- 1. The virtual reality market was worth $7.9 billion<\/strong> in 2018<\/strong>.<\/li>
- 2. 88%<\/strong> of all virtual reality hardware sold is smartphone-based.<\/li>
- 3. As many as 79% of people trying VR<\/strong> say they would like to try it again.<\/li>
- 4. Only 4% <\/strong>of surveyed young adults (ages 14-17) say they are not interested in VR at all.<\/li>
- 5. As of December 2019, Amazon has over 9000<\/strong> products listed in the Virtual Reality category.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Timeline of VR Tech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
While VR tech has only very recently entered the mass market and become viable for the general public to use, it has seen a very long developmental cycle. Before moving into exploring the fascinating virtual world, let\u2019s take a brief look into the precursor of modern VR tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hub.pfind.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/VR-Girl.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n1. The first\nmention of VR in human history was by a fiction author in 1930: <\/strong>Stanley Weinbaum, a very well regarded science fiction author, first\npredicted VR in the year 1930. He wrote a short story titled \u2018Pygmalion\u2019s\nSpectacles,\u2019 where he talked about a set of goggles that the user could use to\nexperience virtual worlds. He mentioned how, by using holograms, the user could\nexperience smell, taste, and touch as well as sight and sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Sutori)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The first\nsuccessful attempt to create a virtual environment was in 1962: <\/strong>Visionary\ninventor and cinematographer Morton Heilig, wanted his audience to get to\nexperience the scenes that he had captured. To this end, he built his\n\u2018Sensorama\u2019 booth. It was a machine that the user could put their head into,\nand it played a 3D film, along with stereo sound, aromas, and a wind machine\nblowing into their faces. This created a never seen before sensory experience\nthat is widely hailed as the first virtual reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Engadget)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. True\nvirtual reality debuted in 1968 with the Sword of Damocles: <\/strong>All the\nattempts at VR before the Sword of Damocles were essentially just pre-recorded\nfootage being shown back to the user, or the user controlling remote cameras.\nThe Sword of Damocles, on the other hand, was a wearable headset that was\nlinked to a computer. This computer could generate true virtual worlds, albeit\nvery primitive ones, with wireframe rooms and objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: The Next Billion Seconds)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. 1987 saw\nthe first commercially released virtual reality system: <\/strong>Early Virtual\nReality systems were plagued with the issue of not having powerful enough\ncomputers to be able to create convincing virtual worlds. After home, computers\nstarted to get popular, a company named Visual Programming Lab started selling\nthe first virtual reality glasses in 1987. These glasses (called EyePhone HRX)\nand gloves were prohibitively expensive, being sold for $49,000 and $9000,\nrespectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Flashbak)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Virtual\nGaming started in 1991: <\/strong>Virtual Reality is being used extensively for\ngaming in today\u2019s world. It all started off in 1991 with the introduction of\nvirtual reality arcades. These arcades operated solely on VR and were linked\ntogether to enable multiplayer games. Following this, Sega and Nintendo also\ncreated their own VR goggles and games in 1993 and 1995, respectively, though\nSega\u2019s was canceled before release. Unfortunately, all three of this iteration\nof VR gaming were doomed to fail eventually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Virtual Speech)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Oculus\nbreaks the internet: <\/strong>Oculus VR was founded in 2012, with its flagship VR\nheadset named \u2018Rift.\u2019 Oculus Rift launched its Kickstarter campaign in August\n2012 to raise $250,000 but ended up raising $2.4 million. This proved that the\nworld was still interested in VR tech even after it being essentially dead\nsince the failure of Nintendo\u2019s Virtual Boy. Facebook acquired Oculus VR in\n2014 for $2.3 billion, propelling VR into the modern world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Tech Crunch)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applying Virtual Reality <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
