Screenshot: BBC.com
According to Wikipedia, virtual reality isa computer technology that replicates an environment, real or imagined, and simulates a user's physical presence and environment to allow for user interaction.
The idea of virtual reality has been around for as early as over two decades ago, but in this time it has evolved from sci-fi movie idea to a concept and now, to reality.
As we have come to expect with every innovation and advancement in technology, concerns and fears have arisen concerning virtual reality. But love it or hate it, virtual reality is here to stay. And a few years from now it will almost certainly become the new normal.
Its applications to real world situations are vast and its promise is overwhelming. Another beautiful advantage is that VR has been developed with affordability in mind. Companies like Facebook and Sony have already set the ball in motion with the launch of their VR hardware, Oculus Rift (which costs under $100) and Morpheus headset respectively.
As companies and organizations,begin to utilize virtual reality to facilitate business processes, this technology can only continue to grow.
Here are a few ways that virtual reality will revolutionize life as we know it.
1.It will shake up the gaming industry
I bet you saw this one coming didn't you?
Gaming has arguably been the biggest inspiration for the development of VR technology and will likely remain its biggest field of application. Game manufacturers are always under the pressure to make their games better by adding more features, more player moves, better graphics etc.
When 3D gaming came on board, it was heralded as the best thing yet in the world of gaming and rightly so. Playing a game in a 3D simulated environment was a real fix for the dimensionally addicted.
But with VR technology, 3D will soon begin to look like the Atari of the 90s. Everything from adventure games like Dungeons & Dragons to variety of online casino games will certainly begin to tow the path of VR gaming. Facebook's Oculus Rift already has a bunch of games on its client base and I am sure the other VR tech companies are not far behind.
VR is designed to artificially create sensory experience such as sight, sound, touch, and smell, so you can certainly see the gaming appeal can't you? VR will offer an intense, immersive and impressive gaming experience that will catapult gaming into a new realm of excellence.
2.It will change the way we "see" movies
A close second -- or arguably the first for movie addicts -- is the movie industry. Just like gaming, movies like Avatar, released in 2009, sparked a revolution as 3D movies quickly became more the rule than the exception.
This was promptly followed by 3D televisions, Blu-ray players that helped to satisfy the appetite of avid home video lovers. Well, that appetite is back and the real world feel and experience of VR movies is sure to satisfy it, maybe even beyond expectation.
Instead of just being an observer of a film, VR-based movies will make it seem like you are a participant in an ongoing narrative involving special effects and movie stars. It will give the viewer an illusion of control.
3.We will be able to hang out with friends all the time
The most impressive thing about this is that you can hang out with your friends -- in their absence. Most of my friends live far away from me and I can hardly make time to see them as regularly as I would like to. Our relationship with each other is at the mercy of Google Chat, Whatsapp, text messages and Skype.
What is worse is that my schedule is not showing signs of letting up anytime soon.
With VR technology you will be able to hang out with your friends whenever you want. You will be able to go shopping together, visit museums and other famous sites in exotic locations you have only been to on Google Maps. And it would all feel real.
4.It will help facilitate training in surgery
It soundscounterproductive that advancements in medicine are ultimately geared towards lowering human mortality rate. Yet for surgeons to hone their skills at treating ailments, they need a constant supply of cadavers.
It would be more efficient for surgeons in training to practice on something other than a real live human or a plastic model that cannot mimic properly the conditions of a human body.
Imagine being able to create a simulation of a fully-interactive, accurately remodeled specimen, inputing any ailment of your choice and carry out surgery through a VR interface.
This will help the industry to churn out more widely and better-trained surgeons, which is to the benefit of everyone.
5.It will offer the possibility of a flexible workplace structure.
There is a perception that uniformity in the workplace will keep the employees on productivity high, but more often than not the reverse is the case. Some people thrive in serene environments while others are unaffected by the beauty or mundane nature of the workspace.
The point is that we are all different and should be treated differently if we are to constantly perform at our best. VR affords us the opportunity to work from literally anywhere. From that lovely couch in your sitting room or from a desk in the middle of a Hawaiian beach with the waves crashing and birds chirping all around you.
The freedom to create one's own preferred workspace can help reduce stress in employees and ultimately get more work done.
6.We can attend all our favorite sports and live events
I have lost track of how many times this one has burned me. With VR this will become a problem of the past. You will be able to attend the SuperBowl, the Wimbledon final, the Champions League final or a Beyonce concert from the comfort of your living room.
People become more accommodating of this technology when they realize they no longer have to chuck out ludicrous amounts of money to buy season or live event tickets. Why do that when we can all have front row seats at the fraction of a cost?
In reality though, I believe ticketing agencies, the entertainment and sports industry will come up with policies to ensure that people still pay to enjoy the services they offer.
7.It will massively improve the quality of education
School is boring to many young people; the repetitive, mundane processes applied to teaching in many institutions of learning are boring students to death. And yes, this experience is universal.
Employing VR technology in teaching will definitely shake things up for the better. Students in a history class will not have to settle for the teacher's views of a certain historical site; why settle when you can have a first-hand experience of the said site.
This will certainly improve learning for students that are more observatory than imaginary. VR will help create a more efficient, participatory and interactive learning environment.