Category Archives: Virtual Reality

A new VR experience places the user next to a Syrian refugee family to learn about their difficult journey and where they want to go

The virtual reality experience We Wait was developed by Aardman Animations in collaboration with BBC to have a user simulate what refugees have to go through while they wait for a boat to cross the Mediterranean.The viewer acts a bystander, watching a Syrian refugee family waiting for a boat to travel from Turkey to Greece.

To make the fictional story feel authentic, We Wait was based off of interviews BBC did with refugees. These interviews gave Aardman Animations a better idea of what the family would look like, sound like and the troubles they would encounter along the way. To make the visual experience further connect with the user, the digital characters notice if the user looks at them and they move to make eye contact similarly to how a real person would.

We Wait will be featured in an exhibit hosted by Publicis Groupe, a French multinational advertising company, at their offices in London from August 17 to September 1.

We Wait

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Virtual Reality Recreates The Journey Of A Refugee - PSFK (subscription)

GOSHEN The monthly Creative Kids Day occurred Saturday at the Old Bag Factory in Goshen, offering stimulating activities from molding clay and exploring virtual reality to mixed media projects and more.

On the main level, Mark Goertzen, of Goertzen Pottery, had his pottery wheel spinning while he molded small clay cups. In the entry sat a table, a little lower for younger artists, with clay ready to work and mold.

"We have clay available for them to build to their own imagination," said Goertzen. "So we've had people making turtles. Someone did a pinch pot, and there have been other creatures made today. It's mainly exploring how clay is wonderfully malleable that you can form into shapes and things, to your imagination's content. It's just trying to get kids' hands dirty, and making something on their own."

While children can be a little timid in their approach, Goertzen said that doesn't usually last long.

"Kids naturally gravitate to clay, because you can just pinch it into any form they want," he said. "There's no right way to do it, and so conversely there's no wrong way to do it, so you don't have to worry about messing up just get messy."

On the second level in the complex, the Elkhart Art League, Second Song, The Train Exhibit and the Robotics Club were ready to interact with curious kids.

"Today's project is charcoals on tar paper, tar paper art," said Vice President of the Elkhart Art League Ellen Ridenour. "You have to start out with a circle, and you can go from there."

A few shop fronts down, a shop front with massage chairs and a virtual reality setup drew inquisitive minds.

Josh Ridenour heads the monthly Robotics Club on site at the Old Bag Factory during the last Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to noon. Leading with the virtual reality headset, the projects of the club go beyond designing robotics and navigating digital realities.

"These kids, and a bunch of other kids, have built this computer, this 3-D printer set, and we're starting to get into virtual reality," said Josh.

The virtual reality program allows users to explore the surface of Mars on the Mars Rover, disassemble and reassemble a jet engine and tour the International Space Station. One of the programs Josh uses to demo new users is an underwater exploration, where the user is beneath the sea near a shipwreck, getting acquainted with the wildlife nearby.

"Every kid should have access to this stuff. We make it available to all kids so nobody is left behind," said Josh.

Creative Kids Day is a monthly event at the Old Bag Factory, taking place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the second Saturday of each month.

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Creative Kids Day activities span clay to virtual reality - Goshen News

Jonathan Edwards jumped and dodged as masked soldiers fired assault rifles at him.

Though it might have seemed to the 14-year-old from Costa Mesa that he was in a war zone, the soldiers, fortunately, werent real.

They were part of a virtual reality video game that Jonathan was playing at the iBuyPower GameFest on Saturday at the Orange County Fair.

The festival, billed as a digital carnival meant to introduce PC gaming to casual fans, is being held through Sunday at The Hangar at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

One of the highlights is a virtual reality village presented by Oculus, the company known for the Oculus Rift, a VR headset that immerses users in whatever game theyre playing.

Dozens of people tried their hand at the headset Saturday morning. Some became so enveloped in the digital reality that they had to be led back into place by event workers after straying from the game screen with their headsets on, presumably trying to chase down an enemy alien or escape the pursuit of pirates.

Ramiro Martinez, 25, of Fontana said that when he dropped something in the game, it actually felt like an object had fallen from his grasp. Martinez said he plays a lot of PC games but had never tried virtual reality before.

Elaine Lin, 50, of Irvine said she likes old-school games like Super Mario Bros., but she found the headset to be interactive and immersive.

