Virtual Reality is not a new technology, like most
people believe it to be. First take on VR dates back to 20th
century, although, it was completely different from what we have now. Today, we
have Virtual Reality googles, that can fool our minds into thinking, that what
we see in front of us is real.
Modern VR
headsets started being developed in 2010, and the first one was the prototype
of Oculus Rift made by Palmer Luckey. Two years later, in 2012 he started a Kickstarter
campaign, and raised $2.4 million to help with the development of the headset.
In 2014, Oculus has been bought by Facebook, and other companies, including
Sony, Google and Samsung, announced that they are working on their own
headsets. The general public had to wait until 2016 for the release of the
first VR Headsets.
 |
| Oculus Rift S headset with controllers, https://www.x-kom.pl/p/497001-gogle-vr-o |
Even though the technology was very popular, it wasn’t
successful from the get-go. The biggest factor in this was the price. The first
Oculus Rift was $599, and on top of that, you had to buy the controllers
separately. You also had to have a powerful computer to be able to use the
headset.
Although the sales weren’t as high as the companies
hoped them to be, the technology was still being developed. This resulted in
more and more new headsets being released. Some of them are more affordable,
others are more powerful at the cost of being more expensive. Slowly but steadily
the market grew, until Valve revealed their own VR Headset, the Valve Index. Not
only it has one of the best displays on the market, it also comes with
controllers that can track individual fingers.
I’ve been focusing a lot on how the technology developed,
but what are its usages?
The most common usage of VR is entertainment. There are a lot of video games that use Virtual Reality. Most of them are very basic, but also really entertaining. If you ever get your hands on a VR headset, you definitely have to try out Half-Life: Alyx. Although it’s a shooter, and not everyone likes those, it’s also one of the best games made for VR, if not the best. The level of interactivity in this game is incredible, you can interact with almost anything. I believe that it’s the best example of what this technology is capable of. Even though gaming is the biggest form of entertainment for VR, it’s not the only one. There are some films made especially for VR. If you are not a huge fan of those, you can always use VR to turn your room into a cinema and watch a movie on a screen that wouldn’t normally fit into your apartment.
The most common usage of VR is entertainment. There are a lot of video games that use Virtual Reality. Most of them are very basic, but also really entertaining. If you ever get your hands on a VR headset, you definitely have to try out Half-Life: Alyx. Although it’s a shooter, and not everyone likes those, it’s also one of the best games made for VR, if not the best. The level of interactivity in this game is incredible, you can interact with almost anything. I believe that it’s the best example of what this technology is capable of. Even though gaming is the biggest form of entertainment for VR, it’s not the only one. There are some films made especially for VR. If you are not a huge fan of those, you can always use VR to turn your room into a cinema and watch a movie on a screen that wouldn’t normally fit into your apartment.
Cmoar VR Cinema is an app that let's you watch movies
in virtual cinema through your VR googles.
The other usage that is worth mentioning is architecture.
Using VR architect can show his potential client the design of the building,
how it will look like, it’s interior etc. It allows the client to see what he
likes about the design, what he dislikes, and make necessary changes even
before the construction begins. VR can also be used to create virtual equivalent of some landmarks. For example, Ubisoft is working on constructing a virtual sightseeing experience featuring Notre-Dame, and it looks amazing.
The last usage of VR I would like to mention is
simulations. Most commonly used by the military, we are able to create various scenarios
and make them as realistic as possible. Of course, simulations are not limited
to military, and are used to train firefighters, pilots, and even medical personnel.
1. Have
you ever tried virtual reality? If not, would you like to?
2. Can
you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
3. How
do you think VR technology will change in the future?
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality_applications
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality_applications
Comments
Yes, i tried virtual reality few times. One year ago my friend bought VR goggles and we used it in our college canteen.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
There is plenty possibilities to use VR. For example i heard that you can use it to learn something new like public speeches. It is also used in car companies like Tesla to conduct safe trainings.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
To be honest i have no idea.
2. No I can not. All usages are in the text
3. I think it’s going to bring joy and lower costs of some trainings. In dark case scenario I think people are going do be connected to them 24/7 in virtual life.
