TA: Ashwini Naik - anaik3 at uic.edu
Office Hours T/Th 2:30-3:30 in 2036 ERF
The
course will be taught as a flipped classroom this term with
the lecture material available as notes and videos that can
be viewed at home, while the in-class time is devoted to
working through examples, working on the larger class
projects, and student presentations.
TEXTBOOKS:
There is no official textbook
but there will be some assigned readings from the web and an
optional textbook
Understanding
Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design, 2nd
Edition
OVERVIEW:
This course will discuss the background and current state of the
art of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality hardware and
software, give students an opportunity to experience them and to
create software applications and user interfaces that make
effective use of them.
"so
much time, so little to see ... wait a minute, strike that,
reverse it" -- Willy Wonka
PREREQUISITES:
You should have passed CS 342
(Software Design) and have a solid grasp of programming in a
language like C / C++ / Java / Python, basic data structures,
experience writing code in groups, testing, version control, and
patterns.
Standard
departmental disclaimer: If you do not have the prerequisites
for this course make sure that you drop this course right away.
The department will verify the prerequisites for all students
registered in this course during the first few weeks of the term
and if you do not have the prerequisites, you will be notified
and dropped from the course after the normal drop/add period. By
that time, you will not be able to enroll in any new course.
For the
course projects you will need regular access to a reasonably
modern laptop or desktop computer with a decent graphics card
capable of running Unity, and a webcam (preferably an external
one).
ATTENDANCE:
The
class will be held in-person. Attendance is very important, but
not mandatory. Part of your grade is be based on your in-class
participation (i.e. asking good questions, making good comments)
so please take that into account.
I
will occasionally send out emails to the class using your UIC
email address so please make sure that you are checking for
email from that account every day or two.
I
will be putting all of my notes on the web, however these notes
should not be considered official until the day of class. If I
make any major changes to a page afterwards, then I will
announce it in class, but note that at the bottom of each page
is a modification date so you should be able to tell when the
notes were last modified. I try to ensure that the notes on the
web accurately reflect the lecture, but its what is discussed in
class that counts, not what's written in the notes.
Face
Masks: Masks covering both the mouth and nose must be worn at
all times by all students, faculty, and staff while in
classrooms and labs regardless of vaccination status. If
you do not wear a mask, you will be asked to leave the classroom
and will not be allowed back in class unless or until you wear a
mask. If you have forgotten your mask, you may pick one up from
one of the student information desks on campus, e.g. in student
center east, during the first two weeks of classes. Students who
do not comply with the mask-wearing policy will be reported to
the Dean of Students. Eating and drinking are not allowed in
classrooms.
"Those who are absent
are always wrong." - African proverb
ASSIGNMENTS: The best way to learn
about VR and AR is to make VR and AR applications. There will be
three projects, a presentation on a VR / AR application / device
of your choice, some homework and in-class assignments, and
points for class participation.
Graduate
students will have additional requirements for their projects
commensurate with the additional course credit they receive.
Individual
grades on the projects will be based on the quality of the work
turned in and on the reviews that each student receives from
his/her team members if we do any work in teams.
You will be
making a short presentation about each of your projects to the
class. If the project is not done then you can't present it, so
late assignments lose 33% per day - if a project is turned in
within 24 hours after the deadline then the max score is 67
points out of 100; if a project is turned after 24
hours but before 48 hours after the deadline then the max
score is 33 points out of 100; after that its 0.
Assignment deadlines will not be extended for any reason other
than a headline in the Tribune or Sun Times describing an army
of undead ghouls walking the streets of Chicago eating people.
Near the end of the class each student will choose a current
interesting VR or AR application or device (subject to approval by
Andy) and present that visualization to the class.
"I hear and I forget. I see
and I remember. I do and I understand" - Chinese proverb
GENERAL
POLICIES:
The Computer Science Department has adopted a Code of Conduct
that we expect all members of our community to follow.
The
University of Illinois at Chicago is committed to maintaining a
barrier-free environment so that individuals with disabilities
can fully access programs, courses, services, and activities at
UIC. Students with disabilities who require accommodations for
full access and participation in UIC Programs must be registered
with the Disability Resource Center (312) 413-2183 (voice) or
(312) 413- 0123 (TDD).
The University Holidays and Religious Observances calendar can
be found online at http://oae.uic.edu/religious-calendar/
We
value your mental health and emotional wellness as part of the
UIC student experience. The UIC Counseling Center offers an
array of services to provide additional support throughout your
time at UIC, including workshops, peer support groups,
counseling, self-help tools, and initial consultations to speak
to a mental health counselor about your concerns. Please visit
the Counseling Center website for more information (https://counseling.uic.edu/).
Further, if you think emotional concerns may be impacting your
academic success, please contact your faculty and academic
advisers to create a plan to stay on track.
You (and your group if we do group
projects) are expected to do all your own design and
implementation work. Cheating is bad; if you are caught cheating
at minimum the punishment will be that you will get a failing
grade for the entire course.
GRADES:
The current grade sheet can be found at the link at the top of
these web pages.
The final letter grades will
be calculated as follows:
latest revision - 10/25/2022 - added Ashwini's office hours onto syllabus
10/12/2022 - removed class on election day and shifted Students
Choice and Putting it All Together a bit.
9/15/2022 - added in TA information