While virtual\nreality has become near synonymous with gaming, it has a host of other uses. A\nlot of different industries are exploring the use of VR for a variety of\npurposes, from training to advertisement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here is a look\ninto some of the industries of the world using VR to improve their service and experience\nfor their customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Virtual\nReality Gaming is expected to be worth $70.57 billion in 6 years: <\/strong>VR is\ndefinitely the way forward for the gaming world. With the introduction of\nhighly affordable VR systems in PSVR and Oculus Rift, virtual gaming is more\naccessible than ever. This has led to gaming dominating the market in VR\napplication with an expected growth of 40.1% combined annual growth until 2026\nand be worth around $70.7 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Fortune Business Insights)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Beating\nnicotine addiction with Virtual Reality: <\/strong>MindCotine is a startup company\nwhich offers a proprietary mobile application and a google cardboard-esque\nheadset. They focus on creating a calming and meditative virtual environment in\nwhich smokers to lose themselves. This, they claim, can help smokers in beating\ntheir cravings consistently and eventually help with quitting completely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: MindCotine) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. Go to\nfar-off lands without ever moving an inch: <\/strong>Virtual travel is shaping up to\nbe one of the biggest uses of virtual reality. Pioneered by the Marriot chain\nof hotels, virtual travel aims to create the illusion of traveling to places\nthat people may not be able to go in real life. This was created to incentivize\npeople to purchase travel arrangements with Marriot if they liked the virtual\nexperience. Soon all major hotel chains followed suit, and virtual travel\nemerged as a full-fledged industry. There are now dedicated apps and companies\nwhich aim to create the perfect travel experience for its users without losing\nthe comfort of their couch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: RevFine)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10. Experiencing\nmovies like never before: <\/strong>Movies have gone for being a reel of photos in a\nsmall box controlled by a wheel to being projected onto gigantic screens with\nbeyond lifelike visual clarity and audio. So, the next obvious move for movies\nis into virtual reality. Showcasing this move was the winner for Oscar\u2019s\n\u2018Special Achievement Award\u2019 in 2017, Alejandro G. Inarritu\u2019s Carne y Arena.\nThis award has only been awarded 17 times in the past, most recently to \u2018Toy\nStory,\u2019 which pioneered the way for animated featured to be widely accepted\ninto the modern world. Similarly, we hope Carne y Arena marks an increase in\nthe presence of virtual reality movies in the mainstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Variety) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
11. Playing\nOperation V2:<\/strong> Virtual Reality is increasingly being used for training\nmedical students. It allows students to practice dangerous and difficult\nprocedures without actually putting someone\u2019s life at risk. It also aids\nexperienced surgeons in practicing rarely used surgery techniques before the\nactual surgery to help familiarize them. New advancements even let entirely\ncustom virtual bodies to be built using MRI and CT scans, giving surgeons an\nunprecedented resource to help them understand each patient intimately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Virtual Reality Society)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
12. NASA\nsends repair crews in space with an Xbox controller: <\/strong>Satellites and space\nstations require constant maintenance and repair work to remain fully\nfunctional. Often sending up a dedicated repair crew isn\u2019t financially\nfeasible. This is where NASA uses VR tech to aid them. Using a modified Oculus\nheadset, coupled with an Xbox controller, NASA technicians can perform critical\nrepair operations in space without ever leaving the planet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Houston Press)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
13. US\nsoldiers play Call of Duty to prepare for war:<\/strong> Well, not exactly Call of\nDuty, but the US military is currently developing a VR training program that\nwill allow their soldiers to prepare for war. The realistic combat simulations\nhelp a soldier adapt to the chaos of war much faster than with traditional boot\ncamp methods. They are also trained to operate various deadly machinery and\nvehicles using VR before being allowed to operate the real thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Futurism)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
14. Meeting\nstrangers on the internet:<\/strong> We have always been cautioned against talking to\nstrangers on the internet. However, with the development of new virtual\nchatroom application, we might have to change that moniker to say, \u2018Don\u2019t meet\nstrangers on the internet.\u2019 Virtual chatrooms, as claimed by Facebook, will be\nthe most immersive way for people to interact with online. It allows users to\ncreate their own virtual avatars and meet and interact with other users online.\nImagine a Virtual Club Penguin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: BBC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
15. Designing\nvirtual sofas, building, and cities: <\/strong>Architects have been creating 3D\nmodels of their work to present to clients for decades. However, now, with VR tech\nenabling them, they are able to create models of buildings that their clients\ncan take a walk through before even a single brick is laid. Interior designers\nare extensively using VR tech so they can show their clients what their house\nwill look like before they approve of any modifications. Currently, VR tech\nexists that is powerful enough to simulate entire cities to aid in city\nplanning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Arch Daily)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Virtual Reality in Popular\nCulture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Virtual reality\nhas always been a favored topic of science fiction authors to explore. It\nstarted off in 1930 with Stanley Weinbaum and has only grown in interest since\nthen. Here we look into the most popular and influential examples of virtual\nreality used to great effect in popular culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
