Daily Archives: August 4, 2021

Todays virtual reality technologies build upon ideas that date back to the 1800s, almost to the very beginning of practical photography. In 1838, the first stereoscope was invented, using twin mirrors to project a single image. That eventually developed into the View-Master, patented in 1939 and still produced today.

The use of the term virtual reality, however, was first used in the mid-1980s when Jaron Lanier, founder of VPL Research, began to develop the gear, including goggles and gloves, needed to experience what he called virtual reality.

Even before that, however, technologists were developing simulated environments. One milestone was the Sensorama in 1956. Morton Heiligs background was in the Hollywood motion picture industry. He wanted to see how people could feel like they were in the movie. The Sensorama experience simulated a real city environment, which you rode through on a motorcycle. Multisensory stimulation let you see the road, hear the engine, feel the vibration, and smell the motors exhaust in the designed world.

Heilig also patented a head-mounted display device, called the Telesphere Mask, in 1960. Many inventors would build upon his foundational work.

By 1965, another inventor, Ivan Sutherland, offered the Ultimate Display, a head-mounted device that he suggested would serve as a window into a virtual world.

The 1970s and 1980s were a heady time in the field. Optical advances ran parallel to projects that worked on haptic devices and other instruments that would allow you to move around in the virtual space. At NASA Ames Research Center in the mid-1980s, for example, the Virtual Interface Environment Workstation (VIEW) system combined a head-mounted device with gloves to enable the haptic interaction.

Todays current virtual reality gear owes a debt of gratitude to the pioneering inventors of the past six decades who paved the way for the low-cost, high-quality devices which are easily accessible. Be sure to visit the VR flight simulators at The Franklin Institute to experience a virtual environment yourself!

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History of Virtual Reality | The Franklin Institute

See some real examples ofVirtual Reality shopping apps; or fora look ahead, check out the5 top Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technology trends for 2019. This post was last updated on June 7, 2019.

Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersedand able to interact with3D worlds. By simulating as many senses as possible, such as vision, hearing,touch, evensmell,the computer is transformed into agatekeeper to thisartificial world.The only limits to near-real VR experiences are the availability of content and cheapcomputing power.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are two sides of the same coin. You could think of Augmented Reality as VR with one foot in the real world: Augmented Reality simulates artificial objects in the real environment; Virtual Reality creates an artificial environment to inhabit.

In Augmented Reality, the computer uses sensors and algorithms to determine the position and orientation of a camera. AR technology then renders the 3D graphics as they would appear from the viewpoint of the camera, superimposing the computer-generated images over ausers view of the real world.

In Virtual Reality, the computer uses similar sensors and math. However,rather than locating a real camera within a physical environment, the position of the users eyes are located within the simulated environment. If the users head turns, the graphics react accordingly. Rather than compositing virtual objects and a real scene, VR technology creates a convincing, interactive world for the user.

Virtual Realitys most immediately-recognizable component is the head-mounted display (HMD). Human beings are visual creatures, and display technology is often the single biggest difference between immersive Virtual Reality systems and traditional user interfaces. For instance,CAVEautomatic virtual environments actively display virtual content onto room-sized screens. While they arefun for people in universities and big labs, consumer and industrial wearables are the wild west.

With a multiplicity of emerging hardware and software options, the future of wearables is unfolding but yet unknown. Concepts such as the HTC Vive Pro Eye, Oculus Quest and Playstation VR are leading the way, but there are also players like Google, Apple, Samsung, Lenovo and others who may surprise the industry with new levels of immersion and usability. Whomever comes out ahead, the simplicity of buying a helmet-sized device that can work in a living-room, office, or factory floor has made HMDs center stage when it comes to Virtual Reality technologies.

Convincing Virtual Reality applications require more than just graphics. Both hearing and vision are central to a persons sense of space. In fact, human beings react more quickly to audio cues than to visual cues. In order to create truly immersive Virtual Realityexperiences, accurate environmental soundsand spatial characteristics are a must. Theselenda powerful sense of presence toa virtual world. To experience the binaural audio details that go into a Virtual Reality experience, put on some headphones and tinkerwith this audio infographicpublished byThe Verge.

While audio-visual information is most easily replicated in Virtual Reality, active research and development efforts are still being conducted into the other senses. Tactile inputs such as omnidirectional treadmills allow users to feel as though theyre actually walking through a simulation, rather than sitting in a chair or on a couch. Haptic technologies, also known as kinesthetic ortouch feedback tech, have progressed from simple spinning-weight rumble motors to futuristic ultrasound technology. It is now possible to hear and feel true-to-life sensations along with visual VR experiences.

