Category Archives: Virtual Reality

DAVENPORT Eastern Iowa Community Colleges has officially received notice it will receive a $748,218 grant from the National Science Foundation through June 2020.

Administered by EICC's Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center, the money is for a project titled "Water Intense: Interactive Technology Education."

"The main focus of the grant will be developing a virtual reality education curriculum for water, wastewater and agriculture technologies and conservation," said Ellen Kabat Lensch, EICC vice chancellor for workforce and economic development. "Once completed, we will share that curriculum with two-year colleges across the nation."

This is not the first time EICC has received grants for similar work. It recently completed an extensive curriculum development project in the advanced manufacturing field.

"Through our ATEEC program we have been developing curriculum for both colleges and high schools, in many different subject areas, for at least two decades," said Kabat Lensch. "Were very proud to have the National Science Foundation and others look to us for this work."

In this project, EICC will be working with its partners at the virtual reality company, EON Reality. EON is an international leader in virtual and augmented reality with global presence in the U.S., Sweden, Singapore and England.

The college began offering a virtual reality training academy for students last year. The 11-month program provides the training students need to begin careers developing virtual reality training tools for manufacturing, health and other industries.

This project specifically focuses on water and wastewater technician jobs that are growing faster than average. It comes amid concerns about source water availability, aging infrastructure, water quality and workforce issues.

Technology training in the water/wastewater and agriculture areas with the required equipment is often prohibitively expensive, time consuming and constrained by safety concerns. That often makes it impossible for colleges to provide students with access to equipment with which to experience hands-on training.

Additionally, educators in these fields often lack instructional methods that allow for hands-on training, and even when it is available, it is cost-prohibitive.

The EICC project is designed to help make training more affordable by creating a curriculum for virtual reality-based training. With the proper equipment, students can practice the essential hands-on skills they need repeatedly without having to turn to potentially expensive, and sometimes hazardous, options out in the field.

Over time, as technologies change, the virtual reality programs can be adapted.

For more details, visit eicc.edu/ateec or eicc.edu/eon.

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EICC wins $780000 grant for ag, water virtual reality - Quad-Cities Online

Volkswagen plans to use virtual reality to develop real-world cars. The automaker is using VR to allow staff at offices in different countries to communicate in what it hopes will be a more efficient manner.

While phones, email, instant messaging, and videoconferencing make setting up a meeting between staff in different countries easy, VW believes virtual reality will take things to a new level. Following a test phase, the automaker announced implementation of VR for vehicle development at the Digility conference in Cologne, Germany.

Virtual reality will make it easier for employees to share ideas, Volkswagen believes. The tech could, for example, allow employees at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, and its logistics offices in the Czech Republic to hold a virtual meeting and feel like they're in the same room, a company press release said.

In theory, the advantage of VR over more conventional methods of communication is its ability to simulate physical objects. Ford and BMW have experimented with using virtual reality to let staff examine 3D digital renderings of a car before committing to the time-consuming process of building a real-world clay mockup.

VW is so committed to virtual reality that, in concert with the startup Innoactive, it has created its own "Digital Reality Hub." It allows all software and hardware the company plans to use to communicate across one platform, giving all employees equal access to any projects uploaded to the VR realm. Volkswagen uses HTC Vive headsets, which are a popular choice with other companies.

Volkswagen will roll out virtual reality across its various car brands, and it will be interesting to see whether the technology makes a positive impact. VR is a hot topic both within the automotive industry and beyond, but it may be too early to say whether it really is the next big thing in tech, or just a fad.

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Volkswagen Uses Virtual Reality to Streamline Vehicle ... - The Drive - The Drive

By AppleInsider Staff Wednesday, July 05, 2017, 07:22 pm PT (10:22 pm ET)

While not an official company endorsement of the WebVR platform, three Apple employees are now listed on the WebVR Community Group's participants webpage, UploadVR reports.

