Category Archives: Virtual Reality

The UnitedStates mayhave unrealized opportunities to accelerate broad benefits fromvirtual reality (VR) technology. Especially when viewed through the lens of international competition, U.S. efforts to organize and stimulate the VR industry have been relatively small. Moreover, the lack of concentrated support and attention could risk enabling various threats from competing nations.

Although VR has been used extensively in the entertainment industry, it has a broad array of potentialapplicationsthat span various economic sectors, with relevance to public and national security interests. These applications includelaw-enforcement training, empathy training,military situation awareness,health treatment, data analysis,counterterrorism, travel, cultural awareness, and more. VR is not only entertaining people; it is ultimately helping save lives. But, as evidenced by relatively lowadoptionrates, the industry has not yet reached its potential. One reason for this lack of more pervasive use is that many consumers areunfamiliarwiththe technologyand uninformed about the utility it provides outside of the entertainment industry.

The deficiency in stimulating the VR industry is compounded by significant and increasingcompetition from China. Chinese president Xi Jinping has expressed significant appreciation forthe value of VR, noting that new technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality are developing by leaps and bounds and that the combination of the virtual economy and the real economy will bring revolutionary changes to our way of work and way of life.

The fact that China views VR as a central and significant technology should turn heads in the United States. Americans could easily look to the past to see an example of why it would be a mistake not to foster growth with this technology.

In the late 1990s and the 2000s, analysts missed the fact that the fundamental underpinnings of the technology platforms of companies such as Facebook and Google had the ability to extend past applications limited to entertainment and mild utility, and dramatically reshape the world.Facebook debuted as a somewhat unimportant platform exclusively for college students.As the company began to surpass its competitors, most policy analysts and investors initially ignored it. For all intents and purposes, social media seemed like an entertainment issue that was insignificant outside of the investment paradigm.Google was similar in this regard.People were certainly interested in how Google was growing financially, but there was minimal concern about its potential impact on social structures and policy.

Like social media, VR could have a substantial impact on the global economy across multiple sectors. Thus, providing leadership in this field could be important both in terms of economics and public policy. While the United States has an early lead in VR development and applications, there could bethree primary reasonsfor concern with respect to competition from China.First, Xi Jinping shows significantinterestin this technology, which can have substantial implications in terms of development and adoption.Appearanceslike photo ops at Chinese VR facilities are a strong sign of his support of this technology, ensuring continued investment and public interest in VR. The structure of Chinas government provides Xi a unique ability to pick technologies as focal points and quickly mobilize relevant sectors of the economy. Xis attention has already produced two public-private strategic industry partnerships to organize the industry, and it has spurred VRs inclusion in notable policy initiatives such asMade in China 2025and the13th Five-Year Plan.

Furthermore, China has releasedpolicy guidelinesspecifically for VR. Second, China, which already has a large domestic market, has stoked interestin the technology by creating over3,000VR arcades across the country, and which could help drive demand for more serious applications, as users become acclimated to VR hardware. The advantage tied tothe size of the domestic market is compounded by Chinas ability to achieve widespread distribution for relatively low prices.Third, China has an effective system for organizing its industrial base and establishing supply chains.China has developed what it is calling VR Towns, also known as VR Cities. So far two cities have been chosen as VR Towns with both in the early stages of development. EachVRtownwill employ a multitude of VR applications in a variety of fields such as the medical, education, business, design, and entertainment fields. Also, the town will have industrial parks that help connect different points of the VR supply chain.

Effectively organizing supply chains for emerging technology is especially important, which became evident during the boom of the commercial drone industry. The United States once led this industry but Chinese firm Da Jiang Innovations now dominates it, controlling over70 percentof the global commercial drone market.Part of this dominance is due to the construction ofindustrial parksthat collocate multiple components of the supply chain, particularly parts that would otherwise come from distant and disparate locations.As a result, a drone prototype that takes two weeks to make in the United States can be produced in a single day in Shenzhen, the center of Chinas attempt to organize technology supply chains.In turn, this consolidated process provides a50 percent to 60 percentcost advantage when it comes to manufacturing components.This is a lethal combination for competitors, and the VR Towns China is setting up could serve the same purpose.