Yes, i own PS4 with PSVR and the PS Move gun for games. It is quite fascinating experience though I wait for a newer toy to dive into this world even deeper.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
You can teach people like surgeons, vets and nurses various things that could hurt a living organism to do it properly before trying it in the serious scenerio.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
It will be used in many branches to teach people various skills through really good simulations. That way they can practice more and for a bigger group it should became much cheeper in the long run.
2. In fact, VR can be used anywhere. In education, in engineering, in training rescuers, policemen, doctors and soldiers. It seems to me that there is no area where VR could not be used.
3. As the previous speakers say, there are many applications where VR can be used. Maybe this technology will not introduce a revolution of a given field, but some kind of evolution. As the author mentioned, an interesting solution is the use of VR in construction, where by putting on glasses, we are able to see what the building under construction will look like. This can significantly facilitate the work of engineers. I know that such solutions are already used, even in Poland.
2. Besides the usages you mentioned in the article, VR could be used for example to train astronauts or to get some visit in the space and other planets. Or to cure some people from some mental disorders for example.
3. The world will probably be more based on the VR. Many parts of our lifes could be pushed to the VR and also many social interactions might take place in VR.
But for now we should concentrate on developing something a little bit closer to us and more needed - a reliable connection on group video communicators. Without lags, without delays and with a proper full hd/4k video streaming ;)
How can we even talk about migrating humanity to VR when my family members are three big pixels on MS Teams and they lag as they had some speech disorders. And we all have a good internet connection.
Yes, I have tried virtual reality once. I played Playstation VR games. The first one was the shooter, and the second one was Beat Saber. I really enjoyed playing, I had a lot of fun. And I want to try it one more time.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Yes, if we talk about entertainment it can be also some excursions to the past when you would be able to know how people used to live before. Or it can be something like a virtual reality menu at the restaurants so you could see how any dish will look.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I don`t know exactly. VR technology can help people to make some experiments for example in medicine. Maybe everything will be like in the movies about the future, where virtual reality is one of the most often used technologies in our everyday life.
I once went to a friend's house to play ps vr. He turned on some races for me. It's a big realism, when you look around you can see it all but after a few minutes my head started to ache and I was sick so I took off. My sister, on the other hand, experiences what you experience with more dynamic games, but for example in such Playroom VR (it's a demo, after which the studio released AstroBot) she can play without any complications and fear of stomach. Some games are simply badly done in my opinion.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
VR can be supported by teaching: geography and environmental science (360° photos and films), biology (photos and films of nature in VR, simulations of animal anatomy, plant construction, etc.), physics and chemistry (simulation of physical and chemical phenomena and processes). On the elementary level, VR simulations can expand the knowledge of phenomena inaccessible to everyday volcanic eruptions, flights into space as well as distant places - monuments, natural monuments.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think several new industries will go through revolutions, thanks to this technology, for example the emergence of industries related to the concept of telepresence. Of course, typical applications such as entertainment and medicine are also exciting. The solution presented in this article could help to design websites that are tailored to the needs of visually impaired people.
I haven't tried VR, but this technology intrigues me and I believe that in the future together with Augumented Reality it will be widespread in our daily lives. There are some places that offer renting a VR headset so I might try it in the near future.
2.
I cannot think of anything more then presented in the article.
3.
I think it will definitely change in the future, probably the hardware will be optimized, the controlers and headset will be smaller. Also the graphics and simulations potential will be improved.
2. I loved how one of schools used VR for teaching. It was a primary school from Poznan I think? Video was showed for comparison to our great TVP School programme and well... the latter was already pathetic by itself, so imagine how it would look compared to VR lessons. I wish such lessons were possible when I was still in school, just in normal form without whole epidemia atmosphere.
3. I'm still waiting for technology which will be able to send us to alternate virtual universe, where we can live like in our normal life, but enchanted.
I did. When I first put on a VR goggles and happened to be inside a little room I made before on my PC my first thought was "There, this is the future". I then spent several hours in Google Earth VR exploring different cities in the Street View.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Medicine, science, education, entertainment, studies, and many, many more.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
It won't change fundamentally, the main idea is to alter one's perception of a reality.
2. To be honest, the areas of VR activity are really limitless. In medicine (operations), in the army (training), space (astronaut training), etc.
3. VR technology will change drastically in the future. I believe that in the next several years we will use this device on a daily basis to facilitate work and entertainment.
