VR, AR, and the Future of Learning
Virtual Reality (VR) is an immersive simulation of a 3D environment. It will profoundly impact the way we work, learn and play, and raise potent ethical issues. Unlike augmented reality, the real world is completely replaced by the simulated environment. Virtual Reality requires additional technology which ranges from Smartphones and low-cost VR headsets (from Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR) to high-end systems such as Oculus Quest and 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. VR Experiences with haptic feedback rely 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 will ship in Spring 2019.
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 even more than the development of the graphical interface at the Xerox PARC labs in the 1970’s for computing.
The ethical issues raised by Virtual Reality are hard to identify now but the blurring of the boundary between the real and the virtual will create profound challenges. This is an area that both fascinates and concerns us at Digital Bodies.
There’s no shortage of applications for Virtual Reality but here a new one – EFF’s VR Experience – Spot the Surveillance. The Electronic Freedom Foundation is using technology in the battle against the abuses of technology. …
The failure of the IMAX VR Centres shows once again that Virtual reality is still seeking its place in the world. Much like early cinema (do we show this film in a cafe? The fairgrounds? A …
Has the Oculus Rift 2 VR headset been shelved? We’re not sure what to make of the rumors but according to TechCrunch, it’s been a tumultuous week at Facebook. For us, it reaffirms what we’ve long said …
Read more Developing Story: Oculus Rift 2 VR headset canceled
Not shocked but surprised. That was our reaction to the news that Jaunt VR is giving up on virtual reality to focus on AR. In a post on Medium, they announced a major refocusing of the …
Movie tie-ins are a quick win for generating content in virtual reality, but you won’t find the future of VR in movie-like experiences. What sparked this thought was the news that Universal Pictures is releasing a promotional …
Read more The future of VR is not (moving) chairs in movie theaters
The new Oculus Quest VR headset has many features we’ve been waiting for but the most striking is the free-roaming VR experience. At the Oculus Connect 5 (OC5) conference, it was referred to as “arena-scale VR” – …
Collaborating and working in VR is a step closer to reality with the new Dream platform – but there’s still challenges to overcome before we get there. Multi-user platforms are surely in VR’s future and Dream would …
Virtual reality has been all about sight, but the Ryg haptic vest gives you new ways to feel VR experiences. To our mind, haptic vests have been what we’d charitably call a work in progress. They’ve gotten sleeker, do …
There was more than enough news to digest from the Oculus Connect 5 (OC5) conference this week, but the headliner was the Oculus Quest VR headset. Under the project name Santa Cruz, this has been the long-awaited standalone HMD to …