16. All of us\nhave taken the Blue Pill: <\/strong>The Matrix was a major touchstone in cinema\nhistory when it comes to stunts and cinematography. However, its plot\ncompletely revolving around Virtual Reality is what caught most of its\naudience\u2019s attention. The concept made them question their own reality and\nspawned near-infinite parodies and references. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: The Matrix)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
17. Recalling\nthe 90s: <\/strong>Total Recall is the epitome of 90s campy action movies. It\nfeatured Arnold\u2019s Schwarzenegger\u2019s life turning upside down when he goes to a\ncompany offering to create a \u2018virtual memory\u2019 for him. He asks to be a secret\nagent and is suddenly thrust into a web of intrigue and danger. Throughout the\nmovie Arnold, and the audience, and constantly forced to question the reality\naround them, making for a pretty great experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Total Recall)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
18. Player\nOne press start: <\/strong>Ready Player One is a cult classic novel written in 2011\nby Ernest Cline. The book is based around a Virtual Reality MMORPG called the\nOASIS. The OASIS is what every single MMORPG in the world aspires to be. It is\nworth a reportedly $5 trillion and is played by 95% of the world\u2019s population.\nThe book got so popular that it got adapted into a feature film in 2018,\ndirected by Stephen Spielberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Ready Player One)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
19. Ending a\ncivilization with a thought:<\/strong> Ender\u2019s Game is another ultra-popular book,\nwritten in 1985 by Orson Scott Card. It features a top of the line military\ntraining program that uses VR Tech to train young strategists for war against\nan alien race known as \u2018The Buggers.\u2019 Due to its status as a cult classic, the\nbook was adapted into a feature film in 2013. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Ender\u2019s Game)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
20. Trekking\nacross the stars on the Holodeck: <\/strong>The holodeck on Star Trek is one of the\nbest-known examples of virtual reality. It features a room that the characters\ncan go into and interact with naturally as if it were real. It is remarkable\nfor one of the very few fictional iterations of the technology to not feature a\nheadset or interface; rather, it is a physical room with tangible holograms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Star Trek)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Virtual Reality\u2019s cousin,\nAugmented Reality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Augmented\nreality is quite similar to Virtual Reality, in the sense that it uses computers\nto generate an environment and immerse its users into it. The key difference is\nthat while VR aims to completely remove the user from the real world and into\nthe virtual, AR just aims to use the virtual world to enhance the real world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Augmented reality\nhas also seen a meteoric rise alongside its cousin. While it isn\u2019t as popular\nas VR, AR also has a whole host of applications, advantages, and disadvantages.\nIt is definitely worth taking a look into AR. First, we\u2019ll explore the history\nof AR, followed by some of its applications in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
21. The first\ndedicated research in Augmented Reality was conducted in 1974: <\/strong>Myron Kruger\ncreated the \u2018Videoplace\u2019 at the University of Connecticut. It was a laboratory\nto explore the possibility of humans interacting with a computer without using\nperipherals. He used projection and camera techniques to create white on black\nsprites that with which a user could interact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: ACM Digital Library)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
22. 1992, the\nUS Airforce created the first Augmented Reality System: <\/strong>The US Airforce was\ninterested in creating a safe control scheme to enable technicians to operate a\nset of robot arms for various purposes. However, they found that the graphics\ntechnology in the 1990s was very primitive and wasn\u2019t able to create\nphotorealistic images that were necessary for the application. They instead\nopted for a system where a camera was mounted in such a way that it would make\nthe user\u2019s vision rest exactly above where the robot arms were positioned. This\ncreated the illusion of the robot’s arms belonging to the user. They then used\ncomputer-generated overlays over the camera\u2019s visuals to aid the user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: HistoryofInformation)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
