Virtual Reality—A Whole New World

Welcome to the world of the future—today! Welcome to virtual reality.

What is virtual reality, or VR?

Virtual reality is an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (such as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment. It can also refer to the technology used to create or access such an environment. Virtual reality can use devices that are worn or attached to the user’s body, such as headsets, goggles, sensors, or projectors to generate realistic images, sounds, and other sensations that simulate a user’s physical presence and interaction in the virtual environment.

Virtual reality can be used for various purposes, such as entertainment, education, and business. Virtual reality creates the effect of a three-dimensional world that has a sense of spatial presence, meaning that the objects have a location relative to the user’s position. The term virtual reality was coined in 1987 by Jaron Lanier, whose research and engineering contributed a number of products to the VR industry

Virtual reality works by using a combination of computer modeling, simulation, and interactive devices to create a realistic and immersive experience for the user. The user wears a device called a head-mounted display (HMD) that shows a stereoscopic 3D image of a virtual environment.

The virtual environment is generated by a computer program that models and simulates the appearance, behavior, and physics of the objects and living things in the virtual world. The goal of virtual reality is to create a convincing illusion of being in another place or time, and to allow the user to explore and manipulate the virtual environment as if it were real.

There are many examples of virtual reality in different fields and domains. Some of them are:

• Birdly: A VR simulator that lets you experience flying like a bird over various landscapes, such as New York City or the Alps.
• Welcome to Light Fields: A VR app that showcases the potential of light field technology, which captures the intensity and direction of light rays in a scene, creating a realistic sense of depth and parallax.
• Lone Echo: A VR game that puts you in the role of a robot assistant on a space station orbiting Saturn, where you have to solve puzzles, explore the environment, and interact with your human companion.

Virtual reality is used in education for various purposes, such as:

• Bringing science concepts to life with augmented reality (AR): Students can use AR to create and observe phenomena such as tornadoes, beehives, or the solar system in their classrooms, enhancing their understanding and curiosity.
• Exploring the universe with the SkyView app: Students can use this app to identify and learn about stars, constellations, planets, and satellites by pointing their mobile devices at the night sky.

Some of the benefits of VR are:

• Enhancing education and training: VR can provide students and trainees with immersive and realistic simulations of various scenarios, such as flying a plane, performing a surgery, or visiting a historical site, that would otherwise be difficult, expensive, or dangerous to experience in real life.
• Enhancing sports: VR can help athletes improve their performance by providing feedback, analysis, and training in a virtual environment. VR can also provide fans with a more immersive and interactive way of watching sports events.
• Providing entertainment: VR can offer users a variety of fun and engaging experiences, such as games, movies, art, music, and social interactions. VR can also create new forms of storytelling and expression that appeal to different senses and emotions.
• Boosting creativity: VR can stimulate users’ imagination and creativity by allowing them to create and explore their own virtual worlds. VR can also inspire users to learn new skills and discover new possibilities.

So, as you can see virtual reality, or VR for short, can both help us and entertain us. And it’s fun to experience it.

AIME