What is VR?
When people talk about virtual reality (VR), they are referring to a digital, artificial world created with the help of special software and hardware. This digital reality goes far beyond previously existing 3D technologies, as it enables a more comprehensive experience.
Through the use of goggles, the user is placed in a simulation that extends comprehensively around them in a 360° ratio, giving the feeling of being completely immersed in this alternative world.
Interactions with digital objects (such as through additional handpieces or through eye control) are also possible. In addition to the use of virtual reality in the gaming industry, the technology is predicted to be formative for everyday life and individual media consumption in the future.
This creates many opportunities for how this technology driver can be leveraged by companies and what new levels of interaction become conceivable.
While VR is still a rather abstract concept for many, this technology is already celebrating great success in other areas - and is already being widely used, not least by the gaming industry and lead companies.
Virtual reality as a technology driver ensures that the development of the necessary software and hardware is progressing rapidly and is already well positioned in many areas.
However, since VR is a comprehensive simulation of a digital world, high demands are placed on the technical components. From the processor to the chip to the display quality, it is consequently important to be equipped to a high standard. If these components are sufficiently available, there are only a few limits to what is possible.
Differences of VR headsets:
There are various approaches to realizing virtual reality.
Wired
The classic VR headset.
Limited freedom of movement, but best graphic performance.
Stand-alone
The lone warrior.
Absolute freedom of movement, but performance limitations.
3-DoF
An experience that embraces you.
For example, a 360° movie.
6-DoF
Stichwort „Immersion“.
Complete dive into the virtual world.
"DoF" means Degrees of Freedom.
This specification refers to which movements can be perceived by the headset and the input devices.
3-DoF:
Rotational movements can be tracked.
I.e.: It is tracked whether the user tilts or swivels his head,
however, no translation
(Movements "into" the room)
perceived.
6-DoF:
Translational movements are also tracked.
I.e.: It is additionally tracked when the user moves forward,
moved backwards, sideways or vertically.
So können Bewegungen „in den Raum hinenin“ wahrgenommen werden.
At 3-DoF we can therefore not move "freely in space". At 6-DoF on the other hand, this is possible.
Virtual reality in numbers:
The technique briefly explained:
People can see spatially thanks to their two eyes. In this process, the eyes have different viewing angles of objects due to their position. The individual "images" of the eyes are then combined into one picture by calculating the difference through the brain, which is also called stereoscopic vision. This creates a spatial impression in the brain and provides the basis for how virtual reality works.
VR glasses provide the eyes with two images via two displays, which differ slightly from each other due to the curvature of a lens. The difference between the two visual impressions is simulated by software so that the brain calculates a three-dimensional impression from the two slightly different images.
In addition to a well-established technical foundation, the use of virtual reality requires one other component in particular: VR glasses as the hardware that makes the experience possible in the first place. A lot has already happened in this area in the last few years as well, so various manufacturers offer diverse specialized VR glasses at different prices.
But other approaches are also showing success: For example, the Samsung GearVR or Google Cardboard (made of cardboard!) allow users to integrate their cell phone into the front of the glasses and use virtual reality entirely without a PC. These headsets are called standalone devices.
Modern, stand-alone VR goggles, such as the Oculus Quest, do not require a cell phone or a connected PC. Everything you need is already integrated and ready for use anywhere.
Future potential:
Especially in the corporate sector, virtual reality not only shows great potential, but has already proven its usefulness in many areas. In industries that have a high demand for project planning - such as the real estate industry or construction - a targeted use of VR for visualization can serve to enable a virtual tour and make abstract structures tangible in real terms.
Technology is also revolutionizing medical training. Doctors train new treatment techniques on virtual patients and prepare for surgical procedures - from dental surgery to organ transplants.
In addition, many other areas are conceivable: From the possibility of interactive learning (in the education industry) and training of workflows to the creation of artificial show rooms and the simulation of experiences, the potential is almost inexhaustible.