If you still haven't heard of the Oculus Rift, get informed now. It's the world's first virtual reality headset marketed specifically to the average consumer (if an "average consumer" is someone with at least $599 in discretionary income to spend on a VR headset). The Oculus Rift has brought in a whole host of speculation on the Internet, with people either singing the praises of virtual reality or warning that one day none of us will really be living in the moment. Like it or not, virtual reality is here to stay, and it's not just for gamers. Here are just a few of the reasons we need to get used to the idea of VR, because it's about to be HUGE. (I know you just read that in Donald Trump's voice. It's okay, admit it.)
Virtual Reality (VR) (n.): the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors (Oxford Dictionaries).
1. Medicine
What if a neurosurgeon could walk into the brain he's about to operate on? What if he could walk around the tumor he needs to remove, virtually separate it, then zoom out so he can see the finished product actual size?
What if you could conquer your biggest phobia (spiders, heights, you name it) through virtual exposure therapy?
What if someone in an assisted living home could retreat to a new world, walk around, and experience an immersive story from the comfort of their bed? (This is real -- check out SUSIE, a Stanford University VR project created for the elderly).
All of these ideas are getting more and more funding; and scientists hope that within 50 years, VR will be a normal part of medical treatment.
2. Marketing
With a VR headset, Amazon.com, or any other online retailer, can now be a real store. Shoppers could put on a headset, say hello to a virtual cashier, be fitted and measured, and add items to a shopping basket that they don't even have to carry. Most likely, they will have an "assistant" (very Siri-esque) that notices their shopping preferences and habits and passes that information onto advertising services.
3. Art
Nearly everything you need to know about virtual reality in the artistic world is in the new Google Tilt video. Seriously, it is SO cool. Graphic designers are also dusting off their resumes to design for the 4D world. It's essentially Adobe AfterEffects skills taken to a whole new level. VR opens up an entirely new field for motion effects artists.
4. Tourism
Marriott has already started to take advantage of virtual reality to promote its services with Travel Brilliantly, a tour from London to Maui in 90 seconds. Users have the feeling of being "teleported" as they place the headset on and experience the first 4D travel experience geared toward consumers. Marriott also began offering "VRoom Service," which immerses patrons in cities on small postcards similar to QR codes.
And, of course, amusement parks will begin to use virtual reality in rides, waiting lines, and restaurants.
5. Education
There's a virtual reality application for nearly every major out there. Soon, students will be able to show up to virtual labs. Archeologists will be able to explore inside 3D models of pyramid structures. VR could be especially useful in engineering classes, where laws of physics can be modified and edited to show why things work the way they do under the influence of gravity and other natural laws.
If you're interested in learning more, check out the official site of the Virtual Reality Society. Though we might not all be able to afford an Oculus Rift right now, we aren't that far away from a day when VR goggles are as common as smartwatches. And once we solve the Haptics Problem (only look this up if you want to have your mind blown), we'll be only a few steps away from living like the space people in Wall-E.