Infiltrate ICT, an unknown research facility at the University of Southern California that constantly develops VR technology one step ahead of the times

A research facility at the University of Southern California "Institute for Creative Technologies(ICT) "goes one step ahead of the timesVRAnd sensors are being developed. I am doing research that runs at the cutting edge of technologies that people to know Know inside the VR laboratory of ICTThe VergeIt is open to the public.

Inside USC's crazy experimental VR lab | The Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/17/9333633/usc-institute-for-creative-technologies-virtual-reality-lab

BlueShark: where the US Navy dreams up the battleship interfaces of tomorrow | The Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/26/5346772/blueshark-us-navy-oculus-rift-virtual-interface

If you look at the movie below you can see clearly what research is underway at ICT.

USC's mixed reality lab is created our virtual future - YouTube


This is an experimental studio located in ICT's VR laboratory. It is surprisingly small space.


On the desk in the laboratory, drone and its parts, cables and tools are cluttered.


A headset used for experiments of VR equipment attached to a mannequin.


this is"Wide 5"Head view display, the viewing angle is Oculus's"RiftIt's 150 degrees beyond that. Mr. Mark Boras of Wide 5 developer was from ICT and was the boss of Mr. Palmer Lucky, also a Rift developer from ICT.


Computer on the back, wearing Wide 5 on the head. In addition, Wide 5 comes with a pole with LED for recognizing the position.


On the screen seems to be displayed the visibility and the range of action of the person who experiences the virtual space with Wide 5.


A red LED on the glove that I put in my hand.


Boots also LED. With these LEDs, it captures the movement of the person experiencing VR and reproduces it perfectly.


On the left side of the image, a state in which a person experiencing VR travels a narrow passageway is reproduced. Experiments are possible even in a narrow studio because it is programmed to move round and round through the nature and room as you go down a narrow street.


In cooperation with the US military, ICT is also developing a soldier training program. ICT received 100 million dollars (about 12 billion yen) in 2004 from the US military, and is still partnering with the US military and military research department now.


Soldiers can wear computers and VR headsets ......


It is possible to reproduce a wide wilderness space even in a narrow space.


This means that you can receive military training while staying in a safe place. In addition to the military training program, a VR program has also been developed to relieve the aftereffects of former and soldiers who have developed PTSD as a result of serving in the battlefield and eliminate psychological stress.


In addition, it is said that research that multiple users play in the "same VR space" is under way.


The research and development target of ICT extends not only to VR but also to drone.


This is a drone that ICT is developing and can respond by detecting human movements. Trying to touch the drone ......


I sensed the approach of my finger and steadily avoided it.


When you put your hand under the drone, the drone changes the height while keeping the distance to the hand constant.


Not only does ICT 's drones stay in place, they recognize and respond to external changes, and can fly autonomously.


One of the most famous projects developed by ICT is "BlueShark".


We are developing a cockpit of battle ship jointly developed with the US Navy using VR technology.


We operate with characteristic gloves attached.


The VR headset used is Oculus's Rift.


Touch operation is possible for the control panel reproduced in the air.


UI design is in a state difficult to say that it is sophisticated, but that intuitive maneuvering is possible.


By using VR technology, it is possible to practice as if it were on a voyage.


Touch the button "Robot Arm" ......


Operate the robot arm.


If you put your hands in space and do gestures like grab things with your own hands, you can intuitively and easily steer the robot arm.


Demand for sensor technologies such as smartphones and PCs is increasing.


Sensor is essential technology even for wearable terminals such as Apple Watch.


Of course it is also a drone.


In ICT, we are developing a motion sensor called body sensing, and combining it with VR, we are seeking new operability.


If this technology is put into practical use, it is likely to be able to realize the future that you can get various information and issue orders by touching the button that appeared in the air.


The various technologies developed by ICT are subject to the possibility of being diverted to military technology.


When pointed out about the possibility of diversion to military technology, ICT Todd Richard said, "Any technology can produce good results depending on how it is used, and bad results can occur, so ethical verification of research is necessary "I said.


The important technology ICT is working on is "Haptics"there is. Haptics is a technology that obtains skin sensation feedback using vibration and is used in Apple's Macbook and iPhone 6sForce TouchTechnology is a typical example.


A machine that sends out a ring like a small donut to the palm.


A leaf that moves whenever a butterfly flares.


When I visit ICT 's VR laboratory, The Verge says it can meet the "past" and "future" hardware.


It uses ICT's worn-out old machines to create the latest technology that I have not seen.


ICT's wide range of hardware used for research is extraordinarily broad, and Google's cardboard VR headset "Carboard"Any and all commercially available gadgets are being tried.


If you come back to the laboratory again in a year from the greedy style of ICT that utilizes not only equipment such as Oculus' Rift which was created by ICT former researcher but also even seemingly cheap gadget for research, completely different hardware It seems that The Verge is commenting on it.


ICT will never develop commercially available products. However, the technology developed by ICT is said to be practically used as a technology widely used in the world after a while, and it revealed a sharp head after the start-up using technology studied by ICT Oculus' s Rift seems to be a representative example. It may be that technologies that are still under development at ICT will cause big innovation in the near future.