Category Archives: Virtual Reality

MRInsights.biz publishes a Global Virtual Reality (VR) in Education Market research study that looks at the industry and major market trends, as well as historical and anticipated market data. A market overview, as well as definitions and applications, are included in the report. The market is segmented by application, type, and geography in terms of volume and value.

This studys design was chosen to highlight potential trends and opportunities in the worldwide Virtual Reality (VR) in Education market in the next years. Based on the current market analysis, several drivers and barriers, opportunities, and challenges will be analysed during the forecasted time period. The research also looks at market regional trends that might impact growth from 2021 to 2027. The research aids in the identification of new marketing possibilities and provides a comprehensive picture of the worldwide Virtual Reality (VR) in Education market.

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Parameters such as import & export, regulations in different countries, inflation, socio-economic factors, legal and political factors, and other micro factors, which are internal to companies have been analyzed to derive the market size. This report provides estimated and forecasted market size and compound annual growth rate for countries and regional for all the segments and sub-segments.

The following manufacturers are represented on the global marketplace:

HTC Corporation, Lenovo Group Limited, Samsung, Microsoft, Facebook Technologies LLC, Unity Teach, VR Education Holdings, Alchemy VR Limited, EON Realit

Market segmentation based on application:

IT and Telecom, Healthcare, Retail and E-commerce

The market has been split, as well as the product category:

Hardware (HMDs etc.), Software, Services (Training and Consulting and Managed Services)

Geographical market segmentation:

North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Rest of South America), Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

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The study findings are presented in the next part of the chapter. Our analysts provide customers with all of the data they need to develop long-term strategic growth strategies and policies. The analyst examines the companys size, distribution, trends, and overall revenue in order to accurately anticipate and provide professional insights to financial backers on global Virtual Reality (VR) in Education market trends.

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Global Virtual Reality (VR) in Education Market 2021 Industry Research, Segmentation, Key Players Analysis and Forecast to 2027 EcoChunk - EcoChunk

Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare deliver well-researched industry-wide information on theVirtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare. It provides information on the markets essential aspects such as top participants, factors driving Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare, precise estimation of the Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare size, upcoming trends, changes in consumer behavioural pattern, markets competitive landscape, key market vendors, and other Industry features to gain an in-depth analysis of the market. Additionally, the report is a compilation of both qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry experts, as well as industry participants across the value chain. The report also focuses on the latest developments that can enhance the performance of various market segments.

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Key Players Analysis:

Google

Orca Health

Brain Power

Medsights Tech

AccuVein

Microsoft

Product Type

Software

Hardware

Service

The research report provides deep insights into the global market revenue, parent market trends, macro-economic indicators, and governing factors, along with market attractiveness per market segment. The report provides an overview of the growth rate of the Instant Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare during the 2021 . Most importantly, the report further identifies the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies. The research segments the market on the basis of product type, application, technology, and region. To offer more clarity regarding the industry, the report takes a closer look at the current status of various factors including but not limited to supply chain management, niche markets, distribution channel, trade, supply, and demand and production capability across different countries.

The documented report aims to offer an organized and methodical strategy for important aspects that have affected the market in recent years and future market opportunities that companies can trust. It gives readers clear market research for better judgment and better decision making on whether or not to invest. The report provides an analysis and overview of the future dynamics with an in-depth analysis of the most important players that are likely to contribute to the growth of the Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare during the forecast period.

The market report also provides a correct assessment of the company strategies and business models that companies implement to stay in the market and lead. Some of the most important steps companies are taking are mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and collaborations to expand their regional and global reach. In addition, the players are also launching a new range of products to enrich their portfolio by using the latest technology and implementing them in their company.

The report is updated with the impact of the currently unfoldingCOVID-19pandemic. The pandemic has dynamically affected the key segments of the market and has changed the growth pattern and demands in the Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare. The report covers extensive analysis of these changes and provides an accurate forecast estimation of the market growth after the impact of the pandemic.

What is Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare report?

The report has classified the market into segments including product type, and application. Every segment is evaluated based on share and growth rate. Besides, the analysts have studied the potential regions that may prove rewarding for the manufacturers in the coming years. The regional analysis includes reliable predictions on value and volume, thereby helping market players to gain deep insights into the overall industry.

