Steven LaValle is Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Oulu. He was an early founder and chief scientist of Oculus VR, where he developed patented tracking technology for consumer VR and led a team of perceptual psychologists to provide principled approaches to virtual reality system calibration, health and safety, and the design of comfortable user experiences. He has also served as Vice President and Chief Scientist of VR/AR/MR at Huawei. He has conducted research for over three decades, publishing over 150 articles and two books, Planning Algorithms (2006) and Sensing and Filtering (2012).
‘Steve is a titan of his field, and Virtual Reality is a compelling capstone to the work he has done for VR over the past decade.’ Palmer Luckey, Founder of Oculus VR and Anduril ‘The book by LaValle provides a principled and comprehensive introduction to Virtual Reality. It is a fine exposition of the concepts, algorithms, and system issues that arise in virtual reality technologies. The author offers excellent coverage of different areas, including audio, geometry, interactions, optics, perception, rendering, tracking, etc., used in designing simulated and immersive environments.’ Dinesh Manocha, University of Maryland at College Park ‘The book is great source for everybody interested in VR as it provides an extensive overview about the most important topics of virtual reality with lots of helpful illustrations and examples, and at the same time covers several technical and mathematical aspects in depth.’ Frank Steinicke, University of Hamburg ‘LaValle’s book is probably the best way to get into the science and engineering of virtual reality. It is comprehensive, yet very accessible, full of illustrations and plain-English explanations. The book is an excellent choice for students and engineers interested in future VR technologies.’ Rafal Mantiuk, University of Cambridge ‘An excellent introductory textbook for VR, well-organized, with broad coverage, and clear prose. LaValle is a knowledgeable guide through the wide variety of topics germane to VR, from the history of the field, to visual perception, to mathematics of 3D geometry, to displays, rendering, tracking, audio, user interaction, and much more. If there is a better introductory VR textbook, I’ve yet to find it.’ Henry Fuchs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill