With Lenovo Group Ltd. being one of the first tech companies to give consumers a taste of virtual reality (VR) at affordable price points, users are spoilt for choice while those still-to-be-initiated get more and more excited to get their hands on the device. But before hopping on the VR bandwagon, it is essential to look into some details straight to be able to make an informed decision when deciding which VR experience best fits one’s needs and lifestyle. Be a certified VR techie with these five interesting facts about VR.
- Although it’s hard to pinpoint the father of VR, history suggests it could have been the innovation of not one but five key individuals:
- Morton Heilig, for giving users the very first interactive film experience, which can be take the credit as the beginning of 3D content.
- Jaron Lanier, the first person to credit the term “Virtual Reality”
- Douglas Engelbart, who invented the computer mouse and laid the foundation for the modern user interface
- Ivan Sutherland, inventor of the first head-mounted display Myron Krueger, a computer graphics and audio wizard
- VR technology has made the impossible possible. With the help of add-on features or accessories, such as a surround sound audio system or gloves with attached sensors detecting hand movements, along with wands and treadmills, VR enthusiasts can enjoy an alternate reality and an entirely different world.
- As the technology becomes mainstream, VR will make more worlds open up to customers. Think of resorts sharing virtual experiences to lure adventurers to book a desired holiday, or social channels, such as YouTube housing content that are simply plug and play.
- VR plays a big role to help humanity, as developers use it to help those in need in ways that were unimaginable 20 years ago. Some use it to cure phantom pain among amputee victims, while others rely on VR to provide therapy for soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
VR has also been proven to help children with autism by teaching them social cues and real-world lessons. It is being used as a practice board for surgical students before they make the first cut. There is even a VR content targeted at young adults that simulates their physical condition when they get to their 60s, and, thus, encourages them to save for the future.
- One focus of technological advances related to VR is the engineering and design of the headset. Expectedly, there are ultra high-tech and complicatedly designed headsets out there. But some tech wizards have taken it one step further, thereby making it way more accessible to everyone.
Now, there are tutorials about making VR headsets out of pieces of cardboard. Not only has this opened a plethora of possibilities for VR, it has gotten people to think in creative ways to upsize their experiences.