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Virtual Reality

At its most basic, Virtual Reality (VR) is simply a simulation of a 3D environment. But on a deeper level, when we step into an immersive space, we are transforming human experience. VR could profoundly impact the way we work, learn, and play, creating new opportunities and raise unanticipated ethical challenges.

Virtual Reality Digital Bodies - Immersive experiences and learning through VR

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality replaces the real world with a digital simulation that can immediately impact your senses. Early VR headsets were bulky and difficult to wear until the consumer VR revolution which began with the Oculus Kickstarter project. Early on, Google offered its own inexpensive solution with a pseudo-VR experience through Google Cardboard and a smartphone.   requires additional technology such as Smartphones and low-cost VR. Soon, the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Go arrived, along with high-end systems such as Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, and PlayStationVR. Content ranges from 360-degree photos and videos (though this is not fully VR) to deeply immersive geo-located environments with haptic feedback (that relies on gloves, vests, and full-body suits).

The Convergence of VR and AI

With the rapid advance of the technology behind Virtual Reality, we’ve seen new standalone VR headsets – especially the new Oculus Quest which offers full-motion, untethered, virtual experiences. We will soon see a convergence of immersive technologies with AI, making our current virtual experiences seem simplistic. These technologies will feed off of one another, creating the virtual worlds of the future.

Impact of Virtual Reality on Society

VR is creating fascinating opportunities for Education, Media, Storytelling, Journalism, Work, and Retail environments. It is already beginning to transform entertainment and learning even though we are in the first steps of a long journey. In the end, it will impact society far more than the development of the graphical interface at the Xerox PARC labs in the 1970s for computing.

Ethical Issues

We are only now beginning to identify the ethical issues that will be raised by Virtual Reality. What we do know is that technology will continue to progress, eventually blurring the boundary between the real world and the virtual. It is precisely this intersection of the real and the virtual that both fascinates and concerns us. It is where Digital Bodies resides.