So what is Virtual Reality?
From a personal point of view, I have been craving for Virtual Reality to become an actual reality for probably around 20 years. My childhood growing up amazed by the wonders of the TV Show Knightmare is definitively heavily to blame for this. I was always envisioning that one day I could encounter a real world experience of the TV show, where I could simply put on a headset and be completely immersed into a virtual world. This was the dream and with 2016 being pipped as the year VR goes from virtual to reality, finally this dream seems to be coming true.
The Oxford Dictionary describes virtual reality as:
Cardboard…. Seriously?
In 2014 Google pretty much changed the game in their unique way, other VR devices available on the market were set at price tags that seemed out of reach to the mass public, and then at the Google I/O conference in 2014, Google Cardboard was released. Google essentially stripped back everything and developed a simple headset made predominantly from a cardboard template with a few other simple easy to source components. Rather than having an official manufacturer of Google Cardboard headsets Google made the Cardboard template, list of components and instructions freely available on their website. They also provided extra recommendations for large scale manufacturing with many companies taking these designs and applying their personal touch variations such as head straps and foam cushions for extra comfort.
But…. How?
VR Apps with the cardboard function work by using your smartphone screen as the viewing platform. The cardboard headset holds your phone at an optimal distance away from your eyes, then a combination of the software programming output from the smart phone and the 40mm focal lenses recreate a point of view stereoscopic outlook. The headset aims to give you the same field of view as natural vision, therefore tricking your brain into thinking that you are actually there. Many apps also align this with the smartphone’s gyroscopic sensor, which allows the user not only to look outwards into virtual reality, but to also look up, down and around, creating a fully immersed experience.
Virtual reality applications are generally divided into two types:
– The first type is simulation of real environments this can either be interactive, a real world environment that you can navigate around, used generally use for building and outdoor tours or training activities. Alternatively there are 360 degree videos, using a special set up which is generally a 360 degree video rig, as shown in the picture, people can film blogs, events or pretty much anything with their 360 video rig, capturing every angle whilst recording. With advancements in technology tech companies are now producing 360 degree cameras, which can perform the same 360 degree capturing from a single device.
– The second type is simulation through 3d computer rendering in this instance everything you see around you is computer generated, working in the same way as a first person video game would work. This style of virtual reality has been around for a while, and the technology to recreate such first person views has been around even longer, programmers would just have to adjust the viewing to left and right eye outputs, thus creating a user immersed computer environment.
As you can see with the whole of the cardboard headset being printable this creates the perfect branding area, making it a fantastic promotional product, which we will talk about further in the third installment of the promotional blog, next episode will be all about the future of Virtual Reality so hope you look forward to it!