1. Have you ever tried virtual reality? If not, would you like to?
Yes, I've tried virtual reality. It was in the Saturn store few years ago. I played sony sports game and it was amazing, I did not think it would be so good. Unfortunatelly after 10 minutes I had a headache.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
In my opinion the best usage could be watching 3D x-rays by doctors. I think it could help many people.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think that engineers will add some movement modules, because at this stage you can only move with game pad, it could be much better experience with your legs.
2. Some studying? For example, trying surgical operations. Something that can be dangerous in real life for the first time (for you or for other people). Tourism during quarantine or in a case of lack of time. Social networks with people avatars that actually can do all the things people can in real life. And so on.
3. Maybe we will live in virtual reality half of our lives like in Ready Player One. Maybe it will be nothing more than a weekend hobby. We can use it in all professional spheres or only in one or two. We can use it for decades or centuries or create something better tomorrow. Predictions aren't so easy, you know.
Yes I did many times and it is awesome! Sometimes im going to virtual studio where you can try many different equipment in field of VR.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Maybe studying would be a good idea. Learning about something and being able to see it around yourself.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think it will be more mobile to go. Smaller and easier to carry without wires. It can be pretty similar to the AR technology.
Sure I had an opportunity to use some devices in our academy and I really enjoyed the moment. The friend of mine even purchased the Occulus Quest after trying out the device. They work really well and don't make your head feel any worse for needing to wear glasses or any of that sort of stuff. I honestly don't know how else to describe the experience.
2 & 3. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article? How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
That would be the actual virtual reallity where you have whole open world, which you can explore with your friends doing some quests. Lie some RPG game but in virtual reality. It is not innovative because many companies want to achieve it because it would raise the popularity of the devices I think.
2. VR can be used literally anywhere. In hospitals for operations, in engineering, in education, literally everywhere.
3. I think VR will have a big impact on our future. I think that many industries will start implementing VR to their companies. Thanks to this technology they will be able to present different types of visualizations for clients which seems much more interesting than simply presenting investments on paper.
2 / AR and VR can be a great tool to understand the material. Or, for example, someone needs a dead body for training. But the storage of such things is not easy. In the end, VR makes it possible to send your students to Mars. If it seems that something is unrealistic or impossible for some physical, financial or some other reason, then new technologies should come to the rescue.
3 / In addition to games and other interactive entertainment, VR is showing promising applications for pain relief and post-traumatic stress disorder, for education and design, both for remote work and for office work. Thanks to the “embodied presence” - you control an avatar in a virtual space - social virtual reality is not only more exciting than any digital communication we have ever experienced, but also more impressive. The impressions that we get from our reactions to our surroundings to the quality of our interactions are stored and retrieved in our brain, like any other memory.
1. Have you ever tried virtual reality? If not, would you like to?
I remember the first time I've heard about this, it was probably around 7 years ago. As I can honestly label myself as 'the gamer', VR immediately caught my attention and I was super excited companies research this topic further. I don't own my own set yet, but hopefully, it will be more affordable in the nearest future. I've tried Oculus and htc VR set couple times on tech-meetups/hackathons and in a dedicated area on Metro Swietokrzyska, where you can play VR games with an hourly rate.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
I've heard it can be used to heal trauma or phobias (like arachnophobia - fear for spiders), where you put a patient in controlled "safe" VR and can proceed there with your therapists. The other usage is an art itself. Various installations, performances but with the first-person perspective. I know there are already established communities doing art in VR
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I'm not sure if it will world-changer. I got a gut feeling it will heavily impact only niche communities - like disabled people, video game enthusiasts or the porn industry. I'm not convinced we will be replacing standard interaction, doctor appointments or cinema visits with VR alternatives
That's a grim vision of the future, but an interesting one.
I have tried virtual reality goggles twice. The first time it was more of a VR adapter to your own smartphone, not very professional but since it was my first time I still found it very interesting and quite fun. The second time was a VR experience on an inside fixed zipline. I wore a sort of suit with suspenders and then I was suspended around 30cm above the ground. I had VR goggles on me with a pre-recorded slide on a zipline, there were fans to create artificial wind and the personnel was moving my body so it would feel more real. The experience was really exciting but it was nothing like the real thing.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Actually, just a few days ago I was watching a tv program and there was a bit about forensic science and how they teach it. It turns out that in Poland we have the only university in the world where VR goggles are used during class on forensics! A sort of game for VR was created in order to help students learn how to properly gather evidence at the crime scenes. It was so interesting to see!