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Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.

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Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.

Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.

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Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare Market Competition, Opportunities and Challenges 2021-2028 Radford University Athletics - Radford...

Sophie Balcon Formo, Alexandre Michelin, Yassine Ait Cassie and David Nahon.

If the idea of virtualization was outdated, it is now exacerbated and questioned by the projects of large digital companies that rely on virtual reality and the creation of meta-universes. Eliminating physical distances, what types of interaction and experience create immersive technologies and how will they evolve?

During the SITEM trade fair, a roundtable was held titled Do Immersive Technologies Bring Us Closer Together or Are They Tools for Imaginary Social Networking? It is organized by AFXR, an association that questions immersive technologies and their uses. The conference devoted to the cultural world was above all an opportunity to return to the concept of virtual reality and question it from a philosophical, ethical and social point of view.

David Nahon, Director of Virtual Immersion at Dassault Systmes 3DEXPERIENCE Laboratory, noted that virtual reality was already a professional medium but had not yet reached the general public. According to him, experiences are often presented as fanciful or dystopian, but rarely as they really are.

A good introduction to Pierre Mousseau, Doctor of State in Political Science, researcher at Tlcom Paris Tech and specialist in the concept of fantasy, who provided a philosophical perspective on virtual reality. He explained that the word virtual derives from the same Latin word virtualis which is translated from the Greek word dunaton. According to Aristotles definition, dunaton means what is possible, that is, ability. It translates the idea of movement, flow, change. In Aristotle, dunaton is opposed to reality. In the twentieth century it was Bergson and Deleuze who considered the question by opposing the ostensible and the present. Only possible true repeats. While the virtual machine updates itself and makes a difference. Her strength is her creativity.

Outside the philosophical realm, reality is opposed to virtual reality. In 1980, American Jaron Lanier used the term virtual reality to describe sensory experiences that a computer produces and manages. Virtual reality revitalizes the contrast between the imaginary/imaginary and the real according to Pierre Mousseau.

According to him, there are three issues behind the concept of virtual reality:

Sophie Balcon Formo has written a thesis on the use of virtual reality in the cultural and creative industries. According to her, virtual reality gives the illusion of place and plausibility. It gives the feeling of being there and makes it possible to consider the hypothetical situation reliable. It is often associated with the concept of existence, which is divided into three forms:

These notions of existence are not a state, but a process throughout experience Sophie Balcon Formo explained. It is the principle of embodiment that is based on the acceptance of the environment and the embodied personality. According to her, a virtual reality headset is a machine for communication. But the machine does not change the person. It is man who directs the machine with the standard of what it is. In the cultural world, this experience allows access to knowledge in an active way while cementing it in memory through emotions. Visitors can show resistance depending on their relationship to digital tools and the collective imagination. They will primarily seek the benefits of such an experience.

According to her, virtual reality makes it possible to create reciprocity between players in the sector and does not create an illusory society. On the other hand, it raises political and ethical questions.

Later in the conference, Yassine Ait Kassi, Technical Director and Strategist at ELYX addressed the topic of metaverse. He defines them as shared and collective virtual spaces in which the concept of ownership exists. We live in an exciting time, because the overlay of these concepts is independent of technology, Did he say? According to him, metaverses are interesting in terms of durability, because they seek to layer rather than accumulate. It is possible to develop immaterial creativity while organizing itself to incorporate carbon emissions in order to incorporate them into the process. We can modify behavior by will, not by compulsion., he added.

To read also What is the meta-world that Facebook wants to create?

Will each company have its own metaverse? asked David Nahon. If so, the issue of international governance is critical. A new world leads to the emergence of a new region and thus new frontiers. In the real world, it is indeed critical. It will be necessary to ensure that these worlds are inclusive.Yassine Ait Kasi added. When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written, no one believed that it should expand into a virtual world.

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What is the philosophical, ethical and social perspective of virtual reality? - Tech News Inc

HTC Vive says the newly announced virtual reality (VR) glasses, named the VIVE Flow, are designed for meditation, watching movies and TV, and the workplace.

SEATTLE HTC Vive (a subsidiary of HTC) announced an ultra-light set of virtual reality glasses on Oct. 14.