These three concerns could lead toChina achieving dominanceover the United States with respect to VR technology.The large domestic market and adoption rates create a heavy demand for content and hardware, which will drive the market.Xis personal attention likely ensures that there will be ample resources, specifically labor and capital, to fuel the industry.Finally, the industrial parks provide a way to shorten the turnaround time on prototypes and cut costs.If China can generate more demand for Chinese products and provide these products at lower prices and faster rates, then it will compete with the United States in this sector more aggressively and may reap the benefits more effectively.

Given the potential value of VR as a tooland the increasing competition from Chinathe United States could focus more energy on advancing VR in a coordinated fashion. The United States does not direct industrial development the way China does because it is not a command economy. However, the United States has forged public-private partnerships by creating research institutes for different industries.The manufacturing industry is a prime example.The National Network for Manufacturing Innovation, also known asManufacturing USA, is a series of interconnected research institutes that use public-private partnerships to drive the development of innovative manufacturing technologies.This network was created through the effort of several federal agencies including the Defense Department and the National Science Foundation and backed with a large financial investment.Establishing a research institute with an increased ability to organize supply chains across companiesmight enable the United States to better compete internationally with VR capabilities. More importantly, such a partnership might encourage U.S. developers and distributors to visualize the future of the VR industry as a whole. Otherwise, America risks missing an opportunity to excel internationally with a valuable and broadly applicable emerging technology.

William Shumate is an assistant policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

Tim Marler is a senior research engineer at RAND and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

Image: Reuters

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Reality Check: China Is Paving a Path Toward the Virtual Future - The National Interest

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That changed last year in the pandemic. As people lived more of their lives digitally, they started buying more VR headsets. VR hardware sales shot up, led by Facebooks Oculus Quest 2, a headset that was introduced last fall, according to the research firm IDC. To build on the momentum, Facebook on Thursday introduced a virtual-reality service called Horizon Workrooms. The product, which is free for Quest 2 owners to download, offers a virtual meeting room where people using the headsets can gather as if they were at an in-person work meeting. The participants join with a customizable cartoon avatar of themselves. Interactive virtual white boards line the walls so that people can write and draw things as in a physical conference room. The product is another step toward what Facebook sees as the ultimate form of social connection for its 3.5 billion users. One way or another, I think were going to live in a mixed-reality future, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, said at a media round table that was conducted this week in virtual reality using Workrooms.

At the event, the avatars of Zuckerberg and roughly a dozen Facebook employees, reporters and technical support staff assembled in what looked like an open and well-lit virtual conference room. Zuckerbergs avatar sported a long-sleeve Henley shirt in a dark Facebook blue. (My avatar had a checkered red flannel shirt.) Since Workrooms show participants only as floating torsos seated around a wooden desk, no one worried about picking out a pair of pants. Facebook was early to virtual reality. In 2014, it paid $2 billion to buy the headset start-up Oculus VR. At the time, Zuckerberg promised that the technology would enable you to experience the impossible. The deal jump-started a wave of acquisitions and funding in virtual reality. Investment in VR start-ups swelled, while companies like HTC and Sony also promised VR headsets for the masses. Microsoft developed the HoloLens, which were hologram-projecting glasses.

But the hype fizzled fast. The first generation of most VR hardware including Facebooks Oculus Rift was expensive. Almost all of the headsets required users to be tethered to a personal computer. There were no obvious killer apps to attract people to the devices. Worse still, some people got nauseated after using the products. The next generation of VR headsets focused on lowering costs. Samsungs Gear VR, Google Cardboard and Google Daydream all asked consumers to strap on goggles and drop in their smartphones to use as VR screens. Those efforts also failed, because smartphones were not powerful enough to deliver an immersive virtual reality experience.

To adjust, some companies began pitching virtual reality not for the masses but for narrower fields. Magic Leap, a start-up that promoted itself as the next big thing in augmented reality computing, shifted to selling VR devices to businesses. Microsoft has gone in a similar direction, with a particular focus on military contracts, though it has said it is absolutely still working toward a mainstream consumer product. Technology that gives you this sense of presence is like the holy grail of social experiences, and what I think a company like ours was designed to do over time, Zuckerberg said.

The writer is a journalist with NYT2021

The New York Times

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Facebook's new bet on virtual reality: Conference rooms - DTNEXT

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) Going virtual is a term that weve used a lot lately, and nearly every company, agency, and school has incorporated virtual as a means to keep things moving. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has introduced virtual reality into its nursing program. We started looking at virtual options last March and April when COVID really hit and everything had to shut down, says Simulation Coordinator Mitch Luker.

