Swimming Across the Pacific: A Virtual Swimming Interface Proposal for SIGGRAPH 2002 Emerging Technology

As a locomotion interface for virtual reality, swimming afloat in water, is an unfamiliar and intriguing paradigm. We propose to bring our newly developed virtual swimming apparatus to SIGGRAPH 2002 Emerging Technology. In our exhibit, we will showcase the swimming apparatus and the virtual ocean environment. The swimming participant will be suspended in the apparatus, an 8ft cubic frame mounted with pulleys and cords, in a prone position via a hang-gliding harness. He or she will see the accompanying graphic system which renders sky, sea waves, ocean floor and a virtual swimmer. The virtual swimmer mimics the user’s swimming movements by processing sensor data, while the head-mounted display supplies the virtual view. Preliminary user experiences suggest the system is capable of providing realistic swimming sensations, and that it has great potential as a general purpose navigation system in immersive environments. The compelling SAP experience attracts attention from artists, scientists and other researchers around the world, both as a performance art piece and a virtual navigation prototype. We would like to provide the same experience to SIGGRAPH attendees, enabling them to swim in mid-air and feel as if they are swimming afloat in water.