Virtual reality (or ‘VR’, as it’s often referred to) is a growing industry that allows users to step into a computer-generated reality by simply strapping a headset over their face and ears. The origins of VR dates back to at least 1968, when MIT researcher Ivan Sutherland released his daunting room-sized VR machine that used a helmet so heavy that it had to be suspended from the ceiling. But there are actually traces of VR long before technology even existed, such as panoramic paintings and stereoscopic photo viewers. Nowadays, we mostly associate VR with the video game industry, where players are immersed in the fictional world they see on a screen! The graphics made possible by the 360 technology amplify everything and make the monsters in video games 10x scarier.*
But other than pure entertainment, virtual reality can also have lots of practical uses! By utilizing VR controllers, users can remodel homes with the flick of their wrist, without wasting supplies. People can also try on clothes at stores from the comfort their home. The possibilities are virtually endless.
Recently, the uses of VR in the military have expanded to give soldiers the chance to experience everything from flight simulations to virtual boot camp. At the Innovation Design Lab at East Carolina University, students created stimulations for nurses that mimic the emergency combative situations they would later experience in order to prepare them for real-life scenarios.
Their project, Operation Reentry North Carolina, is a national research support organization serving military personnel, veterans and their families. The MV-22 Osprey Task Trainer leverages advanced visualization capability and synergizes other technologies and capabilities such as video capture, sound and olfactory stimulation, biofeedback monitoring and set design to develop full-scale three and two dimensional immersive and virtual reality (VR) environments.
The initial goal was to create a VR environment for the inside and outside of a MV-22 Osprey so that military personnel could train by immersing themselves an Osprey as if they were actually in one. In order to complete this task, Blair Weaver, the captain of this project, captured video of the inside/outside of an Osprey located at the Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, NC. Using shots from twelve GoPro Silver 4 cameras, she was able to stitch together a 360-degree, three dimensional VR environment of the military aircraft.
Military personnel from the Marine Corps Air Station New River were then able to put this synthetic Oculus VR environment to the test! The results were extremely positive! Everyone agreed that the VR environment simulated the aircraft, and would be helpful in training new recruits. Weaver and her researchers are now working on future projects that would include footage shot while the aircraft is flying.
I don’t know about you but seeing how VR is helping save lives now makes me want to experience VR myself! Virtual reality is revolutionizing our daily lives and has come a long way since its breakthrough in the video game industry. So hop on the bandwagon and see for yourself how virtual reality is changing the world for the better!
Team:
Producer/Director: Yvonne
Cam A: Nancy
Sound & Lighting: Jaimee
Editor: Nancy
Talent: Shariar
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History of Virtual Reality
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