A $2.5M grant from the Department of Education is helping make this new technology possible. We really find the value in it, as we are facing a few different issues being the COVID pandemic, explains Luker. The pandemic affected medical facilities and the clinical portion of the nursing program. The problem becomes losing our clinical sites because our hospitals and long-term care facilities werent able to let us come, Luker adds.

The Green Bay Police Department incorporated virtual reality into their training program for sworn personnel a while ago, provided through Axon. It is a de-escalation scenario tool. Its more advanced and interactive in the sense that the trainer has an idea of whats going on and gives the trainer the idea or the option to intervene/modify the scenario, explains Lieutenant Rick Belanger.

Local Departments like Green Bay are looking to expand and update their training programs to adjust to the current climate of the areas they serve. Axon, which provides virtual reality and body-worn cameras, is reportedly in the process of upgrading the Green Bay software. One of the biggest things in my career is de-escalation. You take the mental health component and the ability for an Officer to show up to the scene, says Belanger.

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NWTC using virtual reality in nursing program - WeAreGreenBay.com

Reimagining Mental Health Care Via the Neurological Power of Virtual Reality

While the physical toll of COVID-19 dominates headlines, the pandemics impact on global mental health is an underreported, ticking time bomb that providers and insurers will be defusing for years to come. Anxiety rates have tripled since 2019; so too have depression diagnoses. Mental health professionals are stretched thinner than ER-workers, but there is no vaccine that they can inject into arms to slow the spread of COVID-related mental illness. Something has to change. As the Delta variant exacerbates uncertainty around physical presence, and employers struggle to welcome back workers who must transition their professional and personal lives to the latest version of normal, our health care system would be acting neglectfully in believing the status quo can handle:

Where Is the Solution?

Crises give rise to innovation. They create moments where mindsets open to new ways of solving critical problems. Unlikely teams form and new ideas are born. At BehaVR, we have created a way to utilize virtual reality, known by most as a transformative gaming technology, to transform how mental health care is delivered. By bringing together foremost thinkers in digital health, neuroscience, bio-pharma, health systems, public health, and academia, we are harnessing the unique neurological power of VR to supplement and scale mental health delivery. In June of 2021 research published in Nature Neuroscience described how VR can impact the brain on a deep level, impacting theta rhythms responsible for memories and emotions, helping to sharpen cognition and learn faster. Scientific breakthroughs like this, layered on to a body of research growing every day, will enable us to help millions build short-term coping skills and long-term resiliency.

We can deliver quality care to more people at lower cost via VR programs that work via neuroplasticity in the brain to lay down new neural pathways that transform how we respond to triggers, stressors and trauma. In BehaVRs programs, we are transported into an immersive environment where we are engaged with learning and therapeutic experiences that lead us out of the chronic activation of our stress response and toward finding new ways to manage our stress, anxiety and fear.

BehaVR is Creating Life-Changing Care Experiences with the Power to Reach Everyone

What does treatment look like in this new therapeutic realm? At the core of each BehaVR program is the SAFE protocol (Stress, Anxiety, and Fear Extinction). Users step into a world where their attention is captured and the brains four learning centers are activated. Here, they have the opportunity to engage, anywhere, anytime, in an evidence-based platform where they can learn to build their lifelong coping skills.

A few examples of how were bringing this vision to life:

We are just scratching the surface of the potential applications of VR by giving millions of people the agency to improve their mental health long-term, inexpensively and conveniently, while also creating new ways of accessing and experiencing mental health care that empowers and educates people in a capacity limited system. We hope youll come along with us on this journey and not accept the status quo. We can now do better, together.

About the Author

Aaron Gani is the founder and CEO of BehaVR, LLC, creating digital therapeutics for behavioral health through the unmatched neurological power of Virtual Reality. Gani has been creating applications and experiences with technology throughout his career in healthcare and financial services, up to and including serving as Chief Technology Officer of Humana, a Fortune 50 managed care organization.

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Reimagining Mental Health Care Via the Neurological Power of Virtual Reality - FierceHealthcare

Dallas Tech Guru launches eBook to define new age of learning

DENTON, Texas, Aug. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new need for virtual learning. CEO of From the Future, Mike Christian, has written an educational eBook about the solutions and benefits that Virtual Reality can provide to students and educators. Christian goes into detail about the potential impact of immersive learning from the digitization of formal approaches to education, such as learning by doing, to gifting students and instructors with virtual superpowers.

