Shedding light on another World within sight - Virtual Reality

Summary

• Virtual Reality (VR) represents a technology by which computer-aided stimuli creates an immersive illusion of being elsewhere both mentally and physically, ensuring a memorable experience.
• Virtual space training is no longer a Sci-Fi Fantasy, as low-cost virtual reality simulators are radically enabling and personalising training in the areas like military, aviation, and medicine.
• The rise of the internet of things (IoT) and low latency 5G has opened even more prospects for VR products, services, and experiences.

Whenever somebody talks about Virtual Reality (VR), it immediately rings a bell in our heads, and we start thinking of a 90’s sci-fi movie 'The Matrix’.

In the movie, the virtual replications were so realistic that the main character could not differentiate between what was real and what was not.

In the contemporary world, VR has completely amalgamated with our daily lives.

An extensive range of industries are using VR technology such as manufacturing, remote assistance, video games, medicine, education, to name a few.

But what is this crucial technology all about?

Virtual reality is a computer-generated environment, with scenes and objects that are presented to the user’s senses in such a way that he/she experiences it, as if it were actually present there, both mentally and physically.

To put it another way, VR is realistic, communicating, computer-generated, and immersive.

VR vs. AR (Augmented Reality)

Despite being a technology that emerged decades ago, numerous individuals often confuse the term Virtual Reality with Augmented Reality.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are considered as 2 sides of the same coin.

AR replicates artificial objects in the real environment, whereas VR builds an artificial environment to settle at.

For AR, the computer utilised both sensors and algorithms to ascertain the spot and alignment of a camera, in a real environment, it might not require wearing a headset. Pokémon Go is one of the most explicit and mainstream examples, showcasing the concept of AR.

On the other hand, VR require users to immerse themselves through a specific headset, which locates the position of the user’s eyes within the artificial environment constructed through sounds, images, etc.

You must be wondering how this environment is perceived to a user.

Close your eyes and think of VR, and you would probably picture a geek wearing a clunky headset or datagloves wired through a thick cable into a computer.

Well, a range of systems are deployed to stimulate senses together to establish the illusion of reality, such as the followings:

• Headsets or head-mounted display (HMD) fabricated with numerous components including haptics, optics, displays and sensors;
• Immersive rooms are an alternative to putting on an HMD, wherein an individual usually sits or stand inside a room whose walls change images with the movement of a user in the room.
• Datagloves have sensors wired on the outside of the ordinary gloves, primarily to detect motions of both hands, as well as fingers.

A quick fact!

Last month, Facebook unveiled a newest proof-of-concept VR headset that appears to be a pair of sunglasses, with improved visual performance and comparatively providing greater comfort.

Several companies such as Google, Facebook, HTC Vive, Microsoft, Apple, Sony, and others have an exposure to VR.

Unsurprisingly, the high-profile, exclusive video games industry is one of the prodigious proponents of VR.

Starting from flight simulators to race-car games, VR has hovered around for a long time on the edges of the gaming world and users experience, influencing the game environment via a range of VR gaming devices and accessories comprising VR headsets, sensor-equipped gloves, etc.

However, VR is not just confined to the entertainment world. There has also been an uptake of VR in more practical fields such as aviation, education, medicine, military, real estate, architecture, and such.

In the field of medicine, aviation and military, training for VR is an appealing substitute to live training encompassing expensive equipment, sensitive technology and dangerous conditions, or sensitive technology.

Surgeons are using VR based training by making use of virtual tools and patients and entrust their virtual skills into the operating room.

In the education field, VR based classrooms are empowering students to retain knowledge, with an enhanced learning experience.

Architects are embracing VR to visualise a space better and put up an impressive project to their clients.

Journalists using VR 360° streaming software live streams and virtually transports the users to the event’s place.

VR technology is a magnificent way for realtors to market their existing properties with very less amount of investment. Realtors are using VR to create an impressive 3D real estate tour and get their properties staged to lure prospective clients into checking them out and making a purchase.

Hey, hurry up! Purchase your new house following a VR based 3D tour.

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It might come as a pleasant surprise that fashion brands like Dior, Sephora, L’Oréal, and Puma have been deploying coolest experience for their clients who are into virtual shopping via VR apps.

Despite the fact that some are sceptical about the future of VR in Fashion, many believe that VR’s future in fashion has massive potential, and it could unequivocally become a powerful channel for interaction between brands and consumers.

Future of VR

In the current times, market entails apps that has potential to go further than leisure, tourism or marketing and are economical for users.

Big tech companies are functioning to create affordable headsets, with powerful processors that require either less or no cables and allows HD images.

It is believed that an entire range of potentiality would open up in the field of VR once it is amalgamated with the IoT (internet of things) and sensor technology.

The up to date 5G technology specification could also offer exciting settings for the evolution of VR by enabling additional devices and a large user base to be interconnected.

With its almost subtle latency, 5G would improve the streaming and downloading of large files. Furthermore, 5G would allow customers to obtain images in real-time, as if they were viewing them with their own eyes.