English

Body coherence in curved-space virtual reality games

Physics Education 2021-05-06 v2 Graphics History and Overview

Abstract

Virtual-reality simulations of curved space are most effective and most fun when presented as a game (for example, curved-space billiards), so the user not only has something to see in the curved space, but also has something fun to do there. However, such simulations encounter a geometrical problem: they must track the player's hands as well as her head, and in curved space the effects of holonomy would quickly lead to violations of "body coherence". That is, what the player sees with her eyes would disagree with what she feels with her hands. This article presents a solution to the body coherence problem, as well as several other questions that arise in interactive VR simulations in curved space (radians vs. meters, visualization of the projection transformation, native-inhabitant view vs. tourist view, and mental models of curved space).

Cite

@article{arxiv.2011.00510,
  title  = {Body coherence in curved-space virtual reality games},
  author = {Jeff Weeks},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.00510},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

20 pages, 28 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-23T19:49:10.413Z