The event also offers several other attractions.

Spectators watched as gamers dueled in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in a long row of computers.

Other tournaments are being held throughout the weekend. Some will be shown on a big screen above The Hangar stage.

Throughout the day Saturday, the screen showed the World Cup tournament of the popular game Overwatch. A viewing area was set up in front of the screen for visitors who wanted to watch.

In addition, a row of 75 computers and various gaming stations were set up for people to try their hand at Rocket League, Overwatch and other titles.

This is iBuyPowers first event during the fair, though it held a gaming tournament at The Hangar last year that brought out thousands of people over a few days, said Tyrone Wang, development manager for the Industry-based gaming PC company.

That led the fair and the company to partner for GameFest, he said.

The event is free between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. with paid admission to the fair, which costs $14 for adults and $7 for children and senior citizens.

For tickets for access to the festival after 7 p.m., visit ibuypower.com/Site/Event/IBP-GameFest.

The fair will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday, the final day of its month-long run.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter:@benbrazilpilot

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OC Fair's GameFest gives players a dose of virtual reality - Los Angeles Times

By Marlene Cimons By Marlene Cimons August 13 at 7:06 AM

Virtual reality in which people wearing headsets and other equipment experience computer-generated environments as if they were real is helping obesity researchers better understand peoples responses to their personal genetic information.

Its important to put people in a setting that is as close to real life as possible, says Susan Persky, a scientist with the National Human Genome Research Institutes social and behavioral research branch. For example, you really will feel much more like you are in a doctors office. You feel present within the system. At the same time, we control everything.

Persky and her colleagues have conducted several studies using VR to gauge how obese individuals react in clinical settings and at other sites when presented with genetic information about their weight.

In one, she found that telling overweight women about the likely genetic basis for their obesity reduced the womens feelings that they were blamed for their weight. Other research has found that women who feel stigmatized by their doctors may avoid medical treatment to the detriment of their health.

The scientists recruited 200 women unhappy about their weight and gave them a 10-minute appointment with a virtual doctor. The virtual clinician gave each woman one of four presentations. One stressed genetic factors, delivered in a supportive style. A second also emphasized genomics, but it was given in a directive, doctor-knows-best manner. A third was supportive but focused only on personal behavior. The fourth stressed behavior but in a directive manner.

Not surprisingly, the volunteers liked the supportive virtual clinician best, especially when the doctor also offered genetic information, saying this approach made them feel less stigmatized and better about themselves. People feel less blame when doctors talk about genetic factors, Persky says. In obesity, we find this idea of genetic predisposition resonates with people.

Researchers also looked at guilt among overweight mothers of 4- and 5-year-old children, providing information about the influence of lifestyle to one group and the effects of genetic factors and lifestyle to a second group. Mothers told about genetic factors felt guiltier than the others, presumably because they felt they were passing obesity along to their offspring.

The parents then were asked to select a meal for their children from a virtual food buffet offering choices that were more healthy (grilled chicken, steamed carrots, peas and green beans) and less healthy (chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese).

Why use a virtual buffet rather than a real one? Its an assessment of actual parent behavior that can be measured in the controlled, sterile lab, while it actually looks and feels like a real-world environment where parents actually make feeding choices, Persky says.

Mothers who chose the healthier options felt less guilt afterward about the possibility of passing down genetic obesity risk factors to their children, even those in the group who werent explicitly told about genetic influences, according to the study. Most parents have some sense that there are genetic factors involved in weight, Persky says. This isnt a totally new concept for them.

The findings suggest that parents are inclined to change how they feed their children thus feeling less guilt about passing on their genetic risks while still reluctant to change their own eating behavior. Parents are often willing to do things for their children that they wouldnt do for themselves, Persky says.

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Using virtual reality to make you more empathetic in real life

Why you eat so much

Odd teeth: A mothers Internet sleuthing led to her childs diagnosis

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You're heavy, and your doctor makes you feel bad about it. That's not good. - Washington Post

This study aims to analyse Virtual Reality (VR) and its applications across vertical industries 2017.

