Reality can be too much sometimes. So why would we want to strap it to our faces and go all in? Because it's a trip.
Using a virtual reality (VR) device offers the surreal experience of traveling through space and time without actually moving. You feel completely disconnected from your body and yet still bound to your pounding heart as you virtually slalom down a mountain or soar into space.
Devices like the Oculus Rift and the Samsung Gear VR are now in the hands of developers and VR fans, while those looking for a low-budget alternative have Google Cardboard.
But so far, the talk and work of VR has focused on gaming. It's easy to see why, since gamers often seek the most immersive experience possible. But there are uses for the technology that go far beyond turning up the heat of battle in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg, who spent $2 billion on Oculus VR in the hopes that you will one day experience social media through VR.
Check out the slideshow to see what he and others have in mind for the future of VR.
(For an amusing look back, check out 10 Wacky Movie Depictions of Virtual Reality.)VR Chair Traveler
There's no better way to expand your world view than by traveling. For so many, though, travel is out of reach. Virtual tourism lacks the sensory and social components of travel, but can still be life-changing. The diversion that walking the Champs-Élysées or scaling Kilimanjaro could offer someone with locked-in syndrome, ALS, or similarly limiting conditions is enormous.
Those planning a vacation, meanwhile, can use VR to get a sense of where they'd like to go and what they would like to see when they get there. British Columbia made "The Wild Within" so that adventurers could get a feel for the Canadian wilderness. And Marriott invited customers in eight cities to virtually travel to London or Hawaii with the Oculus Rift late last year.
Those planning a vacation, meanwhile, can use VR to get a sense of where they'd like to go and what they would like to see when they get there. British Columbia made "The Wild Within" so that adventurers could get a feel for the Canadian wilderness. And Marriott invited customers in eight cities to virtually travel to London or Hawaii with the Oculus Rift late last year.
Theater in the Round
Viewers at the 1895 premiere of Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat by the Lumière Brothers leapt out of the way of the image of a train coming straight at them on the screen. Virtual reality might bring a similar visceral reaction to those at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Eight films from the festival's New Frontier program use the technology, including Perspective; Chapter 1: The Party, which gives two viewpoints of an encounter at a college party using the Samsung Gear VR. Nonny de la Peña, meanwhile, pioneered immersive journalism using the Oculus Rift, and this year she brings it to Sundance with Project Syria, a searing look at how children weather wartime.
Intergalactic Planetary
Intergalactic travel is getting closer than ever for those of us who are not astronauts, thanks to private companies like Virgin Galactic. But the exorbitant fees, not to mention risks, mean that most of the world's current population won't make it to the cosmos. Interstellar travel via VR, though, is achievable. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum recently held an Oculus Rift-centric exhibit where visitors could travel on the Ranger craft from the movie Interstellar. And for real-life astronauts who might one day have to make a significant portion of their life among the stars to reach far-off destinations, VR can make them feel like they're back on Earth. NASA gave $1.6 million to Dartmouth University’s Digital Arts Leadership and Innovation Lab to study the benefits of mimicking familiar environments for those on long-haul journeys.
Nuclear Reality
Working on a nuclear reactor is about as serious an undertaking as there is. To practice emergency responses in a virtual setting, the Los Alamos National Laboratory uses VR to simulate nuclear reactors via the Virtual Simulation Baseline Experience.
But according to the Energy Department, Los Alamos is using VR for more than just nuclear safety. In the photo above, researchers investigate the details of an astronomical simulation in the CAVE (cave automatic virtual environment)—"a cube-shaped room with high-resolution projections on all six surfaces," DOE said. "Using 3D glasses, these researchers can see objects floating in air, and even walk around the objects, allowing them to observe simulations from all angles."
But according to the Energy Department, Los Alamos is using VR for more than just nuclear safety. In the photo above, researchers investigate the details of an astronomical simulation in the CAVE (cave automatic virtual environment)—"a cube-shaped room with high-resolution projections on all six surfaces," DOE said. "Using 3D glasses, these researchers can see objects floating in air, and even walk around the objects, allowing them to observe simulations from all angles."
The Old College Try
College is expensive, but even going on a college tour can be pricey, from travel to lodging. Google offers college tours via Street View, but VR college tours are a more immersive way to investigate which school is best for you. YouVisit is working on making its online tours of colleges virtual with the Oculus Rift.
Real (Not Really) Sex
Sex drives the species and, in many ways, technology. So it's sort of inevitable that the porn industry would have an interest in VR. Sites like Adult Rift List (NSFW) have pages of places to find simulated sex for virtually real stimulation. (Fleshlight not included.)
Panic Attacked
Fears often have no basis in reality, but the sense of danger they bring about is all too real. Exposure therapy brings patients in contact with the thing they fear in a safe environment, with the goal of lessening the fear over time. Virtual reality can make that therapy much more accessible. USC's Institute for Creative Technologies uses Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan to help war veterans combat PTSD.
A Walk Through History
There are a lot of reasons not to want to travel back in time: lax hygiene, laws that might not be in your favor, the poor Wi-Fi. But given the chance to walk through history with all of the amenities of modern life around you, it would be a different story. Virtual reality can provide the glimpse of history that so many have wanted. The nearly perfectly preserved Pompeii is already made walkable by the Google Cultural Institute, as are many other wonders of the ancient world. Strap on Google Cardboard and away you go.