Virtual reality

Virtual reality, referred to as virtual technology, is the use of computer technology to simulate a three-dimensional space, users place themselves in it, can observe the action in real time, computer technology will provide visual and auditory sensory simulation. In the process of the user’s travel, the virtual three-dimensional space will also be constantly updated according to the computer related operations. The technology is known for its realistic use experience, which transforms computer graphics.

Development of virtual reality

Morton Heilig creatively conceived the concept of “experiential theater” in the 1950s, and elaborated that it could effectively encompass all the senses and thus draw the audience’s attention to the performance on the screen. In 1962, he built a visual prototype called Sensorama, in which he showed five short films covering multiple senses simultaneously (sight, hearing, smell, and touch). Hellich also developed what he called the “Telesphere Mask” (patented in 1960).

In 1968 Ivan Sutherland, with the help of students including Bob Sproull, created what is widely regarded as the first head-mounted display system for immersive simulation applications.

1970-1990 The virtual reality industry mainly provided VR equipment for medical treatment, flight simulation, automobile industrial design, military training, etc. Notable in the early days of VR is the AsMovie Map, created at MIT in 1978, which allows users to wander through three street modes: summer, winter, and 3D. The first two patterns of each movement were actually filmed by the researchers on city streets regardless of spring, summer, autumn and winter. By the 1980s, Jaron Lanier had popularized “virtual reality.”

By the 1990s, virtual reality had officially begun its commercial model. The spark of VR games was also planted during this period. Since 2016, with many years of efforts and efforts of first-line manufacturers, the whole VR industry has officially entered the growth period of content explosion.

Main Features of Virtual reality

Virtual reality mainly includes three characteristics: immersion, interaction and surrealism.

Immersion

Immersion, also known as presence, refers to the degree of reality that the user exists in the virtual environment as an experiencer. Immersion comes from many aspects, and the experiencers can place themselves in the virtual environment by wearing interactive devices such as head mounted displays and data gloves, so that the viewers feel as if they are in the real world.

Interaction

Natural interaction means that the degree of operability of the user reaches the degree of naturalness of the objects in the simulated environment and the degree of naturalness of the real environment feedback. Different from the keyboard and mouse interaction of computer, human-computer interaction in VR technology is natural-like interaction. There are two types Of interaction, namely 3 Degrees Of Freedom (3DoF) interaction and 6 Degrees Of Freedom (6DoF) interaction.

Surrealism

Surrealism means that the virtual reality world relies on the real world, but the limit of content creation is only imagination itself, and it is completely possible to create a virtual world beyond the reality.

Virtual reality typical equipment

• VR goggles are mainly used to watch 3D movies or play some simple VR games. Its main structure is two convex lenses, and the principle is similar to watching 3D movies in left and right format. When used, the mobile phone is embedded, and the image in the mobile phone is divided into left and right parts. Two separate pictures are sent to both eyes, and each eye only sees one of them, so as to bring a 3D effect.
• VR headsets are currently being pushed by major manufacturers, and they need to be used with a separate console, such as a PC or home game console. Because the configuration of the host end product can be very high, the experience effect of the VR headset is also better, which can create the most suitable equipment for the concept of virtual reality.
• The VR all-in-one machine itself has a built-in processor and an integrated screen. It does not need to put a mobile phone or external host when used, and has its own independent display equipment and computing unit.

Application in the convergence of media

Immersive video entertainment

The emergence of virtual reality technology has made the traditional film and television entertainment industry develop in the direction of immersion, and interactive film and television have emerged. It is a new form of film and television expression that integrates the performance effect of film and television and the freedom of game, so that the viewer is not only limited to enjoy the immersive film, but also can further influence the direction of the story as the protagonist.

Immersive education training

The emergence of VR technology has changed the traditional way of education. Make the boring education behavior become lively. In the virtual environment, teachers and students can freely explore the interaction, transform the boring words in the book into rich interactive forms of activities, so that students can experience the fun of learning immersive. This kind of education method can effectively improve students ‘classroom attention and learning efficiency.

Virtual tourism

Virtual tourism is the tourism experience of virtual space built on the Internet and other environmental systems, that is, virtual tourists use computers, multimedia, sensors and other equipment to carry out pleasant roaming experience in the virtual tourism world created by virtual reality technology. Virtual tourism includes not only immersive experience, but also virtual product consumption. Virtual tourism and real scenic spot tourism complement each other.

Virtual medicine

If virtual reality technology is applied to medicine, intern surgeons will get a lot of practice and training opportunities, which will greatly reduce their training time, and also greatly reduce the artificial risk caused by unskilled operation in actual surgery.

Military simulation

The development of military has always promoted the progress of science and technology. Since the birth of virtual reality technology, countries have been committed to applying virtual reality technology to the simulation of the battlefield and the training of soldiers.

Your task

What are the applications of virtual reality in life? What are the benefits of these applications?

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