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What is Virtual Reality? VR Definition and Examples | Marxent

Escape into your own world with virtual reality technology.

The idea of interacting with a digital world isnt new, as movies like Tron (1982) and Spy Kids 3-D (2003) have brought conceptual technology to life on the big screen. But in todays world, those same consumers can now interact with their own digital space.

From gaming and social networking to education and marketing, there are many applications for this type of emerging tech. Youve probably already participated in a virtual reality experience and didnt even know it.

Unlike augmented reality, virtual reality is a fully digital experience that can either simulate or differ completely from the real world. The term virtual reality refers to a computer-generated, three-dimensional environment. In order to experience and interact with virtual reality, youll need the proper equipment, like a pair of VR glasses or a headset.

Virtual reality technology is used to create immersive experiences that can help educate and even entertain consumers. Outside of its popular gaming use case, virtual reality is applied in a variety of industries, such as medicine, architecture, military, and others.

Everything that makes up our perception of reality is due to our senses. So, in theory, everyones reality is unique to them. Taking that a step further, it would make sense that if you provided your sense with other simulated or computer-generated information, your perception of reality would change creating a new, virtual one.

Because VR tech creates a completely 3-D environment, you can imagine the amount of software involved. VR software works together with VR hardware to immerse the user into the virtual world. Developers also have to create interactive components within the environments that look and even feel like the real deal.

Virtual reality software can be used to build experiences for consumers to virtually test products, learn something new, or build something themselves. Believe it or not, there are even VR social platforms! Learn more about the types of software required to create these types of user experiences, like VR content management systems, SDKs, and more.

VR hardware is used in conjunction with the software to provide the illusion of being in a 3-D environment. Common hardware includes VR glasses, gloves, and other accessories to simulate other senses like touch.

There are three main types of virtual reality used today to transform the world around us, including non-immersive, semi-immersive, and fully-immersive simulations.

To get a better understanding of how the technology is used, lets break down the different types of VR and see examples of each.

Chances are when you think of VR, youre picturing a fully-immersive experience complete with head-mounted displays, headphones, gloves, and maybe a treadmill or some kind of suspension apparatus.

This type of VR is commonly used for gaming and other entertainment purposes in VR arcades or even in your home (empty, non-fragile room advised.)

Fully-immersive simulations give users the most realistic experience possible, complete with sight and sound. The VR headsets provide high-resolution content with a wide field of view. Whether youre flying or fighting the bad guys, youll feel like youre really there.

Semi-immersive experiences provide users with a partially virtual environment to interact with. This type of VR is mainly used for educational and training purposes and the experience is made possible with graphical computing and large projector systems.

In this example, the instruments in front of the pilot are real and the windows are screens displaying virtual content.

Its important to keep in mind that semi-immersive VR simulations still give users the perception of being in a different reality. This type of virtual reality is not always possible to experience wherever. Instead, physical environments are created to supplement the virtual reality.

Non-immersive simulations are often forgotten as an actual type of VR, honestly because its very common in our everyday lives.

The average video game is technically considered a non-immersive virtual reality experience. Think about it, youre sitting in a physical space, interacting with a virtual one.

These types of experiences have become more advanced in recent years with video games like Wii Sports, where the system actually detects your motion and translates it on screen.

People consume more content across more mediums today than ever before. As brands begin to leverage emerging technology like virtual reality, these experiences will start to take hold in our daily lives.

The possibilities for VR are endless, learn more about emerging trends in this area of tech.

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What Is Virtual Reality? (+3 Types of VR Experiences)

Conclusions and Future Directions

IVR is a system that blocks out the physical world, providing rich sensory fidelity wherein the user feels and responds to the virtual world, as if it were real. However, little is known about how IVR relates to child development. The little research examining young children and IVR suggests that they may have experiences unique to their age range. Brain development, EF, dual representation, and self-recognition (i.e., avatars, virtual doppelgangers, and TSI) in virtual environment may be important topics to consider regarding research on children's experiences in IVR. Basic questions related to presence, safety, and virtual characters in IVR also need to be answered before taking the steps to create effective content. For example, in IVR, virtual characters can mimic the child's behaviors, provide varying degrees of eye contact, or vary in size, with each of these factors potentially influencing the child's social behavior and learning. While television research provides the foundation for children's VR research, IVR can create content not possible in the physical world, and could elicit unknown reactions (i.e., emotional responses to standing in front of a virtual character 3 times the child's size).