How Virtual Reality Will Revolutionize Training and Education

The How Virtual Reality Will Revolutionize Training and Education eBook is available now. To request your free copy and learn more about VR, visit http://www.FTFVR.com.

How Virtual Reality Will Revolutionize Training and Education was written from a futurist's perspective. Christian draws on decades of experience creating virtual worlds and developing VR applications for training, therapy, and rehabilitation to clearly communicate the potential of this new medium. You will not only learn how VR will enhance training and education but also how it might hold the key to developing heightened intelligence.

"It takes quite a while, and quite a lot of iterations to create a mental model when you are trying to learn," says author and CEO Mike Christian. "In virtual reality, all of that is done for you. Education that takes weeks could take days, education that takes days could take hours, or even minutes."

According to Pew Research Center, the amount of individuals that were working from home before the COVID-19 outbreak was approximately 20%. That metric is now at 70%, with 36% of them reporting that they are choosing to not return to their place of work. This ever evolving environment around employment is just one example of why this eBook has become an invaluable tool.

About From The Future

From the Future creates custom, next generation VR applications with unlimited possibilities for sales, training, education, therapy, and more. FTF is a leader in developing highly engaging and interactive virtual reality software, and has been creating virtual environments for decades. Their latest experience is the DRIVE (Distributed Real-time Interactive Virtual Environment) platform and the Hololab Training system designed to deliver revolutionary efficiency and effectiveness in learning.

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Justin Mullin Vice President, Business Development 844.777/3748 ex. 777 Jmullin@FTFvr.com

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Virtual Reality to Revolutionize Remote Education and Training - Yahoo Finance

One of the most popular new innovations weve seen in recent years has been virtual reality (VR) technology.

While many might associate virtual reality with games or leisure activities, a growing field of research suggests it can be an incredibly valuable tool in dealing with a range of mental health issues.

After completing a PhD and focusing on the long-term effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), clinical neuroscientist and ex-soldier Dr Tia Cummins felt that there could be a far better way to help people suffering from these types of debilitating conditions by using technology.

This led Dr Cummins and her co-founder, developer Pete Martin, to set up Flintworks, a platform that uses virtual reality-based exposure therapy to assist psychologists with the clinical treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

For the past 20 years, theres been a lot of research on the use of virtual reality for exposure therapy because you can fully immerse somebody into an environment that you wouldnt usually be able to put them in, she said.

Whether thats phobia-related issues or even if you were to put them into a virtual room filled with spiders, thats not something that a psychologist can generally organise.

What were doing is building VR software that will allow a clinical psychologist to simulate the trauma that their client has gone through in this immersive 3D world.

For example, a client will be sitting in the office with a psychologist, theyll be talking through the parts of the trauma that theyre comfortable to talk through and the psychologist will be sitting with an app and theyll be able to drag and drop different objects into this virtual world so that the client whos got the headset on can slowly re-experience their trauma.

Dr Cummins unique blend of military and scientific expertise paired with Martins 20 years of experience in digital product design, and specialism in emergent technologies, such as VR, position the pair well to take advantage of this market.

In fact, Dr Cummins says that Flintworks also has the capacity to go beyond simply creating a virtual environment and can be interactive.

We also pair the product with wearables whats known as biofeedback, so the psychologist is able to see someones heart rate variability, and judge their level of discomfort, she says.

If somebodys got the headset on and they are going through quite a traumatic event, their heart rate variability would change and the software that were building allows the psychologist to see that and then pair down the digital representation if the clients getting too stressed out.

Treatments using virtual reality represent a huge leap forward in the industry, but it is not without its challenges.

We are working with quite a conservative field so the field of medicine naturally doesnt want to cause any more harm, says Dr Cummins.

I think trying to make sure that weve got something thats not overly disruptive because if its disruptive psychologists will just say no.

Also it needs to be something that doesnt look like its replacing anyones jobs. As soon as you sort of say theres technology involved, people can sort of go, Oh, my God. A machines going to replace me. And thats definitely not what were doing, weve really tried to push the whole idea that this is a companion tool, this is the same way a psychologist might have a notebook and pen.

Given this type of treatment is very new and using the pre-seed investment Flintworks recently secured from VC firm Antler, Dr Cummins believes Flintworks is well positioned to become an industry leader.

Because we fit within the field of digital therapeutics, which is a fairly new concept, I would say that by 2026 we will be the leader in digital therapeutics, which means that well be the go-to for mental health practitioners when they want to use technology to help their patients, she says.