Specifically, Brandel Zachernuk, David Singer and Dean Jackson join a cadre of web developers representing various internet services and like Google's Chrome, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and Mozilla's Firefox. Developers from Intel, Facebook, Samsung and other top technology companies are also part of the working group.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Zachernuk serves as a senior front-end developer on Apple's marketing and communications team. Jackson is a WebGL spec editor, while Singer has worked in Apple's multimedia and software standards office since 1988.

As noted by the group's co-chair Brandon Jones, a Chrome WebVR and WebGL developer at Google, Apple's participation means WebVR now has input from every major web browser vendor. Apple markets the Safari web browser that ships with both macOS and iOS.

WebVR is an open API that seeks to provide VR hardware support through modern web browsers. Developers working on the standard are building in support for devices ranging from Oculus Rift to Google Cardboard to Playstation VR. The goal, according to contributors, is to broaden access to VR experiences.

Jones notes that participation in the affiliated WebVR Community Group does not necessarily imply commitment to the standard. However, given its penchant for secrecy, Apple's public presence at the community group suggests the company is at least investigating potential integrations.

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Apple software engineers join WebVR virtual reality accessibility group - AppleInsider (press release) (blog)

Illustration by Ccile Dormeau

Its hard.

Youve probably been fantasizing about virtual reality porn ever since you discovered regular porn. Well, welcome to the VR revolution: PornHub reports that VR porn videos receive over 500,000 views daily. Finally, porn that puts you in the middle of the action.

Like the first iteration of the personal computer or the Internet before it was the meme factory it is now, VR porn is still very much in its beginning stages. Viewers at home only have a handful of websites to choose from, with little variety between scenes. For actors and producers, VR porn can be awkward, expensive, and inhibiting to shoot.

While wed like to think there are miniature women begging us to fuck them taking residence within our VR goggles, theres a lot more to shooting virtual reality erotica than meets the eye. To get the scoop on what a day on a VR set looks like, we spoke to some of the actors and producers who put naked people in front of us.

It feels like I'm in The Jetsons. Really, says adult performer and porntrepeneur Joanna Angel. But Angels version of Orbit City has its own challenges. I think the most stressful part, from a producers standpoint, is that you can't play the scene back on the camera at any point. You shoot and cross your fingers that after it's all stitched together; no ones arm or leg is cut off. It's very unsettling for a Jewish producerknowing full well there's a 50/50 chance that you might be throwing your money away.

Shooting VR, it turns out, is actually really frustrating. The cameras offer new possibilities for viewers, but they limit the positions actors and actresses can engage in.

The possible positions all depend on where the rig is stationed, continues Angel, not to mention how big or tall the performers are. Generally, there's a lot of cowgirl and reverse cowgirl more than anything else. In a regular porn scene, you always want to get as many positions, movement, and excitement as possible. In a VR scene your movements and positions are limited. It feels very much like you're performing inside of a little box.

What really separates a VR porn shoot from your run-of-the-mill shoot is the number of people who need to be involved to make it work. Daniel Dilallo, a director for 3X Entertainment, a porn production company in Los Angeles that works exclusively with Vivid, recently shot The Kim Kardashian Superstar VR Experience (a killer video that uses a Kim Kardashian lookalike to pick up where the real sex tape left off). Dilallo let me in on some of the hardships of shooting VR.

The women cant actually be too close to the camera, says Dilallo. They have to have their scenes blocked out and the actress needs to know where she can and cannot go. Men have it worse. Generally, guys are stuck in one position with a camera going over their shoulder. Its difficult for the guys to even see whats going on, which makes timing especially hard. He has to sit back, he cant use his hands. Its hard for the guys to last. The camera bares resemblance to some of the clunky robots of the 1950s sci-fi era and usually hovers over the dudes shoulder as he struggles to recall every unsexy scenario hes ever encountered in a strained attempt to not finish. Its a world away from your typical porno shoot.

