Introduction
The advent of technology has occurred very recently. The society, prior to the advent of innovative technology, was not this fast and easy. It was a bit complicated and involved some amount of labor. Continuous research and innovation made it possible. The technology has enabled us to be instantly in touch with everyone at the same time. Be it the simple texting and messaging systems or the access to social media from the cell phones.
Today everything that can possibly go digital and what cannot go digital today will go digital tomorrow! That’s the new reality and digitalization and technology has all encompassed our lives and invaded our lives like never before. Welcome to the digital age!
This technology we are referring to is all encompassing. It is almost omnipresent. May be general population may not be aware of the day-to-day developments in this area. However they are extremely fast and quick in catching up with the applications of technology. The changes that are happening are getting adapted to fast and quick. So it is important for people to know about this. Whoever gets left behind in the race is almost is going to be technologically and technically challenged. The mobile computing devices are here to stay.
Virtual reality is one such latest technology. There are numerous types of virtual reality headsets that are already available in the market. However, the latest entrant into this segment is Samsung. As it is popularly known, Samsung is famous for its smartphones, tablet mobiles, and various other consumer electronics like televisions, etc., and even smart-watches – all being ubiquitous; the Korean electronics giant has recently entered into another innovative category – the virtual reality headsets. The primary motive behind Samsung entering into this segment is to give a tough competition to Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus of Sony.
There are already a few developers who have the older models of the virtual reality headsets that are powered by the flagship Samsung Galaxy devices like Note 3 and Galaxy S5. However, the consumer model, it is said, is supposed to encompass the power of the next-generation.
The Concept of Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual reality (VR) is essentially a technology that generates computer made worlds or immersive surroundings wherein people can travel and in most cases, network with. Virtual reality has its supporters and antagonists that are essentially due to a lack of understanding about this technology and its capabilities. Unrealistic expectations lack of awareness about the technical limitations. To be precise, virtual reality, for many people today is difficult to understand or even consider seriously. In order to make people feel the Virtual Environment (VE), this technology uses computer hardware and software. It was formerly regarded as a kind of digital space that humans could gain access to by putting on specially made computer equipment. Such special equipment designed for the purpose of VR, when donned, enables people to handle information in a much easy way.
Virtual Reality is also known as the immerse multimedia created through a computer simulated environment which simulates the physical presence around created you into an imaginary worlds and also recreates the user’s senses like the sight, smell, feel, and taste etc. Most of these virtual experiences are created either on a computer’s screen or through some special modified stereoscopic displays, most of which include quite a bit of additional information and the recreation of the sensory experience of the humans.
VR offers a number of various ways to view and experience information. One such method offered by VR is the dynamic view and the other is the immediate view. For instance, in a computer game, the joystick signals as used by the user are tracked and the objects present in the game move according to the movements made by the joystick. Similarly, in VR, “a simulated, three-dimensional world is created around the user in which he/she could interact with objects, people, and environments. Typically three-dimensional life-sized images with support of audio devices are presented around the user and the perspective is modified in accordance with the user input (generally head or eye movements).” A number of electronic devices including computers are used for creating virtual environment.
For entering into a VE, a user has to put on specially designed accessories like gloves, headsets, and goggles, all of which transfer their output to the computer. The VE is intended to substitute the real environment with a digital environment, and the human senses are submerged into the VE. This immersion is essentially an experience of trailing in the VE and shutting out all signals from the real physical world. A Virtual Environment can be created on different ranges and magnitude depending on the computer platf0rm. VE can range from a simple cell phone screen to a desktop monitor or even a totally Immersive Virtual Environment (IVE).
The main components of the VE are as follows:
- The visual displays immerse the user in the virtual world and they block the contradictory sensory impersonations from the physical world.
- The graphics transcription system creates the constantly changing images at about 20 to 30 frames a second.
- There is a tracking system that keeps informing the position and orientation of the user movements constantly.
- The database construction and maintenance system aides in the building and maintenance of a comprehensive and genuine lifelike model of the virtual world.
- The VE encompasses a sound system that produces high quality manoeuvring sounds and computer-generated sound fields.
How does VR work?
The way in which VR works can be understood easily with the example of a ‘Counter Strike’ game. The major component of this game is the software program that runs with the help of computer as well as the input output devices that are interfaced with the system. Each and every character and the environment within the game behave as close to reality on the basis of the codes that are written for the characters and the gaming environments. The code enables characters and environment to act together with the other characters that the input devices control. The code is construed by the processor that handles the input and output devices consequently. This is the simplest example that helps in understanding the process of VR.