For now that will be virtual reality, within a couple of years well have other products on the go as well so I would like us to be the trusted source that can be used to make clinical mental healthcare a lot more effective.

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This neuroscientist and ex-soldier's startup uses virtual reality to treat PTSD and other mental health conditions - Startup Daily

A tech company on the edge of Coventry is planning to open its own virtual reality venues after supplying international entertainment giants for more than 15 years.

If plans come to fruition it would enable people to experience safaris, alien invasions and dinosaurs in virtual worlds - and more besides.

Meriden-based Hollywood Gaming has become a market leader in providing effects using its hardware and software solutions working with the likes of Hasbro, Paramount Pictures, Sony and EA on games distributed by Sega Amusements to arcades and family entertainment centres around the world.

READ MORE: Fire crews to remain at Prologis Park fire for 'a number of days'

The business is led by directors Malcolm Barnes and Mark Evans and employs a handful of people who help make experiences come to life.

Now, after being supported by the University of Warwick Science Parks Business Ready programme, the company is developing a new area of the business, Immersive Hollywood, where it will open venues of its own and provide unique multi-sensory visitor experiences.

Business Ready is a programme that delivers support to expanding businesses and is managed by the business support team at the University of Warwick Science Park.

It is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council as part of the CW Business: Start, Grow & Scale Programme.

The company, which was founded in 2005, is currently mapping out that expansion and will look to raise around 800,000 in investment to get that side of the business off the ground and is already scoping locations where it could open its own venue experiences.

Hollywood Gaming is working with a team of scriptwriters to help create the narratives for the new experiences, which Malcolm forecasts will cost around 30 per person to play.

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The experiences currently being mapped out are a safari, alien invasion and dinosaur world.

Each would use the same physical props but, by tailoring the virtual reality and other 4D elements such as smells, motion and wind, every experience would be different despite taking place in the same place.

Malcolm said: We believe that our experience and skills in this area give us a great platform to create our own venues and our own experiences.

The plan would be to make them interchangeable so you could have a horror game running for one group of visitors and then change that to be something children friendly using the same props but with a different narrative and different reality experiences.

As well as extended reality, our games will be brought to life with props and also tapping into other senses such as touch and smell, which is what helps to set them apart from ordinary virtual reality experiences.

This kind of experience is normally reserved for major cities like London but we want to bring it to the masses both through location and through our price points, which make them much more accessible for people.

It wont just be a 30-minute experience, the story will start before visitors have even arrived and will offer a great day out for family and friends.

The company has plans to expand into strategic locations in the UK before expanding to Europe and North America.

Gaynor Matthews, a Business Ready adviser, has been working with Hollywood Gaming on how to position itself within the marketplace and better explain what it does to different groups whether thats business to business or business to consumer for its new venues.

Gaynor has been really helpful, said Malcolm. We approached Business Ready in around August of 2020 and as well as supporting us around the way we can market ourselves, she has been a really big support from a business mentorship point of view.

I am big believer in tapping into other peoples knowledge and specialist skills and Gaynor has been great at introducing us to other mentors for support, which has helped to move us onto this stage.

We are grateful for the help weve received from Business Ready in getting us this far and cant wait to launch our first venue.

Gaynor said: We are delighted to have supported the team at Hollywood Gaming as it embarks on its expansion.

Business Ready is here to help companies which are ready to grow and take that next step. Hollywood Gaming is a great example of that.

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Gaming company on edge of Coventry reveals exciting plans for virtual reality venues - Coventry Live

19 August 2021, 14:02

In a virtual reality experience far, far away... a Star Wars mash-up masterpiece is born.

Take one John Williams-loving pianist, add the Star Wars soundtrack, six costume changes and a camera that films it all in glorious 360-degree virtual reality and what do you get?

A spine-tingling, immersive performance as epic as George Lucas legendary space opera itself.

Watch as Chris The Pianist soars between Williams most iconic Star Wars compositions, including the triumphant main theme, the foreboding Imperial March, Princess Leias Theme and even the chipper Cantina Band.

And the best part is, you can experience it all in interactive, 360-degree virtual reality. The force is strong with this virtuoso.

Read more: Darth Vader gatecrashes a classical concert, stays for Imperial March

During the medley, which is titled The Piano Awakens, Chris takes on the guise of a Jedi, Sith Lord, stormtrooper, and everyones favourite smuggler and scoundrel, Han Solo.

