Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Our future in a digital framework

What is Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality? Origins Virtual Reality has become the buzzword over the last decade.

What is Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality? Origins

Virtual Reality has become the buzzword over the last decade. This new and innovative tool that lets people escape in a simulated world and experience everything from fighting monsters to creating new worlds and much more. But is it really such a new concept? Not really. Companies and people have been fascinated with this framework for a very long time. The idea comes even from the 19^th century but it developed more precise meaning and synopsis in the 1960s( see Morton Heilig and the Sensorama; https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/history.html ). The Sensorama was one the first machines, which had short movies combined with the ability to stimulate all of the sense. Quite a feat for that age!

All types of companies have tried to expand the market in a myriad of areas- from military uses to commercial ones. A very prominent example is the NASA’s project, called Project View, which was going to be used to train astronauts. Other famous examples were the headsets developed by Sega and Nintendo in the early 1990s. However, due to a number of issues – costs, novelty and unproven technology led to a stagnation of Virtual Reality.

In the 21^st century VR got a big boost in 2010. That was the year, when VR experienced a rapid resurgence when Oculus Rift’s first prototype was created and successfully launched in 2012 on Kickstarter. When Facebook bought the company in 2014 for $2 billion, this signaled that a new age of VR was coming. By the late decade all kinds of technology companies had launched their own versions of the VR headset, some with or without controllers, trying to push the boundaries of what was possible.

The idea simple, yet difficult to execute is the following- simulate real-life or unreal experiences in a virtual environment, whilst at the same time tricking your brain into thinking that they are real.

But hang on. How is this different to Augmented Reality?

Well the difference is hidden in the name. Augmented implies that our current environment is enhanced in some way making it more interactive. A famous example is the famous Pokemon Go game that let’s players see virtual entities using their smartphones in unsuspecting places. Google has also extended it with the launch of their very own ARCore platform that would allow users to interact with the environment in a new way using their smartphones.

Both markets are expected to grow quite rapidly and by 2026 they could increase to $120.5 billion.

Sci-fi and VR/AR

So where this technology leave us? What does the future hold?

Well this is where sci-fi authors, movies and TV shows come in.

Some TV shows for decades have had a profound influence and set new and emerging technological trends. One of these shows is Star Trek. A number of features, which make this show unique is that it highlighted several technological trends way before they were developed in the commercial sense of the word (for a more detailed list see the sources used below). When it comes to VR and AR it is a bit of a mix. Remember the holodeck? The holodeck in the series is a room, where the crew would go down to relax and experience different adventures/simulations. The way the system operated was creating real-life complex objects as interactive holograms.

Another potential idea for VR is especially prevalent in several episodes of the popular TV show “Black Mirror”; Players can become their favorite character, without using their physical bodies but simply using their mind. AR is also touched upon, where in another episode a person is inserted with a chip that makes him see things, which are not really there; another one also exposes potential military uses as well. In another episode people instead of dying would let their consciousness move into a virtual cloud, where they could live as young and healthy versions of themselves forever.

From the movie space a very good example would be the TRON, which featured a human going into the digital space and interacting with virtual objects as if they are real. It was revolutionary at the time and had a profound impact on what people viewed possible, when it came to virtual reality.

Another example in that space is “Ready Player One”, which brought a very realistic version of what our future interaction with the internet and other platforms would look like using specifically designed suits and helmets, which allowed people to complete immerse themselves in a virtual reality in a very nostalgic ‘80s way.

However, any list in this space would be incomplete if we didn’t mention the cultural phenomenon- the Matrix movie series- where a person thinks that he is living in the real world but actually is living in an intricate virtual simulation. It also showed that knowledge/experience could easily be transferred and mastered within seconds instead of years implying that such technology would revolutionize the way we process information- from martial arts to operating complex vehicles such as helicopters. The series also touched upon the impact of AI and what would happen if we develop a piece of technology that is smarter, better and stronger ( but I won’t touch on this topic in this article).

So where would the major impact for these type of technologies?

The impact of VR and AR

One area of impact would be in the entertainment industry and specifically gaming.

As mentioned before this will complete change the landscape of how people interact with the virtual world. This can create new ways of how we interact with each other but also with everything else around us. Basically, any piece of code implemented would recreate a particular setting. You wanted to be a space pilot battling alien invaders? You’d be able to do that. You wanted to experience driving an expensive car on the road at max speed but could never afford it? You’d be able to do that. Replicating sensations in such an environment would re-define our perceptions of what is real and unreal but also complete change the fabric of how we process information. The real benefit would also be creating a new definition of imagination because in such a world anything that anyone can imagine could be implemented within the blink of eye.

