From: AKOSSOWSKY@TURBO.kean.edu
Subject: Re: SCI: VR AND DIVING
Date: 17 Nov 92 18:58:01 EST


Ms. Mitzel,

A Novice Divers's first VR Dive may be "better" than his/her first real
dive, but only I'd hope, because a first dive can be alot more frightening
than a VR exerience, but with practice, bouyancy control and 'diver control'
become second nature, and I find the swim much more freeing an experience
than any gravity bound VR interface.  For myself, diving in New Jersey,
even 20 ft vis is a luxury, but my attention is usually on things only a 
few feet away.
If one were to simulate a dive, I'd hope they'd also simulate real world conditions.
It would miss the "reality" aspect of VirtualReality if one were
simulate a new jersey wreck dive and give infinite visability, and I guess
optimally, youd want some kind of 'swimming position' suspension.
And I guess You have to wear a 40 lbs back pack.
Simulating a dive in Hawaii would another matter altogether.
Also the 25% magnification through a mask gave me very much
the same skewed sense of perception I got from Dactyl Nightmare, with
a Visette HMD.  Not the size increase per se, but the same sense that my field
of vision wasn't moving with my head the way it normally does.

ApK