NetEase Digital reported on November 3 that "virtual reality ( )" is a relatively famous "vaporware" technology in the 1990s (a product that was promoted long before the development was completed, and will probably not be released), but But he almost single-handedly brought this technology to people, and exhibited the Rift head-mounted display equipped with virtual reality technology for the first time at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo. The combination of virtual reality and the gaming industry is reasonable. After all, this industry has been eager to achieve breakthrough progress through virtual reality, and the promotion of virtual reality has attracted people's attention again and attracted the funds of many mainstream investors.
Just as Rift is called "the 'peace dividend' in the smartphone war," the gaming industry's promotion of virtual reality technology has also benefited many other industries. Innovators from all walks of life around the world are actively looking for integration points with head-mounted displays, including psychotherapy, special education, space exploration, virtual test drives of luxury cars, virtual travel, and virtual reality movies. Therefore, the application of virtual reality in the gaming industry can create a lot of benefits, but it can also unleash dazzling brilliance in non-gaming fields.
When founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a $2 billion acquisition of VR earlier this year, he said that “in addition to its application in gaming, other industries have begun to start using virtual reality technology. Various experiments with technology.” In fact, some industries began to experiment with virtual reality technology decades ago. For example, in the 1990s, when virtual reality first entered people's horizons, some people began to study how to integrate the original virtual reality system with industries such as scientific research and medical care. Combined.
Application of virtual reality technology in medical industry
Dr. Albert Rizzo of the University of Southern California's Institute of Innovation and Technology said that in the 1990s, he noticed that one of his brain-injured patients was having difficulty accepting the treatment plan he provided during treatment. , but was easily immersed in "Tetris" on the Game Boy, which inspired Rizzo to start researching digital solutions for brain-damaging diseases. Rizzo spent the next several years conducting research with colleagues in computer science, trying to figure out whether virtual reality simulation training therapy could improve patients' real-world abilities. After nearly 20 years of research, Rizzo believes the answer to this question is yes.
Rizzo's use of virtual reality technology was not only extremely expensive to research, but also not very convincing. According to his recollection, the 3D virtual reality projection system he used cost as much as $125,000 at the time, while the head-mounted display cost $10,000 (the screen resolution of the device was only 640*480). At the same time, it also required Expensive SGI workstations are used to perform rough head movement tracking and simulation-level 3D modeling.
Surprisingly, even early attempts at virtual reality have proven that the technology is enough to provide an immersive therapeutic environment for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other brain diseases. The environment the patient was in (such as the battlefield) is simulated, and then inducing topics are used to awaken the patient's memory, thereby helping the patient restore normal memory.
Even with today's technology, the above-mentioned virtual therapy that simulates a battlefield environment is difficult to compare with real-world immersion therapy in terms of realism, but this therapy has indeed been proven to be effective, at least for ordinary people. It can play a role in phobias and deep anxiety disorders. Marat Zanov, a clinical psychologist and training director at Virtual Reality Therapy Research, pointed out that there have been hundreds of clinical research cases showing that virtual therapy is at least as effective as real therapy.
At the same time, compared to real therapy, virtual reality therapy is more convenient and cheaper. "Take veterans with PTSD symptoms, for example, we can't take them back to the battlefields of Afghanistan or Iraq, where bullets are everywhere," Sarnoff said. "In the past, doctors would usually use "image exposure" methods to Helping these patients recover their memories, although this method is effective, requires patients to invest a lot of energy in the treatment process. In a virtual environment, they have to be more relaxed when recalling."
Sarnoff also points out that virtual reality therapy is relatively cheap for people with a fear of flying. If they also use exposure therapy, they usually have to pay for the more expensive travel costs, but if they use virtual therapy, this cost Total savings can be made.
While researchers have demonstrated the value of virtual immersion therapy in clinical applications, the resurgence of virtual reality continues to push the technology beyond academic research into broader medical applications.
"We hope to use virtual reality technology to bring down the cost of therapy so that we can hire more therapists," said CEO Michael Jacobson. "Until last year, this technology was more of a It is a research tool and cannot be used by clinicians in actual diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, the convenience and practicality of this technology still need to be improved, and the cost of building a virtual reality system is also very high. However, with the vigorous promotion of virtual reality technology, It has achieved unprecedented rapid development. Now we are seeing more and more industry fields starting to implement virtual reality projects, and people are also conducting in-depth research on it. Now it is time for virtual reality technology to show its talents."
