Introduction
Virtual reality has indeed experienced a revolution in the current decade. Precisely, the technology associated with this innovation has been heightened to newer levels making it more promising than it was in the previous century. According to Ohta and Tamura (2014), virtual reality is a computer generated an environment to replicates an actual setting to enhance an immersive feel to an individual. The sensory experience created involves one’s sense of sight, smell, hearing, and movement. In 2010, the first prototype of the Oculus Rift was created, and it had the ability to generate stereoscopic images that created a virtual environment in a 90 degrees field of vision (Cohen, Villegas & Barfield, 2015). However, this breakthrough was not sufficient to completely emulate a realistic environment. In 2013, this company revolutionized the performance of their virtual reality headset making it an essential form of technology. Ever since it has been integrated with modern industries such as filming and gaming to enhance the user experience. This innovation will undoubtedly affect many industries dealing in technology due its realism. For a fact, the modern-day virtual reality trends are exemplary, and they would most likely revolutionize the technology industry.
Overview and brief history
In spite of the fact that the original invention of virtual reality was made in the twentieth century, it is worth noting that the current innovation and level of convenience redefines this concept. According to (), the first change associated with this concept was achieved in 1935 by Stanley Weinbaum. He had a basic idea of simulating a short story using the technological equipment to create fictional experiences such as smell and touch. However, the equipment used during this period was bulky and had poor image quality. The recent trends in virtual reality involve interactive generation of virtual environments through personal computers that are relatively more powerful and generate clearer images. Additionally, the architecture used in the creation of VR headsets is significantly pleasant as opposed to the previous innovations. Biocca and Levy (2013) argue that the modern-day virtual reality is the pathway to advanced augmented reality. As such, its inclusion in other technology industries would affect many people.
Impact of this technology on other industries
The potential of the modern virtual reality industry will undoubtedly revolutionize the film industry. According to Lorenz, Busch, Rentzos, Tscheligi, Klimat and Frohlich (2015), the invention of stereoscopic 3D movies in the twentieth century replaced the conventional methods of filmmaking. With that innovation, film developers shifted from the 2D platform to the 3D industry. Similarly, the integration of virtual reality will most positively impact the development of the cinematic industry. For starters, in 2015, Oculus launched the Story Studio to aid in the development of virtual reality films. In spite of the fact that this innovation favored the development of the computer generated imagery (CGI), animation films would mostly benefit from this invention as opposed to realistic movies. However, this setback is not sufficient to dispute the impact of VR in the film industry. The main international studios such as Paramount and Fox have commenced investing in this technology to enhance their modernization. As such, the historical impact of virtual reality would be immense to the world due to the realism that would be experienced in the film industry.
Additionally, the gaming industry will experience a new dimension due to the level of immersion and realism created by virtual reality. Siedel and Chatelier (2013) argue that the evolution of the gaming industry was mainly focused on the optimization of graphical content to make the characters look realer. However, these advancements have almost reached their limits since the amount of realism in most modern games is commendable. As such, the focus will most definitely shift to immersion through virtual reality. The recent trends in this technology favor the realization of this dream due to the creation of a realistic virtual environment. Modern equipment such as data gloves, body suits, and virtual reality helmets enable the user to experience the in-depth impact of the virtual reality environment. As a result, the impact of virtual reality on the gaming industry in undisputed. The recent trends in the development of these initiatives have heightened the potential of the gaming industry to trigger realistic feel and emotion. Therefore, the historical impact of virtual reality will be influential due to the revolution of the sector from the two dimension platform in the twentieth century to realistic environments in the current era.
Technical industries such as engineering and architecture will benefit from the provisions of modern virtual reality. This situation is largely accredited to the fact that the virtual environment can simulate locations that are essential to these industries. For instance, architects can reproduce a 3D model in a computer environment, then explore its appearance through the utilization of virtual reality equipment. The current Oculus Rift gives a provision for the exploration of a 3D environment with proper usage of software. Similarly, engineers can test technical aspects of their inventions before the creation of a prototype. According to Lemle, Bomkamp, Williams, Cutbirth (2015), the generation of a 3D virtual model capable of being manipulated by virtual reality equipment can be used to test the effectiveness of mechanical components such as planes. With the implementation of this provision, it would be lesser challenging for the technical personnel at these industries to complete their tasks. Additionally, the efficiency of the equipment created would be heightened due to the optimization opportunity created through virtual reality testing. Consequently, the modern trends in the VR industry would most definitively revolutionize the global achievements.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current trends in the evolution of virtual reality are quite promising. Specifically, this industry has experienced rapid growth since 2010 as more companies ventured into the production of virtual reality equipment. The current trends in the evolution of VR technology have a large impact on the development of the globe. Specifically, many industries will benefit from the breakthroughs created by this innovation due to the level of realism and the possibilities of its integration with modern aspects such as filming and gaming. As compared to the previous century, the current trends in virtual reality have led to the creation of smaller and yet powerful hardware. As such, it is possible to experience the glory of this technology in spite of one’s physical location. Due to its portability, one can utilize virtual reality to enhance their daily activities. Consequently, many people will benefit from the current generation virtual reality breakthrough due to the conveniences it offers. It is convenient for not only entertainment purposes but also the creation of content. Consequently, the modern-day virtual reality trends are exemplary, and they would most likely revolutionize the technology industry in the future.
References
Biocca, F., & Levy, M. R. (Eds.). (2013). Communication in the age of virtual reality. Routledge.
Cohen, M., Villegas, J., & Barfield, W. (2015). Special issue on spatial sound in virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality environments. Virtual Reality, 19(3-4), 147-148.
Lemle, E., Bomkamp, K., Williams, M. K., & Cutbirth, E. (2015). Virtual Reality and the Future of Entertainment. In Two Bit Circus and the Future of Entertainment (pp. 25-37). Springer International Publishing.
Lorenz, M., Busch, M., Rentzos, L., Tscheligi, M., Klimant, P., & Frohlich, P. (2015, March). I'm there! The influence of virtual reality and mixed reality environments combined with two different navigation methods on presence. In Virtual Reality (VR), 2015 IEEE (pp. 223-224). IEEE.
Ohta, Y., & Tamura, H. (2014). Mixed reality: merging real and virtual worlds. Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Seidel, R. J., & Chatelier, P. R. (Eds.). (2013). Virtual Reality, Training’s Future?: Perspectives on Virtual Reality and Related Emerging Technologies (Vol. 6). Springer Science & Business Media.
