Immersed in ICT
Torben Schou
Few people would think that playing computer games could lead to a PhD and a bright future in the creative ICT industries.
But Torben Schou has turned an off-the-shelf Nintendo Wii controller into an inexpensive virtual reality (VR) pointer system, and in the process won the ACT Tertiary Student Project iAward for 2008.
A Canberra native, Torben wanted to explore how computer game technology could enrich VR as part of his Bachelor of Software Engineering with a major in computer animation at The Australian National University (ANU).
He used the source engine from the game Half-Life 2 to create a detailed VR version of the ANU campus. He then redesigned the logic supporting the Nintendo Wii wand - designed for use within the limited range of movement on a television screen - so that it would interface with a fully 180 degree environment. The project in the Wedge VR theatre at the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Sciences was a success.
"People found that the high-quality graphics and the physics system [which influenced how users interacted with the space] were some of the most engrossing elements," Torben says.
The young researcher says his work demonstrates that it's possible to create cheap VR technology, which could have great potential for training scenarios or interactive entertainment. As for his potential, Torben is in the early days of a PhD at ANU which he says will deepen his interest in interactive technology, perhaps even exploring how creative technologies can respond to human interests and emotions.
Whatever way this research unfurls, Torben says he wants to keep working on projects that will provide scope for his creative side.
"I used to be keen to get into special effects work on movies, but these days I'm leaning more towards the computer game industry. I'd love a job in either of those fields, or perhaps even a hybrid of the two, given how they're slowly merging."
