Harsh Singh
Hundred & fifty Years from today, the furthest a person could interact was the pitch limit of his/her voice. Then came telephones, mobiles, video calling & then virtual reality. Just within 2 centuries we went from writing letters to Interacting Virtually.
So what is Virtual Reality? It refers to a computer-generated simulation in which a person can interact within an artificial three-dimensional environment using electronic devices, such as special goggles with a screen or gloves fitted with sensors.
Normally we only think about Video Games when we hear about VR, which is because Video Gaming industry have used it extensively. But there are huge range of other applications as well which are designed on the basis of Human Perception & Interaction.
Healthcare:
One of the major VR breakthroughs is in the Healthcare department. It is used for reducing pain in Burn Victims, where they are shown a snowy climate playing in the cold while applying bandages. VR is also used in the Exposure therapy which helps people with Phobias of Height & Body Dysmorphia, etc. It is also used on Elderly people to improve their balance. For medical training, there is a shift from memorization of facts to imparting skills to use when faced with a patient using VR technology. Computer graphics have made it possible to recreate any part of the body in great detail, which is used in training that closely mimic common surgical situations.
Education:
Another major application is in Education. Now children can not only learn the laws of nature but also can feel the inertia which are involved in these laws. Now students can learn history by living with the historical figures & experiencing their culture, fashion and interacting with them. Now students can visit distant countries, planets & galaxies to learn about them.
Travel & Perspective:
Now you can travel entire cities without leaving you room. You can revisit your favourite places again & again whenever you feel like it. People who desire to visit places which require deep pockets, can easily get that experience virtually. You can also get fresh perspectives by visiting Refugee camps, War struck areas, Poverty stricken areas – to get to know what these people go through on day-to-day basis & experience their feelings not as people, but as persons. After this our perspective to see & solve these issues can change for the better.
Adventure Sport:
Now everyone can participate in a Formula one & MotoGP. You can play cricket as the captain of the Indian Team & score a goal in the Fifa world cup. The increasing complexity & capabilities of VR are exploited the most by the Gaming industry, and they are trying very hard to push the horizon & give their customers a real time/real world experience in the sport of their choice, be it Tokyo drifting on the mountain cliffs or performing a covert military operation in Afghanistan.
Business, Architecture & Urban Planning:
One of the first recorded use of VR in architecture is in 1990s by the University of North Carolina when it virtually modelled their computer science department. Now it used to model complex Building structures, Bridges & Dams.
In business, it offers risk free & cost-effective ways. In 2017, Walmart partnered with Virtual Reality creator ‘Strivr’, to prepare employees for its Black Friday sales when they have to handle long queues & crowds.
In Retail Industry, ‘Yulio VR’ designed a VR heat mapping technology that tracks a shopper’s gaze in store, providing a detailed pattern of which areas or products attract their attention.
In 2016, Ikea launched its Virtual Kitchen Experience in Australia to help customers discover kitchen features & imagine how they would feel in their own home.
In Urban Planning, governments plan & model entire cities in detail to forecast the possible obstacles & be prepared for it. They can also plan efficient ways to protect Rivers & Forest which are depleting at an alarming rate.
So what is the Future of Virtual Reality? Just like every other Cutting Edge Technology, this too is heavily funded by the Military Institutions. But this is a unique point in history. Today collectively we have the power & means to decide whether to use this technology to isolate ourselves like a Sci-fi movie or to solve the macro issues & dangers that we face in this Century.
Harsh Singh
MMS
2020-22
MMS
2020-22