HTC Vive says the VR glasses, dubbed the Vive Flow, are designed to help with mental wellness and relaxation, with the ability to run various meditative programs, along with playing video and movies.

VR headsets and glasses use a set of displays and lenses to make the illusion of depth to the wearer, similar to how a 3D viewfinder works. Users can then look around and interact with the environment they see through various methods.

With a weight of less than half a pound, the headset is substantially lighter than other options however, this does come at a cost.

The headset is primarily powered by an external battery bank or wall plug, with power being delivered with a USB Type-C cable plugged into the right arm of the glasses.

There is however a small battery. HTC Vive says the built-in battery will last 5-minutes, long enough to swap external battery banks or move to a different outlet.

Unlike other more traditional VR headsets which use controllers to interact with the virtual environment, the Vive Flow uses a smartphone app.

With a smartphone users can navigate menus, play games from the built-in app store, and stream videos from their phone on a "cinema-sized screen" in VR.

The headset will also feature a 100-degree field of view, with 75hz (refreshing with a new image 75-times-per second) screens, and built-in speakers.

The headset is currently available for preorder for $499, and while on preorder comes with the normally $50 addition of a carrying case, along with several pieces of software.

For more information, click here.

Originally posted here:

These 'virtual reality glasses' can help you meditate and watch movies on the go - FOX43.com

Virtual Reality is a computer-generated environment that people can experience through sensory stimulation i.e.; visual and auditory, making the surroundings immersive and real. Take it this way; you can experience the middle of an ocean or an island miles away while staying home.

VR technology requires a lot of components to function. For instance, youll need a VR Headset, a VR-capable device, and a service that can stream VR content.

The term Virtual Reality essentially comes from the definitions of both virtual and reality that we all know. In laymans terms, Virtual Reality means experiencing things that dont exist. Likewise, you could call it an illusion if you wanted.

VR isnt something new; it has been out there for several years now. VR tech became mainstream when the early prototypes of the Oculus Rift surfaced in 2012. However, its beginning to mature and come of age now.

A Virtual Reality environment requires a VR headset to hear and see the content from an app or service. As of now, you can experience a variety of media on VR headsets, which could be standalone hardware or powered by a computer.

For instance, some games support VR, where you can play while being the protagonist. You could experience everything inside a fantasy game yourself, or play badminton with your friends.

While explaining the concept of virtual reality, you need to familiarise yourself with the term immersion to understand it. The VR user becomes immersed in an artificial three-dimensional computer-generated environment that they can interact with. Moreover, there are a variety of VR-compatible services that can stream content.

Many have tried their hands at VR and failed; *cough* Google Daydream. Facebook is progressing swiftly with its several VR apps such as Facebook Horizon, and the Oculus brand. VR isnt all about entertainment various industries use VR tech for their day-to-day functioning. Healthcare professionals use VR headsets to have better insight while diagnosing patients, real-estate and architecture industries make use of virtual reality to function efficiently.

VR has been a hot topic for several months now. With significant tech companies weighing in, virtual reality is getting all the importance it deserves and progressing. Facebook is all-in with its VR department; the Oculus VR headsets keep getting better with time.

But is there a need for Virtual Reality? There isnt a definite answer, but there are several indirect ones that appeal to everyone in a different way. Be it for stress relief, leisure, or research, VR can help everyone who can use it. With billions of dollars poured into the industry, its base is strong, and we might see VR tech emerging at unusual places in no time.

Excerpt from:

What Is Virtual Reality (VR) And How Does It Work? - Fossbytes

You dont manage to host the worlds largest virtual event without significant digital chops and even a little bit of high-tech razzamatazz. But you also also dont get to make it the worlds biggest without making it accessible to those who dont have virtual reality or augmented reality headsets.

So what do you do?

Deliver device-agnostic experiences.

Take virtual events, Rooom CEO Hans Elstner told me recently on the TechFirst podcast. If you just say ... its only for VR headsets, then you only connect to other people that have this exact version of a VR headset. That is not the world how we see the world or the future.

A person wearing a VR headset

The metaverse has gotten a lot of press lately. Typically, people think of the metaverse as some alternate reality: a wholly immersive virtual experience like Ready Player One or Neal Stephensons Snow Crash. Thats aligned with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbergs Horizon Worlds on Oculus, currently in beta: a social experience where you can explore, play and create in extraordinary ways.