Children may have strong reactions to IVR because they are still developing the skill of experiencing fully immersive technologies. For instance, there is some speculation that older children's attention to television content is less susceptible to formal features (e.g., cuts, zooms, music) because through experience, they have learned when and how to watch content based on those features (Anderson & Kirkorian, 2013). Perhaps, as children gain more experience with IVR, they will learn a type of immersive formal feature skill that could help them navigate in and out of immersive technologies. How children experience IVR may relate to their higher-order cognitive skills such as EF and dual representation, because the salient sensory feedback in IVR could challenge their behavioral and emotional regulation. If IVR could easily pull children into the content and elicit automatic responses related to attention and action, it may be a platform to develop new ways of measuring EF skills such as inhibitory control.

On November 8, 2015, the New York Times gave their Sunday print subscribers access to VR (Somaiya, 2015; Wohlsen, 2015). Placed neatly and easily in their newspapers, more than a million people had an inexpensive piece of cardboard in which after just a couple of minutes they could fold into an HMD that uses their phone as the screen. For the first time, millions of people had access to VR at the same time. Wired magazine writer, Wohlsen (2015), highlighted the potential implications of children having greater access to IVR, he writes, But for good or ill, [the cardboard HMD] is just good enough to imprint a new paradigm on a nation of 8-year-olds. From now on, kids who've had the VR experience have a new set of expectations of what it should mean to interact with a computer. Imagine what they'll expect by the time they're 18. Although it had limited content and on the lower end of some immersive features (i.e., level of tracking), the New York Times roll out of VR demonstrated the children's access to immersive technologies is here.

Research with adult populations has shown IVR to have powerful effects on attitudes, behaviors, and physiology. IVR can be a technology that provides high degrees of immersion placing users directly into digital content, creating the illusion that the experience is real. Some research suggests that young children may experience virtual content differently from adults. Researchers, scholars, and VR developers need to examine the developmental issues related to the intersection of the immersive features and content of IVR further to determine what use of the technology are appropriate for which ages and how IVR can be used to enhance youth's lives. Children and adolescents are avid and early adopters of media. With broad access to VR breaching the horizon, it is expected that all ages will be interacting with immersive virtual environments. More than ever, it is a time to understand what these technological experiences mean for being a kid and what it means for human development.

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Virtual Reality - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

Technology today is moving towards a new era where you will experience and interact with the world in innovative new ways. The latest innovations include Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Block-chain, Internet of Things, and many more.

Today we will discuss about Virtual Reality and the 5 most popular types of virtual reality that exists today.

Virtual Reality refers to generating a virtual environment or projection which creates a realistic experience but does not exist in reality. It is a virtual experience which you can observe, listen to and interact with, but cannot touch.

For example, in a remote virtual tour, you will feel like you are actually taking a tour in that place. However, in reality, you are sitting at your home and taking a virtual tour through your computer, while still getting to look around the place as if you are physically there.

Over the years, people have developed many forms of virtual reality which they are using for innovative purposes such as virtual medical training, virtual skills practice, games, virtual tours of homes or hotels, and many more.

Industries such as real estate, hotels, amusement parks, research facilities, army officials, motor companies, machine development companies, and many more industries have started using some forms of virtual reality to attain greater results in their business and purposes.

For example, Porche has introduced theProche VR experience, which allows prospects to take a ride in the latest car virtually, mainly to experience the cars finesse, luxurious interior, the technology used and customization visualization. Thus attracting prospects even before taking a test drive.

Among tons of VR formats, these are the 5 most influential ones:

Now lets learn more about each of these VR formats:

Non-immersive virtual reality refers to a virtual experience through a computer where you can control some characters or activities within the software, but the environment is not directly interacting with you.

For example, when you play video games such as World of WarCraft, you can control characters within the game that have their own animations and attributes. Technically, you are dealing with a virtual world but, you are not the center of attention in the game. All actions or features are rather interacting with the characters within.

So basically, all basic forms of gaming devices such as PlayStation, Xbox, Computer, etc are providing you with non-immersive virtual reality experience.

However, the US Defence forcesuggested that strategic games may help to develop the planning and strategic expertise of the US Army back in 2017. This has been put in effective use since summer 2018.

On contrary to non-immersive virtual reality, a fully immersive virtual technology ensures that you have a realistic experience within the virtual world. It will be as if you are within the physically present in that virtual world and everything is happening to you for real.

