Virtual Reality: All You Need To Know

Virtual reality (VR) has been around for decades, but in the last few years, it’s experienced a resurgence and is now more accessible than ever. As with most new technologies, VR has been developed for niche markets with high price tags.

However, that’s changing fast and you can get involved for much cheaper than you might think. Yes, virtual reality is about to become big business, but what exactly is it and how can we use it?

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If you’ve never heard of VR before, this guide will help you understand everything you need to know about this exciting emerging technology.

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a real-life environment. In VR, users are able to interact with this environment and other people in a way that feels real.

This is done by wearing VR headsets that display computer-generated images (CGI) that you see as if you were there. This is different from augmented reality (AR) where computer-generated images are overlaid on top of the real world.

While both technologies are similar, VR is much more immersive and is primarily designed as an entertainment medium.

Currently, conventional virtual reality systems provide realistic visuals, sounds, and other sensations that approximate a user’s physical presence in a virtual world using either virtual reality headsets or multi-projected environments.

A user who uses virtual reality equipment may see around the virtual environment, move around in it, and interact with virtual elements or products.

VR headsets with a head-mounted display and a small screen in front of the eyes are commonly used to create the effect, but they can also be achieved through specially designed rooms with multiple large screens.

Virtual reality typically incorporates auditory and video feedback, but haptic technology may also allow for other types of sensory and force feedback.

Industries using Virtual Reality

The Automobile Industry

Engineers and designers may readily experiment with the appearance and build of a car using virtual reality before procuring pricey prototypes.

Companies like BMW and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have been utilizing virtual reality (VR) for years to conduct early design and engineering evaluations to evaluate the visual design and object obscuration of the vehicle – all before any money is spent on physically constructing the pieces.

By lowering the number of prototypes developed per car line, virtual reality is saving the automobile industry millions of dollars.

Medical Care

In healthcare, virtual reality is having a huge influence. To help reduce chronic pain, the system employs cognitive behavioral therapy and other behavioral concepts such as deep relaxation, attention-shifting, interoceptive awareness, and others. VR has also been used to treat burn damage.

VR can help healthcare personnel better prepare for their roles in the operating room, whether they are junior doctors describing diagnosis and treatment plans or orthopedic surgeons doing surgery.

Virtual reality may also be used to treat mental health disorders, with Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy being particularly successful in the treatment of PTSD and anxiety. There are also more ways that spending time in VR may be helpful.

Tourism

There’s nothing like a global epidemic and lockdowns to make you miss being able to travel to various places, see world-famous sites, and get a taste of another culture.

Imagine being able to take a guided tour of Barcelona or Budapest from the comfort of your own home in California or Singapore. That is possible with virtual reality. From anywhere in the globe, you can even take a Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh!

In the post-Covid age, advances in VR for tourism allow you to test out a vacation before you buy it.

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Learning and development

The training industry has started to embrace the opportunities VR learning brings, with companies like Bank of America sourcing 10,000 headsets, and Walmart offering VR training to its 1mn employee.

With VR, people can learn through experience in a risk-free space; it’s consistent, affordable, and scales. VirtualSpeech, for example, provides VR training for soft skills such as public speaking, active listening, and sales.

They blend e-learning with practice in VR and online simulations, enabling learners to build their confidence and skills in VR environments, from meeting rooms to auditoriums.

With the experiential learning VR brings, VR training significantly increases learning retention levels PwC infamously did a study on the effectiveness of VR learning for soft skills, and found people learned up to 4 times faster in VR.

Basic Components of Virtual Reality Devices (VR Headset)

A collection of sensors

Virtual reality, unlike 2D television, is not a passive experience. Users engage with virtual environments that adapt to their constant inputs. VR headsets are equipped with a variety of sensors, including a six degrees of freedom (6DoF) system for head tracking.

A 6DoF system detects head motions and repositions the display based on gyroscopes, accelerometers, and other sensors. Some headsets additionally have eye-tracking sensors that detect when the user’s gaze is focused on a virtual item or place.

Screens and lenses

The optics and screen arrangement comprise the majority of the VR headset’s hardware. Between the screen and your eyes are stereoscopic lenses that distort the image to make it look three-dimensional.

Two pictures, one for each eye, are sent through the lens, analogous to how human eyes receive and interpret sights in the actual world.

Furthermore, visuals in VR headsets appear to move side to side to simulate a 360-degree experience, which is accomplished by subtly shifting the display content in reaction to head-tracking data.

Audio immersion

In the actual world, users have a much more nuanced experience of sound because audio is intimately tied to our impression of distance and geography. VR headsets use 360-degree or immersive audio technologies to simulate this experience.

Binaural audio is one such technique, and the new spatial audio pioneered by firms like as Apple represents yet another step forward in VR audio innovation.

Controllers

Finally, VR headset controls serve as a link between the actual and virtual worlds. Aside from the standard set of two handheld controllers that come with most headsets, you may utilize a variety of controllers.

For example, Samsung provides a single-hand motion controller for their Gear VR kit, while HTC VIVE includes single-hand joystick-like controllers that come with a docking station.

Meta is said to be working on a set of haptic-based controls that will enable pressure-sensitive touch and navigation. Valve Index also provides a distinct take on controllers that integrate a fist-gripping design.

How Does Virtual Reality Work?

VR headsets take two forms – mobile and stationary. Mobile headsets are either built into smartphones or are designed to fit onto a smartphone. Stationary headsets are designed to be plugged into a computer or game console.

Mobile headsets work by using a smartphone’s gyroscope and accelerometer to track head movement. This data is sent via a Bluetooth connection to the VR app and then to the display, showing you a CGI version of the room you’re in as if you were really there.

Stationary headsets rely on a high-powered computer to create these CGI images and then plug directly into your computer’s graphics card to display it all.

Why Is Virtual Reality Becoming So Popular?

VR has been around in one form or another for decades, but the technology has never been able to break into mainstream use. This has been due to a number of issues, including high costs, low accessibility, and a lack of interesting content.

However, that’s all changing thanks to three key factors. Firstly, the advent of cheaper and more accessible VR hardware.

Secondly, the development of new software that’s both intuitive and engaging. And thirdly, wider acceptance of VR as a legitimate medium for engagement and entertainment.

The Future of VR

VR has the potential to be a truly transformative technology, but it’s hard to say exactly how. What we do know is that AI, AR, and VR are all set to become a big part of our lives in the near future.

As AI and AR technology improves, it will become more useful and accessible. Meanwhile, VR is set to become more social, with more and more games and apps taking advantage of online multiplayer.

How to Get Involved in the VR World Today

VR is most commonly used for gaming and entertainment, but there are many other ways it can be used.

Medical and social scientists are already exploring VR as a tool for research and therapy. Meanwhile, there are even applications for everyday life, such as shopping with virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa.

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