Glove-Box or Desktop Virtual-Reality System

The figure depicts salient features of the optical layout of a desktop-scale virtual-reality system that is specialized for simulating a glove-box work space. The system generates stereoscopic left- and right-eye images of the interior of the work space that show (1) a user extension (defined here as an arm, hand, and/or one or more of the fingers on the hand of a user) and (2) either a real or a virtual workpiece to be manipulated by the user extension. The positions and orientations of the user extension and workpiece in the virtual images coincide substantially with those of the real user extension and of the real workpiece if one exists. The images are compensated for the non-central positions of the user’s eyes relative to a viewing screen on which they are presented.