This is an expensive form of virtual reality that involves helmets, gloves and body connectors with sense detectors. These are connected to a powerful computer. Your movements, reactions and even a blink of an eye are detected and projected within the virtual world. You will feel like you are within the virtual world physically.

One example could be a Virtual Shooter gaming zone where you will be equipped with the gears in a small room and you will be viewing a virtual world through the helmet where you are facing other shooters trying to kill you. You will move your arms and body to run, jump, crouch, shoot, throw and many more within the game.

A new concept ofvirtual medical training is being looked at to train neurosurgeons to avoid disasters during risky brain operations. Many more such concepts are coming to life and hopefully will result in making our lives better.

A fully immersive virtual reality is costly and not so widely created yet.

A semi-immersive virtual reality is a mixture of non-immersive and fully immersive virtual reality. This can be in the form of a 3D space or virtual environment where you can move about on your own either through a computer screen or a VR box/headset.

So all activities within the virtual world are concentrated towards you. However, you have no real physical movements other than your visual experience. On a computer, you can use the mouse to move about the virtual space and on mobile devices, you can touch and swipe to move about the place.

Most semi-immersive virtual environments support Gyroscope, which means the virtual space will be fixed on your phone based the vertical axis, and you have to literally move your phone about in different directions to view the virtual environment in those directions. Swiping will not work.

The ones that are connected to VR boxes are more interactive since they are also a form of Gyroscope, but without you using your hands. When you wear a VR box/headset, you will only be able to see the virtual environment and not your real world even with the corner of your eye. Thus creating a realistic experience.

Semi-immersive virtual reality is the most cost-effective and commonly used among all forms of virtual reality after non-immersive VR.

A virtual tour is the most popular semi-immersive virtual reality that most businesses are embracing today. They can be both device-based or web-based. Overall, they provide an interactive virtual experience.

It is mostly used in businesses such asreal estate websites, hotels, local bars or pubs, universities, schools, and many more businesses that rely on highlighting and promoting their locations.

Augmented Reality is when a certain entity or device seems to be present in reality but is actually not. Rather than putting you into a virtual world, a virtual entity is placed in the real world through any device.

For example, through your mobile screen, you can view your room, and probably place a cartoon character at the corner. You will be able to see the character through your mobile screen and not in reality.

It is mostly used by businesses such as furniture suppliers or decorators. For example, a person willing to buy a table will be able to place the table in his room through his phone display. This will let him understand if this table is suitable and looks good in his room, or he has to choose another design.

Augmented reality often is argued to be a unique form of technology rather than VR. But its ability to place entities virtually often puts it within the VR category.

This is a form of a virtual world where different people from various locations can come into contact within a virtual environment, usually in the form of 3D or projected characters.

For example, there is a video game called PUBG (Players Unknown Battle-Ground), where tons of players come to existences as individual virtual characters which they can control. Here they can interact with each other through microphones, headsets, and chatting.

Recently people are getting used to virtual meeting rooms to conduct business meetings remotely, or for conducting virtual debate competitions.

The main goal of this form of VR is the collaboration between people.

As you can see, these are the most popular forms of virtual reality available out there. With time, the quality of virtual reality is getting better and better.

More and more businesses are implementing different forms of virtual reality, mostly virtual tours and virtual meeting rooms, to improve their engagement with their prospects and their business module.

If you havent looked into it yet, I suggest you start thinking about using virtual reality to stay on par with this advanced world.

**If you want to learn in details about creating a virtual tour then you must check out this article: Complete Guide To Create A Virtual Tour

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5 Types Of Virtual Reality Creating A Better Future

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Tech CEOs keep talking about the metaverse. Mark Zuckerberg insists that Facebook will be seen as a metaverse company instead of a social media company. Satya Nadella proclaims Microsoft is creating a metaverse stack for the enterprise. Well explain whats going on, starting withSnow Crash.

Author Neil Stephenson coined the term metaverse inSnow Crash, a dystopian cyberpunk novel published in 1992.

In the novel, the metaverse is a sort of 3D virtual world. Its not simply a virtual reality game but is a persistent, shared virtual world. Or rather, the metaverse is a whole universe of shared virtual spaces seemingly linked togetheryou could, essentially, teleport between them.

If you think this all sounds a bit likeReady Player One or a higher-tech version ofSecond Life, youre right.