As the viewer, we get to experience the entire performance from whichever angle we fancy. We recommend rotating the video to catch a glimpse of other Star Wars characters.

Read more: Orchestra interrupts Prokofiev with Imperial March in hilarious prank on conductor

Wow! Really made me feel like I was Yoda sitting on the piano overseeing Lukes training! one person commented on the YouTube video.

But if youd rather watch the medley without the virtual reality aspect, Chris has uploaded that version too.

Chris writes in the video description: To fight off the empire, Luke must use his force powers to manipulate the evil eye of the camera that captures the whole of the piano.

We must all help subscribe to fight off the evil empire!

The performance was first uploaded in 2015, and has amassed over 80,000 views since.

Much talent, you have. Watch this video again, we shall.

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A Star Wars piano medley meets 360-degree virtual reality, and the force is strong - Classic FM

Virtual reality has been a common topic in film. But as technology has evolved, so has the way in which it is depicted.

Freeguy is the latest in a long line of films which discuss the concept of virtual reality to some degree. In fact virtual reality has been a very popular topic in film ever since the 1990s. It is one of those concepts which has not yet come to full realization in our real, actual lives (at least in terms of how it has traditionally been depicted in cinema), yet is intriguing enough to capture our attention on film. And just like the depiction of space travel in film before space travel itself became possible, it will be interesting to see how the film interpretations of virtual reality compare to the real thing if/when it becomes available.

Virtual reality is the idea of replacing a persons sensory inputs with those that are created artificially, such as by a computer. Certainly technology exists today which mimics virtual reality, but those devices dont fully replicate reality in terms of full sensory input. VR devices like Oculus Rift give you some sensation of entering an alternate reality, but you still maintain sensory connections with the real world. Real virtual reality wont be possible until you can physically leave your body behind and travel to a new place with only your mind/consciousness.

The initial ideas which would later lead to the concept of virtual reality were first discussed in the 1950s. Several inventors were looking for ways to enhance a persons experience when watching a film or viewing an image. At first they simply figured out ways to block out external stimulations headphones, helmets, even special booths you would use to watch films. As technology developed, these types of devices could become more sophisticated. With the advent of computers, companies began making flight simulators and driving simulators. Over time the technology became portable.

The advance of computers inspired the idea of a true virtual reality as we see most often in works of science fiction. In most of these cases a person is able to become fully immersed in a reality that was replicated by a computer. Video game manufacturers such as Atari began research programs to develop this technology for their products. Although this effort did lead to many technological breakthroughs, it still paled in comparison with what our minds could envision for the full potential of virtual reality.

Those ideas began showing up in literature in the early 60s. In film, the earliest example of what we recognize as virtual reality was discussed in the 1973 TV movie World on a Wire, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film is based on a novel where a virtual reality is created for marketing purposes, to help companies simulate consumer appeal towards new products. A sophisticated supercomputer runs a simulation of reality, complete with characters who dont realize they are living in a virtual world.

The crux of the story is when strange events start to occur, and the main character begins to suspect that he is existing in a virtual reality. This idea of different layers of reality was certainly decades ahead of its time. It is fascinating to me how someone predicted the potential of computers to generate an artificial reality, especially given the rudimentary status of computers at that time.

This begins the idea of virtual reality being a tool which can be misused. As much as it can be a fun and interesting thing, it can also be used by powerful people to manipulate the weak. This is a very ground-breaking concept which later films like The Matrix would explore even further. And although it would take another 20 years before film caught on to this idea, it showcased the type of entertaining ideas which were possible with the concept of virtual reality.

Another early film mimicking virtual reality worth mentioning is 1982s Tron. In this film the character is pulled into a computer. But rather than experiencing an artificial reality, he experiences the reality of the inner workings of a computer. So, on one hand it really wasnt virtual reality as we would later think of it, but it was an important step in that direction. Most importantly, Tron reinforced the idea of virtual reality being perpetrated by a computer.

In many ways the visual production of Tron is what would ignite Hollywoods fascination with virtual reality in the 1990s. While Tron was ground-breaking for its time, it pales in comparison with what can be achieved today with computer animation compare it with the 2010 sequel Tron: Legacy. Still, the futuristic special effects in the 1982 film showcased the potential of film to be used as an aspect of virtual reality itself. By using special effects, film could create realities that were not possible in real life.

