Steve LaValle presenting his virtual reality textbook at the University of Oulu.

Steve LaValle’s new textbook covers the fundamentals of virtual reality from humans to devices

Steve LaValle is known as an early Oculus VR founder and co-developer of their consumer VR headset. He is currently a professor of robotics and virtual reality at the University of Oulu. His new book Virtual Reality is published by Cambridge University Press while remaining free online.

The book covers the fundamentals of virtual reality systems. It encompasses a broad range of topics like geometric modelling, transformations, graphical rendering, and optics. It also offers a detailed exploration of human sensory systems, including vision, hearing, and balance, along with an in-depth look at tracking systems, interface design, and user experience. The book also provides valuable insights for developers and addresses technological challenges in the field.

”After playing a critical role in making Oculus VR a success, we wanted to share our knowledge and insights”, Steve LaValle says.

LaValle is currently co-leading the Perception Engineering Group, which addresses challenges in virtual reality, robotics, and telepresence. His work is closely related to the metaverse development. At the close of 2023, we saw the launch of the metaverse Initiative by the Finnish metaverse ecosystem. In the opening address, Steve LaValle drew an analogy between the bike infrastructure of Oulu, his hometown, and his vision of the ideal metaverse.  Years after developing pivotal patents for Oculus prior to its acquisition by Facebook, LaValle has firmly established his and his family’s life in Finland. Read the story of how they chose Oulu.

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