In fact, in 2011, Stephenson told Forbes that he saw video games likeWorld of Warcraft as the real metaverse: Virtual worlds you could inhabit with your friends. In 2021, games likeMinecraftandFortnite are perhaps closer to the vision of the metaverse he foresaw.

Lets be honest: When Mark Zuckerberg talks about the metaverse, part of the puzzle is just a desire to rebrand virtual reality. No, its not just running games or social apps on a Facebook Oculus VR headset: Its accessing the metaverse!

In 2017, Stephenson made that case to Vanity Fair, pointing out that virtual reality (VR) and not augmented reality (AR) was necessary for that kind of vision:

If youre in an AR application, you are where you are. Youre in your physical environment, youre seeing everything around you normally, but theres additional stuff thats being added. So VR has the ability to take you to a completely different fictional placethe kind of thing thats described in the Metaverse inSnow Crash.When you go into the Metaverse, youre on the street, youre in the Black Sun, and your surroundings disappear. In the book, Hiro lives in a shabby shipping container, but when he goes to the Metaverse, hes a big deal and has access to super high-end real estate.

RELATED: Today's VR is Just the Start: Here's What is Coming in the Future

So is that what the metaverse is? A big alternative digital simulation we access through VR headsets where we can pretend to live a good life while we live in shabby shipping containers and the world decays around us, as in the novel?

No no, of course notnot according to Mark Zuckerberg, anyway. Heres what he told The Verge:

The metaverse is a vision that spans many companies the whole industry. You can think about it as the successor to the mobile internetyou can think about the metaverse as an embodied internet, where instead of just viewing content you are in it. And you feel present with other people as if you were in other places, having different experiences that you couldnt necessarily do on a 2D app or webpage, like dancing, for example

I think a lot of people, when they think about the metaverse, they think about just virtual reality which I think is going to be an important part of that But the metaverse isnt just virtual reality. Its going to be accessible across all of our different computing platforms; VR and AR, but also PC, and also mobile devices and game consoles

Zuckerberg goes on and on like this, insisting that the metaverse is going to be the next big thing and that, in the next five years or so, Facebook will be seen as a metaverse company instead of a social media company.

To Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs, the concept of the metaverse seems to have more in common with Web 2.0. Its a bunch of new technologies: VR headsets! Presence! Persistent digital worlds! Imagine having an office meeting in VR while working from homebut dont worry, you can avoid the VR headset and just participate on your laptop if you like!

When you realize Facebook owns Oculus, the companys desire to strongly push a future VR-based platform makes a lot of sense.

Microsofts vision of the metaverse seems to take the form of rambling, buzzword-heavy talk about digital twins and converging the physical with the digital with mixed reality. Microsofts Azure cloud can do it!

Of course, as we learned with Windows 10s Mixed Reality headsets, that term often just means Virtual Reality to Microsoft. However, it can also mean augmented reality: And, little surprise, Microsoft also has a headset to sell you: The HoloLens.

Coined the Term

$9.99

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What Is the Metaverse? Is It Just Virtual Reality, or Something More? - How-To Geek

Some astronauts say the experience of traveling to space causes a shift in their perception of their world, a deepened feeling of interconnection with humanity sparked when they look down upon the Earth from so far above it (its called the overview effect). Looking out through the cupola of the International Space Station (ISS) and down onto the planets surface 250 miles below for myself, Im inclined to believe them. A profound mixture of discovery, awe and comfort bubbled up inside of me when faced with that view.

The thing is, Im not an astronaut. Even if space tourism is making headlines this summer, only the luckiest or richest among us will actually get to experience such a magnificent view firsthandbut its been made accessible to all through The Infinite, a virtual reality (VR) exhibition that makes you feel like youre an ISS crew member. The worlds largest VR experience to date using the largest production ever filmed in space as its core material, The Infinite takes visitors on an hour-long journey by using 360-degree, 3D footage from the VR film Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, a Primetime Emmy-nominated virtual reality series produced by Felix & Paul Studios in association with TIME.

It took the team behind The ISS Experiencethe third part of an ongoing four-part serieshalf a decade to plan, coordinate and create the film, with help from NASA and other space agencies. The team designed two types of cameras required for the production and sent them into space: One model is compact enough for the cramped quarters of the ISS (a pressurized zero-gravity environment), and the other is a tank-like model capable of operating in the vacuum of space, able to withstand extreme temperature highs and lows caused by direct sunlightand the lack of it.

