This Week in Virtual Reality, 22 August 2016

This week’s top Virtual Reality stories: ship-building, beer-tasting, and more!

Virtual Reality has never been bigger than it is right now, and it’s one of the most exciting new areas of technology. VR offers an incredible experience for users, and for creators, it presents an unparalleled amount of freedom to experiment with new ideas and applications. We’re seeing exciting developments in the field every day, so to help you keep pace with everything that’s going on, we’ve created This Week in Virtual Reality, a curated list of key stories in the space. New posts will be published here first, and previous posts are archived on the Udacity blog.

Whether you’re already in the field, considering a VR career, or just interested in the subject, This Week in Virtual Reality is sure to have something to inspire you!

Education

Japanese firm Tsuneishi Shipbuilding uses virtual reality to train workers learning to manufacture ships by providing immediate feedback in areas for improvement.

Games

Development studio The Void aims to create hyper-realistic virtual reality experiences on dedicated sound stages, combining VR with olfactory and haptic sensations.

Media

Australian studio Start VR creates VR Noir, a 360° film that merges television, video games, and virtual reality allowing the viewer to experience the film as the main character.

Healthcare

A study at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California looks at using virtual reality therapy to improve the quality of life of children battling sickle cell disease.

Commerce

Australian company MYOB uses virtual reality to introduce new employees to staff members to boost their experience joining with the company.

Food & Drink

Scotland-based Innis and Gunn experiments with the physiological effects of virtual reality on the senses by using VR to improve the taste of its beer.