But the really hard stuff happens in the editing room. The post-production time and process is crazy-long, tedious and expensive, says 3X's VR director, Adam Block, who also had a hand in creating The Kim Kardashian Superstar VR Experience. Theres also a huge learning curve as this tech continues to evolveeven for the talentas most have never shot in VR, which requires a certain amount of instruction and parameters.

Dilallo thinks the near future of off-the-screen porn will be based in augmented reality, where images are superimposed onto your surroundings (i.e. Pokmon Go). This is where those horned-up pipe dream fantasies of yesteryear will finally come to fruition. Soon youll be able to bring porn stars into your living room. Itll be as easy as slipping on a pair of goggles, choosing who youd like to have over and seeing a famous adult actress flop around on your Ikea couch. What a time to be alive and alone!

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The Only Thing Less Fun Than Watching Virtual Reality Porn Is Making Virtual Reality Porn - GQ Magazine

BBC News

How virtual reality may change your life BBC News Virtual reality (VR) is being touted as a big growth area for film-makers, engaging audiences in ways traditional film can't. But it is also being explored everywhere from rock music to psychiatric treatments. Is it all just a passing fad - or could VR ... and more »

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How virtual reality may change your life - BBC News

NEWTON A Newton couple is bringing Silicon Valley to their Kansas-based lab better known as their basement.

Corey and Michele Janssens, founders of ViewVerge, are enhancing the way people see media through a 2D to 3D converter and a 3D to 3D enhancer for augmented and virtual reality (ARVR), The Wichita Eagle (http://bit.ly/2sNxVyt ) reported.

Our goal was to basically re-create a biological version of 3D a more natural 3D because of ARVR, Corey Janssens said. We perceive in 3D, so it just seemed kind of natural: Why have a 3D device and watch 2D content?

The couple has struggled to attract investors who want to invest outside of Silicon Valley, but said they have no plans to leave the state.

What were doing is a Silicon Valley venture in Kansas, Michele Janssens said. I knew that would be a challenge, and it is just as big a challenge as we thought it would be.

But there are good things happening in Kansas. And everyone tells us there is a push right now to venture more into tech and bring jobs and money to the Wichita area.

While the Jansssenses have sought and attracted mentors nationwide in 3D technology, marketing and branding, they said success will occur when they have licensing and investors to help make ViewVerge technology readily available through mobile applications, or for 2D to 3D conversion in the medical and military fields.

Corey Janssens, a former Army unmanned aerial vehicle pilot and self-taught theoretical physicist and engineer, and Michele Janssens, a speech therapist, have what they call a marriage of science and communication.

An interesting fact that is a very integral part of who we are as a couple and hopefully as a vital company: Corey is autistic, I am a speech therapist, and were married, Michele Janssens said. He is passionate about building things and physics and the science, and I am passionate about communication.

Its really kind of a unique marriage.

Corey Janssens said he has had many jobs in his life that led him to developing this software.

It was when he spent five years as part of and then leading a confidential Microsoft think-tank that Bill Gates called him a modern-day Isaac Newton, according to a ViewVerge media release.

That interaction and exposure led him to apply to get one of the first rounds of developer HoloLens they released, Michele Janssens said. We waited about 10 years to do something like this.

The couple received their Microsoft Hololens the first self-contained holographic computer in May 2016.

When we got that Hololens, he knew this was it, Michele Janssens said.

It took just three to four months for Corey Janssens to develop the foundation for the software, and after continual improvements they think they have the answer to natural, human-like 3D media.

I dont believe youre going to have much 2D media in the future, he said. It just makes more sense to have graphics that are put in the format of the way we naturally see things.

If you build a system that is converting 2D to 3D, in a sense that is what the human brain does. We dont actually see 3D, you infer distance from having two eyes.

So by mimicking the biological system well enough with some added algorithms, you have an early computer vision system that is much more human.