The VR function of more immersive virtual reality environment is almost similar to that of the games, leaving alone the fact that numerous advanced input and output devices in association with a high performance processor are added in order to boost the immersion. The computer executes the processes rapidly based on the user input, and output is presented in such a way that the user feels itself to be part of the environment.
The potential of virtual reality has always been massive. Born out of technology, virtual reality essentially is an animated experience. In fact, it is a man meets machine; however, the actual experience is strictly confound to the mind.
VR had its unsophisticated beginnings. A standardized definition for virtual reality has always been a tough one to be formulated due to the fact that the idea of an alternate presence has been stroked at for many centuries now. However, the closest contemporary antecedent came to life during the 1950s, when a few futuristic thinkers saw the possibility for viewing things on a perpetual screen, but the technology was not of the quality that can substantiate the idea of the visionaries. The assurance of the idea was veiled, obscured under bulky visuals. Nevertheless, the concept was worth chasing, and a few others continued the pursuit, the military people in particular, who have utilized the technology of virtual reality for war simulation for numerous years. The ultimate ideals of a VR world were reconsidered by a small set of designers during the late 1980s and the early 1990s. That was a time when the personal computer was setting off, and VR followers found an inquisitive population keen about knowing what the technology has in store for them.
The one of the most astounding electronic gadgets of the IFA conference this year is the Gear VR headset which is wireless and also is a new creation of the Samsung Company. This company always craves to be the first in the worldwide electronic market. The creations of the companies Rift and Sony is the Morpheus, however these have been not yet introduced in the market to the general public, and are seen to be having the most high-end picture quality in the budding 3D industry. But compared to the one of the Samsung these need to be modified quite bit. The ones of the Rift and Sony are needed to be plugged into a computer for them to work. But the Gear VR is seen the most and the first virtual reality headset to make a way to the mass market.
As already mentioned above the headsets of the Rift and Sony need to be Plugged into a computer to work, but, in the case of Samsung there is no need of any such thing, they can just hang it on their heads and carry on, and the only thing that the people has to do is that to insert their Samsung Smartphone into the slot given for the phones, the phones if inserted, act as the heart and the brain of the headset. .
This creation of Samsung is very mobile to carry on and move. Though the look of the device is quite simple, the operation of the device is quite a bit complicated. Though the creators of the device have given the device an exquisite look they have also equipped the thing with an array of sensors, they track the movements of the user’ head and work accordingly, they also have given this a stylish touch pad on the side which enables the user to operate the device.
The people who had the luck to try this piece at the IFA conference are all appraise of the creators. They say that they are generous about the padding of the device, and say that they are comfortable having this boxy thing attached to their face for hours together. And when spoke about the partnership of Samsung with Oculus for the software of Gear VR, the users who used the device first are surprised about the experience they had using the device that their experience can be compared to the one they had by using the headset built by the one of the Rift.
Samsung is yet finding another vital application for its new creation- Gear VR. But Samsung’s competes are riding big in the gaming arena, but the usage of the Note4 in Gear VR is limited in the headset’s application to Concerts and Travel videos. Samsung also says that this piece could also be used in the training of healthcare and also by the pilots while flying. Jack Gold, the analyst at J. Gold associates says that this piece isn’t seen big at the enterprises in the short term except in some situations. This man also question’s that “What apps in the note-4 require the 3D feature?” The next VR based Laguna Beach specified that it is going to offer also music and sporting events to the new Samsung device.
The fantasy of 3D is an outcome of the human binocular vision, where each eye possesses a slightly dissimilar view. This is possible in the real world as the human eyes are slightly apart so that each eye has its own different view to some extent. Eventually the human brain processes these two images and makes it a single image which has the quality of depth.
This device actually works on the motion of the user, actually when the user keeps this on his head, he actually feels that he is in a 3D space where the world around him floats and by nodding he interacts with a couple of demos. Basically the person who is using the device needs to nod his head to select anything in the device and the user is instructed that nodding is not a contender for the final contender.
This device has lot of advantages like the device is both an accelerometer and a gyro meter which helps in tracking the head movements of the user and voice control or the touch pad could be used to navigate the menus and, this has a quite a high defined quality of picture, moreover the front cover of the Gear VR pops off to the front and then again snaps back so that the phone gets locked in the place allotted for it. And also the cover doesn’t allow people to see you attached to the phone. This also has a touchpad and a button in the right side which would allow the user to access the options in the screen and also the controls.
