What is VR technology?

– VR technology concept

Virtual Reality is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment.

Unlike traditional user interfaces, virtual reality places the user inside an experience.

Instead of viewing the screen in front of the user, the user is immersed and can interact with the 3D world. By simulating as many senses as possible, such as sight, hearing, touch, even smell. The computer is turned into a guide into this artificial world.

The only limits to near-realistic VR experiences are content availability and weak computing power.

– What is AR technology?

Augmented reality is the integration of digital information with the user’s environment in real time. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a completely artificial environment, augmented reality uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it.

– The difference between AR and VR technology

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are two sides of the same coin. Augmented reality simulates man-made objects in a real environment; Virtual reality creates an artificial environment to experience.

In Augmented Reality, computers use sensors and algorithms to determine the camera’s position and orientation. The AR technology then renders the 3D graphics as they would appear from the camera’s perspective, superimposing the computer-generated images over the user’s view of the real world.

Virtual reality, computers use similar sensors and math. However, instead of determining the position of a real camera in the physical environment, the position of the user’s eyes is placed in the simulated environment.

If the user turns his head, the graphic will react accordingly. Instead of combining virtual objects and real scenes, VR technology creates a convincing, interactive world for users.

AR – Design for digital elements to appear on real-world views. There is sometimes limited interaction between them, usually via smartphones. Examples include Apple’s ARKit and Android’s ARCore (developer kits), the game Pokémon Go.

VR – Design an immersive experience that separates the user from the real world. Usually through the headset device. Examples include PSVR for gaming, Oculus and Google Cardboard, where users can explore e.g. Stonehenge using a smartphone with a headset.

VR technology in the 21st century

The 2000s were a time when the public and investment were relatively indifferent to the VR technologies available in the market.

In 2001, SAS Cube (SAS3) became the first PC-based cube room, developed by ZA Production (Maurice Benayoun, David Nahon), Barco and Clarté. It is installed in Laval, France. The SAS library gave birth to Virtools VRPack.

In 2007, Google introduced Street View, a service that displays a panorama of more and more locations around the world such as roads, indoor buildings, and rural areas. It also has a stereoscopic 3D mode, introduced in 2010.

With COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, VR is experiencing a huge boost. According to Grand View Research, the global VR market will grow to $62.1 billion by 2027.

Analysis of the application of virtual reality technology vr in life
– VR technology in the field of entertainment

Virtual reality is most commonly used in entertainment applications such as video games, 3D cinemas, and social virtual worlds. Consumer virtual reality headsets were first released by video game companies in the early mid-1990s.

Beginning in the 2010s, the next generation of commercial connected headsets were released by Oculus (Rift), HTC (Vive) and Sony (PlayStation VR), ushering in a new wave of application development. 3D cinemas have been used for sporting events, fine arts, music videos and short films. Since 2015, roller coasters and theme parks have combined virtual reality to match visual effects with haptic feedback.

– VR in social sciences and psychology

Virtual reality provides a cost-effective tool for studying and reproducing interactions in a controlled environment.

It can be used as a form of therapeutic intervention. For example, there is the case of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), a form of exposure therapy used to treat anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and phobias.

Virtual reality programs are being used in rehabilitation with elderly people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. This gives these elderly patients the opportunity to simulate real-life experiences that they may not be able to go through due to their current condition.

– Virtual reality technology vr in medicine

The simulated VR surgical environment was first developed in the 1990s. Under the supervision of experts, VR can provide effective and repeatable training at low cost, allowing learning staff recognize and correct errors as they occur.

Virtual reality has been used for physical rehabilitation since the 2000s. Despite numerous studies being conducted, there is still a lack of quality evidence for its effectiveness compared to other rehabilitation methods. without complicated and expensive equipment to treat Parkinson’s disease.

A 2018 review of the effectiveness of virtual and robotic mirror therapy for any kind of pathology concluded in a similar way. Another study conducted showed the potential of VR to promote mimicry and reveal differences between individuals with autism spectrum disorders and neurotypicals in their responses to two-dimensional avatars.

– VR virtual reality in business

Meetings in VR are used to create an environment in which interacting with others (e.g. co-workers, customers, partners) can feel more natural than a phone call or chat. video.

In customizable meeting rooms, all parties can join using VR headsets and interact as if they were in the same physical room. Presentations, videos, or 3D models (e.g. products or prototypes) can be uploaded and interacted with.

VR can simulate real workspaces for workplace occupational health and safety purposes.

– Education and training with VR . technology

It can be used to provide learners with a virtual environment. Where they can develop their skills without the consequences of failure in the real world.

VR has been used and researched in elementary education, anatomy teaching, military, astronaut training, aircraft simulator, miner training, architectural design, driver training and testing. bridge.

The immersive VR engineering system allows engineers to see virtual prototypes before any physical prototypes are available. Complementing training with virtual training environments has been claimed to provide avenues of realism in military training and healthcare while minimizing costs.

It has also been claimed to reduce military training costs by minimizing the amount of ammunition used during training. VR can also be used for healthcare training and education for doctors.

— Application of VR in the field of engineering

VR has proven very useful for both technical educators and students. Formerly expensive costs in the education department are now more accessible as overall costs are reduced, which has proven to be a very useful tool in training future engineers.

The most important factor lies in the student’s ability to interact with 3-D models that accurately react based on real-world capabilities.