The 3D software currently available has been gimmicky, Michele Janssens said, and that is not their goal.

When (people) hear 3D, they think stuff popping out in the face, and thats not actually what 3D is, Michelle Janssens said.

Our goals are to make it natural and comfortable, just like when youre looking around.

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Newton couple creating virtual reality software in basement - Topeka Capital Journal

Digital Domain Holdings, operator of the worlds largest independent visual-effects studio, plans to sharpen its focus on virtual reality technology initiatives after beefing up its senior management and recently raising fresh funding.

We are strongly focused on developing our business model of technology-plus-entertainment in the virtual reality industry, Peter Chou, the chairman of Hong Kong-listed Digital Domain, told a press conference on Wednesday.

The company expects to bolster that effort with the help of new high-level recruits to its board of directors. These are: Wei Ming, the former general manager of Alibaba Group Holdings digital entertainment business unit;Pu Jian, a vice-president at mainland Chinese conglomerate Citic;Alan Song Anlan, the managing partner at SoftBank China Venture Capital;and John Lagerling, the former vice-president of business development for mobile and product partnerships at Facebook.

Wei was also named as Digital Domains new vice-chairman and chief executive of the companys fast-developing greater China business unit.

Chief executive Daniel Seah Ang said the mainland, which is forecast to be the worlds biggest movie market this year, is now providing many opportunities for the company to expand its media and entertainment business, as well as further penetrate the nascent marketplace for virtual reality content and services.

Digital Domain runs award-winning movie visual special-effects studio Digital Domain 3.0, which also provides services to major commercial advertisers such asNike and Apple. Canadian subsidiaries Immersive Ventures and IM360 Entertainment are involved in creating original virtual reality content.

The company has been expanding into virtual reality content amid rising global interest for virtual reality headsets developed or set to be introduced by the likes of Samsung Electronics, HTC and Lenovo Group.

Worldwide revenue for the combined augmented reality and virtual reality market is forecastto increase 130.5 per cent to US$13.9 billion this year, up from US$6.1 billion last year, according to the latest estimates from research firm IDC.

Virtual reality technology immerses a user in an imagined world, like in a video game or movie, with the aid of an opaque headset, such as HTCs Vive and Googles Daydream platform for Android smartphones.

Augmented reality, meanwhile, provides an overlay of digital imagery onto the real world with the use of a clear headset like Microsofts HoloLens or an advanced smartphone that supports the technology, such as Lenovos Phab 2 Pro.

"Social virtual reality development is gaining traction, and Digital Domain is well-poised to lead the virtual reality industry ... and develop more relevant technologies in the future," said new company director Lagerling about the creation and use such content insocial media.

Digital Domain forged a strategic partnership with Alibaba-backed online video platformYouku Tudou last year to step up development of virtual reality content for mainstream distribution on the mainland. E-commerce giant Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

In addition, Digital Domain also raised fresh funding in the fourth quarter last year to support its business expansion.

Those include: HK$38.5 million from Paul Jacobs, the executive chairman at US tech firm Qualcomm; HK$309 million from the Munsun VR Fund, a limited partnership managed by Munsun Asset Management (Asia) that is owned by China Precious Metal Resources Holdings; and HK$200 million from red-chip Citic, the mainlands biggest conglomerate, and SoftBank China Venture Capital.

The new initiatives by Digital Domain this year are expected by management to bolster its overall business moving forward.

The company reported in March a wider net loss of HK$479.4 million last year, from HK$156.3 million in 2015, amid rising operating expenses.

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Visual effects titan Digital Domain aims for global lead in virtual reality content, services - South China Morning Post

The UCLA Army ROTC is working to inspire people to choose the U.S. military as a potential career path. Students from the current Bruin battalion appear in the Armys first virtual reality recruitment video, which can be viewed through nearly any virtual reality viewer, including Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.