Research Scope: The research scope of the study includes the following: Technology Trends (which includes smartphone, tethered and all-in-one headsets, tracking technology and platforms) Industry Trends (which includes consolidation, expansion away from gaming and partnerships) Innovative start-ups and vendors in VR The applications of VR in industries and case studies

A general overview of Virtual Reality is given and its relevance to business in 2017. Applications of VR in recent years which offer new opportunities and value propositions are listed for each industry, with a case study analysed. Strategies for navigating Virtual Reality as a enterprise software or IT services company are assessed and the imperative for both to invest and experiment is explained.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a set of technologies with create immersive experiences through digital simulation. VR exists on a spectrum of digital experiences from reality to full digital immersion. Breakthroughs in computing performance, hardware economies of scale and 3D expertise have enabled a resurgence of VR's promise in recent years, and 2017 could mark the beginning of VR's hockey stick growth trajectory.

Companies across vertical industries are testing and implementing different applications of VR from pure branding exercises through to training and customer service optimization. The Healthcare, Defense, Manufacturing and Automotive sectors have plenty of historical experience with simulation technologies including VR. However, the current wave of software innovation, low price point for hardware and growing developer ecosystem bring radical new possibilities at a much lower cost.

There are many unexplored opportunities in VR across training, media and simulation. Each industry may find new solutions to their own unique challenges. Experimentation is key to finding the biggest opportunities for innovation. This dynamic may be led by content and media platform producers over single-product startups, given the efficiency benefits of reused assets and optimizations for realism in VR. Facebook and Google have already made bold strides towards this future with Social VR application experimentation and YouTube experience respectively.

Key Questions this Study Will Answer: The following are some of the key questions that this study will provide answers to: What is virtual reality and why is it relevant to the enterprise? What are the key applications of VR for each industry sector? Who are the key providers of VR platforms for consumers? What best practices can be determined from successful strategies using VR in industries?

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p05057863/Global-Virtual-Reality-Ecosystem.html

About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-virtual-reality-ecosystem-2017-300502842.html

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Global Virtual Reality Ecosystem, 2017 - prnewswire.com

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Figure 02: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 20172025

Figure 03: Global Boat Sales Rate vs. Global Boat Steering System Market Value Y-o-Y Growth, 20162025

Figure 04: Global Automobile Production Growth Rate vs. Global Boat Steering System Market Value Y-o-Y Growth, 20162025

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Figure 06: Global Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Propulsion System, 2017 & 2025

Figure 07: Global Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison by Propulsion System, 20172025

Figure 08: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Inboard Segment, 20172025

Figure 09: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Outboard Segment, 20172025

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Figure 11: Global Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index by Propulsion System, 20172025

Figure 12: Global Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Steering Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 13: Global Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison by Steering Type, 20172025

Figure 14: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Manual Steering Segment, 2017 and 2025

Figure 15: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Hydraulic Steering Segment, 2017 and 2025

Figure 16: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Electric Power Steering Segment, 20172025

Figure 17: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Electro-Hydraulic Steering Segment, 20172025

Figure 18: Global Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index by Steering Type, 20172025

Figure 19: Global Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Sales Channel, 2017 & 2025

Figure 20: Global Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison by Sales Channel, 20172025

Figure 21: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Segment, 20172025

Figure 22: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Aftermarket Segment, 20172025

Figure 23: Global Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index by Sales Channel, 20172025

Figure 24: Global Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Boat Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 25: Global Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison by Boat Type, 20172025

Figure 26: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Small Segment, 20172025

Figure 27: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Mid-Size Segment, 20172025

Figure 28: Global Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity by Large Segment, 20172025

Figure 29: Global Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index by Boat Type, 20172025

Figure 30: Global Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Region, 2017 & 2025

Figure 31: Global Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison by Region, 20172025

Figure 32: North America Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 20172025

Figure 33: Latin America Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 20172025

Figure 34: Europe Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 20172025

Figure 35: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 20172025

Figure 36: Middle East & Africa Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity,

Figure 37: Global Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index by Region, 20172025

Figure 38: North America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Country, 2017 & 2025

Figure 39: North America Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison, by Country, 20172025

Figure 40: North America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Country, 20172025

Figure 41: U.S. Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 42: Canada Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 43: North America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Propulsion System, 2017 & 2025

Figure 44: North America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Propulsion System, 20172025

Figure 45: North America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Steering Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 46: North America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Steering Type, 20172025

Figure 47: North America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Sales Channel, 2017 & 2025

