When it comes to the modern day technological advancements, one of the most intriguing questions that are related to virtual reality states, ‘ is reality a single event or are there several realities that exist? And can we create our own reality from imagination?’
VR, Virtual Reality is the answer and perhaps the only door we have seen where we can actually create an artificial environment that we can explore and interact with in ways that defy some of the principles of reality. VR is taken as an advancement of reality because of the possibilities that are present in this artificial world.
The adoption of VR is growing fast if you take into account the disruption of technology. More companies are coming on board to try and create artificial environments for their customer base because of the new opportunities it presents.
The disparity between real life and virtual reality is nowadays becoming almost unclear because anything that kind of exists in real life can be recreated in VR. As technology is advancing, the excitement and expectation that surrounds potential applications reach new heights.
There are vast applications of VR, it can be in marketing, education, training and social fronts. The potential in VR is great and limitless, and perhaps only restricted by our capacities and imagination.
Since our interests in VR is growing and many fields are trying to use VR to create world solutions, we are going to look at seven uses of VR that have not yet deeply explored.
Clinical therapy
VR developers are showcasing more potential VR applications that are beyond the more common use which is gaming and entertainment. Recently, there has been ongoing research that has been studying the potential of using VR in clinical cases. The most current progress has been in the development of a VR solution to help Post Traumatic Stress Disorder patients.
PTSD or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that mostly affects survivors of war veterans. When it comes to its treatment, patients are placed in circumstances that prompt their PTSD conditions like a battlefield and they are triggered by a therapist to cope with the memories that keep haunting them.
Dentist training
The training of becoming a dentist is an intense one. But most dentists are being introduced to using VR for the process to be less stressful. According to a study that was done on the use of VR to train dental students, the use of simulators as learning tools was apparent because the dental students could practice in a much more controlled environment where students and instructors can adapt to flexible schedules.
The VR offers dental students an area of testing and observing the dental procedure results without the risk of exposing any patient to health dangers. The VR environment also provides an area of repeating the learned skills as it offers training variations in a controlled manner, as well as provide opportunities to assess the performance of students quantitatively. Students can, therefore, learn to deal with the results of their actions in a more safe space.
Driving
The automobile industry has over decades offered its drivers the traditional way of test driving. You can go to a dealership and request to take a car for a spin. If a chance occurred whereby the vehicle could be taken to a racetrack for a much more realistic test drive, wouldn’t it be exciting? You could even go for a test drive in the desert or in swamps. VR can bring this to life for drivers.
There is a continued decline in the number of young drivers in the automotive industry. To change this, Audi has created what is called a ‘SandBox.’ this simulated experience is going to allow users to test drive their Audi vehicles using a steering wheel, a pair of pedals and a VR headgear.
Changing the way retail shopping is done
Singapore is on the verge of launching its first ‘digital neighborhood.’ The IMDA, Infocomm Media Development Authority plans to provide a richer customer experience that is immersive of the Malay enclave.
The whole value chain of the retail landscape is going to change. To paint a picture of how this is going to happen, MasterCard has created a VR experience for shoppers to allow them to browse through products from Swarovski which are on sale.
Additionally, there is another venture by MasterCard in partnership with ODG and Qualcomm on creating an experience where shoppers can get authentic purchases through the use of iris recognition.
International & interplanetary travel
Discovery and Google have teamed up to create a VR series that is called Discovery TRVLR where viewers can go on a virtual experience using Cardboard and Google Daydream headsets. There are more free VR applications that users can use to travel through our planet. This allows users to go for cheaper travels that is safe. The rich experiences of exploring ruins and scuba diving can be tough for some people because of physical constraints. Additionally, heritage and historical sites that are currently vandalized can be rebuilt in the VR space.
Military training
It is common for the military to engage its soldier in war games to test their strategies and readiness for combat. When it comes to training for combat, the military usually spends a lot of money and it gets dangerous. VR provides a solution to these issues.
VR has been employed in some military camps like in the British armed forces. They simulate fights, medical training, vehicular simulation, battleground simulation and in recruits training in a virtual boot camp.
Modern architecture
Architecture is a field that encompasses awareness and space of buildings and structure. VR gives architects the opportunity to view their designs before construction happens, but it also creates panoramas for clients to be able to go through a structure in a 360-degree space.
In case there are changes that need to be implemented, VR allows the changes to be done on the flu. Clients and other city officials will be able to see a complete design of their structures before the actual product is built.
Conclusion
VR is a great world that we have not even begun to use its potential. It is like a new world with its own rules but better because there are very many ways you can explore it compared to real life. All the same, there is a lot to be done in this space, and we can only wait to see what will be explored.
About The Author
Rubin.Adrian04
Adrian Rubin is a tech enthusiast who has been tracking the development of technology over years. His main field of interest is in computer programming, gaming, entertainment and in smartphone and smartphone apps.