For all of its technical achievements, The ISS Experience is built on human moments. When we started this project, we wanted to capture the human experience, to see it through a genuine and intimate connection with the astronauts, says Felix & Paul Studios co-founder and Creative Director Flix Lajeunesse. The crew was instructed to relate to the camera, thereby becoming both the subject of the film and their own film crew. Scenes run the emotional gamut from shots of highly-trained scientists playing football in zero gravity and dressing up for Halloween to explaining the physical training they must undergo to reduce bone density loss or waxing philosophical about the nature of purpose and belonging.

If The ISS Experience is the film, consider The Infinite to be its grand augmentation: a 12,500 square-foot theatre that deepens viewers immersion into the simulated experience of low-orbit spaceflight. Its a multisensory combination of architecture, a dizzying art installation commissioned from Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda, and VR presentation that turns The ISS Experience into something concrete to experience beyond a screen. Designed by the scenographers and storytellers of PHI Studio and currently on display at Arsenal Contemporary Art in Montreal, Quebec, participants are directed to explore instead of staying still and passively observingsomething thats most apparent when entering a free-roam area filled with a giant model of the space station to wander through simultaneously with other visitors. Its one of the many ways The Infinite turns its source material into a shared experience.

Its the intimacy we have an opportunity to witness that I find comforting, says Phoebe Greenberg, The Infinite chief creative officer and the founder of PHI. Theres such a vastness to the amount of people thats required to get these elite people to space, and from what [The Infinite] demonstrates, [they] are still human and bring the quotidien to space. It makes them all the more relatable, and we dont get that lens from other media. Its the intimacy, and we feel the presence of those astronauts.

The main challenge was finding the right way to position the ISS in the space, to make sure that people are able to keep a certain distance from each other and track them throughout, adds Julie Tremblay, PHI Studios executive producer for installations and touring exhibitions. Through monitoring, the staff can see whos on the floor, if their headsets are on, the battery life of the equipment, to detect and fix technical problems, all to create something seamless.

And it is: While experiencing The Infinite, people in the same section as you show up as cosmic avatars walking about. Its an elegant solution to keep visitors from accidentally bumping into one another, but it also acts as a reminder of where you arethe experience of looking up at the stars overhead or down onto the Earth for a taste of the overview effect is your own, but by being aware that others are around you, it transforms into a communal environment that blurs the lines between the physical and the digital.

We tend to think of those worlds as separate, but in The Infinite, they are combined to achieve a sense of connectivity. Its about connecting to one another through technology, through emotions, through artwork and design, andperhaps most of allthrough an unforgettable view from aboard the ISS that connects visitors with all humankind.

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'The Infinite' Virtual Reality Exhibit Offers a Taste of Life in Outer Space - TIME

PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --FinancialNewsMedia.com News Commentary - VR Technology has gained widespread recognition and adoption over the past few years. Recent technological advancements in this field have revealed new enterprises. Numerous players are emerging in this market with the hopes of navigating it toward mainstream adoption. Virtual Reality (VR) is a digitally created experience where a three-dimensional environment is simulated with the real-world. The technology offers an immersive experience to the viewers with the help of VR devices, such as headsetsor glasses, gloves, and bodysuits. The technology has brought a transformation in the gaming and entertainment industries by allowing users to experience immersion in a highly virtual realm. In addition, the increasing usage of this technology in instructive training, such as for training mechanics, engineers, pilots, soldiers in defense, field workers, and technicians, in the oil & gas and manufacturing sectors is driving the market growth. Mordor Intelligence reportedthat the Virtual Reality (VR) market was valued at USD 17.25 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 184.66 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 48.7% over the forecast period 2021 - 2026. Mordor pointed out that the investments by the technology vendors are creating advancements in the field of display technology, which is going to change the vision of the traditional methodology. With technology giants, like Google, investing considerable amounts in tech startups for the development of VR devices and other prominent players investing in their R & D over this segment, the future of the market will be more competitive. Active Companies in the markets today include Wrap Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WRAP), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG).

The Mordor Intelligence report continued: "The consumers are widely using VR applications, which is based on different purposes, such as the automobile, gaming, and media and entertainment industries. The latest technologies across the consumer electronics segment are boosting the growth of virtual reality for multiple applications across the marketplace. For instance, consumers are moving toward virtual reality in gaming with high definition, stunning graphics, and motion with high-end audio. North America is one of the prominent regions for the virtual reality market. It has also been a pioneer in adopting innovations, which provides North America with an edge over other regions. Further, the region has the highest number of startups focusing on bringing innovative VR technologies for various industries Other industry verticals, including aerospace, healthcare, military, gaming, and retail, are also investing in this technology to take advantage of the growth potential."

