Our brain has been reacting to various experiences since our birth. Whenever we see, hear or feel anything our sensory organs transforms these experiences into the electrical signals. The brain interpreters it and the same are considered as reality.

Virtual Reality with Augmented Reality

The brain can’t be tricked, unless or until we feel, hear or see the similar thing.  Whenever we are put into the exactly previously experienced situations our brain reacts to it, in the same the manner, the way it did earlier; and that’s how virtual reality works.

Virtual Reality is the software which generates the realistic 3D images, sounds and vibrations which are identical to the real environment. Even though the object and space are not in reality it makes the user believe that they can interact with them on the display screen. The user itself can control the hardware and software of the same by just moving his/her body.

VR creates the sensory experience of touch, hearing and sight by using virtual reality headset and also speakers so that person can enter the digital world by cutting off the outside stimuli. It took years for Virtual reality to be real.

At first in the 1950s, it was just a hypothetical device from  Weinbaum‘s story. Then over the years small steps like Sensorama, a head-mounted display, Aspen Movie Map, Oculus Rift were taken to make it a reality.

Now the Virtual reality is now the most trending topic. VR is used in gaming, military training, education, architectural design, etc. The gadgets like Google Glass, headsets, gaming controls and TV sets are at the peak. It has affected our present so much so that experts are saying that the future is on the verge of technological seismic shift.

The Present:

Virtual reality has been the news for a long time. It lets us see and experience instead of just mere verbal describing. It’s undeniable that the virtual reality has developed over the years. At present, the VR has changed our way of living in a better way as it has changed made people experience the realistic environments into virtual ones. VR has enhanced the way of doing things. Some of the examples are:

• Starting from the education. The VR has allowed enhanced learning. It has provided students with the artificial situation so that they can develop their skills. VR specifically helps in the military training. It allows the learners to develop the skills to fight, fly a plane, etc. in a controlled environment. They create different situations and see how every person will respond accordingly. This lets the students to familiarise themselves to the situations that they might face in their work without any physical or mental injury.
• VR took gaming to a whole new level. With the cooperation of all sound, graphics and the input technology, the video games have improved. Now a day’s all the gaming devices had head mounted display. HMDs like Oculus Rift and HTC Viva have the ability to locate the exact location of its user in 4.5 by 4.5 meter of area. It has lenses which stretch and magnify a 5.7-inch screen.

• Engineering is also not far away. VR has added more features to 3D computer-aided design (CAD) like product binding, virtual prototyping, performance use-cases, assembly service. It lets people to view the structure’s prototype. It allows users to view the building design from any angle. Also, it allows examining their structure’s resistance, weights, etc.

• Designing the buildings becomes easier as the architects can view their products before they can built it. Even making corrections or demonstrating the design becomes easy.
• Companies like Nokia, GoPro, Nikon, Samsung, Ricoh have developed omnidirectional cameras which can record in all directions. The audience can have 360 degrees view the entire location.

• Virtual Reality with Augmented Reality creates amazing miracles. Games like Pokémon Go became very popular among people.
• VR contributed in the media, marketing, retail, therapy, etc. by making them much more interactive.
• It helps the cartoonists to create a cartoon and make animated movies.
• An optical head-mounted device like Google Glass which is designed in the shape of the specs. It has a smartphone-like feature which allows the wearer to access the internet, call or record video or sound.

The Future:

Although Virtual reality has helped us achieve a better world with virtual experiences but we are yet to discover much more in this field. The future holds many other software and devices which will make our virtual experiences more realistic. Here is list of a few things which is expected in the futures.

• In the future, the developers are thinking of introducing nanotechnology. With the help of this people will be able to enter the digital world. They can save, share, edit or delete their thoughts from their brain.

• Upcoming gadgets will require us to have more physical movements to give us the exact feeling of what we are seeing.
• The screen resolution will be so high that we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It will match the similar input of the brain which will be required to create an illusion.
• Eye tracking will be the next great thing in the VR. In coming future, the while having a meeting using VR one can have eye contact with people. They might even use people’s eyes as a mouse.

• The latest VR technology will be able to imitate your face with the exact emotions that you are displaying.
• The virtual reality soon will be replacing conferences, schools and travelling. Who would want to travel places and spend money if you can have all that at your home?

Though VR is going to ease our lives but on the same level a few cons will also make this experience a bit difficult.

• It is presumbly the best technology we have. Still, we have problems to make it available for common man. Due to its expensive devices, it’s difficult for everyone to have access to it. Until then it’s just a wealthy people’s gadget.
• VR headsets might take us in the virtual world but can’t hold us there for longer periods. These headsets are not efficient enough as they cause dizziness and motion sickness to the wearer if he wore it for 30+ hours.
• People will prefer to have actual rides rather having a virtual experience of it for ₹50,000.

Virtual reality is going to change our lives completely in next ten years, by then we hope sits drawbacks and the limitations might be dealt. But yet there is a lot more to be expected from it, and we hope we will experience it soon.