On the launch of Virtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware

Virtual reality (VR) uses computers or mobile devices as a core to generate an integrated multi-sensory digital environment consisting of the visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory and gustatory senses. The 2014 acquisition of Oculus by Facebook Inc., the 2015 introduction of HoloLens by Microsoft Inc., and the founding of Magic Leap Inc., have attracted widespread attention from academia, industry, and investment communities. Globally, there is a boom in research on VR technologies, with Google, Sony, Samsung, Epson, HTC, and other large international companies successively releasing related hardware products. In China, companies such as Baofeng Technology, Pico, DPVR, GoerTek, and Xiaomi  have introduced numerous intelligent hardware devices that center on VR technology. In recent years, in-depth research works have been carried out on real world perception and understanding, virtual environment modeling and rendering, realistic display and natural interaction, and the development and integration of application systems. The research results, combined with the development of cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence technologies, are the driving forces for the innovation of virtual reality and intelligent hardware.

Today marks the launch of a new journal: “Virtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware”. It aims to provide a global academic exchange platform for researchers working in the field, with a particular focus on reporting the research findings of lightweight fundamental hardware and software technologies, high­ performance intelligent sensing technology, high precision motion and attitude control technology, low­ power wide-area intelligent internet of things (IoT) technology, cloud-client convergence technology, as well as virtual reality and augmented reality applications. Furthermore, our goal is to promote the crossover, fusion, and development of computer graphics, computer vision, human-computer interactions, artificial intelligence, sensor technologies, optical engineering, etc., to establish a panorama of technical developments in this field, to advocate bi-directional transformation of scientific research and actual applications, and to bridge academia-industrial communications. 

In this inaugural issue, we collected the research findings and technical reviews of several renowned experts, which we believe could be of valuable reference to individuals working in this field. We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff members who have supported this new journal!

Yong-Tian Wang

20 January 2019