The video, titled Leaders Made Here, was created via collaboration between the UCLA Department of Military Science/Army Reserve Officers Training Corps, and Holor Media, a virtual reality company based in Hollywood and led by former executives from Disney, Pixar and Industrial Light and Magic.

The six-minute immersive film gives viewers a chance to live life as an Army cadet participating in a field training exercise. It was filmed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego and features students from the current Bruin battalion, which is made up of students from UCLA as well as other nearby colleges that dont offer ROTC. Interspersed with real testimonies from college students enrolled in the program, the viewer is given a chance to take part in land navigation, medical training, Army ceremonies and even an obstacle course.

Holor Media

Members of the UCLA Army ROTC program hope this video will increase awareness of the opportunity for college students to join a nearly 100-year-old tradition of service by joining the Bruin battalion and becoming a United States Army officer.

If potential students enjoy the experience of being an Army cadet in VR, we challenge them to apply for and experience the real thing, says Lt. Col. Shannon Stambersky, UCLA professor of military science. Virtual reality is fantastic and all as a starting point, but reality-reality itself cant be beat.

Video director Brian Tan believes a series of shorts like thiscould be a recruiting game changer.

Unlike most 360-degree videos which are passive, fly-on-the-wall experiences, this was filmed from a first person point of view, giving viewers unprecedented interactivity and engagement close to the real thing, said Tan, who goes by BLT.

Tan is a UCLA alumnus who graduated in 2010 with a degree in political science/international relations. He also started UCLAs first film and photography club which just celebrated its 11th anniversary and filmed the first video featuring the Bruin battalion in 2009. Tan also worked with the current students on a 100-year anniversary video that will be released soon.

The students featured in the video are all UCLA juniors: Ainara Manlutac (majoring in chemistry), Edwin Chang (majoring in geography/environmental studies), Daisy Guilyard (majoring in political science), Louis Bethge (majoring in Russian studies), Kiana Malcolm (majoring in political science). All of them are expected to join the U.S. Army after they graduate in 2018.

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UCLA helps virtual reality lead the charge in battle for US Army recruitment - UCLA Newsroom

Elia Petridis, who directed legendary old-time actor Ernest Borgnine in his final role in The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez, has decided to focus on what could be Hollywoods future by starting virtual reality company Fever Content.

As part ofthe companys launch, Petridis has brought on Craig Bernard, who previously served as chief creative cfficer for SAMO VR, as Fever Contents executive producer. At SAMO, Bernard oversaw several VR projects, including the music video for the EDEN song, Drugs. That film was showcased by VR company Jaunt at this years Sundance and SXSW festivals.

Petridis VR experience includesnarrative live-action thriller, Eye for an Eye: A Sance in Virtual Reality, a collaboration with Gnomes & Goblins virtual reality studio Wevr.

Also Read: Fox Sports Rolls Out Social Virtual Reality for Gold Cup Soccer Tournament

I am very excited to be working with Craig, Petridis said in a statement. Our team understands the potential VR grants to entertainment. We fuse creation and technology to unlock the heart of each experience.

Our approach streamlines the creative process, which is crucial to our many partners and clients needs and expectations, Bernard said in the statement.We have cultivated a large network of technical and creative partners, which allows us to support even the most ambitious goals.

Fever Content makes experiences that deserve to be fully immersive, Petridis added. And we know exactly how our experiences are meant to make you feel. Our content will reach inside of you and grab at your heart strings. We are thrilled to bring audiences the latest and greatest wonders of VR.

CES Asia, the three-year-old overseas version of the annual Las Vegas tech extravaganza, took over five halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Center to showcase the latest and greatest in consumer technology -- which included plenty of robots, smart appliances and self-driving cars.A full 450 exhibiting companies and more than 30,000 attendees testdrove some products at the bleeding edge of innovation.

Cowarobot autonomous suitcase This is not your typical overnight bag. The rolling suitcase from Chinas Cowarobot can identify and follow its owner through airport concourse traffic, avoiding obstacles along the way. Italso automatically locks depending on distance from the owner, alertswhen its more than a safe distance away.

