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Introduction
Oculus Rift is an application device from the field of Virtual Reality (VR) that potentially manipulates people's mind with a 3D experience. With virtual reality, it is now feasible to provide users with an experience that earlier would not have been possible. Virtual reality is a computerized simulated environment that through the help of some device gives the user an experience of that environment. The user through his mind experiences the virtual environment created and projected through the device enabling VR. The environment generated and perceived by the mind of the user is 3-dimensional. VR produces effects that to the mind of the user it seems to be concrete. VR provides all related aspects to the environment created, including visual immersions, sound and sensory feedback (Rajesh Desai, Nikhil Desai, Ajmera & Mehta, 2014, pp. 175).
Virtual Reality – The Technology Behind
Virtual Reality has many applications in the fields of medicine, military, and gaming. VR creates an environment that is indistinguishable from the real world and depending on the device the user experience varies. From a technological perspective evolution of the modern day computer science was the first step towards the invention of the VR. With an advancement of the computer technology, breakthroughs, and innovations in this field, it was easier for more graphical representation of information (Green, 2008).
Oculus Rift Functioning
Oculus Rift is a lightweight HMD (Head Mounted Display) that allows a user to experience the game by being part of it and from any direction. Oculus Rift’s HMD allows the users to look around and visually explore the created virtual world. A tracking function in the HMD allows the software to interpret and track the body movements and translate them into appropriate movements inside the virtual world (Green, 2013). Oculus Rift’s head-tracking technology lets the user look around, and it tracks the user’s head movement for presenting the view. The Oculus Rift field view is wide with a high-resolution display providing an immersive experience for the user (Rajesh Desai, Nikhil Desai, Ajmera & Mehta, 2014, pp. 175).
Figure 1: The Oculus Rift
Oculus Rift has been generated for the mass market, and it has brought virtual reality to the masses targeting the commercial market. Oculus Rift was created by Palmer Lucky with an experience and background of interactive media. Oculus Rift is an adaptation of the Virtual Reality technology in the domain of video gaming. Oculus Rift started as a hobby project, which got well received with gamers and the industry. The device looks like a pair of ski goggles with a pair of LCD screen on both sides. The sensors inside the Head Mounted Device detect each of the movements of the head with a 360-degree turnaround. Oculus creates an impressive virtual reality experience. It also works as a peripheral device, with an ability to be plugged into a laptop or a computer. Putting on the Oculus Rift headgear takes the user into a completely different world with projections from the computer device (Nosowitz, 2013).
Societal Impact of Virtual Reality
The domain of science fiction has completely explored all the sides of the virtual reality and its impact on the society. The moral implications, societal impact and a perfect recreation of virtual reality have been explored in depth in the movies. Movies like Matrix, Gamer show how virtual reality impacts the lives of people and how they coexist with virtual reality. The explorations of the science fiction examine the possibilities of VR, along with the good and bad sides of VR on its impact on people’s lives. The fiction and fantasy world can imagine technologies use and impact on people, but it is not exactly same in the real world, and its impact is mostly different. Although the questions raised in science fiction are mostly applicable in the real world as well (Green, 2013).
The immersion of gamers into games is taking the gaming industry to next level, with the use of virtual reality where the latest technology has seen major applications into the gaming industry. According to an estimate, there are around 170 million gamers across the United States alone (Green, 2013). Virtual reality is an important step towards the evolution of the society and culture. It would be much better to expand its application from enjoyment to experience based learnings.
Oculus Rift - Future and Challenges
Virtual reality has evolved over time to the current day virtual reality. The success and failure of Oculus Rift device and Virtual Reality as a whole industry would depend upon the perception of people and their acceptance of using this technology. There has been a lot of enthusiasm associated with the industry since the 1990s; however, affordable pricing has been a major hindrance to the mass growth of the industry. The virtual reality revolution has been hindered by technology and cost of the associated devices. In the future with technological advances and cheaper technology the possibilities of immersive experience for the users. The current state of the industry is breaking the first barrier of virtual reality with readily available technology. As the availability and affordability of the VR technology increases more breakthroughs and innovations could be expected across different fields (Green, 2013). An example worth mentioning here is that of IoT (Internet of Things) where a new field emerged that is triggered and based on the availability of cheap electronic chips and devices and the explosion of what is known as Big Data.
Oculus Rift manufacturers have been aiming for the $300 price range. Oculus Rift has a substantially advanced technology that brings a unique user experience. Affordable pricing mixed with unique user experience would make the device more popular and acceptable for the mass market triggering what could be a much awaited virtual reality explosion (Nosowitz, 2013). Add-ons providing a feeling of touch, body impact, brush against skill and other sensory experience could make the virtual reality device even more real. These abilities could take the user experience to a new level and also have more apt usefulness in the industries of defense, medicine, training and education. The possibilities of usage of such a technology remain endless.
The past few decades had seen an emergence of dynamic computer animation and simulation with static 3-dimensional images. The advent of virtual reality has brought the 3-dimentional into an immersive experience for users. The future of virtual reality is real time complex animation system that determines its path based on user feedback and input reactions and counter-reactions. The future of virtual reality is bright as it is evident for any new technology the early adapters are the gaming, user experience or the entertainment industry. Those technologies then evolve to become part of mainframe industries and provide an array of other user services. Virtual reality could be beneficial for scientists in comprehending chemical reactions, training of pilots, and architecting building designs. A virtual tour of a proposed building could be beneficial for the real estate industry both for the buyers and the constructors of the building. Not say that the libraries, museums and galleries could benefit a great deal in presenting their content to the incomers (Rajesh Desai, Nikhil Desai, Ajmera, Mehta, 2014).
Summary and Discussion
Oculus Rift is an evolutionary device from the field of Virtual Reality (VR) providing users with an immersive 3-dimentional experience supported by a computerized simulated environment. Oculus Rift advances the level of the gaming experience for users and aims to bring the virtual reality devices into an affordable range for mass users. Nosowitz, (2013) in his article on evaluating the devices shares his experience of Oculus Rift VR where he is walking into a medieval castle. The Oculus Rift could be used connecting to any computing device and in the case of Nosowitz, it was used connected to a Xbox controller (Nosowitz, 2013). Oculus Rift has brought to the virtual reality industry what has been long awaited i.e. affordable virtual reality experience. Oculus Rift also displays the power of VR and gives ideas for innovations in other industries like education, training, medicine, military, and aviation.
Conclusion
Oculus Rift is a head-mountable device bringing virtual reality to users. The societal impact of virtual reality has long been debated, but its benefits surpass the concerns. The future of virtual reality holds many promises and affordable technological advances aims to bring this into the mass market. Oculus Rift is the breakthrough towards a revolution that has been long awaited into the virtual reality industry.
Reference
Green, J. (2013). What is Virtual Reality?. Virtual Reality, 7.
Nosowitz, D. (2013). CES 2013: Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Headset Is Freaking Amazing.
Popular Science. Retrieved 10 February 2016,
/ces-2013-oculus-rifts-virtual-reality-headset-freaking-amazing
Rajesh Desai, P., Nikhil Desai, P., Deepak Ajmera, K., & Mehta, K. (2014). A review paper on
oculus rift-A virtual reality headset. IJETT, 13(4), 175-179.
http://dx.doi.org/10.14445/22315381/ijett-v13p237
