This year, virtual worlds will arrive at The Tech through a variety of VR experiences. Dan Streelman, director of exhibit development, defines some virtual reality terms that could leave your head spinning — just like soaring over skyscrapers or painting masterpieces in space.
Virtual reality
“An experience that replaces your perceptions of the real world — usually with a headset (or, as it’s technically called, a head-mounted display) — and immerses you in a created world.”
Augmented reality
“Augmented reality uses your phone or other devices to display images or information that enhance an experience in the real world. A navigation app that gives you real-time information on traffic, or a game — like Pokémon Go — that incorporates real-world locations are examples of AR.”
Latency
“Latency is the time it takes for a display to update following an input, for example how fast the view in a headset changes after you move your head. Low latency tricks your brain into thinking the experience is real. A big reason VR is taking off now is that processing speed is allowing us to reliably hit a sub-20-millisecond latency.”
Motion controls
“The Vive controllers and the Oculus Touch are examples of motion controls that seek to mimic your hands in the virtual space. The less motion controls feel like a controller and the more they feel like your hands, the more immersed you feel.”
Presence
“This is an important term for developers — it’s the feeling of existing in a virtual space. Art direction, environmental design and 3D audio play a big role in presence. It’s the equivalent of cinematography in film.”
Reboot Reality is now open at The Tech. For more information visit: thetech.org/rebootreality.
