Virtual Reality Reborn… for me.

For those who know me, I’ve been a pretty cantankerous and vocal critic of AR/VR. As a builder, I get excited when creative people blend existing technologies into something I’ve never thought of before. I think the big plays for XR integration are in the manufacturing, education, and corporate training spaces. The latest industry scuttle vindicates this conjecture. Boeing and Lockheed Martin utilize AR and VR for pilot training and real-time time feedback during plane assembly. Ford Motor Company and Bentley Motors use virtual reality labs, using Microsoft’s HoloLens for design. This use of AR/VR to reimagine complicated product development is what I find most compelling.

Aside from the initial buzz and one or two standout exceptions (I’m looking at you Pokémon Go), I’ve been continuously underwhelmed by everything (X)/R in the gaming space. This years’ fourth episode of Bytes over Bagels changed my perspective.

We launch the show into Virtual Reality with Aaron Sawyer, creator of Redline VR. Redline is the latest step in the beer/barcade evolution, bringing immersive gaming to the people through virtual reality. Redline features a number of games, or experiences, that people can enjoy. You can play Beatsaber, a VR rhythm game with lightsabers. I mean, how else do you get your inaugural VR jam on. You can also dive into a more experiential environment connecting with others to take part in something larger and shared.

Aaron made a lasting impact on me in his interview. He changed my views on consumer-based VR considerably.

One of Aaron’s favorite VR experiences is a virtual sailing app. As a child he grew up sailing with his father and the virtual sailing app has allowed him to revisit very powerful memories and personal connections. Aaron also shares that he’s used that same sailing app to connect online with a terminally ill, housebound cancer patient. This story took me completely by surprise. The shared adventure of virtual sailing provides much welcome stimulation and joy to Aaron’s online sailing friend. That story kind of blew me away; I was not prepared for that powerful an application of technology.

Virtual reality is generating experiences and opportunities far outside the periphery of what you would expect from what is traditionally a gaming platform. It’s exciting, and a welcome breath of fresh air, to see and hear things far outside the expected VR/AR norm. I’ve really got to head over to Redline VR and check out what Aaron describes as the “Theatrical” element to VR.

Don Bora has been a professional software developer in Chicago since 1990. He has worked in: bio-informatics, medical devices, artificial intelligence, and global investment banking to name a few. Don also teaches, mentors, and is a guest lecturer at the Medill School fo Journalism at Northwestern University. As a co-founder of Eight Bit Studios, Don has been an outspoken advocate for women and girls in technology and is a champion for Diversity and Inclusion.

Check out the latest episode on the Bytes Over Bagels site.