VIRTUAL REALITY
(source: https://i.warosu.org/data/biz/img/0011/54/1458530885109.jpg)
What do you think of when you hear the words virtual reality (VR)? Have you seen The Sight at Vimeo? (https://vimeo.com/46304267)
The definition of virtual reality comes from both ‘virtual’ and ‘reality’ We perceive the world through our senses. In school we all learned that we have five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. You would be presented with a version of reality that isn’t really there, but from your perspective it would be perceived as real.
Today virtual reality is usually implemented using computer technology. There are a range of systems that are used for this purpose, such as headsets, omni-directional treadmills and special gloves. These are used to actually stimulate our senses together in order to create the illusion of reality.
(source: http://redframe-game.com/wp/uploads/2014/01/RedFrameVr.jpg)
Reading Wikipedia, we can observe that first tries in VR were made even before 1950, nowadays we have Oculus or a cheap cartoon Google version.
(source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Google-Cardboard.jpg)
Some of us already tried games in VR and at this point it seems to be the future of game industry. Even YouTube introduced VR perspective in majority of videos so everyone can put their phone into Google Cardboard standard and try it out.
VR redefines the idea of communication, expanding it from people you know in real life to anyone connected to the internet. This means that relationships will begin to be formed more based on interests than general location. Many different fields can use VR to train people in a way that would usually put them at risk. This is used most notably in the fields of medicine, law enforcement, architecture and aviation. Those who are not able to fully experience reality, such as disabled people, could explore the Virtual World and still experience a full life. VR also makes tourism and visiting sites more easy by giving a detailed view of the original place, e.g. Virtual tour. We already can experience such tours in multiple museums. This provides a chance to experience things that are impossible in real life as if you were actually there e.g. fighting zombies in a game.
(source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K26QVUWCeGc/maxresdefault.jpg)
But on the other hand, don’t you think that it makes our life a little bit fake?
Those who do not have access or cannot afford this technology will be left out. This could deepen digital divide. Using this technology would make communication more susceptible to deception. Due to the fast development of Virtual Reality and online worlds, there is a lack of laws regarding these worlds. Users can say and do things in these worlds that are illegal in reality. Also, users may be less inhibited than in real life due to a sense of anonymity and may act in a way that is socially unacceptable. Many people may become addicted to living in these virtual worlds, and as a result, forget or neglect their responsibilities in real life. Moreover, some people have been known to have motion sickness due to the VR headset usage.
Questions
- What is your opinion about virtual reality?
- Have you ever tried Oculus or a similar device? What was your experience?
- How do you perceive the future world with such technology?
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality
- http://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/what-is-virtual-reality.html
- http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/virtual-reality.html
Comments
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What I wanted to discuss is rather not what the VR technology can do to us, but why we want it in the first place. Awesomeness aside, I think it's like with any other artificially-created reality: we need control. Games/apps etc let us exist in a controlled environment. If we do specific things in a correct order, we'll get such and such results. It's simple, much simpler than life. We have goals and quests, while in real life we might feel absolutely aimless and depressed. If we complete them, that's it; we get the XP points and the feeling of achievement. We may even level up. In real life? Not so much. New problems appear and wins can sometimes be loses.
I don't want to presume that the future will look like in the short film, but I think it's quite possible. Just how many people experience terrible anxieties and depression because the 'real' reality is so overwhelming. VR lets us escape that for a little (or not so little...) while and it's great but, as always, we need balance and we need to examine why we want to escape in the first place.
Your point of view is very interesting and question you meant is very important. The control in this world is crucial to everyone, we don't want to spend so much time in school or in life learning things for hours where we can be led by instructions how to do something. And what is interesting almost everyone have similar feelings about presented future, all of us are pretty scared that we will not have to use our brains and that we can be manipulated very easily.
It's also a great breakthrough in the world of gaming. You can get a feel for the game more than an ordinary computer screen and in combination with other devices for example kinect, VR provides even more opportunities for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTtfAQEeAJI I think it looks a little bit strange :P
In my opinion this movie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aThCr0PsyuA) show us the immediate future of VR and how we could use VR.
I highly recommend to try it by yourself. Maybe people from our university should open extra classes to learn how to do it. This might be helpful in future work.
When I was trying I have feel that it is incomplete. My experience was incomplete. I have missed a feeling high emotion.
I think that it may have a few applications despite my bad feeling it.
I personally have tried the cheap cartoon Google version which requires only our phone and the cartoon box, I must say even though it is a cheap version, it is also very realistic and also surprisingly funny. But I agree that we should wait until Google publish the famous glasses and begin to sell it worldwide, so we can get it cheaper after a while. :)
Therefore, I don't have a good relation to virtual reality. I haven't used this type of devices yet.
I have never tried such device, but it must be amazing experience. I would love to play some FPS games, like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmaxmnPzMWE
Imagine playing horror games using VR, it must be amazing. It is definitely future of gaming, because it brings computer experience to whole new level. You do not use keyboard anymore, you interact with game/system with your body, you have 360 degree sight. When avialable for average user it will surely have huge impact on our lives.
I agree that it will be the next step in making games more immersive. I've seen a demo where u can watch movies in "virtual cinema" which is something I really would like to try out.
2. Have you ever tried Oculus or a similar device? What was your experience?
No I did not, but i really look forward to trying it out.
3. How do you perceive the future world with such technology?
I think it will make work easier - imagine a pilot flying a drone with VR googles, its something straight out of the Sci-fi movie.
I had a chance to try Google Cardboard. It was nothing mind-blowing, but still a very cool experience.
When it comes to day-to-day use, I don't think it will replace everything we know. It will probably be a bigger addition than 3D was, because it is far more immersive. But I can't really see the appeal of VRs use in movies for example and I'm pretty sure that will be the case for your average movie audience.
It will definitely be more and more present in videogames, but again it probably won't become a general way to experience games. While it can serve its purpose in games with first person perspective, it doesn't really work in many game genres that involve clearly visible user interface or a different graphical perspective (strategy games, some RPGs, TPP action games and so on).
All in all, it is an amazing piece of technology that gives many opportunities, but I don't think it will be ever in general use (as are normal TVs and 2D monitors right now).
And the video you posted pertains to Augmented Reality rather than Virtual Reality.
I am really wondering what is the side effects on human brain for using such a devices for long time.
recently Microsoft came with their own virtual realty device HoloLens, The idea it seem not bad, the different they got on HoloLens that You can see around you as normal and in the same time you interact with some applications that appear in front of your eyes.
I had the Carton box from google and i used with my phone and it was really great experience.
Of course, I can see some dangers in the technology. In one of the books I've read (I seriously can't remember its name right now), kids were so occupied with VR that they didn't want to live a normal life (in fact, many kids are already addicted to PC games...). Also, the movie 'Demolition Man' comes to my mind - the main character traveled to year 2033, where people didn't want to get close to each other because they believed it's gross and unhealthy, so they used VR whenever they wanted to make out. I don't think such a thing would happen in our world, but who knows... :)
As for it's applications and fear of people becoming disconnected from reality - some of them already are pretty disconnected. It's no different from people addicted to multiplayer games like MMOs or second life. Escapism existed even before we had computers. I believe the positive applications of VR like tourism or educational simulations outweighs the negative ones.