What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual reality is an artificial environment that simulates a physical presence in real-world situations and allows the user to interact with this environment via special sensory (simulator) equipment, such as 3D glasses or head-mounted display (HMD).

Virtual reality artificially creates sensory experiences, which can include sight, touch, hearing, and smell. A person using virtual reality equipment is able to look around the artificial world, move around in it, and interact with features or items seen within it.

Scope of Virtual Reality

Today, virtual reality is being used in video games, computers, and other gadgets. The most widespread use of virtual reality so far has been in gaming. Video game manufacturers are using virtual reality technology to provide gamers with a totally immersive experience that lets them be inside the game. Players are wearing a headset and their movements control what they see on screen; it’s as if they have become part of a digital world. They can move around freely without getting up from their chair or clicking a mouse or keyboard.

How Virtual Reality Works?

Virtual reality works by placing you in a 360-degree simulated environment that can be as simple as an office setting or as complex as outer space. The technology then uses two screens—one for each eye—to fool your brain into thinking you’re actually in another place. The effect isn’t perfect, but it’s effective enough to trick your brain into thinking you’re somewhere else, and some companies have found success in transporting consumers to virtual stores where they can test out new products.

Unlike video games, virtual reality often has a practical business application: Employees could use it to better understand what customers are going through, workers could use it to get familiar with products before shipping them out and scientists could bring students on virtual field trips around the world.

Gaming in Virtual Reality

With VR, you can go anywhere and do anything—from jumping on a hoverboard in space to beating zombies in a haunted house. But virtual reality isn’t just for games anymore. It’s now being used by architects to let clients walk through new buildings while they’re still being designed by psychologists to help treat phobias, such as fear of flying; and by real estate agents who want their customers to feel like they’re actually at home in their next home before they even set foot in it.

Health Care in Virtual Reality

The future of health care could be in virtual reality. And while they’re certainly not a replacement for healthcare workers, Google Glass and other virtual-reality technologies are bringing us one step closer to making that dream a reality. Researchers have already used virtual reality technology (also known as VR) to help with pain management and burn rehabilitation. For example, a group at Stanford University has developed an immersive virtual-reality experience called SnowWorld to help patients manage pain during wound care.

In addition, a group of surgeons recently teamed up with game designers to develop another immersive experience called Ether—which lets users fly through cyberspace while controlling their avatars using just their brain waves.

Education in Virtual Reality

The Future of Education? – The world has been abuzz about virtual reality for decades now, but it may be a while before we start using VR to simulate real-world situations for educational purposes. In order to use virtual reality as an educational tool in schools, a few things need to change first. Educational technology will have to become more widespread—it’s no use trying to incorporate something into classrooms if not all teachers can take advantage of it. Teachers must also receive proper training on how to teach in a virtual environment, which will be crucial if VR education is ever going to catch on with students and parents alike.

Businesses that use VR Technology

Using virtual reality (VR) has proven to be very useful for businesses. They have used it to improve communication within offices, train their employees and develop better products. Some of these companies include Ford, BMW and The Mayo Clinic. While not all businesses use VR technology in their daily operations yet, many experts predict that it will become an integral part of business operations in 2018.

In fact, a Deloitte survey found that 76% of executives said they believe that VR will be widely used by consumers and businesses by 2025. With growing support from companies like Facebook investing billions into Oculus Rift and other VR technology ventures.

Future of Virtual Reality

What lies ahead for virtual reality technology? This technology has many applications, from education to gaming and beyond. Research and development are happening on both big and small scales to create a more immersive experience for users.

Some of these examples include user-friendly haptic feedback (haptic input devices that react based on what happens in VR), scent diffusion (smells of smoke or gunpowder emitted while you play a game), and full-body immersion suits that allow you to feel fire, cold or pain through your skin. Thanks to technological advancements in computing power and 3D printing, virtual reality will continue evolving at an exponential rate. It will be exciting to see where it goes next!

Conclusion

If you’re still scratching your head, maybe virtual reality isn’t for you. While it’s impossible to know how VR will change our lives in years to come, it could be an incredible experience that completely changes how we interact with technology. But if it seems too out there, don’t worry—the future of tech looks just as exciting without strapping on a headset. Be sure to check out our next topic: Augmented Reality!