1 What is Virtual Reality? -- What Is Virtual Reality? -- Who Should Read This Book? -- The Aims and Objectives of This Book -- Assumptions Made In This Book -- How to Use The Book -- Some VR Concepts and Terms -- Navigation and Interaction -- Immersion and Presence -- What Is Not VR? -- The Internet -- Summary -- 2 The Benefits of Virtual Reality -- 3D Visualization -- Navigation -- Interaction -- Physical Simulation -- Virtual Environments -- Applications -- Summary -- 3 3D Computer Graphics -- From Computer Graphics To Virtual Reality -- Modeling Objects -- Dynamic Objects -- Constraints -- Collision Detection -- Perspective Views -- 3D Clipping -- Stereoscopic Vision -- Rendering The Image -- Color -- Colored Objects -- Light Sources -- Rendering Algorithms -- Texture Mapping -- Bump Mapping -- Environment Mapping -- Shadows -- Radiosity -- Fog -- Transparency -- Other Computer Graphics Techniques -- Summary -- 4 Human Factors -- Vision -- Vision and Display Technology -- Hearing -- Tactile -- Equilibrium -- Summary -- 5 VR Hardware -- Computers -- Tracking -- Input Devices -- Output Devices -- Glasses -- Displays -- Audio -- Summary -- 6 VR Software -- VR Software Features -- Web Based VR -- Superscape's VRT -- The Visualization System -- VRT Summary -- Division's dVise -- A Virtual Product -- dVise Summary -- Multigen -- Summary -- 7 Vr Applications -- Industrial -- Training Simulators -- Entertainment -- Human Movement Analysis -- WWW Applications -- 8 Conclusion -- The Past -- Today -- Conclusion -- Appendix A VRML Web Sites -- Appendix B HMDs -- Appendix C Trackers -- Appendix D VRML Program -- Appendix E Web Sites for VR Products -- References.