Brian's Project 1 Proposal

Overview

This project will explore the usefulness and practicality of both VR exercise software and VR visualization software. The former will be done by exploring and assessing the open-source software VRWorkout, while the second will be done by generating a 3D body in VR space to explore the projected results of a given workout

Motivation

As a college student, I've struggled with remaining motivated in my exercise and workout goals, despite repeatedly committing myself to gym routines. I feel that part of the problem is the lack of immediate results, and I believe that a tool to visualize results in an intuitive way would be helpful for myself and other people struggling with meeting workout goals.

Scientific Data and Web Comparison

I will be drawing on the exercise data that VRWorkout collects for each workout. There is already an existing web application that VRWorkout uses to display this data (seen to the left), and I plan to use this 2D visualization as a point of comparison with my VR simulation.

Collaboration and Visualization

The current plan is for the project to provide a collaborative space with a simulated human body. Multiple users will be able to view a single simulated body, and a pipeline will be constructed so that certain parts or muscle groups of the body can be emphasized to varying degrees (such as with red highlights of varying intensity)

In-Class Activity

The planned in-class activity is to bring in the simulated body to class and allow multiple students to explore the body in the VR space. Ideally, this will be a chance to explore the highlighting capabilities of the VR software, and to test how intuitive the VR simulated body exploration is.

Deliverables and Wiki Contributions

Wiki contributions on VRWorkout
- Perhaps expand to include a wider variety of VR exercise software
Tutorials on working with human models in VR
- Depending on the model I use, I might make a Wiki contribution incorporating .obj objects into VR with Unity
- Provide a source on sites for free and usable meshes
Final deliverable of the visualization software, probably on GitHub

Project Timeline

2/14

Install and generate data for VRWorkout, experiment with web visualization

2/16

Set up Unity and import human model

2/23

Have the human model in a VR space with defined muscle groups;

2/28

(Tentative) In-Class Activity: present the human model to the class, with manipulable muscle groups

Create website wiki page for VRWorkout

3/02

Create code to connect VRWorkout exercises to specific muscle groups

3/07

Build structure for variable VRWorkout exports as model inputs

3/09

Have a final deliverable of the exercise visualization