Virtual Reality Has Come To Stay. Learn About How VR Can Help You In Your Daily Life
What You Will Learn…
- Discover VR and how it works
- How It Is Used Today
- What They Don’t Tell You About VR
- Do You Need VR Devices
- How Much Does VR Cost
- Which Is The Best VR Headset
- How VR Innovations Are Coming Along
- Virtual Reality Vs Augmented Reality Vs Mixed Reality Vs Extended Reality
- Will VR Take Over Our Physical World
What Is Virtual Reality? (Definition & Answers)
Virtual reality (VR) refers to some sort of digital or computer-generated simulation in which a person interacts within a man-made three-dimensional environment or setting using electronic gadgets or devices, such as specialized goggles along with a screen and/or gloves with built-in sensors.
Within this simulated man-made environment, the user feels the experience is real.
The spectator or participant has a complete sensation of reality. He/she can move three-dimensional color images with 100% peripheral vision, scents, air breezes, and binaural sound.
The Three Types Of Virtual Reality
When It All Started…
The first known use of VR was in 1987. The term “virtual reality” was coined by Jaron Lanier in 1987 during a period of intense research in immersive technologies (Virtual Reality Society 2017).
Lanier owned a research company pioneered in 3D graphics and immersive interactions that produced the first commercially available VR equipment such as VR glasses and data gloves.
What Is The Difference Between Virtual Reality And Virtual World?
You don’t become part of the avatar on a computer screen, but you’re actually inside or part of that avatar in a virtual world. Your mind does not have to leap into the virtual world to think of it as a real place.
How Do You Film VR?
Film With Many Cameras, Combine Into One Video
Do this with the help of VR capture methods. For example, 360 video and photo capture 360-degree video allow you to record footage using a single camera with multiple lenses or a rig of cameras.
Combine and edit the results into a single video.
Our Future Is Safe With VR Technology
How Would Fully Immersive VR Work?
The goal of Immersive VR is to make sure that the user is fully immersed inside this artificial world. The user gets the impression that he/she is part of this computer-generated world.
There’s a magnetic sensor located inside the head-mounted display (HMD) that detects the users’ head motion. This information is then fed to an attached processor.
What Is Different About 3D Interaction Design In VR?
In 3D interaction, you perform functions and carry out your tasks by processing the information you pass on and receive from computer systems in 3D virtual space. This type of interaction is intuitive, as humans use all three dimensions in a physical world.
VR For The Masses – Do They Want It?
In the next six months or so, you’ll realize the importance of VR and whether the Oculus Rift and other such products get outdated.
At one of the Oculus Connect events, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg announced a change to his company’s VR headset, the Oculus Rift. This technology change would have huge repercussions on its life.
The Oculus Rift now shifts the field of view with this addition when a player turns his/her head. It does not have to re-render the image in totality. Palmer Luckey has designed a more effective head-mounted display with the release of the Oculus Rift S.It’s not much, but rendering visuals that appear without jerky movements is one of the most difficult things to get right with this virtual reality technology. You don’t want VR sickness to punch you in the gut if you fail.
Such Is The Way Of VR
As a matter of fact, you don’t have to spend the price of a used family car to purchase a PC that’s capable of running VR games any longer.
You now have an increased number of apps and VR headsets to explore.
Unit sales of virtual reality headsets in 2021 are expected to be around 6.1 million units, which will increase the total installed base to 16.44 million units.
Look out for major players in VR like Samsung, Alphabet Inc., Microsoft, Sony, and Intel.
How VR Is Being Used Today – Why Is VR Needed?
Simulate The Aircraft Cockpit On Your Computer
Flight simulators, games, and surgery are popular uses of VR. Other applications include geographical study, visualizations, weather forecasting, and the study and treatment of addictions.
Virtual Reality Games
One VR game you don’t want to miss in 2021 is Half-Life: Alyx.
Purchase a Valve Index with HTC Vive Cosmos Elite, and you get this free.
“Trover Saves The Universe” is another game that’s much smoother on the PSVR, Oculus.
Does The Military Use VR To Train
The US and UK military forces use virtual reality for training soldiers, as they can create a wide range of simulations.
All service branches use VR including the army, air force, navy, coast guard, and marines.
Children are used to computers and video games in this modern world where they adopt technology at an early age. This makes VR an effective method of training.
VR enables the military to send a trainee into a number of different environments, situations, and places to participate in a range of training purposes.
