Aviation 4/10/11

Help for integrating flight gear with vuzix http://www.mygnu.de/index.php/tag/3d/

Augmented Reality Programming - 4/2/2011

I am currently able to detect if the user is looking left or right and at what degree s/he is looking in that direction. I would like to be able to have a box that changes colors based on where the user is looking. Once that is working, I would then like to use a gradient to detect the user's movement to make it seem more seamless.

3-19 Success!

Got the awesome aircraft add on working, so we now have a flying plane (^_^). I only tested it out slightly but it does work, you change the wings with WASD and lift/go forward with the mouse, and I want to change this to the other way around because its more intuitive. This should mean I can get something to show at the Innovation fair! Anyway, thats all for now folks.

3/13/2011 - Augmented Reality

Today we were able to manipulate some of the code related to the Augmented Reality. This is a foreshadowing of what we will be able to do through our game being created by the Software team led by Ryan Maloney. Our end goal is this: Create a small area that surround the user that will display the "screen" through augmented reality technology and to enable the accelerometer so that the user can move their head and have the augmented reality glasses display the proper direction.

Here is a picture of the solid works model. This is a slightly older version, but the concept is the same (instead of three linear actuators we are using four...one at each corner).

Mechanical Team Update

So we now have a finalized design and we have built a working model in Solidworks. The model is almost complete; we still need to add the footpan and the yaw support ring. Basically, the machine will be supported in the center by a piston-spring mechanism, and a ring-shaped track of near-frictionless wheels. Both of which we will build on our own once we have all the proper materials. The roll and pitch are controlled by linear actuators on each corner between the platforms, while the yaw is driven by a motorized wheel that is in contact with the lower base. The machine is very stable and supported in all areas. We are expecting a maximum load of approximately 300 pounds. With all the composite material being used, the whole device should not exceed 150 pounds. We are all looking forward to start building. The first composite part, the footpan, will be built by next weekend. Our next main objective is to buy material for making the mold (including aluminum sheeting and aluminum tape), building the mold this Saturday, and laying up the part Sunday or early next week.

Game Design and Augmented Reality Teams

The following are some of the goals that the Game Design Team is working on:

1) Game Map
- The map will be very basic
- The terrain, at first, will be flat with some trees and perhaps a couple of buildings
- The airport will be a single tower with a runway that is long enough so that the plane can
get off the ground without overshooting it
2) Game Plane
- The plane will have a high resolution cockpit for 1st person mode
- The plane will have a low resolution cockpit with a high resolution exterior for 3rd
person mode

The following are the technical goals:

1) Level Design on paper
2) Working on code manipulation
3) Working on code that will import our own objects
4) Designing the 3d models that will be imported
5) Working on flight simulator physics

The following are some of the goals that the Augmented Reality Team is working on:

1) Download all software required to view, use, and alter code
2) Run sample code and understand what is going on with the code
3) Connect the Vuzix glasses to the game (Microsoft Flight Sim X and our own NeoAxis game)
- Access the accelerometer
- Access the external Camera
4) The final goal is to create a half and half display meaning this:
- If the user is looking at the predesignated spots, the game appears, if the user is looking
at the other spots, they see reality.
5) Get our hands on the new Vuzix Wrap 920AR glasses.


All code needs to be well documented and a readme will be created for both teams so that future teams have an easier time with the programming.