BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT
VR isn’t just for gaming, of course. Indeed, Oculus creator Palmer Luckey parted ways with videogames to found a new company specializing in defense technology, putting that VR know-how to work on drones, sensors, and software for the US military. Virtual reality has been examined by numerous militaries worldwide for training purposes, particularly for fighter pilots, where it enables them to experience combat situations without any exposure to real danger.
Virtual reality has also been used for medical purposes. Trainee surgeons can practice complex operations in VR, or rewatch 360-degree videos of more experienced surgeons at work. VR headsets have even been used for experimental therapy purposes, such as a program that simulates the effects of dementia on a person’s vision and hearing. Applications such as this can allow family members to see things from the perspective of a relative suffering from a mental health condition.
Another, slightly more esoteric, use of VR tech has been in the fields of archeology and paleontology. Archeologists can map out dig sites using drones and cameras to produce digital copies of the locations, enabling students and scholars all around the world to tap into them and explore areas in virtual reality. As you might have guessed, the next logical step is to recreate those sites as they would have looked in their prime, creating a portal to the past for academics and enthusiasts alike to experience historical locations as they should be.
The uses don’t stop there. Some businesses have adopted VR for virtual meeting rooms to connect employees in different offices, while architects have used it to demonstrate what their finished building will look like. Perhaps the future of VR isn’t in gaming and entertainment at all, but in the world of work instead….