IsVirtualRealityOurFuture

IsVirtualRealityOurFuture?ByDennisRestauroIntheearly90’stherewasn’tapersonalivethatdidn’theartheterm“virtualreality”(VR).Everyoneremembersthoseclunkyheadsets,thepolygongraphics,andoddexpressionsonpeople’sfacesimmersedintheirvirtualworlds.Wewerepromisedavirtualfuturethatnevermaterialized.However,itappearsthosepromisesweren’tforgottenasbignameshaverenewedinterestinwhatmostrememberasa90’stechnologyfad.VirtualRealityinthe90’sIn1985,JaronLanierfoundedthecompanyVPLResearch.Withinafewyears,thatcompanydevelopedgooglesandglovesforuseinavirtualrealitygamingsystem.Thisvirtualrealitysystemgeneratedacomputergeneratedenvironment,simulatingtheuser’spresenceinrealorimaginedworlds.Thevirtualrealitysystemwouldsimulatethesensoryexperiencesoftouch,sound,andsightwhileinthevirtualworld.By1991,SegaannouncedtheSegaVRheadsetforarcadegames.Thatsameyear,thecompanyVirtualitylaunchedamassproducedvirtualrealityentertainmentsystem.Thesystemswerenetworkbased,allowingusersonthesamenetworktosharethesamevirtualworld.VirtualityalsolaunchedthefirstVirtualRealityArcadeinSanFrancisco.Bythebeginning1992themainstreampublicwasexcitedaboutvirtualreality.Everyonewasimaginingaworldwherepeoplecouldtakevacationsinaheadset.TheconceptwasapartofTVplots.Even“TheLawnmowerMan”,aterriblemoviebasedaroundvirtualreality,wasabletotripleitsproductionbudget.However,ourvirtualrealityfuturefailedtomanifest.Thetechnologywastooexpensiveformassconsumption.TheimmersivevirtualrealitypodsbyVirtualitycostupto$73,000each.ComputerGamingWorldMagazinepredictedthatVRwouldbeaffordableby1994,yettheonlyVRtechnologyreleasedforhomeuseunder$200wasNintendo’s“VirtualBoy”.Itwasacommercialflopcanceledayearafterrelease,asitdidn’tcomeclosetodeliveringwhatthepublicexpected.By1995,virtualrealityhadbecomeajoke.Asidefromacoupleofheadsetuserinterfacesfoundinafewarcadegames,thetechnologyvanishedfromthepubliceye.Thetechnologyfoundminimaluseinthemedicalandscientificfields,butwasmainlyforgottenbythegeneralpublic.Thefailuresofvirtualrealityinthe1990’sweremainlyadoptionandexpense.TheWorldWideWebwasstillinitsinfancy.SocialnetworkshardlyexistedoutsideofbulletinboardsystemsandIRCchat-rooms.Peoplewerenotaccustomedtohavingavirtualonlinepresence,andtheyweren’tabouttospend$70,000tohaveone.TheResurgenceofVirtualRealityIt’sbeen2decadessincevirtualrealityhasfadedfromthemainstreamimagination.Overthattimewehaveseenadramaticriseininterconnectivity.Anonlinepresenceisassumedintoday’smodernworld.XboxKinectandNintendoWiihavebeenlargelysuccessful,andpeoplearenowaccustomedtocontrollingavirtualavatarusingtheirbodies.Massivelymultiplayeronline(MMO)videogamesareplayedbytensofmillionsofpeopleeveryday.ManyofusaremaintainingavirtualpresenceIntheformofFacebook,Twitter,andMMOslikeWorldofWarcraft.Thetechnologiesusedtomake1990sVRheadsetsaremuchcheapernow.Today’scomputertechnologyandgraphicscandeliveramuchmoreimmersivefeelthanwhatwasenvisioned20yearsago.Givenhowinterconnectivityandonlineavatarsareadailypartoflife,hasthetimefinallyarrivedforvirtualreality?MarkZuckerbergseemstothinkso.FacebookacquiredthevirtualrealitycompanyOculusVRearlierthisyear.Facebookpaid2billiondollarsforthecompany,eventhoughOculushaddevelopedonlyaprototypeVRheadsettopriortotheacquisition.ZuckerbergacknowledgesthatVRtechnologicaladvancesaremainlyingaming.However,heseesVRas“thenextmajorcomputingplatformthatwillcomeaftermobile.”HeseesVRtogobeyondgaming,saying“immersivevirtualandaugmentedrealitywillbecomeapartofpeople’severydaylife.”TheOculusheadsetiscalled“TheOcculusRift”,andwhilenotyetcommerciallyavailable,adevelopmentkitcanbepurchasedfor$350.TheRiftdevelopmentkitprovideseverythingoneneedstobuildvirtualrealitygamesandexperiencesinhighdefinition,withpositionaltracking,andnaturalfieldofview.Aconsumerversioncouldbeavailableasearlyasnextyearforaslittleas$200.TheFutureofVirtualRealityWithapricepointaroundthecostofacheapsmartphone,it’smucheasierforcompaniestotakeagambleonadoptingvirtualrealitytechnology.Withteleworkingbecomingthenorminmodernbusiness,VRcouldhostmeetingstakingplaceinthesamevirtualspace.Sincetheheadsetisacomputingplatform,alloftheinformationonyourcomputeriswithyouinthevirtualmeeting.Thevirtualmeetingspacealsoprovidesapresentationplatform,andcouldprovideinformationavailablefromtheinternettomeetingparticipantsondemand,inrealtime.Spurofthemomentvirtualmeetingscouldtakeplaceaswell.Asubjectmatterexpertcouldbebroughtintoavirtualspacetoconsultortroubleshootanissue,againwiththeabilitytoshareinformationpertinenttotheusersissue.OnthejobtrainingwouldchangeforeverasVRcouldtakeemployeesthroughsimulatedworkexperiences.DoctorscouldpracticesurgeryinVRspaces.EducationalexperienceswouldbeeasilyavailabletoanyonewithapairofVRgoggles.Thepracticalusesaren’tlimitedtotheboardroom.Imaginejuststrappingonaheadsetforadoctorconsultation.Customersupportcouldberevolutionizedbystrappingonaheadset.Customershavingaproblemcouldsharetheirviewoftheworldwithacustomersupporttechnicianallowingthemtowalkcustomersthroughtroubleshootinganissue.Gettingtogetherwithfriendsaroundtheworldcouldtakeplac