Virtual Reality 1.0 — The Beginning
“What is real? How do you define ‘real’? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”- Morpheus
The Short: Little time? Here’s the gist:
- Virtual Reality: VR is as simple as putting on a VR headset and entering a virtual universe. Three headsets came out in 2016: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and the Samsung Gear VR.
- Unbelievable: Everyone I’ve showed VR to has been amazed. One person said it was the greatest thing he has ever seen. I agree.
- Possibilities: There are unlimited possibilities ranging from tourism, videos games, communication, education and more. The sky is the limit.
- Revolution: The one word that comes to mind when I think of VR is revolution.
- Expensive: The downside is it takes an expensive computer to run a high-end VR headset, but it’s only a matter of time before every household has one in the future.
- Imagine: Imagine being court-side for the NBA finals, talking to a person from China who is actually in your living room, or playing the greatest video game ever. That time is now. VR is here.
The Long: Got time? Learn more…
I’m sitting next to Paul McCartney at one of his concerts. I mean, I’m literally sitting next to him. He looks relaxed, yet passionate. The stadium is full and the band is jamming. Paul is doing what Paul does…amazing music. I had the best seats in the house.
Then I was the locker room of the Pittsburgh Penguins. I wasn’t doing much. Just standing there and watching all the commotion. Afterwards I watched the NHL All-Star game from the front row.
I never thought I would come face-to-face with a two story dragon, but sometime life finds you in those situations. It took me a long time, but I slayed the dragon. It was one of the most amazing video game experiences of my life.
School can be boring. But not if you are traveling through the human blood stream at a microscopic level. I shrank to the size of a cell to experience this.
I experienced all these things in vivid detail. Not through YouTube or my t.v., but through a virtual reality headset. It felt like I was there.
I’ve heard it said the Information Age has come to a close, and we are entering the Experience Age.
Have you seen The Matrix? In short, the movie is about a group of people who enter another universe via a computer interface. Matrix fans, I know there’s more to it than that, but let’s keep things simple.
Famous movies have presented the idea of multiple realities. Inception, Avatar, and Tron Legacy are examples of movies with multiple worlds: the real and the virtual.
Sounds like science-fiction? Not anymore…
The first time I put on a virtual reality headset (Oculus Rift), I literally gasped in amazement. It was an unbelievable and memorable experience. I turned my head in all directions, and it felt like I was in a different universe.
My whole family tried it, and the reaction was the same: amazement. We spent hours being transported from world to world. One moment, we were on the top of a skyscraper looking down on traffic (I had a friend that had to sit down because the experience was too much. It felt too real). The next moment, we were looking into the face of a T-Rex (another friend literally ripped off the headset).
I read a book, Ready Player One, about virtual reality. At the time I read it in 2015, I thought VR was a long way away. Hard to believe that in 2016, I was experiencing the things I read.
I may be overstating the next statement: Virtual reality is a revolution. Like human flight, the automobile, and the telephone, virtual reality is a technological revolution that will change the world.
There are unlimited possibilities in gaming, communication, tourism, live events, and education. The sky is the limit. Once you put on that headset, you may come to the same conclusion.
What are the downsides? VR is too expensive right now to be adopted by the masses. But it’s only a matter of time before the price come down, and every household has one.
Also, it’s very hard to explain to people the amazement of VR. However, Morpheus, from the matrix, has the best explanation. (substitute “virtual reality” for “the Matrix”).
Unfortunately, no one can be told what virtual reality is. You have to see it for yourself. — Morpheus
