You are soaring high above the Manhattan Skyline, feeling the cool breeze on your face. Looking down at the rooftops of thousands of buildings, your muscles begin to ache from flapping your wings, but the view is so beautiful and the experience so mind-blowing, you cannot help but continue your flight.

Suddenly, as Manhattan Beach comes into view, the words Simulation is Over, appear before your eyes. Removing your headset, you prepare to visit the other stations at the digital experience lab that is Reboot Reality.

Opened on May 26 as a permanent exhibit at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Reboot Reality contains several virtual reality (VR) simulations created by technology companies such as Google and Adobe, with the help of artists and researchers.

In addition to Birdly, which simulates flying, Reboot Reality includes Wetbrush by Adobe, which allows you to create 3D paintings on a screen; Tilt Brush by Google, where you use a headset to create 3D art pulled from your imagination; and Medium by Oculus, where you experience 3D sculpting with digital clay. Each of these interactive simulations are intended for people 13 years of age and older, but Reboot Reality includes others for younger children.

The purpose of Reboot Reality is to bridge the gap between the public and tech companies, to ensure that the public has access to new innovations they cannot afford. The Tech hopes that this influences the younger generations to take up careers in the STEM industry.

Our mission is to inspire the innovator in everyone and a big piece of that is making sure every kid has access to STEM education and feels confident to pursue a career in STEM. We also hope to inspire people to use technology to solve big problems, said Marika Krause, The Techs public relations manager.

A Reboot Reality goer, Ying Liang, 24, believes that children would benefit from this lab because it would put them in touch with their creative side and inspire them to work in the technology industry. Liang said that an exhibit such as Wetbrush by Adobe is particularly accessible to kids since they simply use a digital brush to make realistic paintings.

Liang added that while virtual reality could be treated simply as a toy, it could also become a valuable tool.

Krause agreed. She pointed to The Diridon Project by Gensler, which allows you to walk into a world where you can see the blueprints of a building translated into 3D before construction begins. Krause said a simulation such as this can improve the life of architects because they would be able to virtually step into a building before it is physically created.

Neesha Pammi, 44, also a museum-goer, said that she can see how a virtual reality system could be used in the workplace, as her husband is an architect and is beginning to work with a system similar to The Diridon Project.

Simulations can also improve communities by helping people develop their sense of empathy, said Clarissa Buettner, a gallery program specialist. She pointed to Stanford Universitys Human Interaction lab, where Reboot Reality visitors can live the life of a homeless person and experience the struggles they go through on a daily basis.

In the simulation, you sit at your desk, staring at the few valuables still in your possession. Your landlord knocks, asking for the rent money you owe, moments before evicting you. After selling whats left of your valuables, you begin to sleep on an overnight bus, dealing with sex offenders, thieves, and the anxiety of getting back on your feet.

Pammi can attest to how real the simulations feel. In addition to The Diridon Project, Pammi also tried flying with Birdly. She said that the experience actually made her feel dizzy afterwards. During her first ride on Birdly, her husband encouraged her to take a dive from the skyline, down to the streets of Manhattan and she said, You can go all the way down, but theres no way Im going to do that.

Sophia Rodriguez, a graduate ofAndrew Hill High in San Jose, is a 2017 Mosaic staff writer.

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Virtual reality exhibit bridges gap between tech and public - The Mercury News