In fact, Tron was one of the first films to utilize 3-dimensional CGI. It was very rudimentary, but at that time there was nothing else like it. The lack of sophistication worked because at that time we associated a lack of realism with computers anyway. Companies like Pixar may have seen the potential of computers to eventually generate photo-realistic imagery, but the general public didnt yet see computers as being capable of tricking our minds into believing fake things are real. Over time that would change. Movies like Jurassic Park and The Matrix would be among the first films to change our perceptions of what computer-generated special effects could do.

Soon our perspective on special effects in film changed from looking at how closely special effects got to appearing real, to how far away they were. In the past we would praise a film for how close it got to mimicking reality. These days with sophisticated computers we criticize a film if it doesnt have perfectly photo-realistic special effects. In many ways, audiences now demand a virtual reality experience from their films. This change is thanks to the increased sophistication of computers and artistic/editing software over time.

Lawnmower Man was the next evolution of virtual reality in film. This version of the technology would more closely resemble the virtual reality which would be utilized heavily in the 1990s in films such as Virtuosity, Brainscan, eXistenz, and Arcade. In all these cases, virtual reality was depicted as not just a novelty, but a potentially deadly force of (human) nature. Many of these films tied in the contemporary interest of video games. They feature characters who were drawn into these virtual realities, and essentially trapped there. In many ways 1995s Jumanji could also be considered a movie that deals with a virtual reality.

Lawnmower Man, Virtuosity, and eXistenZ focused on virtual reality as an important technological development. The virtual reality in each of these films is developed for one reason, but it becomes mis-used or manipulated to benefit someone for a different reason. In all these cases there is a fear of the technology and its capabilities. Characters are often drawn in against their will, or at least without realizing what is happening to them. Very clearly there was a cautionary outlook towards the potential of virtual reality.

By the end of the 90s, concepts of virtual reality were becoming more advanced and multi-dimensional. Instead of characters being held captive by virtual reality itself, we would soon see nefarious entities utilizing virtual reality to capture or at least pacify their adversaries. In other words, virtual reality moved from being in essence a sentient entity or character by itself to becoming a tool utilized by characters in the film.

This is most easily seen in films like The Matrix or Vanilla Sky. In The Matrix, the majority of the human species is being held in a state of capacity by plugging our minds into a virtual reality simulation of the real world. In Vanilla Sky, the main character is placed in a state of suspension because of his deteriorating physical state, while his mind lives in a virtual reality to prevent him from dying.

Two other important films from this era which touch on aspects of virtual reality while giving the idea a unique twist are Total Recall, and Strange Days. In both of these films, the traditional idea of a character entering virtual reality is reversed. Instead of having them enter a computer-generated virtual reality, these films show how virtual reality can be placed into a persons mind. In Total Recall, this is done through memories. In Strange Days, people are able to have experiences that other people have recorded. In both cases, characters experience a false reality that is not necessarily generated by a computer as it would have in more traditional depictions of virtual reality.Inceptionis similar in that the virtual reality the characters travel to is someone elses dream.

Interestingly, films dealing with aspects of virtual reality after the mid 00s would explore this concept with a blend of ideas from the more traditional virtuality films of the 90s and those that had more novel approaches. Movies like Gamer, Enders Game, Spy Kids 3D: Game Over, and Ready Player One ran with the idea of virtual reality being tied into a video-game like experience. But at the same time those films approached the video-game aspect in a more modern way

Ready Player One especially showcases an updated prediction for where virtual reality could be headed, but with ideas added in such as MMO games, microtransactions, and an increased connection between real-life and video games. This is virtual reality commercialized in a manner that makes sense for 2020. Here, the technology itself is not necessarily dangerous it is about who is controlling the technology. We see the shift away from the potential of computers being this frightening thing we dont understand, to the fear of humanity misusing the technology they do understand.

Furthermore, its not even about an overreliance on technology anymore. In earlier films, characters become obsessed with the technology of virtual reality. They cant escape it because it grants them things they cant achieve in real life. In Ready Player One, almost the entire world is already obsessed with the technology. It has been absorbed into our culture. This shows the development of our real society over time. Everyone now has a computer in their pocket which can accomplish unfathomable things to a person from 1980. Ready Player One showcases how that infiltration of computers into our everyday life has changed our perspective of technology. We now have socioeconomic concerns relating to computers, rather than just technological concerns that stem from not fully comprehending its capabilities.