Rizzo also believes that there are more and more affordable, high-quality head-mounted display devices, including Rift, and that virtual reality therapy has the necessary conditions for practical medical use. At the same time, Rizzo also recalled how in 2004 he tried to use virtual reality therapy in the treatment of attention deficit disorder. "The psychology experts at the time were cautious about it," Rizzo said. "They thought it was too complicated. , and are not suitable for clinical use. Of course, the main reason is that they do not understand it and are not willing to pay the $2,000 fee."
But by the time Rizzo spoke about similar virtual reality therapy at a psychology conference today, things had changed. “I don’t have to waste time explaining what virtual reality technology is, and I don’t have to tell you that this is not a technology that only appears in science fiction novels, because through the promotion of virtual reality manufacturers, many people are already familiar with it. "We have gained a more comprehensive understanding and have recognized the feasibility of this technology," Rizzo said. "People have brought virtual reality technology to the historical stage, and I believe there will be more and better results in the future."
Application of virtual reality technology in education industry
In Ernest Cline's novel "Ready One," the author describes a dystopian future world where early childhood education is almost entirely achieved through head-mounted displays, including the use of laser projections. Scenarios for creating a virtual teaching environment. We are still a long way from this kind of fully virtual classroom, but some schools and teachers have already taken the first step in virtual teaching.
Matthew Marancosin ( ), ICT coordinator at Jackson College in Victoria, Australia, is one of them. He often uses tablet computers and Microsoft to help students with special needs (such as autism). When Marancosin tried out the Rift at last year's PAX Australia, he knew it was a great tool for increasing the emotional engagement of withdrawn students, many of whom had psychological difficulties with standard programming. The classroom environment is not suitable for them, and the latter can easily cause them great psychological pressure.
“For students with sensory processing disorder symptoms, the traditional school environment can cause them great psychological stress,” Marancosin said. “In contrast, virtual reality technology can adapt to their actual needs. The situation creates a quiet learning environment for them.”
According to Marancosin, he often lets these students wear Rifts in pairs and then lets them play virtual games like Titan of Space and Blue Marble. , in games they often need to have conversations and transactions with their partners. It has been proven that Rift can teach some teamwork skills to special children through these games, which is extremely difficult to achieve in traditional teaching. “They can just click different buttons while playing the game without having to have a face-to-face conversation, which can reduce their social pressure to a certain extent,” Marancosin said. “For them, even if it is virtually Collaboration in the environment is also very exciting.”
While these headsets have raised concerns about learning environments being too isolating and antisocial, Marancosin has found that virtual reality has actually become a powerful tool for students to improve their social skills. “Now I don’t have to bring them all together, they’re talking through these virtual devices and they want everyone around them to know what they’re doing, even if that’s not the case in the real world.”
“I think as long as they express what they want to say and have a discussion, that’s more important than anything else,” Marancosin added, “especially in the beginning, when students are in the virtual world When they get lost in a new environment, their interest and curiosity are activated. In our teaching environment, language skills and socialization are the most important. Some parents have also expressed their gratitude to me many times , some parents said: 'My son told me after he came home that he went around the universe in your class, what a magical thing!'"
Over the past year, Marancosin has become a staunch promoter of virtual reality technology in the classroom, and he said he's considering mobilizing to have him act as a lobbyist to sell the idea to different schools. It is precisely because of this that he lent his three Rift devices to nearby teachers for use in class. He hopes to bring excellent virtual reality experiences to more schools and students.
However, in the short term, Marancosin is worried that the promotion of virtual reality technology in the classroom will be hindered by the lack of high-quality teaching software. "I think that although many school information coordinators are optimistic about the future of virtual reality technology, sales of related equipment have been stagnant due to the lack of high-quality teaching software," Marancosin said. "It is also difficult to prove that virtual reality technology Real-life technology is very applicable to classroom teaching.”
“I think one of the problems with this is that virtual devices like the Rift are still primarily about gaming and movie playback,” Marancosian continued. “That’s understandable, because it’s the best way for them to stay profitable. , but if a company is willing to pay attention to and invest in the field of virtual teaching, I think it can still achieve great success. After all, many schools now want to introduce similar advanced technologies, and schools are also a market with huge potential."
