Explain the tech; what is it, how does it work, what hardware, software, and network does it need?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a face-covering device that can do what was once only imaginable in comics and fiction; suddenly, becoming a part of your favorite video game in person became very possible. The VR device tracks your body’s movements and position, allowing for a realistic simulation of the world around you on a thin screen that covers the entirety of your peripheral and frontal vision. The VR is run similar to your cellular device or laptop, typically connected to a 5G adoption scale and edge computing for LTE – but it can change depending on the nature of your device, whether you own the Quest or Occulus, and/or the rendering availability. (STL Advisory, 2022)
Is it currently available to the public?
The VR is VERY available to the public, although to own one yourself you are looking at a spending fee varying between 400.00 – 700.00. Malls, attractions, and occasionally game shops will have VR stations available for users to use, whether it is a rented VR that the user can borrow for a few hours or bringing their own to use in-shop! The VR community is wide and diverse, allowing for users to play games from a new perspective online as well to communicate together!
Who (or what) invented or pioneered the technology?
Virtual Reality has been a targeted subject for years, being worked on in tech research as a major goal and achievement. The very first head-gear based device that was created to work as a VR was made by Ivan Sutherland with the assistance of students. His VR was titled “The Sword of Damocles” – which may have been very bulky for equipment and of a simplistic function, but it operated and met the goal in 1968. Ivan Sutherland inquired, “The screen is a window through which one sees a virtual world. The challenge is to make that world look real, act real, sound real, feel real.”
What "problem" does it solve for its users?
While the VR may not specifically resolve any known problem, it can provide uses in ways that can be beneficial. For nursing students, there are VR programs that can allow users to recreate a dissection analysis for the human anatomy, along with other games that can be considered interactive learning. The VR can provide upwards of 6 hours’ worth of entertainment with a battery extender, acting as a great time killer and distraction for any time of day.
Are there any potential drawbacks or dangers of using the tech?
While the VR offers a new, technologically advanced system to its users, the device still suffers from drawbacks, error, and risks all the same. As the VR is a used with a face-covering system, a major risk to the VR is tripping, walking into walls and items, and general lack of physical world awareness.
Offer one example of how widespread adoption of this technology might impact society.
Technology and its many forms have impacted society in more ways than most recognize, and that applies to VR too. While VR is newer to the world in contrast with computers and phones, it is still sharing an influence on the user’s who can utilize it. The widespread adoption of the VR can increase people’s ability to socialize, introduce opportunity for disabled people, increase learning availability, and so much more.
https://stlpartners.com/articles/edge-computing/how-5g-and-edge-computing-will-transform-ar-vr-use-cases/
https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/history.html#:~:text=In%201968%20Ivan%20Sutherland%20and,ceiling%20(hence%20its%20name).