It may be many years before we can plug ourselves into a virtual-reality system like The OASIS in Ready Player One, but aspects of virtual reality have proliferated many different aspects of our everyday lives. It is important to consider the development of special effects in film as an aspect of creating a more realistic differentiation with our real lives. Certainly a person viewing a film is not going to confuse the events of a film with real life, but that doesnt mean filmmakers wont strive to make it seem as realistic as possible. Going further, consider the ways we utilize video/film as a method to document and monitor real life. Having technology to modify or alter those recordings convincingly suddenly has the capability to change perspectives of people who rely on those media. So even though it isnt virtual reality it is accomplishing the same goal by mimicking real life with the help of a computerized tool.

For many years, CGI-generated human characters in live action films or other film-media have lagged behind CGI-created effects in other areas. Because we are so familiar with our own anatomy, it is easier for us to spot a CGI-rendered human that isnt real. For many years this was one of the most complicated aspects of special effects. We could create entire cities out of CGI that looked as if we could step through the screen and inhabit them, and yet couldnt figure out how to de-age Robert De Niro in Scorseses latest gangster flick.

Right now we are on the cusp of breaking through that barrier. Already sophisticated deep-fake software can recreate any person in almost perfect visual detail. Well be able to resurrect dead people with perfect fidelity. Well be able to have an actor seamlessly portray a young child and an elderly man in the same film, and we wont be able to tell the actors real age. Well see gruesome violence in more shocking detail than is necessary, and it will be possible for A-list actors to depict the glory years of their youth onscreen for decades.

Motion capture has come a long way to help provide a realism to these CGI-characters. Each of those roles is an opportunity for computers to study the movement of the human body in order to replicate it on film more realistically. Eventually we will come to the point where a computer can visually simulate the body of a human perfectly without the need for an actor to wear a bright green suit with dots all over it. And once we are able to create the image of a person realistically in a simulated 3D environment, what is next? Voices, personalities? Will we have computers capable of creating extras or even entire main characters for use in film?

Virtual reality concepts have long interested us, and that is why they have found their way into so many of our films. While this fascination with escaping our own reality has transformed over time along with the technology utilized in our day-to-day lives, it still remains an aspect of science fiction rather than science fact. As our understanding of technology has improved, it has opened up new opportunities and questions which were not apparent before. We come to understand what is and is not a realistic concern regarding the application of virtual reality technology, and our films have changed their use of this concept accordingly. Yet, no matter how much our technology has developed, at least to me it still feels like the idea of a completely virtual reality is still a long way off. So although we may never get to enjoy the true benefit of this technology, at least we have film to show us what it could look like.

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The Evolution of Virtual Reality in Film - Cinelinx

Virtual reality will be one of the key emerging technologies that can be deployed to help augment and improve access to healthcare, experts at HIMSS21 Digital said.

In a panel moderated by Michael Crawford, associate dean for strategy, outreach and innovation at Howard University, Brennan Spiegel, director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai Health System, and Megan Brydon, PACS applications specialist, diagnostic imaging, at IWK Health, discussed the mainstreaming of virtual reality, including the addition of gamification to increase engagement.

However, it was noted by both panelists that there is apprehension about adding yet another layer of tech to an overwhelmed healthcare workforce.

Weve been using VR for the past six years, treating more than 6,000 patients with VR, and were constantly learning how to use VR for patient care, Spiegel said. Weve been focused on acute pain and managing chronic pain, and science isnt the barrier anymore, its about who will pay for this stuff, and whos the clinician in charge of all this.

Brydon pointed to the increasing success of VR as a tool to help provoke an emphatic response, particularly looking at formal and informal (family) care providers.

We found VR was able to leverage and provide resources to a lot of individuals who are really feeling the burden of caring for family members and friends, and the idea that we can build these skills is really valuable, she said.

Spiegel pointed to use cases for VR that include therapeutic opportunities for chronic pain, cognitive behavioral therapy and mental health, particularly for those in rural areas who may not have easy access to physical healthcare and trained physicians.

We can bring that therapy into someones home, and every day they can have a session with the equivalent of a pain psychologist but in a VR headset, he said.

Brydon noted that a major benefit of VR-based care, be it therapeutic or otherwise, is that it allows you to access it wherever you are a benefit not limited to rural areas.

If youre at work or at home, it provides you with that access, she noted. Were at a point where people have access to phones, and if we can go through those channels, as things get better, faster and smaller, we can do more in that small space, and have that VR bedside or wherever you happen to be. That goes for patients as well as providers.

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Virtual reality offers new opportunities for care and empathy - Healthcare IT News