23. 1994 marked the entrance of AR in entertainment: <\/strong>Julie\nMartin, a writer and producer, is credited with the first instance of\nentertainment relying on AR. She created a theater production titled \u2018Dancing\nin Cyberspace.\u2019 It featured acrobats and dancers performing on stage with\nseveral projected objects on the stage. This show used smoke and advanced\nlighting to create these holograms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Sutori)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
24. 1999 saw the usage of HUD elements by NASA, on the X-38 space\nplane: <\/strong>X-38 was a space Plane developed by NASA for the purpose of being\nused for reusable space travel. They implemented their recently developed AR\nHUD into them. It displayed information directly on the pilot\u2019s windscreen. It\nwas a green overlay that the pilot could use to gauge all their metrics\ninstantly. It was met with overwhelming support by the pilots and is now\nstandard in almost every fighter jet in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Medium)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
25. The face of sports broadcasting changes forever in 2003: <\/strong>Sportvision\nwas a company that specialized in covering a variety of sports using their\nproprietary \u2018SkyCam\u2019 system. This system used overhead footage of the game and\noverlaid it with various graphics and information to aid the viewers. One of\nthe most popular uses of this technology was during races, where they would\noverlay information like the car\u2019s country\/company flag, the number of laps,\nthe number of pitstops, etc. over the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Bloomberg)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
26. Google Glass was introduced to the public in 2014: <\/strong>In\n2014, Google unveiled their newest innovation in AR technology, the Google\nGlass. Glass is a pair of spectacles with an attached processor and a display\nthat projects directly on the lenses of the spectacles. It would work with a\nvariety of Google and third-party applications, and it had a 5MP camera as\nwell. Unfortunately, it was a commercial failure, which prompted Google to\nchange it into an enterprise product and re-release it in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Google)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
27. IKEA changed the retail market completely in 2017: <\/strong>The\nfurniture giant IKEA unveiled their AR app IKEA Place in 2017. It allowed users\nto place virtual furniture in their actual homes to browse the catalog more\nefficiently. It directly led to a huge boom in sales for IKEA. Soon, almost\nevery single consumer product manufacturing company followed suit with apps\nallowing users to test out glasses on their faces, seat covers in their cars,\nand even harnesses for their pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: mbryonic)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
28. Giving multiple rallies across India simultaneously: <\/strong>The\nIndian national elections of 2014 were a very tense time for the country. The\nleaders of the race were being forced to choose between multiple locations to\ngive their rallies. However, Narendra Modi was one step ahead. He opted to give\nhis speeches via a 3D hologram in multiple locations at the same time. A\nhi-tech podium was set-up in all the locations which used sophisticated\nprojectors to create a virtual 3D image of Modi on the stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: BBC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
29. Augmented Reality helping surgeons with real-time\ninformation: <\/strong>Surgeons perform some of the most complicated tasks with some\nof the highest stakes in the world. They need all the help and information they\ncan get. To this end, AR technology has allowed the development of a suite of\ntools that can provide real-time information in critical moments. AccuVein is\none such device. It is a handheld tool that can accurately track a patient\u2019s\nvein network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: AccuVein)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
30. Repair and maintenance made easy: <\/strong>Information about a\npiece of complex machinery is usually only available in bulky repair manuals,\nwhich can get outdated quickly. AR removes the need to spend hours thumbing\nthrough the manual to look for details on a minuscule part. Repair techs can\ndirectly scan the part in question using their headset and all the relevant\nupdated details for it. AR headsets for use in repair will only grow as machine\nto machine IoT improves, allowing the machine in question to directly interface\nwith the headset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Re’Flekt)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
31. Airport human traffic management: <\/strong>Gatwick Airport\u2019s award-winning\nAR app is designed to help patrons navigate their airport. By utilizing more\nthan 2000 beacons placed all across the airport and the user\u2019s camera, the app\nensures that the patrons always know where they have to go. It also includes\nup-to-date information about the passenger\u2019s flight status and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: VR Focus)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
32. Improving warehouse efficiency through AR mapping: <\/strong>Amazon\nand DHL operate giant warehouses that contain millions of products. Using\ntraditional tracking methods proves to cause significant delays in looking for\na product. To combat this issue, Amazon and DHL have begun to use AR headsets,\nwhich give their employees the shortest path to take to get to the desired\npath. This directly leads to an improvement in warehouse efficiency, which in\ntoday\u2019s \u2018Same Day Shipping\u2019 obsessed world is of paramount importance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Science Soft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
