Featured article by Holly Edwards, Independent Technology Author
Virtual reality is far from a new concept, and attempts to create complete, immersive simulated environments reach back way beyond the birth of modern computer technology. Primitive VR was already being used in industrial applications such as automobile manufacturing over 40 years ago, and for entertainment purposes since the 1990s.
A more recent and still experimental innovation is augmented reality, made possible by advances in digital technology, coupled with the widespread availability of smartphones and tablets. Unlike VR, which creates a three-dimensional computer generated environment, AR adds an extra layer to the user’s real surroundings, by superimposing images which can be viewed through a device. For most people, their introduction to the concept of AR was probably through the explosively popular smartphone game Pokémon Go, which utilises GPS to locate and capture virtual beasts which appear on the player’s screen as if they were there in front of them. But the improvements in AR and VR technology have much wider implications than just entertainment; in fact, they are on the brink of revolutionising the way we live and work.
VR, AR and the Internet of Things
Until recently, computer technology was largely intangible and information-based. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a way of integrating the virtual world with the physical, by connecting everyday objects such as thermostats and refrigerators to the internet. The IoT has already started to make an impact in global healthcare, with items such as inhalers connected to the cloud to monitor patient health. It’s estimated that within the next five years, more than 50 billion objects will be online.
Combining the three technologies opens up a host of potential applications in industry, allowing human workers to interact with processes and products in a way that has never before been possible. In manufacturing, for example, machine components can be monitored using smart technology and visualised with VR headsets or AR eyeglasses to identify and fix problems more quickly and efficiently. This has the potential to speed up and streamline production, and to improve customer service by providing real-time responses and remote interactions with end-user products. These types of tech can be costly and complex to implement, but businesses are starting to recognise the potential. In the years to come it’s expected that most manufacturing plants will utilise some aspect of smart technology in their processes.
Entertainment: The Future is Now
Of course, for most of us the most exciting thing about VR and AR is how we can use it in our daily lives, and nothing more so than in our leisure time. Digital worlds are a familiar sci-fi trope – think Tron or the holodeck in Star Trek – and the technology is finally catching up with our collective imagination. The primary function of VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift is as a gaming device, but VR video games and Pokémon Go may not be to everyone’s taste. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives out there for those of us who prefer a different type of immersive entertainment experience.
As with most tech advancements the two early adopting industries are, of course, porn and online casinos. Many online casino operators have integrated VR and AR technologies to great effect. Now users have the opportunity to step inside a virtual casino using a headset. Players can move around, explore, play games and interact with other players and dealers, and it makes the experience of playing table games like poker in, for example live casinos even more mesmerising and true to life. VR also elevates slot games to new heights, allowing the player to exist inside the game. However, AR casino technology may well overshadow VR in the future, as the possibilities are even more intriguing. Players could bring the casino into their own home, transforming a living room into a games room, complete with avatars of real opponents to play against. The tech is not quite there yet, but it’s certainly promising.
Education and Beyond
While VR and AR may be emerging technologies, the huge number of practical ways in which they can be put to use mean that they are being enthusiastically embraced by many different sectors. One such is education, and many higher learning institutions are starting to adopt augmented textbooks, which can provide a more comprehensive, engaging and up-to-date experience for students. Schools may not be far behind, with a majority of teachers expecting some AR and VR classroom components within the next five years.
Architecture is another profession implementing VR, and increasingly AR. VR enables architects and clients to ‘walk through’ their designs, allowing spaces to be fine-tuned and proportions to be accurately visualised. This is an area where the technology is being developed to an impressive degree, giving the architects the opportunity to see how light would enter a building at different times of the day, and how textures and surfaces would appear in the finished structure. Augmented reality is already being used as a tool to help understand how infrastructure projects will impact the physical environment.
Augmented Reality and the Changing World
As AR becomes available to an ever-increasing audience, so the applications continue to multiply. It’s not hyperbole to say that AR is going to change the world, as it can provide solutions to problems across the spectrum of business, industry, marketing, education, healthcare and social causes, not to mention entertainment and leisure. We are still in the early stages of unlocking the awesome potential of augmented reality, but it seems inevitable that within a few short years, these technologies will be integrated into all of our lives to some extent.
About the Author
Holly Edwards writes content and copy on a broad range of topics including technology, travel, business, culture, and entertainment. When she’s not writing, she teaches English to foreign students from her home on the sunny Mediterranean island of Malta.
