This Week in Virtual Reality, 16 January 2017
This week’s top Virtual Reality stories: space exploration, neurosurgery, virtual flight, and more!
Virtual Reality is one of the most exciting new areas of technology, and for good reason. VR offers amazing experiences for users and creators both, and growth in the space is incredible. New products, new technologies, new experiences, and best of all, new jobs! Did you know that Virtual reality job openings are up 800% year-over-year? It’s true!
With so much going on in this fast-moving field, it can be hard to keep up. That’s why we created “This Week in Virtual Reality.” Each week we publish a curated list of Virtual Reality stories as a resource to help you keep pace. New posts will be published here first, and previous posts are archived on the Udacity blog. So, whether you’re currently enrolled in our VR Developer Nanodegree program, already working in the field, or just pursuing a burgeoning interest in the subject, there will always be something here to inspire you!
Healthcare
Ivar Mendez, head of surgery at the University of Saskatchewan, uses virtual reality to let students experience the structure of the brain first-hand.
Technology
Paris-based startup Hypersuit creates a prototype of a new stationary exoskeleton that pairs with virtual reality experiences to give viewers the sensation of flight.
Culture
Felix and Paul Studios creates a virtual reality tour of the White House titled The People’s House: Inside the White House with Barack and Michelle Obama.
Society
Outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offers a virtual reality look behind the scenes at his visits to nations afflicted with disasters and war.
Education
Facebook donates $1 million worth of Oculus Rift headsets to low-income schools in Arkansas, building on the state’s new initiative to require computer science classes.
Science
Kennedy Space Center In Florida launches new virtual reality space exploration experiences, including a virtual space walk and a virtual tour of the solar system.