Wrap Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WRAP) BREAKING NEWS: WRAP announces new VR training platform powered by Amazon Web Services - Wrap Reality will utilize AWS GovCloud (US) for Service, Delivery, and Storage - Wrap Technologies, Inc. (WRAP), a global leader in innovative public safety technologies and services, announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support Wrap Reality through AWS GovCloud (US). AWS will provide consulting and advisory services to support Wrap Reality's complex technology initiatives, assistance in developing and executing our product roadmap, and streamline access to AWS subject matter experts.

"Following several months of planning and discussion, Wrap Reality worked with AWS to deliver our Virtual Reality (VR) training platform to law enforcement, built on AWS GovCloud (US)," said Tom Smith, Chief Executive Officer and President of WRAP Technologies. "As WRAP continues to map out our vision for enhancing law enforcement training with Wrap Reality, choosing a collaborator with extensive support and government approved cloud services was a key decision. AWS brings a wealth of knowledge to Wrap Reality along with infrastructure and cloud services that are proven in the industry. Wrap Reality enhances its capabilities by working with AWS. AWS has experience managing sensitive state and local government data and systems with AWS GovCloud (US)."

"Events in 2020 have underlined how law enforcement must adapt and innovate fast to unforeseen challenges as well as the importance of trust and transparency. WRAP Reality's fully-immersive experience allows training of real-time scenarios that address the priorities of today's communities. AWS is proud to assist by providing services to WRAP that innovate on training and create a better future of policing," says AWS Justice and Public Safety (JPS) leader Ryan Reynolds.

The relationship with AWS provides the framework for development, training, and collaboration to support next-generation applications that have the scalability, resiliency, and security AWS offers. It will assist WRAP in accelerating innovation and the development of strategic initiatives. These initiatives will bring the most advanced cloud-native services to WRAP clients, improving the flow of information and providing a better experience for law enforcement agencies.CONTINUED Read this full release for Wrap Technologies at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-wrap/

Other recent developments in the markets include:

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) recently announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2021.Operating cash flowincreased 16% to $59.3 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $51.2 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2020.

Free cash flowdecreased to $12.1 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $31.9 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2020; Free cash flow less principal repayments of finance leases and financing obligationsdecreased to $0.6 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $21.3 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2020; Free cash flow less equipment finance leases and principal repayments of all other finance leases and financing obligationsdecreased to $4.2 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $19.4 billion for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2020. Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 522 million on June 30, 2021, compared with 517 million one year ago.

Net salesincreased 27% to $113.1 billion in the second quarter, compared with $88.9 billion in second quarter 2020. Excluding the $2.5 billion favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 24% compared with second quarter 2020.

Operating incomeincreased to $7.7 billion in the second quarter, compared with $5.8 billion in second quarter 2020.

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) recently announced it has been contracted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide a data analytics tool that will help advance the agency's modernization objectives for aviation safety.

Palantir Foundry will support the FAA's aircraft certification and continued operational safety activities, including the ongoing monitoring of the 737 MAX fleet's return to service. The one-year contract with two additional option years is valued at a maximum of $18.4 million.

On 26 March 2021, the United States Army awarded Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) a fixed price production agreement to manufacture the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS).

This award transitions IVAS to production and rapid fielding to deliver next-generation night vision and situational awareness capabilities to the Close Combat Force (CCF) at the speed of relevance. The unique and innovative partnership between the Army and Microsoft accelerated prototype system development through the Soldier Centered Design approach to deliver an unprecedented system to our CCF.

The IVAS aggregates multiple technologies into an architecture that allows the Soldier to Fight, Rehearse, and Train using a single platform. The suite of capabilities leverages existing high-resolution night, thermal, and Soldier-borne sensors integrated into a unified Heads Up Display to provide the improved situational awareness, target engagement, and informed decision-making necessary to achieve overmatch against current and future adversaries. The system also leverages augmented reality and machine learning to enable a life-like mixed reality training environment so the CCF can rehearse before engaging any adversaries.

The AES Corporation (AES) announced recentlythat it has signed an agreement to supply the electricity to power Google's (NASDAQ: GOOGL)Virginia-based data centers with 24/7 carbon-free energy under a 10-year supply contract. With this first clean energy procurement deal in the world of its kind, AES will help ensure that the energy powering those data centers will be 90% carbon-free when measured on an hourly basis. AES will become the sole supplier of the data centers' carbon-free energy needs on an annual basis, sourcing energy from a portfolio of wind, solar, hydro and battery storage resources to be developed or contracted by AES. The agreement will start supply later in 2021 and is an important step in meeting Google's previously announced goal to run its business on 100% carbon-free energy on an hourly basis by 2030.