Marancosin predicted that in the next few years, the education industry and teams will pay more and more attention to the role of virtual reality technology in teaching, and some high-quality teaching software will also be developed. Once these conditions are met, The entire education industry may undergo tremendous changes. In schools, students can not only experience the unique charm of the Louvre or the Great Wall thousands of miles away, but also understand the history of the growth and changes of the earth through a virtual globe. In addition, virtual reality technology can also be used in mathematics. Play the role of assistant in class, etc.
“For example, when teaching area and volume, the teacher can draw a 3D image of an object for everyone on the podium, allowing students to learn relevant mathematical knowledge in a more three-dimensional way,” said Marancosin. “This will undoubtedly greatly improve teaching. Efficient and fun, it is a very practical tool for teachers and students.”
From space exploration to filmmaking
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has proven that 3D virtual reality scenes can help enhance people's understanding of spatial relationships. JPL once integrated the data obtained by the Mars rover into a virtual model of the surface of Mars, allowing people to freely view the surface of Mars through a head-mounted display. This is undoubtedly a new space exploration method that is very interesting to the public. Form, of course, JPL also said that virtual reality technology has also significantly improved the work efficiency of scientific researchers.
"We conducted joint experiments with the Curiosity and Opportunity Mars rovers teams and found that scientists wearing head-mounted displays were often able to map more accurately than using regular 2D images. map of the Martian surface," said Jeff Norris, JPL's mission operations innovation manager.
Norris believes that improvements in mapping are mainly due to proprioception (the virtual display image can also change when the wearer turns his head) and the 3D stereoscopic images presented by the head-mounted display. These factors are important for JPL's It is also very important for the next virtual reality project, which mainly helps users to perform simple operations on a robotic arm through a virtual reality interface.
According to JPL's introduction in a related video, a somatosensory device will track the user's arm and body movements, and the user will see a virtual image of the robotic arm on the head-mounted display. At this time, the user will feel that the arm is their own. arm. A real robotic arm will track the user's arm movements and then transmit the corresponding image back to the user's display to complete remote control. This technology is suitable for technicians on earth to control robots in outer space.
“The idea behind this project is really simple, if you want to control a robot’s arm, you just use your arm to control it remotely,” Norris said. “We use virtual reality technology to make you feel like the robot arm actually It is an extension of your arm, or a part of your body, and then you can easily control the robotic arm by adjusting your head movements and field of view.”
In addition to controlling the robot, JPL also hopes that virtual reality technology will allow astronauts to "see" a virtual image of the spacecraft they are on, because the current space station and space shuttle do not allow this. Through the head-mounted display, astronauts can obtain simulated views of the spacecraft and surrounding objects from angles and positions that are not possible under normal conditions. “We designed windows on the spacecraft so that people can see as if they were in the space station. The world around us, but virtual reality technology provides images that are often difficult for astronauts and engineers to see," Norris said.
Not all environments using virtual reality technology are as serious as the above. One, an immersive video production startup, hopes to create a new movie-watching experience through Rift. Their first movie "Zero Point" was released on October 28. The movie is made of a man weighing about 70 pounds (approximately (32 kilograms in total) and equipped with four Red Epic 3D cameras. This "artifact" can shoot 5K-level 3D panoramic videos at 60 frames per second. When these videos are seamlessly spliced together, the audience will Being able to see a 360-degree movie, no matter which direction they are facing, they can see everything around them as if they were in the real world.
I saw an early demo of the film at a conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo earlier this year, and it felt like being in a crowded, claustrophobic set. "We were trying to capture the so-called 'presence. And the feeling that someone is invading your space," says Danfonte Dennis, CEO of One and director of Zero Point. "You might want to leave, but even though they're looking at the camera, you feel like they're there. They look at you and you can't change the feeling that they exist in the virtual reality world with you."
Shooting a film in VR also means throwing away many of the filmmaking techniques used by traditional directors. “All the basic filmmaking principles no longer apply in a VR world,” Dennis said. “As a cinematographer, "For many years I've been used to staring at a frame and putting images and stories into that frame, but now we're also in the scene and want to put people into the story."