One of the areas that would receive a significant boost thanks to this technology would be medicine. A very critical part of medicine is studying the human body, not only from the bone structure but also how our complicated blood vessels, organs and brains are constructed and move throughout. For ages doctor had to rely on their imagination, when studying many medical books and dedicate thousands of hours of practice to master the key concepts. However, VR and AR could potentially reduce that time frame needed to train and improve the accuracy of a number of intrusive surgeries, but also improve the understanding and expertise of our doctors. Another area, where medicine would be revolutionized is the time taken to do those surgeries. If they have a more accurate map of the inner working of the person that is going to be operated upon the level of potential mishaps would decrease thereby increasing survivability. VR has also been lauded as a potential tool of assisting in the detection of severe illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, treatment of Parkinson’s as well as the treatment of mental illnesses.

Another area that would be revolutionized is education, teaching and learning, especially with the way how information is processed and remembered. Both technologies could help aspiring young minds to experience certain professions first hand even before starting school or university; another way would be to go to foreign countries and develop new knowledge about different cultures; Also this technology could help assist children with special needs in terms of creating a more bespoke learning program for them thereby enabling greater access to education. The greatest benefit would be in terms of developing new skills and sharing knowledge. Some professions require extensive training and mentoring but VR and AR could assist in cutting the learning curve because the good practices could be highlighted more easily and thereby improving the overall knowledge sharing between people. Imagine putting on a special set of glasses as you are learning to become a mechanic or even a surgeon and someone with that expertise could instantaneously point out what needs to be done or how you should approach a particular problem. This type of knowledge sharing would complete revolutionize our definition of studies and education.

Last but not least would be to mention that this technology could be of significant benefit for the design and creation of new things. Imagine being able to take a sofa of the internet and see whether the size, shape and even colour would fit in your living room without going to the store. The same would go for shopping for your own clothes as well. Going to a life size mirror that instantly lets you try all of the different dresses, jeans, t-shirts, shirts or anything else for that matter in the comfort of your own house. A final design area would be also on the exterior design. Designing new buildings is a very time consuming process but this would allow architects and designers to see their works come to life much easier and improve the overall urban planning of today’s megapolises.

The negative side of VR and AR

With any new technology there are downsides and VR and AR are no exception.

One of the first noticeable downsides is the fact that if someone uses VR for more than 30 minutes their brain has already adjusted to that environment and once they return to the real world they lose their sense of spatial awareness. Another common effect is dizziness and disorientation, which stems from the fact that a person might be performing certain actions in the game (sometimes imitating the feeling of speed) and once the exit that virtual reality vertigo and/or motion sickness might be a common side effect.

Seizures have also been reported and they are not restricted to people, who suffer from epilepsy. It is estimated that 1 in 4000 people may experience severe dizziness, seizures, eye or muscle twitching or blackouts.

Similarly, AR suffers from of these issues. A major is the distraction component given that information could be transmitted almost instantaneously, so you might shift your gaze for a moment to read the new notification, which might distract you from the task at hand.

A big part that comes into play is the way the human body is built. Our vision is made for a field of view of around 200 degrees but once we start using those VR headsets that becomes limited to around 60/35 degrees. At 35 degrees it feels that you are merely watching the content(much like a movie) but at 60 degrees the experience becomes first-hand. The other problem is that most equipment these days is built that try to eliminate the outside world and that is the major cause for the motion sickness.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, technology is constantly changing our perceptions and has a significant impact on our daily lives. Virtual reality and Augmented Reality are and will continue to improve and that would also change our perceptions of what is possible in such a world, where our thirst for knowledge would expand but so will our abilities to transform and improve our medicine, education, urban planning and leisure experiences to a whole new level. How else would technology affect our future? Only time will tell.

Sources used(not an exhaustive list)

eduplusnow | ar-vr-in-education-revolutionizing-the-education-system

AR / VR Education: Practical Application of the Technology

Virtual Reality in Education – ClassVR

Virtual & Augmented Reality In Secondary Education – ClassVR

Virtual & Augmented Reality for Vocational Courses – ClassVR

Virtual Reality in Higher Education & University – ClassVR

Bringing virtual and augmented reality to school | Google for Education

The Matrix at 20: the enduring impact of the sci-fi sensation | NME

The Matrix and its pop culture impact, themes, and legacy

5 Ways Augmented Reality Impacts Your Daily Life | CGS

AR & VR in Healthcare and Medicine | Rightpoint