Exploring Virtual Reality's Impact on E-Commerce: Insights and Applications

1. Virtual Reality for E-C Ralph Westfall March, 2009

2. What Sells Well on the Web? • books • CDs • software • financial services (stock trading) • travel reservations • computers • other?

3. What About? • clothing • cars • houses (purchase without visit) • furniture • perishables: fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh meat, etc. • other?

4. Conclusions • standardized products sell well on web • customers know what they are, what they do • price & service become major issues • less standardized products that vary in quality don't sell as well • people want to see and try them before purchasing

5. Virtual Reality • can see things in three dimensions with VR • similarities to virtual reality entertainment • don’t need a VR headset, gloves, etc. to use • use VR equipment with computer in future? • could transform HTML into a 3D system • 3D environment for 2-D images, text, scripts, and multimedia, instead of 2-D desktop?

6. 3D Images and Movies • need to use special glasses with one red lens and one cyan lens (blue green) • 3D gif • not impressive without glasses • do it yourself 3D: images • 3D movies • Google's 3D Warehouse

7. Can Virtual Reality Help E-C? • makes it possible to view an object from all angles • but still can't: • touch, feel, try on • taste • sniff and smell

8. Potential Web VR Applications • on Internet or organizational intranets • entertainment • shopping • real estate sales • education/training • decision support systems (DSS) • analysis and decision making

9. 3D Product Demonstrations • Dell SAN storage device • Cisco carrier routing system • "Smart" furniture catalog • may need to install to use items • note (View>Source) that many of these demos use Java applets and JavaScript

10. VRML • virtual reality modeling language • VRML may be pronounced as "vermal" • language for creating 3D images • standardized 3D data interchange format for other 3D applications

11. VRML Capabilities • translation: change position • scaling: change size • rotation: 3 different ways to turn (X, Y, Z) • lighting/shading • perspective (lines converge in distance) • texturizing surfaces • camera points of view • navigating (older IE versions)

12. VRML 2.0 Code Example #VRML V2.0 utf8 # cone2.wrl (hotlink to this filename) Shape { geometry Cone { bottomRadius 1.4 height 2.0} appearance Appearance { material Material { diffuseColor 1.0 1.0 0.0}}}

13. More VRML • code • image • computer integrated manufacturing models (PDF appears to work in both, but .wrl may crash Firefox)

14. Using VRML on the Web • not built into (even latest) major browsers • have to install VRML plugins for Netscape • a lot of Microsoft VRML references are old • "Retired KB Content" • VRML not supported in Windows 2000 • Cortona 3rd party add-on for IE, Mac

15. VRML Limitations • very difficult to create content without tools • based on geometric figures • cone, cube, cylinder, sphere • VR window not integrated with browser • but may have HTML support inside • at 1st, navigation doesn't seem easy, natural • poor performance (older machines, slow connections)

16. VR Demonstrations • Interactive 3D Web Presentations • 3D page of the week • Introducing 3D Examples • Tribute to World Trade Center in 3D • Cubic VR Gallery (Apple QuickTime) • Microsoft video (avi)

17. Creating VR Applications • different kinds of authoring tools • drawing programs generates VRML • “stitching” photographs together • gaming systems adapted to commercial use • Java 3D can create VR images • Macromedia Flash can also create 3D • free tutorials (below ads)

18. VR Hardware and Equipment • Virtual Realities, Inc. • Virtual Guidebooks article • Google Directory • 5DT (Fifth Dimension Technologies) • "augmented reality" (AR) • Wikipedia article • Howstuffworks article

19. 3D Free Trials • trueSpace7.6 (bought by Microsoft) • Blender (open source) • Real2Virtual 3 D • includes a Pocket PC image viewer version • Demicron WireFusion • Pharus 3D Builder • 3ds max • Bitmanagement Software (test versions)

20. VRML Tutorials • Introducing VRML • VRML Primer and Tutorial • Autodesk 3ds Max Crash Course

21. VRML Conclusions • VRML may not be best VR solution • OK in specialized niches • organizational applications • training/education • CAD languages rather than VRML? • 3ds max is from Autodesk, Inc.

22. Gaming Systems for VR • Unreal Engine3 • demo (version 2)

23. Unreal + VRML • create in a 3D authoring tool • e.g. 3ds max • export as VRML data • import into UnrealEd and finish there • UnrealEd comes with Epic games

24. Exercises • find examples of VR or 3D on web • including 3D gifs • find sources of free VRML objects • download • install VR viewer on a computer and run the code

25. VR References • these are all quite dated • Sweeney, T. “Unreal Technology FAQ” • University of Michigan Virtual Reality Laboratory (VRL) • medical uses