linear transformations LaValle, Ch 3.1, 3.2 MP1 due, MP2 out
5 Feb 1 2D rigid-body transformations, yaw, pitch, roll LaValle, Sec 3.2, 3.3  
Week 4
6 Feb 6 3D rotations, quaternions, conversions LaValle, Ch 3.2,3.3 MP2.1 due
7 Feb 8 Local vs Global coordinate frames. Homogeneous transforms LaValle, Ch 3.2,3.3  
Week 5
8 Feb 13 Intro. viewing transforms; Eye, canonical view, and viewport transforms. LaValle, Ch 3.4, 3.5  
9 Feb 15 Light propagation and properties; Lenses, diopters LaValle, Ch 4.1,4.2 MP2 due
Week 6
10 Feb 20 Lenses, diopter; Real and virtual images; optical aberrations LaValle, Ch 4, Ch 5 Project proposal due, MP3 & MP4 out
11 Feb 22 Structure of human eye; cameras; photoreceptors LaValle, Ch 4, Ch 5  
Week 7
12 Feb 27 Structure of human eye; photoreceptors; Visual pathway; Eye movements LaValle, Ch 4.4, 4.5, 5.1 MP3 Due
  Feb 28 Evening Exam 1 7:00pm-8:30pm

A - L: SIEBL 1404

M - Z: MSEB 100 

13 Mar 1 Visual pathway; eye movements; implications of physiology on VR; LaValle, Ch 5.1-5.3  
Week 8
14 Mar 6 Perception of depth; Perception of motion LaValle, Ch 6.1  
15 Mar 8 Perception of motion; Stroboscopic apparent motion; Implications on VR: frame rates, fixing judder LaValle, Ch. 5.4, Ch 6.2  
Week 9
16 Mar 13 Implications on VR: pixel size; Visual rendering; Shading LaValle, Ch 7.1  
17 Mar 15 Visual rendering; Shading; Rasterization LaValle, Ch 7.1-7.4  Project picture-title due
Week 10
  Mar 20 Spring Break    
  Mar 22 Spring Break    
Week 11
18 Mar 27 Texture mapping; Distortion correction; Improving Latency and Frame Rates LaValle, Ch 7.2-7.4 Progress Report 1 Due, MP4 Due
19 Mar 29 Improving Latency and Frame Rates LaValle, Ch 7.2-7.4  
Week 12
20 Apr 3 Motion in Real and Virtual Worlds; Human Vestibular System LaValle, Ch 8  
21 Apr 5 Motion in Real and Virtual Worlds; Human Vestibular System LaValle, Ch 8  
Week 13
22 Apr 10 Tracking overview; 2D orientation tracking; 3D orientation tracking; Drift correction LaValle, Ch 9  
23 Apr 12 Tracking overview; 2D orientation tracking; 3D orientation tracking; Drift correction LaValle, Ch 9  
Week 14
24 Apr 17 Position tracking; PnP; lighthouse LaValle, Ch 9 Progress Report 2 Due
25 Apr 19 Position tracking; PnP; lighthouse LaValle, Ch 9  
Week 15
26 Apr 24 TBD    
27 Apr 26 TBD    
Week 16
28 May 1 TBD    
29 May 3 TBD    
  May 3 Evening Exam 2 7:00pm-8:30pm

A - L: MSEB 100

M - Z: DCL 1320

  TBD: during Finals Week Open House: Final Project Presentation 12:30pm-5:30pm