PicoNeo DKS ThePicoNeo DKS is a wireless virtual reality rig that plays like a full-fledged PC setup, with a 2.5K 5.5 inch HD screen that smooths out the often-blurry and clunky gameplay of most mobile VR devices. The setup uses Qualcomms Snapdragon 820 processor to deliver substantial computing power.

HiScene HiAR Like the Neo DKS, one of CES Asias buzziest augmented reality headsets also features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. The HiAR goggles, which feel heftier than many other AR sets, use artificial intelligence as part of an always-on voice control capability -- as augmented reality continues to move toward a Minority Report future.

Shadow Creator Halomini In case you hadnt noticed, virtual and augmented reality was kind of a big deal at CES Asia as it was at the flagship Vegas show earlier this year. Shadow Creators Halomini headset, which feels like a lighter version of Microsofts HoloLens, allows users to set appointments, chat with friends and watch videos, while keeping their eyes on whatever it was they're watching.

Ovo Technology Danovo CES Asia is full of robots, but the Danovo stood out for its fun personality as much as that applies to an inanimate object. The egg-shaped machine from Chinas Ovo Technology can navigate around items, dance, engage with people, and even project video by sliding over the top of its shell. Ovo also makes trash collecting and security robots, but they're a lot more serious than the Danovo.

Gowild Holoera Virtual reality can be lonely, which is why Gowild decided to add a friend. Amber, a 3D hologram who lives inside its pyramid-shaped Holoera device, can respond to commands, read moods and cheer users up with a well-timed song.

Qihan Sanbot Another entry in CES Asias parade of robots was Qihans Sanbot, which is based on IBMs "Jeopardy!"-winning Watson operating system. Sanbot can recognize and communicate with customers in 30 languages and process credit card payments. It also does a delightful dance, complete with glowing, gyrating limbs.

Baidu Little Fish The smart speaker from Chinese tech giant Baidu is the countrys answer to the Amazon Echo, only with a high-resolution 8-inch screen and camera that turns to face the user. It can handle the basics like controlling smart-home devices and playing music, and its face-recognition software allows authorized users to order food and medicine.

PowerVision Power Ray The fishing robot includes ocean mapping, an integrated fish luring light and even an optional remote bait drop feature that allows users to place the hook wherever they want. Its camera shoots in 4K UHD and is capable of 1080p real-time streaming. It even connects with the Zeiss VR One Plus VR headset to turn real-life fishing into a virtual reality game.

JD JDrone The unmanned aircraft is part of a plan from Chinas second-biggest online retailer, JD.com, to use drones to deliver products that weigh as much as one metric ton. The company is also developing fully-automated warehouses.

Itonology CarMew C1 This lighter socket-mounted device gives cars high-speed wi-fi, allowing people in them (preferably not driving) to get work done and stream music. It connects near field FM, auxiliary dual channels and car audio, and enables sharing of 4G networks.

The Chinese version of the annual tech extravaganza featured plenty of robots and serious advances in mobile virtual reality

CES Asia, the three-year-old overseas version of the annual Las Vegas tech extravaganza, took over five halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Center to showcase the latest and greatest in consumer technology -- which included plenty of robots, smart appliances and self-driving cars.A full 450 exhibiting companies and more than 30,000 attendees testdrove some products at the bleeding edge of innovation.

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Elia Petridis Launches Virtual Reality Company: Fever Content (Exclusive) - TheWrap

LOS ANGELES A new virtual reality exhibit that opened here last weekend gives viewers a first-hand look at what its like to try to cross the U.S.-Mexico border and a peek into what could be the future of political ads.

In Carne y Arena (Meat and Sand) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, visitors strap on VR goggles for an immersive six-and-a-half minute movie where they find themselves among a group of migrants attempting to cross the U.S. border.