(I have early access to Horizon; it crashes frequently on my Oculus Quest 2.)

Thats a valid way of thinking about the metaverse: endless virtual worlds interconnected by portals for work, play, exploration, connection, and pretty much anything else you can imagine doing.

But what if the metaverse is something that weve been living for decades already? Something that you can experience deeply when drinking from the firehose of a high-end VR headset and something that you can dip a toe in via a text-based interface and something that you could dive a little deeper into via two-dimensional video on a screen?

In other words, something that works with whatever device you have.

And something that works at whatever level of immersion youre comfortable with.

Listen to our conversation:

What were focusing on is a platform that is running on almost every device, says Elstner. You could use your VR headset. You could also use your smartphone. You could use your tablet. You could use your desktop. It should be quite easy, accessible.

Rooom, which just recently emerged from stealth mode with a $7 million series A, created the immersive digital environments for IFA 2020, accommodating 200,000+ virtual attendees at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic for one of the biggest consumer electronics trade shows in the world. Its also doing virtual events for Augmented World Expo, Deutsche Telekom, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Vodafone. The key: delivering web-based 3D experiences that are cross-platform for virtually any device.

So [technologies] are just 2D platforms for sharing video,Elstner says. Its not that engaging ... we call it fake 3D.

And some others just do it in a very VR-headset focused way. The problem is the fake 2D is not that engaging, and the VR headset makes it necessary to have special, sometimes expensive devices.

The metaverse, Elstner says, is already all around us, connecting as many different people, businesses, and parts of life as possible.

In other words, its the internet.

And the internet is designed to be used for both high-res immersion and in lower-resolution suck-from-a-straw toe-dipping.

On one hand, you can use a VR headset and so you have virtual reality right on your headset, he says. And it just works on almost every VR headset because we are using a technology its called WebGL and OpenXR by Khronos Group. So it works right in the browser, no matter what kind of device. On the other hand, you can utilize and use 3D right in the browser also, quite easy, no installation necessary with a little bandwidth.

That works for Rooom when its building virtual events or virtual spaces for its clients. But its also a definition that works for us when we think about metaverse and get tempted to dramatize and glorify what it is. In this version of the metaverse, doing a Google search via Alexa on a smart speaker is accessing the metaverse, even if in a very low-resolution and surface way. So is watching YouTube on your phone. So is reading news on an iPad.

It is also and increasingly an immersive 3D virtuality that we can inhabit via VR headsets.

But being such doesnt negate the other, quicker, easier, more accessible, and less attention-hogging methods. And thats a comforting thought for those of us who have read Snow Crash. Which, after all, is a dystopian novel.

Or those of us who, like James Halliday, creator of the OASIS in Ready Player One, want to occasionally get a good meal.

Subscribe to TechFirst; get a full transcript.

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Democratizing The Metaverse: One Vision Of An Accessible Future For AR, VR, Virtual Events, And More - Forbes

LAUSANNE, Switzerland The final frontier has rarely seemed closer than this at least virtually.

Researchers at one of Switzerlands top universities have released open-source beta software that allows people to make virtual visits through the cosmos up to the International Space Station, past the Moon, Saturn or exoplanets, over galaxies and well beyond.

The program called Virtual Reality Universe Project, or VIRUP pulls together what the researchers call the largest data set of the universe to create three-dimensional, panoramic visualizations of space.

Software engineers, astrophysicists and experimental museology experts at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, or EPFL, put together the virtual map that can be viewed through individual VR gear immersion systems like panoramic cinema with 3D glasses, planetarium-like dome screens or just on a PC for two-dimensional viewing.

The novelty of this project was putting all the data set available into one framework, when you can see the universe at different scales nearby us, around the Earth, around the solar system, at the Milky Way level, to see through the universe and time up to the beginning what we call the Big Bang, said Jean-Paul Kneib, director of EPFLs astrophysics lab.

Imagine it as a sort of Google Earth only for the entire universe.

Computer algorithms churn up terabytes of data and produce images that can appear as close as about three feet or almost infinitely far away as if you sit back and look at the entire observable universe.