Figure 48: North America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Sales Channel, 20172025

Figure 49: North America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Boat Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 50: North America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Boat Type, 20172025

Figure 51: Latin America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Country, 2017 & 2025

Figure 52: Latin America Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison, by Country, 2017-2025

Figure 53: Latin America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Country, 2017-2025

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Figure 55: Mexico Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 56: Rest of Latin America Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 57: Latin America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Propulsion System, 2017 & 2025

Figure 58: Latin America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Propulsion System, 20172025

Figure 59: Latin America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Steering Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 60: Latin America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Steering Type, 20172025

Figure 61: Latin America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Sales Channel, 2017 & 2025

Figure 62: Latin America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Sales Channel, 20172025

Figure 63: Latin America Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Boat Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 64: Latin America Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Boat Type, 20172025

Figure 65: Europe Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Country, 2017 & 2025

Figure 66: Europe Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison, by Country, 20172025

Figure 67: Europe Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Country, 20172025

Figure 68: Germany Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 69: Italy Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 70: France Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 71: U.K. Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 72: Spain Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 73: Nordic Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

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Figure 78: Europe Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Propulsion System, 2017 & 2025

Figure 79: Europe Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Propulsion System, 20172025

Figure 80: Europe Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Steering Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 81: Europe Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Steering Type, 20172025

Figure 82: Europe Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Sales Channel, 2017 & 2025

Figure 83: Europe Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Sales Channel, 20172025

Figure 84: Europe Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Boat Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 85: Europe Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Boat Type, 20172025

Figure 86: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Country, 2017 & 2025

Figure 87: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market, Y-o-Y Growth Comparison, by Country, 20172025

Figure 88: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Country, 20172025

Figure 89: Spain Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 90: Nordic Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 91: Spain Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 92: Nordic Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 93: Spain Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 94: Nordic Boat Steering System Market Absolute $ Opportunity, 2017-2025

Figure 95: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Propulsion System, 2017 & 2025

Figure 96: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Propulsion System, 20172025

Figure 97: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Steering Type, 2017 & 2025

Figure 98: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Steering Type, 20172025

Figure 99: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market, BPS Analysis By Sales Channel, 2017 & 2025

Figure 100: Asia Pacific Boat Steering System Market Attractiveness Index, by Sales Channel, 20172025

Original post:

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Market: North America ...

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STEP 1: CLICK LINK TO EXAMPLE VR TOURS ON MOBILE DEVICE

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STEP 3. TURN PHONE SIDEWAYS AND PLACE INTO VR HEADSET

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Virtual Marketing 360 | Virtual Reality

An Indianapolis charter school will be one of the first in the country to use a virtual reality program to teach science to high school students.

Hope Academy, on the citys far northeast side, is purchasing the software and curriculum from a tech-startup to supplement its traditional classroom teaching.

The software, designed by Iowa-based VitoryVR, offers middle school and high school coursework based on the NextGen Science Standards. The science curriculum currently offers 24 units, such as the solar system or Newtons Law of Gravity. In all, there are 120unique virtual experiences.

Principal Linda Gagyi says students will use the virtual reality classroom as part of their more traditional classroom learning based on Indianas academic standards.

Its amazing way to deliver standards and curriculum and the VR experience, she says.

As part of a science lesson this year, senior Sofia Merrick can travel to New Mexico to check out a massive telescope or

To get there, shell just slip on an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. She tried out the program Thursday.

It just really brings you into it. Its like you are actually seeing it. The one I was doing it was the solar system. It was like, I was like floating through the solar system, Merrick says.

Steve Grubbs, founder of VitoryVR and former Iowa state lawmaker, says the VR curriculum was created to keep students engaged and allow them to experience virtual reality fields trips related to science topics.

Indiana state lawmakers Sens. Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis) and Brandt Hershman (R-Buck Creek), and Reps. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) and Woody Burton (R-Whiteland) attended the demonstration.

Later this month a handful of schools in St. Louis, Des Moines, the Quad Cities area in northwest Illinois and southeastern Iowa, and Bermuda will start using the virtual reality software too.

Hope Academy is spending around $18,000 on four virtual reality workstations and licenses.

Hope Academy is for students in grades 9-12 recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Around 40 students are enrolled for the current school year.

