43 Virtual Reality Facts That Every Technology Buff Should Know!

Virtual reality is an immersive simulated experience that imitates the real world.

The idea of virtual reality has existed for a long time. However, the technology is relatively new.

In the beginning, virtual reality lacked quality and was overpriced. Additionally, it was only used for military, medical, or educational purposes. It's still used in these fields, but it has reached the general public through video games and the entertainment industry. Read on to know more about virtual reality.

Origin And History Of Virtual Reality

It might feel like virtual reality and augmented reality have been here forever, but this is a relatively new technology.

The idea of virtual reality dates back to the 1860s, when Antonin Artaud stated that illusion wasn't that different from reality.

Morton Heilig first mentioned an idea of an 'Experience Theater' that would encompass the senses in the '50s.

Morton Heilig built the first prototype, 'Sensorama' in 1962, which involved playing five short films that engaged the audience's senses.

Morton Heilig created and patented his next telescopic television apparatus invention, 'Telesphere Mask,' in the '60s.

Ivan Sutherland and his students, including Bob Sproull, created what is considered to be the first VR headset in 1968.

Jaron Lanier fashioned a virtual reality device that cost up to $49,000 in the '80s.

During the years 1970-1990, VR devices were mainly provided for military training, automobile designing, flight simulation, and for medical purposes.

Until the '90s, the quality of virtual reality devices was low, and they were overpriced, so they weren't popular.

From the '90s onwards, the gaming industry started making VR devices for a wider audience, and they became more affordable.

The 2000s became the turning point of VR technology as many companies were trying to make it more public-friendly.

According to reports, spending on VR content and the virtual reality industry could reach a whopping $16.8 billion by 2023.

Different Types Of Virtual Reality

Mainly five types of virtual reality can be experienced like real life through a virtual reality headset and more gadgets. These types are: non-immersive, semi-immersive, fully-immersive, augmented reality, and collaborative VR.

Non-immersive virtual reality is where you interact through computers with virtual environments, but they don't interact with you directly.

An example of non-immersive VR is 'Dota 2,' where you interact with the game's virtual environment through a character, but not directly.

Semi-immersive virtual reality is where you interact through computers or VR glasses, but there's no physical sensation other than the visual.

An example of semi-immersive VR is a web-based or device-based visual tour, which has become quite common.

Fully-immersive virtual reality is where you get to experience it as if you're physically present in the virtual environment.

Fully-immersive VR can be experienced through VR glasses, body detectors that detect sense, gloves, and more.

An example of fully-immersive VR is a Virtual Gaming Zone where people wear special gear to interact and play.

Augmented Reality lets the user experience the virtual world, as immersed in the real world, through a phone screen.

The best example of Augmented Reality is the game 'Pokémon Go,' where the Pokémon appear on the screen as if present in front of you.

Collaborative Virtual Reality is where users from various locations accumulate as 3D characters in a virtual environment.

An example of collaborative VR is the game, 'PUBG' where the 3D personas of the players interact in that environment.

Purpose Of Virtual Reality

Since the invention of virtual reality, it has served its purpose in medical, military, entertainment, travel, and many more industries.

NASA is using virtual reality devices, like motion-sensing devices from the Xbox One gaming console, Oculus, and more.

The United States military has invested in VR to train soldiers to give them a realistic, immersive experience before deployment.

According to research, VR experiences can boost the rate of conversion of online shopping by 17% from what was previously 2%.

Individual VR users will increase VR use by 70% in the very near future.

Merrell, a hiking shoe brand, used Oculus Rift, a VR technology, to increase sales for TrailScape, their hiking shoes.

Merrell gave their customers a tremendous VR experience that included walking on various surfaces.

VR devices are used in medical science to give students an experience of what they might face in the future.

HoloLens, a VR device, is used at Case Western University to teach medical students about human anatomy.

According to a study done in 2015 by Forbes, around 75% of major brands use virtual reality.

Thomas Cook once presented a report that showed a 190% increase in tour booking after customers were given a virtual reality experience of the city.

Amnesty International presented another report that stated that direct-debit donations increased by 16% owing to their VR campaign.

Best Virtual Reality Games

The gaming industry is booming with VR, and some of the best ones were even made without any executive direction.

The PlayStation VR headset was made by Sony engineers when they were tinkering in their lab without any executive direction.

'Beat Saber' is a VR game that lets the users cut through incoming cubes with the beat of songs.

'Dance Central VR' is a VR game where the user dances, which makes their characters in the game dance to win.

'The Climb 2' is a VR game where the users use their hands for rock climbing in various environments.

'Resident Evil' has been a famous game for many years, but the game was modernized when the makers introduced 'Resident Evil 4 VR.'

'Half-Life: Alyx' is an action-packed VR game that was exclusively made for VR.

'Star Wars: Squadrons' isn't only VR, but the features will give you the sense of being a pilot in outer space.

'Superhot VR' is another action-packed VR game where the user has to get creative to stay alive.

'Tetris Effect: Connected' is a simple block-stacking game with VR features that will tickle your senses.

'Death: Unchained' is a VR game that gives the user a more vintage feel as you fight with bows and arrows.

'Rez: Infinite' is a VR game that's considered a masterpiece owing to its strange yet wonderful aesthetic, sound, and music.

FAQs

What are some good things about virtual reality?

Virtual reality helps people experience things they usually can't in real life.

What are three uses for virtual reality?

Three uses for virtual reality are in the fields of entertainment, education, and healthcare.

What are the four elements of virtual reality?

The four elements of virtual reality are: a virtual world, immersion, sensory feedback, and interactivity.

Can VR cause blindness?

VR doesn't usually cause long-term damage to the eyes.

What is the impact of virtual reality?

Virtual reality can cause disorientation, eye damage, and sometimes seizures.

What are the positives and negatives of virtual reality?

The positive point of virtual reality is it helps people experience things they usually can't, and the negative point is it can make people addicts.

How has VR changed the world?

VR has changed how people interact socially, and made virtual reality headsets, through which people interact with a different world, very popular.

What are the three 'I's of VR?

The three 'I's of VR are: interaction, immersion, and imagination.

How does virtual reality affect human life?

Virtual reality helps people escape from their daily monotony, but it can also be harmful if someone gets addicted.