PAPER

Virtual reality isn’t just about gaming. The applications of virtual reality are very wide and its possibilities are tantalizing. It is being used in many innovative ways to make lives better. Some of the applications are considered to be unusual or more challenging than others. They include:

Military:

VR is adopted by the military and is used for training purposes. The simulation enables soldiers prepare themselves for dangerous settings and other combat situations without the risk of serious injury or death. Its uses include battlefield simulation, flight simulation, medic training (battlefield), vehicle simulation and virtual boot camp. An inbuilt tracking system with head mounted displays (HMD) and data gloves which enables interaction within the virtual world are used for training purposes. In combat visualization soldiers and other related people are provided with virtual reality glasses which creates a three dimensional depth of illusion. For instance, British Army used Oculus Rift to recruit new potential soldiers (MailOnline, V. W. 2015).

Education:

VR is used for teaching and learning situations in education sector. It enables students’ interaction with each other within a three-dimensional environment. For instance, astronomy students may learn about how a solar system works by virtually creating the planets, stars, and galaxies. Medical students can explore surgery simulations and three dimensional structures of human body.

Healthcare:

Virtual reality in health care is used to train healthcare professionals in a safe and simulated environment. This includes encompasses skills training, phobia treatment, robotic surgery and surgery simulation among others. Example: HumanSim is a system which offers nurses, doctors and other medical personnel a three dimensional environment to interact and engage in training scenarios with a patient.

Entertainment

Video games, movies, media come under edutainment category where VR is used to educate as well as entertain people. There are wide range of virtual reality systems available in the market for audience entertainment such as augmented reality systems, CAVE systems (known as CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment. It is a cube-like space where a series of images are displayed by projectors), 3D display platforms and simulators. Virtuix Omni is an active VR motion platform where the player’s actions are controlled by first-person navigation in the virtual world like running or walking. It creates a revolutionary sense of immersion (Jan Goetgeluk, 2015).

Fashion

Fashion industry is engaged in using VR for building virtual fashion stores, three dimensional avatars for clothes design display and 3D fashion portfolio among others. For example, VR is used as part of a live fashion show where a 3D image is projected into a real world setting like a catwalk. Forbes recently reported that Tommy Hilfiger, fashion apparel giant has hosted a virtual reality-based campaign where shoppers were let to watch the latest catwalk fashion shows in the stores.

Heritage

VR settings in heritage sector employs interaction with people in new and exciting ways. It was used to construct virtual walkthroughs through historical buildings, archaeological digs, old towns and villages, monuments, Stonehenge, sculptures and caves which enhances the visitor’s experience. For instance, a world leader in Virtual Reality, EON Reality Inc., initiated the EON World Heritage Initiative as part of its EON’s Learn for Life Program to preserve, and share the world’s most valuable locations and artifacts through virtual reality.

Business

Virtual reality in business community has applications such as virtual tours of a business environment, attend technology conferences, training new employees and a 360 view of a product. For example it enables the businesses to test a product or service without developing it which can be time consuming and expensive. A healthcare facility might consider create a new clinic in VR which helps them tweak designs, before constructing to view the floorplan in a 360-degree viewer and thus reduce costs. According to company representatives, Lockheed Martin, an American global defense, aerospace, security and advanced technologies company saves several million dollars expenditure by producing motion captures which simulate satellites and space vehicles on the production floor (Brandon, J., 2015).

Engineering

Virtual reality in engineering includes usage of visualization techniques and 3D modelling tools in design process. This allows engineers to see their project in 3D and gain in depth knowledge of how it works. It enables them to spot any potential risks or flaws before implementation. Balfour Beatty Rail, a rail infrastructure contractor employed VR for prototyping, planning and construction purposes which helps them with project realization.

Sport

Virtual reality is used in training purposes in many sports such as athletics, golf, cycling, and skiing, etc. It enables to measure athletic performance and technique analysis. In addition, it is used in clothing and equipment design like running shoe design. VR is also used to enhance the audience’s experience by allow them to walkthrough a sporting location or a stadium, which helps them while purchasing a ticket to an event.

Media

Virtual reality in the media includes television, radio, books, music, films as well as arts. The examples of VR inspired films include: The Matrix, Tron, The Lawnmower Man, The Thirteenth Floor, eXistenZ and Vanilla Sky among others. For instance in Tron, the main characters were transported into a virtual world inside a computer away from the reality. The television programs include selected episodes of Red Dwarf, Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Advantages of using Virtual Reality

· Using virtual reality environments and 3D as part of training methodology enhances students’ ability to understand a particular topic more accurately

· Workforce can experience an entirely new way of training.

· VR makes tourism and visiting sites more accessible by giving a detailed view of the original place, e.g. Virtual tour.

· VR provides a chance to experience things in real life which are impossible to, as if you were actually there e.g. fighting zombies in a game

· Real-life situations like fighting in a war or a medical surgery training can be made possible without risking human lives.

· It makes learning fun and interesting.

· It is cost effective. It reduces the original cost to be invested in creating a real object or scenario.

References:

Brandon, J. (2015). Is virtual reality finally ready for business use? Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/2983679/it-industry/is-virtual-reality-finally-ready-for-business-use.html

EON Reality Preserves Historical Sites And Artifacts For The Future With EON World Heritage Initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.eonreality.com/press-releases/eon-reality-preserves-historical-sites-and-artifacts-for-the-future-with-eon-world-heritage-initiative/

MailOnline, V. W. (2015). Experience what it's REALLY like to fight on the front line: Army uses Oculus Rift to recruit new members. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2912565/Army-recruits-virtual-reality.html

N, D. (2015). How Virtual Reality Will Change Your Life - Boston Commons High Tech Network. Retrieved from http://www.bostoncommons.net/how-virtual-reality-will-change-your-life/

Virtual Reality in Sport - Virtual Reality. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-applications/sport.html