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think there is quite a lot of possible applications of a VR technology. In my opinion, VR could be used in medicine. Learning how to perform operations using VR technology could really help the students. Another one is education, I am sure that if some subjects such as geography or history could be taught with the use of the VR technology then the kids would be much more excited about school.
I haven’t tired virtual reality. The set itself is too expensive for me right now and I also don’t have any of the other necessary equipment to make it work. I also have problems with nausea, so I don’t think using virtual reality would be the most pleasant experience for me.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Nothing really comes to my mind right now. Maybe we could use it to simulate medical operations on humans.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think that the basic parameters will be improved. It will be cheaper. More comfortable to use. There might be less additional equipment needed to make it work. Less cables to connect everything. Maybe it will work well enough with Bluetooth or new 5G internet?
I haven't tried yet. My children tried, I didn't. Of course, as soon as the opportunity arises it will try. Maybe at the next defense fair in Kielce I shoot to the enemies?
It can be intriguing and it certainly is.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
It's hard, I'm not professionally involved in VR, so I don't focus on its possibilities. It's hard to talk about new possibilities.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
Yes, everything changes over time. Just look at the cars. Therefore, it should be assumed that VR will also change.
I have tried it once or twice while playing one game but after a few minutes I started feeling a little dizzy and had to give up. But all in all it was an interesting experience, it is completely different than looking directly at a flat screen. You feel more “connected” with the game.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Well, I think that it might be helpful in healthcare. VR might revolutionize the way doctors examine medical results and findings. Maybe by looking at them with a help of VR might accelerate how they diagnose diseases.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I’d like it to be smaller, more compact. Having that all over your head can be exhausting as sometimes it can be quite heavy. Apart from that, the video quality could be improved a little bit as sometimes the graphics are poor.
1. Have you ever tried virtual reality? If not, would you like to?
I did try out some games of VR and the experience was highly appreciated.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
I think VR can be also used in learning, visualization of different place and I will also like to have cameras that you can capture your home and let you view your home from a different place.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I believe VR is already changing the present, because we are using it for medical and military to perform unbelievable things. So that future of VR is enormous.
2. Personally I don’t see much usage of VR besides games and for military purposes yet, maybe in the future this technology will revolutionize many professions.
3. I’m not interested in this topic so its hard for me to speculate on that, but I think that It would be cool if we didn’t need any hand set to record moves and huge helmet to see this Virtual reality instead of that could be a pair of simple transparent glasses and some kind of sensors plugged to our hands
2. In the past, I was cooperating we a few developers to help them selling houses by showing the home’s via VR. Awesome. You mentioned simulations for medical personnel – that was exactly what I was doing n my second company- we were teaching doctors how to operate laparoscopically.
3. The market has big potential to grow but one big bottleneck – PC efficiency and size of VR equipment. I guess that within the next 10 years we will start to meet at VR conferences and learn in a new way at schools.
I've played a game based on Jurassic Park III, it was very immersive and I really enjoyed it.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
I think all have been named in other comments. Those are: learning, military and theater.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
VR will be more immersive than it is now. Sound, that is co-responsible for immersion will be more polished than it is now.
Yes, I used to work for some company which are using VR technology. I have played a lot of different games in their googles. I still think it is a future of gaming, but there are a lot of people who felt really bad while playing. We shouldn’t play in it for a long time, and in the "back" of our had we should remember that there is a real world around us and it is just a projection.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
There are plenty of diffrent usage of VR, we can use it basically everywhere and to everything. We can visit the world, learn new skills, have fun etc.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I hope that it won’t be a threat for people, because in my opinion if the technology will be very advanced some people would prefer to live in the virtual world rather than a real one. There is a series like Black Mirror and in one of their episode there is a similar example of it. On the other hand we can use it for dangerous missions and improve the safety of military operations.
Yes, I have. It was really fun, it was one of these old VRs but it was still messing with my perception, it was kind of a climbing game I think, and falling was terrifying.
Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
I heard about the usage of VR in overcoming psychological damages. For example, it can be helpful for soldiers in recovering from PTSD.
How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think that VR will change the future similarly to how mobile phones and computers changed our world. If you see how much VR had developed since the last few years we are certainly getting there.