They are confronted with U.S. Border Patrol agents pointing guns in their faces, and they feel the cold of an immigrant detention cell. They hear personal stories from immigrants whove made the trek.

The experienceis directed by the filmmaker Alejandro Irritu, the Mexican director of the Oscar-winning films The Revenant and Birdman. Itallows the visitor to go through a direct experience walking in the immigrants feet, under their skin, and into their hearts, Irritu saidin a statement.

Carne y Arena, which first screened at the Cannes Film Festival, is hardly a mainstream work of advocacy. It has surreal touches: Viewers can literally peek into the chests of the virtual immigrants and see their beating hearts.

But as debates about immigration roil American politics, its impossible not to see the exhibit through a political lens.

I would pay for a bunch of Trump supporters to go and have this experience, said Anne Demo, who traveled from Pennsylvania to see the exhibit on Monday. Theres a level of humanity that really reaches you.

Such VR experiences have already become a staple of the high-end charity circuit. Black-tie clad donors at galas for the organization Charity: Water can strap on VR goggles and follow in the footsteps of a girl in an Ethiopian village getting clean water for the first time.

Cathe Neukum, an executive producer at the International Rescue Committee, which advocates for refugees, said half of the donors who watched her organizations VR production of a refugee camp in Jordan took off their headsets in tears. If youre watching a regular video on your TV or your laptop, you can walk away, but when youre engaged in a headset, youre in it in a completely different way, she said.

When a VR exhibit about a day in the life of a young Syrian refugee was included at mall kiosks soliciting donations for UNICEF, the number of people giving money doubled, said Christopher Fabian, an executive for the charity.

The possibilities for similar commentary abound. A campaign working to end solitary confinement could use VR to show people what its like inside a 6-by-9-foot prison cell, while groups advocating against President Trumps travel ban might put voters in the shoes of refugees escaping persecution in the banned countries.

For the last year, a Stanford experiment has been testing whether people who view a VR simulation of a homeless persons life from losing their job to struggling to pay rent to surviving on the streets are more likely to sign a petition calling for housing support. (The experience is on view at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose.) The results are still forthcoming, said Jeremy Bailenson, the studys lead researcher. But overall, he said, theres a growing body of evidence that VR can be a powerful way to get people to empathize with others.

Not everyone thinks VR experiences about refugees, migrants or homeless people will be so influential. In a few years, everybodys going to do it its going to be boring, Fabian said. Theres a certain point where you say, I get it, the world is sad. The most exciting applications of VR, he said, will come in education and coordination connecting classrooms around the world and helping them study together, for example.

And not everyone who saw Irritus exhibit thought it would change minds. People are hardwired, especially these days, in their political belief systems, said Christine Davila, 32, of Los Angeles. Moreover, most Los Angeles museumgoers are probably already pretty immigrant-friendly in their political beliefs, she pointed out. (The exhibit is currently sold out through September.)

So far, the overtly political uses of VR have been much more rudimentary. Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign released several VR videos of his campaign events, giving viewers a front-row seat at one of his rallies. Turn one way and you see the shining faces of the Berniecrats; look down and you can see the notes for Sanders speech.

Another project called AltSpaceVR brought people from around the country together in a virtual space to watch presidential debates and have political discussions. Arguments between people who see each other in virtual reality tend to be more civil than on social media, said Eric Romo, the companys CEO: Its more difficult to be negative if you actually see another person in front of you, than when youre hiding behind a keyboard.

The advent of television transformed American politics and campaigning, ushering in live debates and the 30-second campaign ad. While its too early to say if VR could get anywhere near that level of influence, its likely to at least play a role, especially as the technology gets cheaper and more widely available.

In 2020, Romo predicted, all the major presidential candidates will have some kind of VR element in their campaigns.

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Virtual reality exhibit goes inside Mexican border crossing, with Oscar-winning director's help - The Mercury News