Virtual and Augmented Reality: Fundamentals and Applications

A COMPREHENSIVE AND AUTHORITATIVE GUIDE TO THE FOUNDATIONS, TECHNOLOGIES, AND TRANSFORMATIVE APPLICATIONS OF VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY.

Virtual and Augmented Reality: Fundamentals and Applications presents an in-depth exploration of the core principles, enabling technologies, and real-world use cases of VR and AR. Designed for use as both a textbook and a professional reference, it offers a rigorous and structured foundation for students, researchers, engineers, and industry practitioners alike.

Grounded in neuroscience and computational perception, the text takes readers from first principles to advanced topics in immersive system architecture and experience design. It emphasizes human-centered systems and multisensory engagement, covering vision, hearing, balance, touch, and smell, along with natural interaction modalities such as gesture, voice, gaze, facial expressions, and direct brain interfaces.

Key features include:

• Foundations of human sensory perception and their technological counterparts in immersive systems
• Advances in 3D graphics, high-fidelity display technologies, spatial audio, computer vision, and motion tracking
• Multimodal interaction and semantic understanding powered by artificial intelligence
• System design and usability considerations for end-to-end VR and AR platforms
• Case studies spanning entertainment, healthcare, education, workforce training, virtual tourism, e-commerce, and more

Authored by a leading innovator in immersive technologies, this book is ideal for advanced instruction and serves as an essential reference for those shaping the future of virtual and augmented reality.

ACHINTYA K. BHOWMIK, PHD, is Chief Technology Officer at Starkey, a global leader in hearing technology and sensory augmentation, and an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University, where he teaches human-computer interaction and intelligent systems. Previously, he led pioneering work in 3D sensing and perceptual computing at Intel. Dr. Bhowmik is a Fellow of the IEEE, SID, AAIA, and AIIA, and his innovations have been recognized with numerous honors, including TIME’s Best Inventions and the Red Dot Design Award. He has authored over 200 publications and multiple books on immersive and interactive technologies.