Have youever thought of visiting another country while you’re still in your room? Ortry on clothes while online shopping to see if they fit you? There areenthusiastic teachers out there who may have considered showing their studentsa specific chemical experiment, but the circumstances prevented it. And forprecisely that reason, virtual reality (VR) technology was created. However,what is VR? How does it function, too? What areas of life do it apply to? Thisarticle has questions on all of them.
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What isVirtual Reality (VR)?
1) Definition:
Virtual Reality (VR) is a modeled 3D world that allows its users toexperience and connect with a virtual environment in a fashion that simulatesreality to engage the participants' sensations. Even though the experienceis built using computer's both hardware and software, viewers might haveto wear accessories like headgear or spectacles in order to engage withit. As a result, viewers are better prepared to disregard their actualsurroundings and treat a VR experience as realistic. Regardless of whether thisexperience is fanciful, the goal is to help viewers fully involve themselves inand turn down their real, existing surroundings.
Posture monitoring and 3D close-to-eye projections are used in virtual reality(VR) to provide users with an engaging sense of a virtual environment. VR hasuses in different fields such as business, teaching, medicine, healthcare, and,of course, entertainment.
2) VirtualReality vs. Normal Screens:
- ImmersiveVR 360 enables you to see wherever you wish, either fixed or movingimages. You are not limited to the usual 2-D surrounding as in normal screens. Thiseffectively brings to life whatever you’re watching when compared tonormal computer screens that are typical and allow you to see pictures/videosas they are.
- The experience of using a VR device, like 3-D glasses, except youhave more discretion. You can roam around in all directions. This experience isnot found in normal and is considerably superior.
- 2-D conventional screens, however, might occasionally be simpler andmore accessible, like in video conferencing. When using a VR solution, it maytake longer to connect and begin the experience.
The question the researchers and the world are looking forward toanswering is: "Will VR replace 2-D normal screens?" What does thefuture of VR hold for us!
3) What hardwareand software does virtual reality (VR) use?
As explainedearlier, virtual reality is essentially the use of a tool to generate a 3-Denvironment that a person can investigate, such as VR headsets or optics, thus experiencing avirtual universe as they live it. In addition to the hardware, of course thereare some specified programs and software used for VR technology.
Hardware:
· VR Headset: It is more like a helmet that worksby using head motion detectors or cameras. So far, we have three major types ofheadsets:
- PC-Based Headsets: Such headsets are typically managed by externaldevices wired to the headset. Excellent music and images areavailable, adding to the immersion.
- Cellular Headsets: This type of equipment has optics on the outside that enclose a smartphone.In order to produce a stereo view and turn a phone into a VR tool, optics areused to divide the display, cables are not required.
- Freestanding Headsets[MZ1] : They function wirelessly, with the system (software)transferring data from the PC's accessibility.
· VirtualReality Accessories: there is so many, but here are the most known:
- VR operators: They interpret hand, foot, or leg, and finger motionsto electric signals which are entered into interactive virtual surroundings.
- Virtual Reality Clothing: Since detectors can convey the posture ofthe viewer, a virtual reality outfit also allows complete body movementmonitoring in VR.
- VR base station or ground station: They operate by illuminating thespace with infrared radiation, which is intercepted by the sensors of themonitored equipment (as headset) for more immersion.
Now, it isnever completed unless the software used for the VR experience is appropriate:
Software:
· VR datamanagement operating software: to organize, and review VR content.
· SDK (virtual reality Software Development[MZ2] Kit): provide a foundation for designing,creating, and testing VR experiments.
· VR socialnetworks –to use these technologies, people can interact together in VR out of adistance.
· Software for VR platforms: used by designers to produce VR video gameexperiences.
· VR trainingsoftware - itis used in almost any industry to coach personnel in an entirely immersiveenvironment, wither it is a medical training or teaching, etc.
· VR Measurement software: Users interact with data in a virtualized world usingVR visualization software to properly comprehend the meaning of the data.
Software issomething particular to the purpose of the VR device you are utilizing. It isan unstoppable developing field so Virtual Reality technology can be accessibleto any aspect in our lives.
But howdid it all happen, what and when was the start of Virtual Reality technology?
· 1838: Stereopsis had first been explainedby Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1838. His efforts resulted in the creation of thefirst stereoscope. It employed two mirrors placed at 45-degree angles towardsthe eyes, which each reflected an image being off to the side.
· 1962: Morton Heilig created the very firstVR device, called Sensorama, in 1962. It used a variety of technologies,including sound, motion, video, scent, and ambient aspects, to pique thesensibilities. A maximum of four persons might sit in Sensorama's big booth atonce. For that too, six films have been created.
· 1965: A computer programmer named IvanSutherland proposed his idea for the Ideal Monitor. The idea was to create asimulated reality that, when experienced thru an HMD, had been so realisticallyaccurate. The viewer's ability to engage with items was a part of this.Therefore in notion, the virtual environment was created and maintained usinghardware. His study is regarded as serving as the basic framework for VR.