“In traditional filmmaking, you show the audience a precisely cropped image,” Dennis continued, “but the films we shoot give the audience a panoramic experience, and they then choose what interests them. angle and content." In one early scene in Zero Point, I stared intently at a soldier who had been knocked down during a maritime training exercise until he pointed violently at a corner and shouted a warning to his comrades. Don't go that way, I turned my head to look in the direction he was pointing and saw his comrade being hit in the neck.
According to Dennis, in this type of VR movie, visual and auditory cues are very important to maintain the audience's attention, and many filmmakers will learn a lot in the process of shooting such movies. “The movie images formed in the brain of a traditional filmmaker are not suitable for a virtual reality shooting environment,” Dennis said. “But I am more interested in the new medium of virtual reality, so we have to give up on the storyline. We are going to create a new movie-going experience, and by trying to find a shooting method that can convey a strong story and grand scenes, we are going to give participants (i.e. the audience) control over the plot of the movie, so that They enter specific storylines based on their own choices, and this experience is undoubtedly unprecedented and extremely fresh."
Use virtual reality technology to enhance brand value
In addition to academic research institutions, government departments and artists actively exploring the application of virtual reality technology, many companies have also begun to try to use this technology to enhance their brand value.
Automaker Lexus, for example, is using the Rift to create a "virtual test drive" experience for its upcoming RC F luxury sedan. Will Nicklas, corporate cooperation manager of the Lexus Marketing Department, said that because there are relatively few existing RC F prototypes and cannot meet the strong test drive demand from consumers, the company decided to use a virtual reality simulator to test the car. Let more people participate in the test drive of this car.
After eight weeks of intensive research and development, the RC F’s virtual test drive simulator has been put into use. This simulator has appeared at specific auto shows or in retailers' stores. Experiencers will sit behind a real RC F steering column and then wear a Rift DK2 head-mounted display to navigate a virtual Fuji track. Had a test drive experience.
Although the driving experience of this simulator will not reach the fidelity of the Forza game, Nicholas said that they want to give test drivers more of the feeling of being in the car. “After all, we still have a few prototype cars for people to test drive, so the virtual test drive shows the high-quality craftsmanship used in the instrument panel and some details in the car,” Nicholas said, “This The simulator allows test drivers to establish a physical connection with the car when gripping the steering wheel or pressing the accelerator pedal, and we have even simulated details such as adjusting the RC F's seat height and steering wheel angle."
“While we haven’t yet received direct feedback from customers who purchased the car after taking a virtual test drive, we did have someone ask if we could sell the simulator to them as well,” Niklas added. He really enjoyed the simulator.”
The tourism industry has also begun to use virtual reality technology to enhance consumer experience. It is a company that has provided users with online virtual tour experiences for a long time. They use panoramic photos to show users the scenery of resorts, hotels, restaurants, university campuses and other places, and users can zoom in and out on the monitor through operations. Image. In recent months, it has begun to introduce virtual reality technology, introducing 1,000 classic related data into Rift, Samsung Gear virtual reality and its own paper box called "Tour Box" that can hold smartphones. Waiting for head-mounted display equipment.
This virtual display system is not easy to develop. After all, virtual reality technology is still in its infancy, and the virtual reality market is not yet mature. “One of the key challenges currently facing system development on virtual reality hardware is that this is a new technology for which there are no standards for developing user interfaces,” said Abi Mandelbaum, CEO of The team spent a lot of time developing these standards, such as how to navigate during the virtual tour and make selections only through head movements without the need for a keyboard and mouse. We have successfully created some Standards that real-world content meets.”
Although it is still early days, Mandelbaum believes that virtual travel will become popular in a short period of time. Many hotels, attractions and businesses are already using the service, and the demand for these is increasing. According to Mandelbaum, although some corporate customers only use virtual travel as a marketing tool to attract more tourists to make purchases on the spot, the advantages of this display method are also obvious, such as being beneficial to scenic spots. environment, lower costs and shorten the distance between scenic spots and the outside world, etc.
Although the current wave of virtual reality has not yet seen a hardware device that is truly aimed at ordinary consumers, many industries and companies have begun to explore the huge potential of this new technology. Perhaps games will convince consumers to use Virtual reality equipment can be bought home, but the application of this technology in non-game fields may achieve the grand goal of the so-called "ultimate computing platform." (Half edge)
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