Subject: 2 Gloves on 1 PC

From: "Mark T. Pflaging" <[email-masked]>
Date: 20 Mar 93 15:49:17 EST

All-
	The following press release was distributed at the VR Systems 
conference at New York last week.  It should dispel any rumors that the two 
glove stuff doesn't/can't work.  Bernie Roehl himself saw it and can attest 
to its usefulness.

---------------------------------

		Press Release

The Virtual Reality Alliance of Students and Professionals (VRASP) 
announces a new development in Virtual Reality software for IBM compatible 
personal computers.  This technology uses a pair of Power Gloves 
(originally sold for the Nintendo Entertainment System) to allow two people 
to simultaneously manipulate objects in a virtual world.  It is based on 
REND386 written by Bernie Roehl and Dave Stampe, which originally provided 
support for only one Power Glove.  Mark Pflaging, Vice President of VRASP, 
has grafted his own Power Glove program into REND386 to enhance its 
capabilities.  The addition of another Power Glove increases the capability 
of the system by allowing cooperation (or competition) between two people 
when selecting, moving, and rotating objects that are part of a three 
dimensional system.  REND386 also includes the capability to generate 
stereoscopic views compatible with Sega 3D glasses or the Toshiba 3 
Dimension Scope.  The cost of this system is very low even though it rivals 
much more expensive systems in some ways.  Beyond the cost of the computer 
itself, a complete two user system can be assembled for under $400, which 
would include two gloves and two pairs of 3D glasses.  VRASP sells Power 
Gloves and Power Glove connectors, and will begin selling connectors for 3D 
glasses as well.  The software itself is free to avoid patent infringement 
(it may not be resold).

Each person sees the same view of the virtual world (on one computer 
monitor) but there are two separate "disembodied hands" that reflect the 
position and posture of the users' actual hands.  The composition of the 
world is determined by data files, and there are several such "world files" 
available.  A joystick or keyboard is used to navigate the world (though it 
will soon be possible to use one of the gloves to navigate.)  Each person 
can "select" a different virtual object by "pointing" at it.  If the user 
makes a fist, the selected object follows the motion of the user's hand.  
The object can be rotated (tilted) by making a "pinch" gesture.  The two 
participants can be manipulating separate objects without restriction.  If 
both people select the same object, the controlling user is determined 
dynamically: The last person to make a gesture is the one who has control.  
For example, one person may be moving an object with a "fist" gesture.  If 
the second person makes a "pinch" gesture, the first person can no longer 
move the object; instead, the second person is now rotating the object.  If 
the first person then flattens his hand and re-forms a fist, then they 
could again have control.  This level of interactivity in Virtual Reality 
has not been previously achieved with such minimal hardware requirements. 
This software and hardware has been exhibited at the Virtual Reality 
Systems conference in New York March 15-17, and will be exhibited at IEEE's 
Electro Conference in Piscataway, New Jersey April 27-29.  VRASP is proud 
to bring this news to you first and provide you with the means to put 
together a low-cost PC Virtual Reality system.

-----------------------------------

As I have stated more than once (on the glove-list), the two glove prgram 
uses the "alternate polling" technique, so that the gloves can be operated 
in close proximity.  I also have versions of "o2glove" style demo that 
works with two gloves under DOS and Windows.  I'm getting ready to release 
them.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 |      / |^\        /| |^^^\ |^\      Mark Pflaging, Vice President
 |    /   |___\    /  | |____ |___\    Senior Editor of Pix-Elation
 |  /     |\     /----|      ||        [email-masked]
 |/       |  \ /      | \___/ |
 The Virtual Reality Alliance of Students and Professionals___________

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From: Chris Hand <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 93 10:37:33 GMT

Mark T. Pflaging said:
> Dimension Scope.

Presumably you can't actually *use* 3-D glasses with 2 people at the
same time, since their heads would have to occupy the same physical space
to get the perspective right...? (or do you have an optical work-around?).

What's the "Toshiba 3 Dimension Scope" -- is it a new device or is it
the full name for the Tosh 3-D specs?

Chris
[email-masked]