VIRUP is accessible to everyone for free though it requires at least a computer and is best visualized with VR equipment or 3D capabilities.

It aims to draw in a broad array of visitors scientists looking to visualize the data they continue to collect and also a broad public seeking to explore the heavens virtually.

Still a work in progress, the beta version cant be run on a Mac computer. Downloading the software and content might seem onerous for the least-skilled computer users, and space on a computer will count. The broader-public version of the content is a reduced-size version that can be quantified in gigabytes, a sort of best-of highlights. Astronomy buffs with more PC memory can download more.

The project assembles information from eight databases that count at least 4,500 known exoplanets, tens of millions of galaxies, hundreds of millions of space objects and more than 1.5 billion light sources from the Milky Way alone.

Future databases could include asteroids in our solar system or objects like nebulae and pulsars farther into the galaxy.

Even before this was released, cosmos-gazing apps on tablets already allowed for some mapping of the night sky, with zoom-in closeups. Software like SpaceEngine from Russia offers universe visuals. And NASA has done some smaller VR scopes of space.

But the EPFL team says VIRUP goes much farther and wider.

And theres more to come: When the 14-country telescope project known as the Square Kilometer Array starts pulling down information, the data could be counted in the petabytes thats 1,000 terabytes or 1 million gigabytes.

Strap on the VR goggles, and its a trippy feeling seeing the Moon seemingly the size of a giant beach ball and floating close enough to hold as the horizon rotates from the sunny side to the dark side of the lunar surface.

Speed out to beyond the solar system and swing by Saturn, then up above the Milky Way, swirling and flashing and heaving with exoplanets highlighted in red.

Much farther out, imagine floating through small dots of light that represent galaxies as if the viewer were an unconscionably large giant floating in space.

That is a very efficient way of visiting all the different scales that compose our universe, and that is completely unique, says Yves Revaz, an EPFL astrophysicist. A very important part of this project is that its a first step toward treating much larger datasets, which are coming.

Entire galaxies seem to be strung together by strands or filaments of light, almost like representation of neural connections, that link up clusters of light like galaxies. For one of the biggest pictures of all, theres a colorful visualization of the Cosmic Microwave Background the radiation left by the Big Bang.

We actually started this project because I was working on a three-dimensional mapping project of the universe and was always a little frustrated with the 2D visualization on my screen, Kneib said. By showing the universe in 3D, by showing these filaments, by showing these clusters of galaxies which are large concentrations of matter, you really realize what the universe is.

Originally posted here:

Virtual reality offers an unprecedented VR look at the universe available for all to see - Chicago Sun-Times

A boom in new technologies is revolutionizing the field of mental health in terms of understanding and treating mental disorders like phobias, eating disorders or psychosis. Among these innovations, virtual reality (VR) is a powerful tool that provides individuals with new learning experiences, increasing their psychological well-being.

Immersive VR creates interactive computer-generated worlds that expose users to sensory perceptions that mimic those experienced in the real world.

People have found new ways to satisfy their sexual and emotional needs through technology; examples include virtual or augmented reality, teledildonics (sex toys that can be controlled through the internet) and dating apps. However, research on the use of VR in sex therapy is still in its infancy.

Read more: Cybersex, erotic tech and virtual intimacy are on the rise during COVID-19

Sexual aversion is the experience of fear, disgust and avoidance when exposed to sexual cues and contexts. A Dutch study published in 2006 found that sexual aversion affects up to 30 per cent of individuals at some point in their lives. And a recent Qubec-based survey of 1,933 people conducted by our laboratory revealed that at least six per cent of women and three per cent of men have experienced sexual aversion in the last six months.

These data suggest that sexual aversion is as common as depression and anxiety disorders.

Difficulties in experiencing sexuality with pleasure, whether solo or partnered, are at the heart of sexual aversion. Recovering from such difficulties involves changing ones thoughts, reactions and behaviours in sexual and romantic situations by, for instance, gradually exposing oneself to apprehensive sexual contexts.

Recent findings suggest that VR could bring about such changes in real-life situations, particularly in individuals with poor sexual functioning or with a history of sexual trauma. Our own findings, not yet published, show that VR can help with intimacy-related fears and anxiety.

