The past few years have seen an explosion of interest in virtual reality, with millions of people across the world now using headsets or simply watching others use them to immerse themselves in new worlds.
When you hear the word "virtual reality", what comes to mind? Probably something like The Matrix or Ready Player One—both of which are great examples of how VR technology can make you feel like you're in another world. But VR technology isn't just about escapism; it's also about helping people get more involved with their everyday lives. For example, doctors can use VR technologies to practice procedures on patients before performing them in person, so they can be familiar with the patient's anatomy, movements, and other details that might be difficult for them to see during a physical exam.
But there is also an ethical question behind virtual reality as well: do we want our experiences to be artificial? The answer may surprise you!
Virtual Reality has a long history of being a fun, magical, and exciting experience. But it's not all rainbows and butterflies: VR technology also has a long history of being misunderstood.
In this article we will talk about those myths that set you up for success and make sure that everyone understands VR well, so keep reading!
What is virtual Reality?
Virtual reality/VR is a technology that builds a virtual environment where users interact in those environments using VR Headsets or mobile devices. It is a computer-generated technology to simulate an environment of 3-dimension images where people can be immersed and interact in a seemingly real or physical way.
To get the full effect of virtual reality, you need special equipment, such as a helmet with a built-in screen inside or goggles or to wear a suit with special sensors and gloves.
Virtual reality isn’t new; it’s been around for several years and has had a second chance to make a significant impact on the tech industry after the pandemic crisis.
It has come a long way. Throughout a couple of uneven years, innovation started to become more mainstream and available to interested people. In fact, virtual reality development becoming more and more widely accepted across different industries and sectors and is increasingly becoming an important trend to follow.
Like any technology that has emerged, there are many discussions and debates about the potential, security, and economic advantages of VR. Despite a lot of myths, the VR technology has proven useful in advancing travel, education, sports, and other aspects of human life, suggesting that furthering VR development might lead to new scientific frontiers.
In the next lines, we will get to know about the most common VR myths.
Myth 1: Virtual reality is a new technology
VR has been around for more than half a century now. Early prototypes have been brought to fruition, and everything changed from there. VR has gone through an evolution that even today makes it a novelty.
As early as the 1960s, researchers and scientists began to tackle the concept of simulated reality. Their efforts include the first 3D goggles, which were created almost 50 years ago. Hence, NO, VR is not new.
Myth 2: Wearing a VR headset might make you sick
Since there is some truth to it, this isn't quite a myth.
In fact, because all of the stimuli are focused on the eyes rather than being distributed throughout the body, our brain is unable to adapt to many stimuli quickly enough.
For instance, when you descend a staircase, your feet and legs will feel the ground with each step, however in VR, it is entirely up to your eyes to recognize the elevation change. Hence, some individuals may experience disorientation and the lack of fixed points of reference during rotating movements may result in some degree of motion sickness.
But a lot has been done to change it. Recently, tracking technology was created to synchronize your head motions with the virtual world. In the end, all that needs to be done is to adjust to it for a period.
Myth 3: Only gaming and entertainment use virtual reality
When VR is mentioned, people typically picture a gamer engrossed in a fantastical world. Even so, imagineering teams are working on a wide range of other potential VR applications, despite the fact that there is a lot of content created for games. Currently, it is utilized in news sources (to put viewers in the middle of events), marketing (to excite buyers about various goods and services), education (to pique students' interest in studying), the arts (to improve the impression created by museum exhibitions) and many other sectors.
Myth 4: VR headsets are extremely pricey
Considering everything, they once were. However, things have changed lately and buying a VR gear doesn't require spending all of your money. Many of them nowdays are pocket friendly. Depending on your preferences, a VR headset can cost as little as $10 and another mobile-based one, such the Google Daydream View or Samsung Gear VR, are fairly affordable options and come in under $100.
Myth 5: VR discourages physical activity & replaces real-life experiences
This is a common myth surrounding VR. Maybe some people might not see how to fit a gym into their busy everyday lives, others tend to dread the idea of being inside a boring, uncomfortable-looking gym while counting off the minutest part of an exercise. VR technologies can solve this problem by providing users with a fun, immersive environment. They can virtually try skiing, climbing mountains and playing soccer, for instance. There are some ingenious apps such as Zombies, Run which transform the boring task of jogging or running on a treadmill into a lively, fun game (something straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster). As virtual reality provides ways to derive emotional and sensory satisfaction, it seemingly turns exercise into an enjoyable experience. As a result, it increases the user’s motivation to exercise frequently and regularly, rather than the opposite.
Myth 6: Virtual reality is a fad
When a new exciting technology hits the market, it draws a lot of attention. However, often such technology fades out after a while when consumers get used to using it. Unlike virtual reality, though, which was exactly that—a new, exciting technology that drew in a huge amount of attention. Now, it’s even been embraced by the biggest companies that are known for their innovative technologies.
Myth 7: Virtual reality costs more than it makes
Innovation comes at a substantial cost that doesn't pay off. It also doesn't provide non-financial advantages. Organizations that have sent off virtual reality projects, though, continue to receive significant returns. As an example; in the tourism sector, VR increases the prominence of tourist destinations by 5% to 10%. The educational VR experiences increase the number of users by 30% and so on in many other sectors.
Virtual Reality: Evidence from Research
Being a highly contentious topic of discussion, many researchers are motivated by VR technology to undertake their problem-solving investigations. Several of them provide an alternate perspective on the VR.
According to a group of German experts, Virtual reality and Augmented reality will fundamentally alter at least seven major sectors, such as , economic sectors, retail, manufacturing, auto shops, communications, IT services, education, and the music business are among the industries.
VR will make us able to try on clothing using an avatar in online retail, for instance, thanks to virtual reality. Less fashion-related returns will result in cheaper expenses for sellers.
Consider entering a virtual reality to select the furnishings for your house. There will be virtual living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, etc. that you may explore. You will be able to test out several pieces of furniture in those simulations.
Even in music industry, fans will be able to purchase tickets for virtual concerts in the music business. Looking for live musical performances would likely suffer.
Conclusion
The popularity of virtual reality is increasing as it has become one of the most promising trends in the tech industry. Despite the rocky start with the myths surrounding Virtual Reality, VR is starting to deliver real benefits to companies in a variety of industries, including travel companies and educators. And it seems likely that the technology will have a lasting impact on how humans learn and interact with each other and the world.
If you're looking for a way to immerse your customers in a new kind of experience, then TECHVED is the right place for you.
TECHVED Consulting is an AR/VR development company that builds next-gen immersive experiences for businesses. We work with the brands to create experiences that will be remembered by their audiences—and leave them wanting more. We can do this for you, too! Contact us today for a consultation on how we can help your business get the most out of its technology.