33. Take a selfie with Thanos and Batman: <\/strong>One of the most\nwidespread uses of AR is in smartphone cameras. Almost every smartphone\ncontains an AR section where the users can edit their surroundings to include\nfictional characters or put an explosion behind themselves. Snapchat\u2019s entire\nfilter system revolves around using AR to put cool looking effects on the\nuser\u2019s face and surroundings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: DeeperAI)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
34. There are expected to be around 1 billion users of AR tech by\n2020: <\/strong>Due to the introduction of reliable and affordable AR headsets in the\nmarket alongside hundreds of apps that use AR, the users of this tech have\ngrown exponentially. Since it focuses on improving the real world instead of\nreplacing it like VR, it is much easier to adopt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: newgen apps)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bad side of Virtual Reality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As is the case\nwith all new technology, VR tech comes with its set of restrictions and\ndrawbacks. While it may be the next step forward for nearly all industries, as\nof now, it is in its very preliminary stage. Let\u2019s explore some of the negative\neffects that VR tech can have on an individual and their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
35. There has\nbeen at least one case of death due to Virtual Reality: <\/strong>A man aged 44-year-old\nwas the first reported case of death due to VR as far we are aware. This Moscow\nresident was reportedly using his VR headset and walking around his home when\nhe collided with a glass table. He tripped over the said table, which broke and\nlacerated him, causing his death due to blood loss on the spot. The police did\nnot mention what this individual was doing with his VR tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Tass)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
36. VR Tech\ncan cause severe cases of addiction to the virtual world: <\/strong>Due to the\nlimited amount of data, there hasn\u2019t been a conclusive study conducted on the\naddictive effects of VR Tech. However, many addiction experts have claimed that\nlooking at the addiction trends laid forth by gaming and other entertainment\nmedia, it is highly likely that VR tech could cause extreme addiction. This\nhigher risk is due to the full immersion that VR provides, giving a never seen\nbefore chance for troubled individuals to escape their environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Entrepreneur)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
37. VR Tech\ncauses nausea, dizziness, lack of balance, and disorientation: <\/strong>VR Tech has\nbrought a new form of illness, namely \u2018cybersickness,\u2019 to the forefront. It\ncauses nausea, dizziness, and other motion-sickness like symptoms in its users.\nAs many as 45 \u2013 70% users experience this sickness, with some applications even\ncausing 90% of its users to get sick. This effect is more exasperated in women\nthan in men. In some extreme cases, it can even cause effects that last for\nhours after removing oneself from the virtual world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Inside Science)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
38. Difficulty\nin adapting to the real world after virtual training: <\/strong>While many industries\nare beginning to adopt virtual training environments to complement classic\nteaching methods, they aren\u2019t always suitable. There have been many instances\nof students performing exceptionally in a virtual environment but failing to\ntransfer these skills into the real world. Some of the reasons that were\nreported for this phenomenon were the lack of dexterity in VR that students had\nadapted to, the inclusion of tactile feedback proved to be distracting, and the\npresence of other people in proximity in contrast to VR\u2019s complete isolation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Source: Medium)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References and Data Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- Sutori<\/a><\/li>
- Engadget<\/a><\/li>
- The Next Billion Seconds<\/a><\/li>
- Flashbak<\/a><\/li>
- Virtual Speech<\/a><\/li>
- Tech Crunch<\/a><\/li>
- Fortune Business Insights<\/a><\/li>
- MindCotine<\/a><\/li>
- RevFine<\/a><\/li>
- Variety<\/a><\/li>
- Virtual Reality Society<\/a><\/li>
- Houston Press<\/a><\/li>
- Futurism<\/a><\/li>
- BBC<\/a><\/li>
- Arch Daily<\/a><\/li>
- The Matrix<\/a><\/li>
- Total Recall<\/a><\/li>
- Ready Player One<\/a><\/li>
- Ender\u2019s Game<\/a><\/li>
- Star Trek<\/a><\/li>
- ACM Digital Library<\/a><\/li>
- HistoryofInformation<\/a><\/li>
- Sutori<\/a><\/li>
- Medium<\/a><\/li>
- Bloomberg<\/a><\/li>
- Google<\/a><\/li>
- mbryonic<\/a><\/li>
- BBC<\/a><\/li>
- AccuVein<\/a><\/li>
- Re’Flekt<\/a><\/li>
- VR Focus<\/a><\/li>
- Science Soft<\/a><\/li>
- DeeperAI<\/a><\/li>
- newgen apps<\/a><\/li>
- Tass<\/a><\/li>
- Entrepreneur<\/a><\/li>
- Inside Science<\/a><\/li>
- Medium<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
- Engadget<\/a><\/li>
- 2. 88%<\/strong> of all virtual reality hardware sold is smartphone-based.<\/li>