Immersive and realistic computer-generated worlds in VR could lead to positive sexual health outcomes such as increased pleasure and sexual well-being by alleviating psychological distress in sexual contexts.

Treatment for sexual aversion involves controlled, progressive and repeated exposure to anxiety-provoking sexual contexts. These exposures aim to gradually reduce fear and sexual avoidance, two common reactions to sexual cues in sexually aversive individuals.

With this objective in mind, VR offers an ideal and ethical medium for intervention, as simulations can be tailored to different levels of sexual explicitness and be repeatedly experienced, even for sexual contexts that would be impossible or unsafe to recreate in real life or in therapy settings.

For instance, situations commonly feared by individuals with sexual aversion, such as sexual assault, failure or rejection, or feeling trapped in a sexual encounter, do not actually happen in VR. VR would not only allow them to overcome fears, but also to learn new sexual skills to use in real-world situations skills that would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible, to develop. Individuals in treatment could then apply these learnings to real-world intimate situations.

Further, although peoples minds and bodies behave as though the virtual environment in which they are immersed is real, individuals are more willing to face difficult situations in VR than in the real world because they are aware that the former are fictional, and therefore safer.

In December 2020, we collected data that allowed us to compare sexually aversive and non-aversive individuals. Participants were immersed in a virtual environment simulating a typical intimate interaction, which involved a fictional character engaging in sexual behaviours throughout six scenes. Throughout the scenes, participants were gradually exposed to the characters flirting, nudity, masturbation and orgasm. Our findings suggest VR could represent a promising avenue for treating sexual aversion.

Sexually aversive and avoidant individuals reported more disgust and anxiety than non-aversive participants in response to the simulation. And the more the scenes were sexually explicit, the higher the participants levels of disgust and anxiety. These results suggest that the virtual environment adequately replicated real-life contexts that would typically induce sexual aversion.

Treatment options for people with sexual aversion could include exposure to tailored and diverse sexual contexts for example, rejection, intercourse, sexual communication, attempted assault through VR. This could help to alleviate distress and support positive and rewarding erotic encounters in real-life settings.

Applications of VR in sex therapy will be profoundly shaped by advancements in artificial intelligence. Hence, using erobots (artificial erotic agents) in virtual interactive environments to simulate realistic romantic and erotic encounters, which are often avoided by sexually aversive people. Virtual agents could also be used to develop sexual skills, explore sexual preferences and get reacquainted with ones body and sexuality.

Read more: Beyond sex robots: Erobotics explores erotic human-machine interactions

As VR can be used outside the therapists office, it could be included in self-treatment programs for sexual difficulties. With high-quality and affordable VR equipment entering the consumer market, future therapeutic VR protocols in sex therapy could be used in the comfort and privacy of ones own home, promoting autonomy and improving access to treatment.

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Virtual reality could help treat sexual aversion and other sex-related disorders - The Conversation CA

By Roger Crisp

I take hedonism about well-being or welfare to be the view that the only thing that is good for any being is pleasure, and that what makes pleasure good is nothing other than its being pleasant. The standard objections to hedonism of this kind have mostly been of the same form: there are things other than pleasure that are good, and pleasantness isnt the only property that makes things good.

In recent decades, one version of this objection has received a great deal of attention: Robert Nozicks famous experience machine, described in his Anarchy, State, and Utopia. The main problem is best taken to be that a hedonist must accept that a life on a machine which will create a certain amount of net pleasure for the person attached to it is no worse for that person than a life with the same amount of pleasure in the real world.

On the machine described by Nozick, the person will have no true personal relationships, achievements, genuine autonomy, deep understanding, and so on. Its all just a playback of such experiences had by others. But we can imagine another, more sophisticated machine, which creates a single virtual world just like ours, in which those connected to the machine participate together. People make choices, have relationships, achieve things, and so on; but all in a virtual rather than a real world.