Samsung will also be equipping the headset with a Bluetooth gamepad in the alongside of the headset, which is a must have and a must look for those sort of electronic gadgets and to have the full advantage of the device’s experience.
This Gear VR was created with the partnership of the Oculus Company and the games for the VR would be coming in downside the road from Oculus and many other trusted VR companies. The plus point of the VR is that the Note-4’s High definition picture quality is quite more than the range of the highest pixels in the ones of the phones. We can also keep a quite a bit of things in fluid while we are on the gadget.
There are two sides for a coin and so are both pros and cons for everything and Samsung is not an exception to this fact. The one of the most downside in the whole thing that this Note-4 can only be used with Gear VR and this is the reason that most of the people do not prefer this gadget. Devoting too much of time and using many resources to a device makes it boring and they wouldn’t have a mood to enjoy the device peacefully, but if the feedback in the starting is good, that would lead to something very universal.
3D systems that are Glasses-based create a 3D effect by presenting two views at the same time, with each view either captured or digitally created to display a slightly different viewpoint or perspective. The glasses use either divergence or a shutter to transmit only one view to each eye. The brain processes these images similar to the process it does in real life, combing the two views to offer the illusion of profundity.
Idleness is built into the visual system and even people having monocular vision are capable of performing well when reviewing depth in the real world. Hence in the design of 3D displays it is significant to be conscious of the major involvement of monocular 2D depth cues in depth perception and intends to offer displays with as minimum as good vital imaging performance similar to 2D displays. The monocular depth cues are experiential and over time observers learn the physical imperative of the various retinal images and their association with the real world objects.
Further than the attractive nature of stereoscopic 3D images they offer the following advantages over monocular vision:
- Relative depth opinion. The spatial relationship of objects in depth from the observer can be evaluated directly with the help of binocular vision.
- Spatial localization. “The brain is able to concentrate on objects placed at a certain depth and ignore those at other depths using binocular vision.”
- Breaking camouflage. The capability to pick out camouflaged objects in a picture is perhaps one of the key evolutionary motives for having binocular vision.
- Surface material perception. For instance, luster; sparkling gems and glittering materials are partially visible because of the varied specular reflections detected by the left and right eyes.
Sophistication in micro-optics, various kinds of display technologies and systems of computing are together producing a stimulating range of new opportunities for designers of 3D display.
Furthermore, an understanding of the mechanism of binocular vision is also equally important and vital.
The characteristics and geometry of binocular vision characterize limits on the highest range of binocular vision and the lowest amount of depth variation is possible to recognize in the real world. As the perception of depth is relative to the existing fixation point binocular vision is the optimal solution to creating relative depth judgments amid objects.
Conclusion
Earlier we used to be meeting at a place and wait for the meeting to happen to update each other. Now we are so connected that we are actually ending up living many lives. We are not only thinking about what we are doing and living, we are also deeply involved and engrossed in how and what others are doing and living. In olden days, when we were at a young age, if long distance calls were to be made, these were extremely rare and were hardly used as they were extremely exorbitantly priced, we used to make a call to an operator and wait, fully glued to the telephone, for the call to mature.
The world has been evolutionary in nature for possibly billions of years. It took billions of years for the human beings to come to this form that they are in today. It has taken billions of years for the earth, solar system and the universe come to the kind of “homeostasis” that it seems to be in today. May be general population may not be aware of the day-to-day developments in this area. However, they are extremely fast and quick in catching up with the applications of technology.
All of us are connected with our mobile computing and communication devices aka cell phones and tablets. There is no more waiting for something to happen. The mobile computing and communication devices have allowed to us to be geographically independent of each other. They have allowed us one instantaneous channel for being connected and constantly communicate with each other. The convergence of technologies of communication and computing has allowed us to access the internet and web on the fly.
As 3D display quality is incessantly improving, it becomes more and more important to take into account the quality of the stereoscopic images that are used to assess displays. This necessitates the implementation of innovative methods for image creation which is again based on an enhanced understanding of the human perception regarding stereo images to describe the mapping of depth from a scene against the working depth range available through 3D display.
The best holiday- gift for anyone is now this Gear VR which is available at $ 200 per piece. But at the moment this can be used only with the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note-4. The company has not yet announced the prices yet, but the latest smartphone is to be priced around $700. However the pricing and the limited compatibility of the note- 4 would certainly prevent us from the purchase of the Gear VR for the holiday sessions.