· 1969: Utilizing computers and video technologies, computer composerMyron Krueger created a number of "artificial reality" scenarios. Hedesigned artificial habitats which interacted to the occupants. Theseinitiatives produced the VIDEOPLACE system.
· 1975: Only at Milwaukee Art Center,Krueger's VIDEOPLACE, the very first immersive VR system, was on show.Instead of using glasses or gloves, it made utilization computeranimation, cameras, video showcases, and position-sensing technologies.Dark areas with sizable video boards were used in VIDEOPLACE to immerse theviewer in virtual reality.
The viewers can watch computer-generated shadows of themselves acting andmoving much like they did.
· 1985: VPL Technology, Inc. was establishedby Thomas Zimmerman and Jaron Lanier. This business is renowned as being thefirst to market VR goggles and gloves. They created various VR accessories,including the EyePhone HMD, and DataGlove.
· 1991: A VR program was made by NASAscientist Antonio Medina in order to control Marsspacecraft notwithstanding communication latency. The term "ComputerSimulated Teleoperation" refers to this technology.
· 2010 - 2014: The original Oculus VR headgearmodel was made by 18-year-old businessman Palmer Luckey, which was purchased byFacebook for $2 billion. Since VR quickly gained pace following this, it markeda turning point in the industry's development.
Since thenand up to the present, VR gear, software, peripherals, and applications have been rapidlyevolving in every sphere of life, including business, education, healthcare,and a long list of other areas.
But why thispersistence to make virtual reality technology an actual thing? What is itexactly used for? Here we offer you some real-life applications for thistechnology:
Peopleare aware that virtual reality (VR) is utilized for entertainment as invideo games, but there are a lot more ways that VR will influence our lifethan just gaming. So many sectors from medicine to investment, marketing, andacademia are all benefiting from.
· Medicine & healthcare
Health practitioners can utilize the virtual realitytechnology to properly equip themselves for their time in the surgery room,either as an experienced practitioner doing surgery or a younger doctoroutlining the diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
VR might also be employed in to cure psychological issues, withVirtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) being especially useful for treatingPTSD and stress.
· Shopping
Body-scanning software and virtual reality buying brandedwill change the way people purchase. Customers will have the opportunity tovirtually test clothes to see how they would look in real life.
· Architectural Engineering
With VR,it's you can visualize both the appearance of a building or location.There is even a TV program called "Your Home MadePerfect", is based on two competitive architects showing prospectivehomeowners concepts in virtual reality prior to making them real.
· Education & schooling
Experience-basedlearning is superior to the conventional approaches for teaching. Studentsget the chance to view and explore exotic locales inside their classthanks to virtual reality (VR). Schools could spare time andcost while giving students fantastic times that aren't feasible or usefulin the real world. Virtual reality is a component of game - based learning,educational school trips, immersive lab experiments and overall worldexploration.
· Training
Students canbenefit by immersion in a risk-free environment using VR; it is reliable,cost-effective, and adaptable. In a well-known research on the efficacy of VRtraining for common skills, PwC discovered that people might acquireapproximately four times quicker in VR.
· Entertainment and gaming
For entertainmentsector, VR is being utilized to enhance 360-degree cinema views. The viewer istransported by virtual reality to red carpet and celebrity interviews. Virtualreality enables interaction with shows, concerts, museums,galleries, and other cultural institutions. The ability to view 3D visualsmakes the entertainment feel genuine and fun.
With all ofthe above being said, the question is Why Virtual Reality? Why is it abig deal and we want to be part of it?
We firmlyagree that VR is not simply for entertainment and video games, as large numbersof people say, because we think it is the future; rather, it is for theimprovement of our lives as architects, engineers, teachers, and students.People should have the opportunity to encounter difficult and maybe impossiblethings! We seek to transform the world and apply technology to our uniqueviewpoints. Technology for virtual reality is constantly evolving! We work handin hand to explore the world and the future because we want to be a part of thefuture of the younger generations.
References:
1) Quora.com, Rayner,J.E, 2017, “Is there any benefit to using VR over a traditional screen?”https://www.quora.com/Is-there-any-benefit-to-using-VR-over-a-traditional-screen
2) Bardi, J.O,2022, “What Is Virtual Reality: Definitions, Devices, and Examples”, https://www.marxentlabs.com/what-is-virtual-reality/
3) Barnard, D.O,2022, “History of VR - Timeline of Events and Tech Development”, https://virtualspeech.com/blog/history-of-vr
4) Thompson, S.O,2022, “VR Applications: 23 Industries using Virtual Reality”, https://virtualspeech.com/blog/vr-applications
5) “VR FOREDUCATION”, https://immersionvr.co.uk/about-360vr/vr-for-education/
6) 2017, “VirtualReality in Entertainment: How Are People Consuming Content?”, https://veer.tv/blog/virtual-reality-in-entertainment/
[MZ1]StandaloneHeadset
[MZ2]Thisinfo is for developers not everyday people