Yes, I tried it once in some game room with my friends, we played some game like Counter-Strike, it was very good game experience, and the price was also proper. I hope I will play it a few more times in the future.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
I don’t know, I don’t have much experience in the field of VR, I think what the video introduces is all what VR can do temporarily.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think that after 10 years, VR might occupy a large position in the game market like switch and ps4. As for areas other than games, in my opinion, this has a lot to do with the development of software.
2. I think VR would be good for online lessons, I heard that one teacher did it in the half-life game mentioned in the article, we could also do some exams.
3. I'm afraid that VR may go in the same direction as 3d TVs, now they are in a peak of popularity and after some time nobody may pay attention to them
Yes, I have tried VR game, but there is one problem for me, nausea, so I can't try VR logger that few minutes. Moreover, I have read that it is a common problem.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
I know that there already exist VR tour in Louvre. Also it could be used in engineering, some kind of simulation to try if it would work.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
In my opinion, VR hasn't a huge influence on our life yet and in future it would be same too.
I tried only once to use virtual reality glasses. Unfortunately they were not of very good quality, but this was my first experience and it did not impress me so much. In general, I know the capabilities of this technology, so I say with confidence that this is a very useful and ingenious technology. You can implement this technology in many areas of life.
Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Yes, in fact, as I wrote above, this technology can be applied in a large number of fields and sciences. For example, it can also be used for educational purposes for astronauts and future pilots. You can apply this in medicine and psychotherapy. Well, and as a whole it was indicated in your post today, this quiet technology is most developed for the entertainment sector, but you can implement a more scientific approach to this matter.
How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think yes, like any progressive technology that we see today. A new level of this technology will most likely allow us to use these methods without large equipment, for example, in small lenses. Also, image quality will also improve. Objects and characters will look more real. There is no limit to perfection, so someone will come up with something.
Yes. I love the idea of it. I have even made several applications for it. However, it is sad that I can't really partake in this because my sight isn't that good and I need glasses. Maybe I have used the wrong headsets or maybe I should look into wearing contacts just for using VR as they aren't very comfortable to me. Maybe in the future when VR is better I will like it more and partake more often.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
You can pretty much do anything you can think of. The sky is the limit and the only thing stopping you is the depth of your imagination.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
They will probably have better headsets. Headsets that are that are more comfortable, and headsets that keep in mind that there are people out there who use glasses. They could improve augmented reality. The graphics and display could improve to the point where you can't tell real life apart from virtual reality.
1. Yes I tried it. My body and head felt confused. It is really unnatural for a person to be in VR using current technologies.
2. Potentially with VR you can leave this cruel world and travel to a place somewhat better, staying there forever (or until you die). But for todays VR headsets I really cannot imagine a real purpose instead of entertainment.
3. I think it will. I think that the next big step is the VR room. Similar technology was used in the creation of "The Mandalorian" series, when they recreate the whole scene using Unreal Engine, gyroscopes and projections.
But I think that future is behind augmented reality , not virtual reality.
2. VR is currently taking a step into research and early detection of some diseases such as dementia. We will see how it will turn out.
3. I'm sure it will become more and more realistic with some new senses added. Developers already are working on the sense of touch which would make the VR experience almost the same as the real one.
Yes i have tried. I liked it a lot. Im looking forword to own one myself.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
Showrooms, demos and business scenarios.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
it will become much more realistic.
2. I'm not a type of creative thinker, so I can't think of anything.
3. For sure it will feel much more real than now, and maybe we will do all of our daily tasks in VR, like gaming, ordering food, shopping and studying.
2. Sorry, but I can't.
3. I think it will take on target sizes which will meet market requirements. And over-excitement around it will stop.
Yes, I tried virtual reality few times.
It was while playing game or doing workshop about first aid. This second purpose of virtual reality is very useful. Learning by VR was very good exercise and is more efficient that reading paper rules of first aid.
2. Can you think of any other usage of VR besides the ones mentioned in the article?
For now nothing special comes to my mind, but I am sure that there is place for future development. Just people creativity is needed here and new ideas can be implemented in our lives.
3. How do you think VR technology will change in the future?
I think yes. The price of equipment can be decreased as some optimization can be done. Also some alternative materials can be invented and implemented. I think that the basic parameters or connection options can also be improved.