This case shows that the experience machine objection can be made not only against hedonists, but against the proponent of any view which does not insist that being in the real world matters in itself (and note that theres nothing to stop a hedonist changing their view and attaching value to pleasure in the real world rather than just pleasure). How powerful an objection it is may depend on the nature of the values in question. For example, it might be thought that deep friendships in a virtual world are no less valuable than in the real world, or that understanding in a virtual world is of no less value than understanding in the real world, even if it is understanding of that world and not, say, mathematical principles true in all possible worlds, virtual or real. But it might then be said that climbing the real Kilimanjaro is more valuable than a virtual climbing of Kilimanjaro whats so impressive about merely appearing to climb a non-existent mountain? This, however, is too quick, and requires attention to what is meant by appear. In the virtual world, one is not merely appearing to climb Kilimanjaro; in the virtual world, one is really climbing it. The virtual world, we should assume, is as independent of ones self as the real world one is not making it up and the challenges in climbing the virtual Kilimanjaro the planning, skill, decision-making, risks, and so on are the same.

In other words, the real objection against hedonism is not the experience machine. What is wrong with hedonism, if anything, is that it leaves out values other than pleasantness. And Nozick could have made that point without the machine, as had many other philosophers for thousands of years.Further, once we realize that even if were in an experience machine many non-hedonic values are available, it starts to become questionable whether the metaphysical distinction between the real and virtual world matters to our well-being at all.

It may be easier for the young to believe that it doesnt matter. I have a friend who is involved in a consortium which invests in non-fungible digital tokens (NFTs) of valuable artworks. These tokens can be worth huge amounts of money, and I expressed surprise that people would be willing to pay these amounts for something which is, in effect, a copy of the real thing. My friend pointed out that many younger people, who no longer see any sharp distinction between the real and the virtual world, would take the NFT as the unique virtual equivalent of the real object, and so an item of great value, though perhaps, at present, less than that of the original. In future, as the real/virtual distinction breaks down further, the NFT may even be seen as preferable to the real but decaying Van Gogh, which is increasingly difficult to protect and insure.

The experience machineobjection to hedonism has been a distraction, partly because it applies to non-hedonist theories, and partly because it is hard to see why being in the real world matters. What does matter is the question of what other than pleasure might increase well-being, whether in a real or virtual world. As time goes on, these aspects of the experience machine may be more widely recognized, and the objections reliance on the significance of the distinction between the real and the virtual may consign it for ever to the dustbin of the history of philosophy.

(Thanks to Theron Pummer for discussion.)

More:

Hedonism, the Experience Machine, and Virtual Reality | Practical Ethics - Practical Ethics

The US Army has delayed a massive rollout of Microsoft's HoloLens virtual reality headsets.

The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) project kicked off in 2018 with tests of HoloLens headgear in the hope the VR goggles would "increase lethality by enhancing the ability to detect, decide and engage before the enemy". That deal saw $480M flow to Microsoft and doubled its HoloLens sales.

The Army clearly like what it virtually saw, because in March 2021 it moved from prototype to production and "rapid fielding". Microsoft said the deal could be worth as much as $22 billion.

On Thursday, the project was paused, without much of an explanation.

"The Army decided to shift the IVAS Operational Test and fielding to a date later in FY22," reads an announcement from Project Executive Office Soldier, a part of the US Army dedicated to procurement and equipping soldiers.

While the statement does not offer a reason for delays in the project, it includes this sentiment: "This decision allows the Army and Industry team to continue to enhance the IVAS technology platform ensuring Soldiers achieve overmatch in Multi Domain Operations."

The document also reveals: "Army conducted an Adversarial Electronic Warfare and Cybersecurity Test in September 2021 and plans to execute testing regularly throughout FY22."

Might those words suggest that work to date has not gone as well as hoped?

Microsoft's fighting fit HoloLens as used in IVAS.Click to enlarge

Whatever the state of the project, the statement assures us that the Army "is fully committed to its partnership with Microsoft to advance specific technologies to meet operational requirements and maximize warfighter impact." It all sounds very comforting.

The statement also offers a new timeline for the project, with operational tests scheduled for May 2022 and the first operational unit equipped with IVAS kit scheduled to go into action in September of the same year.

And what if there is no theatre of combat in which US warfighters can achieve overmatch, maximize impact and increase lethality by September next year? Sadly, history tells us it won't be long before something comes along.

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US Army slows ~$20bn project to put Microsoft's HoloLens VR headsets into the field - The Register