The military uses it for battlefield simulations, flight simulations, virtual boot camps, medic training, and vehicle simulation, among other things.
What They Don’t Tell You About VR
VR And The Importance Of Audio
Like in a video game or film, the importance of sound in VR cannot be ignored.
Visual elements connect you to the story, but in VR sound makes the user experience more believable and generates emotional impact.
Do You Need A PC For VR
A standalone VR headset is used without a smartphone or personal computer.
Just start VR gaming with these wireless glasses on your head.
This makes the Oculus Quest and other standalone VR headsets popular with travelers.
Do You Need Two Eyes To Experience VR
People with one eye have a lesser depth perception than somebody who sees with both eyes. This will not diminish their experience, however, as they’re not used to this new technology.
People with one eye retain their depth perception, which makes it possible for them to experience the 3D effect created with VR.
How Much Does VR Cost?
Bestselling virtual reality headsets are now categorized under one of these two categories: Standalone or tethered.
Standalone Headsets: You to the freedom to handle processing without cables and an external device.
The Oculus Quest 2 provides 6DOF motion tracking and other similar 6DOF motion controls using outward-facing cameras that are similar to those used in the Oculus Rift S.
It has less processing power than a dedicated gaming computer but can still process detailed, smooth graphics with its high-end mobile processor.
Tethered Headsets: The PlayStation VR, Valve Index, and HTC Vive Cosmos are physically connected to PCs. You connect your PS VR to a PlayStation 4.
The cable connection is a letdown, but with all the video processing done in a box, there’s less load on your face. Your virtual reality experience is now more complex.
You can use outward-facing cameras on the headset or external sensors. They provide full six degrees of freedom (6DOF) movement tracking capabilities to your hands and head with the help of its motion-sensing controllers.
You have limited options with tethered headsets.
The cheapest cost around $400. This is without the processing capability. The Valve Index and Vive Cosmos need powerful PCs to run and process data, while the PS VR needs a PlayStation 4.
May 2021 Prices
- Oculus Quest 2 256GB Advanced All-In-One VR Headset — $394.70 (List Price – $399)
- HTC Vive Cosmos Elite VR System — $899.00
- HTC Vive Pro VR System — $1,199.01
Why Are VR Gaming Systems Falling In Price?
The more VR is developed and used the cheaper it will become.
As more and more companies develop VR, the same hardware offer more functions causing a slight reduction in price.
VR Headsets
Create A Complete VR Environment With Your Standalone Headset
Is Investing In VR Worth It?
It’s a costly endeavor to buy a VR headset right now, especially when you don’t have a gaming PC but want a HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.
VR usage usually takes place in-house inside a controlled environment. This has several benefits and use cases. brings with it several use cases and benefits.
For example, businesses gain cost savings, opportunities, and benefits by using VR to initiate training simulations to employees.
Time is usually an issue when you have to train employees to perform various jobs. You can now qualify your operator for a specific position before you install any equipment at the job site.
This allows the operator to commit mistakes in virtual environments rather than the actual job site. You increase your project’s safety record in the bargain.
How To use Google Cardboard 2.0
If You’re Assembling it…
Get it, fold it and look inside the Cardboard for a VR experience with its simple viewer.
You can now explore a variety of apps. Plenty of viewer types are available, so you’re likely to find one that you like.
The open-source Cardboard SDK enables immersive cross-platform VR experiences on the iOS and Android mobile platforms.
VR features like stereoscopic rendering, user interaction, and motion tracking allow you to build new VR experiences or increase the capabilities of existing apps that are compatible with VR.
If You Plan To Use A Ready Viewer…
Use Google Cardboard 2.0 with viewers like Maxbox VR, Vusion V3, and POP! 3.0
Google Cardboard introduces everyone to immersive experiences in an affordable and simple manner.
You can experience VR on your smartphone right away. Just use your own viewer or a certified viewer that you bought.
You’re sure to find one that fits you from the wide variety of viewers available in the market.
Oculus Rift Vs HTC Vive: Which VR Headset should you buy?
Oculus Rift Vs HTC Vive
Which Is Better
The price of both headsets are slightly lower now than when they were launched. The Vive is $499, down from $799, while the Rift is $399, down from $599.
The lower-priced Oculus Rift offers more value than the costlier Vive, as both feature the same whole-room VR and motion controls in the box.
What Will VR Replace?
VR will affect the way that we live, work, and interact with each other, and that’s the truth.
