Creative World eZine Volume 1 | Page 13

What do you think of when you hear the term “ virtual reality ?” Do you think of Neo in The Matrix or do you imagine wearing futuristic helmets connected to computers and other machines ?
Mashable . com explains virtual reality , or VR for short , as a fully immersive computersimulated environment that gives the user the feeling of being in another environment instead of the one they ’ re actually in . Unlike traditional user interfaces where users view a screen in front of them , VR places the user inside an experience to interact in 3D worlds .
Virtual reality artificially creates sensory experiences , which can include sight , touch , hearing , and smell . It includes the use of three-dimensional graphics , stereoscopic display and other interactive software and hardware . Systems such as Oculus RIft , Samsung VR Gear , HTC Vive , and Google Cardboard are leading the way technologically , especially in the entertainment sector . Here a five ways Virtual Reality is a game changer :
Gaming Gaming in VR offers the surreal experience of traveling through space and time without actually moving . You feel completely disconnected from your body and yet still bound to your pounding heart as you virtually slam down a mountain , capture treasures or soar into space .
Marketing Virtual reality represents a bold new future for selling all sorts of products to people . Augmented reality , where images are artificially embedded in your surrounding environment is already a big part of marketing . Big companies like Coca-Cola has already embraced VR technology . Coca-Cola gave us its World Cup experience , which invites people to take the journey from locker room to centre pitch in a virtual recreation of Brazil ’ s Maracana Stadium . Car companies like Nissan have also used VR to create customised CG versions of concept cars .
Filmmaking Virtual reality is rewriting the script for cinema and movies . Viewing VR is starkly dif fer ent from watch ing a tra di tional film . The head set al lows you to ob serve different perspectives of a set ting and can even af fect the way the story un folds de pend ing on where you look . With sim ple head sets , like Google Card board , you just slide your smart phone in then down load a VR app that delivers the video ..
Travel Using technology tools like an Oculus Rift headset , there is the potential to virtually visit a museum , explore a theme park , and even take a hike through a forest . The current objective of VR in tourism isn ’ t to replace you taking an actual trip , but to have a feel of how awesome your trip could be .
Healthcare There are several different ways in which the technology has been used and is being further explored . These include human simulation training for nurses and doctors , and robotic surgeries ( controlled by a human surgeon ); as a diagnostic tool alongside other methods such as MRIs ; as an alternative treatment method for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ); as social cognition treatment for people with autism , and more .
13