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Virtual Reality Science Lessons Now At Indy Charter School - WBAA

SAN JOSE As technology advances in the ever-changing Silicon Valley, citizens can now enjoy the thrill of virtual reality at the library.

At a launch event on Friday at Martin Luther King Jr. public library downtown, adults and teens were able to test out Oculus Rift Systems a headset combined with a virtual reality screen so passersby could see in 2-D what users in the headset were experiencing in 3-D.

I played a Haunted Mansion game that had surround sound, said San Jose 18 year-old Brandon Lau. It felt so real, it was scary but extremely worth it.

The San Jose public library is offering the virtual reality headsets through a state library grant. Virtual reality headsets are available at TeenHQ in the downtown library and at the Evergreen branch library. Its part of a partnership with the California Library Association and Oculus VR.

We want to be relevant and innovative, which means keeping up to date with technology, and we wanted to make it available not only to kids but to adults, said library spokesperson Nancy Macias. Digital inclusion is huge, regardless of age or background, VR should be available to you.

The headsets come with hand controllers so that users can actually grab and interact with objects in the virtual world.TeenHQ offers other forms as technology as well, such as a recording studio and 3-D printers.

We have a game where you can build sculptures in the virtual reality, said Cindy Ball, the program manager of Oculus Education, the company that provided the headsets. And with that design, here at the library they have 3-D printers, so maybe what you design in the virtual space you can actually bring to life with the 3-D printers.

The downtown library and Evergreen branch are two of ninety state libraries to launch virtual reality through Oculus VR and the California Library Association this year. The SPJL VR headsets are open to the public at no cost. Ball said Oculus hopes this initiative helps people who may not otherwise be able to experience virtual reality due to their economic and social circumstances.

We really want people who havent been able to experience VR before to use it for the first time, Ball said, so someday, people who are interested can move from being consumers to creators of VR.

Oculus provided 20 educational applications through the headsets, including an exploration of the International Space Station and a rock climbing experience.

On top of those games, the library has some applications that they downloaded themselves. Librarian Erik Berman said games are used to get teens at TeenHQ in motion through Fruit Ninja and sports games as well as learning about the world through explorations of foreign lands. He said he was excited to mix the virtual reality with the physical world through programs that expand on some of the experiences.

The VR is the gateway to learning about different things, Berman said. We have a French immersion experience that we actually will run programming around. We will show a documentary and then teach teens here about French culture in a program later on.

Berman said one goal of offering the virtual reality experience at TeenHQ will be to design their own such game at the library.

The first virtual reality open house will be held 3 p.m. Monday at TeenHQ at the downtown library. TeenHQ has programs and specific times when the virtual reality headsets are available.

Although the TeenHQ is only available to teens, adults are encouraged to use virtual reality headset at the librarys Evergreen branch. Seventy two year-old Judith Fields came to the launch with her friend 67 year-old Jackie Snell and were excited as they sliced fruit in Fruit Ninja, designed butterflies with virtual robots and visited national parks.

I loved experiencing Yosemite, it was my favorite, Fields said. I loved feeling like I was visiting and exploring the park it was beautiful.

Youre never too old to use VR, Snell said. Its actually easier, you can experience the world and you dont have to go anywhere you can check it out at the library.

More information on the SJPLs virtual reality collection can be found atwww.sjpl.org/blog/virtual-reality-library.

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Virtual reality headsets bring stories to life at San Jose public libraries - The Mercury News

PHOENIX -

Doctors at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix want to use virtual reality headsets to ease the pain of women in labor.

"Educated moms are looking for an experience that really doesn't involve having to take medications in labor -- or epidurals -- or inhale gases, said Dr. Michael Foley. They just want to make it as natural as possible.

Foley leads the team planning a pilot program at the hospital. The videos being considered show soothing beach scenes and out-of-this-world visualizations.

What this does is facilitate your journey to that happy place, which is kind of nice, Foley said.

Its not just for fun.

Foley told ABC15 women will use the virtual reality headsets anywhere from ten to thirty minutes before childbirth. Research shows it drastically reduces the need for narcotic medications before, during and after, he said.

"The pain's there but you're distracted in a way that you don't need the medication.

Banner plans to begin the pilot program in October. They are still deciding who will be eligible to participate.

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Hospital hopes to ease labor pain with virtual reality - ABC15 Arizona