VR, AR, and AI in our Virtual Future
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 potent ethical challenges.
Unlike augmented reality, with VR, the real world is entirely replaced by the simulated environment. Virtual Reality requires additional technology such as Smartphones and low-cost VR headsets (from Google Cardboard to the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Go) to 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).
With the rapid advance of the technology supporting Virtual Reality, new standalone VR headsets are arriving – 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.
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.
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.
No surprise that we’re huge fans of The Matrix around here. And we’re waiting impatiently for the next version (which goes into production next year). In the meantime, we’ll focus on Microsoft’s DreamWalker project, a fascinating …
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Sandbox VR is one of the latest players on the location-based VR scene. And we get the idea behind it – it’s easy to grasp when you’re living in cramped spaces in New York City. But …
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So much for Google’s Daydream VR platform. Initially a promising development in mobile VR, Google has officially killed it off. The new Pixel 4 phones won’t support it, they’ve stopped selling Daydream View headsets, and they …
Ready for an ultrathin layer of wearable skin? It may be precisely what we need for haptic feedback in our virtual experiences. There’s several haptic solutions coming to the market, from full-body suits to HMD attachments that …
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With virtual reality, artists continue to push the boundaries of art and performance in fascinating ways. Tomorrow (Monday, August 26), you’ll have the chance to see the incredibly energetic violinist Lindsey Stirling do a live performance …
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Two German engineers have addressed a missing element in haptic feedback – the sensation of weight in VR. Up to now, our haptic devices have focused on our hands and body. You feel like you are …
As Joshua Barone notes in The New York Times, VR in classical music hasn’t resulted in the most exciting immersive projects. Like other disciplines, both opera and classical music wrestle with how to integrate this new …
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