If you look at the other side of the coin, you can’t replace reality in a permanent sense with VR, because you’re part of the human species and in order to succeed, you need to do things outside of VR.
Social interactions, eyesight, and hearing can be replaced, but VR can replace smell, touch, taste, education, and jobs.
Why Is VR Innovation Taking So Long?
VR and AR headsets have low resolutions and narrow fields of view. They lack the battery life/processing power needed to spur innovation.
The industry is facing hardware limitations that’s preventing widespread adoption of VR and AR. It makes sense therefore that the number of applications are restricted.
VR Applications: How It’s Developing
The worldwide VR market size was valued at USD 15.81 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.0% from 2021 to 2028.
WorldViz has introduced SightLab VR, a drag-and-drop software tool that allows you to set up eye-tracking experiments in VR.
You can use a graphical user interface or GUI interface to build your interactive scene, then run your experiment and review the eye-tracking data within minutes.
Virtuix raised in excess of $19 million from over 6,500 investors in its Series A-2 financing round to launch Omni One, its omni-directional home treadmill that lets allows players to walk and run inside virtual worlds including popular games.
Virtuix’s “Omni” technology gives you the feeling that you’re physically moving in VR. This takes VR to the next level. The treadmill’s 360-degree experience allows players to move in any direction while they’re immersed inside videogames.
VR Beyond Gaming
The technology is used in industries for several purposes including training and education purposes.
For instance, automotive industry engineers can experiment with a vehicle’s design and structure at the conceptual stage before costly prototypes of the vehicle are made.
Patients suffering from mental health challenges are provided treatments using the VR exposure therapy technology.
Tourism industry customers enjoy a virtual tour of restaurants, hotels, locations, and landmarks with the use of VR technology.
Adoption of VR in various applications is fueling market growth in several industries.
Virtual Crime Scenes
The introduction of VR in courtrooms helps reconstruct crime scenes.
It provides jurors with visual evidence that creates a bigger picture than exhibits and photographs.
Virtual Shopping
Check Out Your Favorite Things On Your Computer With Virtual Reality
Consumers can try before they buy when they use VR. People are now at the center of the experience.
The introduction of virtual payment gateways has made it possible for shoppers to enjoy the thrill of shopping from the comfort of their home.
A few of the brands like IKEA, Top Shop, IKEA, Sephora, and Walmart are already into VR and augmented reality.
VR Use In Education
VR helps people learn. Studies have shown that participants can improve memory recall accuracy by 8.8 per cent on an average.
Nearly 40% of the participants with VR headsets scored at least 10% more in recall ability in the same study.
Museums
VR technology used in museums provide visitors with an unimaginable user experience.
Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, one of the early adopters, launched its VR experience in 2016.
Visitors were able to see inside the human body, explore the cosmos, and travel to the depths of the ocean.
Treatment Of Mental Illness With VR
How Can VR Transform Mental Health Care?
Research shows that VR is a revolutionary mental healthcare tool. Extended research studies reveal that VR reduces social anxiety, alleviates feelings of paranoia in people suffering from psychotic disorders, helps with phobias, and in the treatment of PTSD.
VR works like the treatment method to desensitize oneself by imagining a traumatic event. This helps desensitize and unlearn one’s anxiety response.
VR creates immersive environments in this method that effectively reflect specific traumatic experiences in a controlled manner.
What’s The Difference Between Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, & Extended Reality?
Virtual reality (VR) helps participants shut out the real world with a complete immersion experience.
Devices like Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard, and HTC Vive take participants through a number of imaginary and real-world environments.
They could be traveling on a dragon’s back or be transported to the middle of a penguin colony.
Augmented reality (AR) allows participants to use their smartphone’s camera to add digital elements to the view. Some examples of augmented reality experiences are the Pokémon Go game and Snapchat lenses.
Mixed Reality (MR) experiences combine both VR and AR elements making it possible for virtual 3D objects and the real-world to interact.
Extended Reality (XR) combines all available technologies to enhance your senses. It’s an umbrella term that covers Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies. You can create totally artificial worlds and also gain more information about the real world with XR.
Will VR Eventually Replace Our Real World?
Even with advanced VR, we’ll be hit with reality at some point even if we’re totally engrossed in our favorite virtual reality game.
Humans are too smart to believe that a simulated environment or an artificial environment can last forever.
We sleep, use the restroom, and eventually die without VR interference. Reality has a funny way of reminding us that it’s always there.