"Last year, Google set an ambitious sustainability goal of committing to 100% 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030. Today, we are proud that through our collaboration with Google, we are making 24/7 carbon-free energy a reality for their data centers inVirginia," said Andrs Gluski, AES President and CEO. "This first-of-its-kind solution, which we co-created with Google, will set a new sustainability standard for companies and organizations seeking to eliminate carbon from their energy supply."

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The Virtual Reality (VR) Market Expected To Exceed $180 Billion By 2026, At A CAGR Of 48.7% - PRNewswire

The combination of pandemic lockdowns and Zoom have spawned a new way of being Catholic. Or, they have spawned a new way of seeming to be Catholic. We are moving toward a Catholic Metaverse.

A metaverse is a virtual world, like those existing in virtual reality games such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnight, where individuals exist as avatars, or three-dimensional icons of themselves. These games are precursors to an even larger virtual world, where individuals would be able to hide their identities, interact and present their views anonymously.

The future, however, is upon us. Now, it is possible to be wherever you want, say whatever you want and find like-minded folks to be with, even to worship with, all within a cocoon of anonymity.

The word "parish" has taken on a new meaning.

In pre-pandemic times, folks chose parishes according to their likes and dislikes: the community, the location, the pastor and the liturgies, pretty much in that order.

Now, the good news is the bad news. It is easier to shop around.

Community has nothing to do with it. Location only presents temporal considerations: What time zone is the parish in? It is the pastor and his liturgies that make or break the choice. Tridentine or novus ordo? Intelligent homilies? Women altar servers and readers?

Community is increasingly disconnected from both online and in-person parochial life. While once the parish church was the one down the block, where the Friday potluck suppers helped cement social interaction, now the "parish" is virtual. Community is in a Catholic Metaverse created through social media in which you can participate anonymously. Or not.

Most folks are conversant with the ways and means of, say, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like. What they may not see, even if they participate in them, is the solidification of distinct virtual communities on these platforms. Each virtual community has a different aim and ethos. Each has a different outlook on church teaching and discipline. None is controlled by Rome.

We are not there yet, but on the horizon is a virtual reality far beyond online Masses and Catholic Twitter-fights. We are on the verge of a genuine metaverse, a grandchild of the internet, which expands to encompass more than just words and pictures. What is upon us is a development in online gaming platforms that will allow people as avatars to move from one platform to another. Individuals will no longer need distinct Facebook profiles, Twitter handles and internet accounts. They will be able to invent themselves and exist in the virtual world and move around (virtually) in real time, seamlessly from one platform, or community, to another.

The metaverse will not be a game. It will be an alternative reality. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says that within the next five years or so Facebook will be a "metaverse company," an "embodied internet." He predicts "a persistent synchronous environment" in which users are embodied as holographs. The entire point is to build community.

How? Zuckerberg says the present research objective is to deliver a much stronger sense of presence, a more natural way of interacting. Think of it as a new way of being present to other people, a three-dimensional Zoom with surround sound and holographs that you can access anywhere.

Religion is included in the plans. Already, Facebook has been partnering with faith communities, such as the Hillsong megachurch in Atlanta, the Assemblies of God, and the Presbyterian Church (USA). The company is creating products for churches, including audio and prayer sharing and online tools to build congregations using Facebook.

As Zuckerberg moves Facebook to a metaverse company, he predicts even more. His vision is a genuine metaverse, where different companies' platforms will be compatible and which will include public spaces and social systems anyone can access, including churches.

That is in the future. What is upon us now is remote access to worship, spiritual direction, preaching, Bible study, after-church socials, just about anything the in-person parish might provide in terms of information and interaction. Remote access allows people to choose whom to listen to and with whom to interact. It is moving to the point where Catholic fact and Catholic fiction are in competition.

The question: Will there be a Rome-controlled Catholic Metaverse? Or will the various Catholic virtual communities continue to grow in their own directions? Then, there is the big what-if in all this: What happens to sacraments?

Someday, the pandemic will be under control. But the church is changing. It won't be your grandfather's Catholic church. It is not that already.

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Virtual reality and the coming Catholic Metaverse - National Catholic Reporter