Nov
24
2015
Virtual Reality
Stacey Edmonds, NOV 24 2015
I recently attended Convergence, an event hosted by FILM FEST part conference | networking | trade show.
WHY?
My inner Star Trek fan has been waiting very patiently since 1987 for the real Holodeck experience, a place where I too could use the virtual reality facility for training, diagnostics and recreational purposes.
Oh and … we have 2 very innovative clients for whom we are developing Virtual Reality Learning Experiences. Huge excitement all-round.
CONFERENCE
The conference part was delivered by arrange of speakers including Karl Krantz, Silicon Valley Virtual Reality, Dr Jordan Nguyen, and Jonathan Richards, Google Creative Lab (Google it).
Karl was so excited when VR became ‘real again’ he upped and left for Silicon Valley. He arrived and looked for VR meetups, didn’t find any, so set one up which is now a very successful event. Not quite quotes but you get the gist…
I have lost so much weight whilst working in VR, I work and move!
VR frees us from geography, we can experience the impossible, witness the setup of a camera on the space station!
We can actually go inside the body, inner space (not quite like the 1987 classic, but you get the idea)
Jordan, well, who wouldn’t be impressed by a baby-faced, floppy haired lad who moonlights as is a biomedical engineer who has developed a mind controlled wheel chair. What I took away from his presentation was the all-impressive ability of VR to increase empathy. For more info please check out this Ted Talk from Chris Milk
“It’s not a video game peripheral. It connects humans to other humans in a profound way that I’ve never seen before in any other form of media. And it can change people’s perception of each other. And that’s how I think virtual reality has the potential to actually change the world. So, it’s a machine, but through this machine we become more compassionate, we become more empathetic, and we become more connected. And ultimately, we become more human.” Chris Milk
Jonathan was all very Google, kinda cool, kinda laid back. Interestingly totally enamoured with Magic Leap. For those of you not checking out Magic Leap yet… heads up, it’s all very secretive, from what I get from the site Magic Leap really is on the way to making me a Holodeck.
TRADESHOW
All good things happen at a Tradeshow.
Had a good old natter with Kain from StartVR founder and all-round lovely guy. The interactivity in their experiences is clean and shmick, making real virtual decision nicely possible. Here joined the long queue to experience the HTC Vive, the VR system running in close second to the Oculus Rift and 1 of only 10 in the country at the moment.
What did I do I hear you cry, well, I painted in a 3D environment with brushes that glowed, glistened and shone like floating organic laser beams… then walked inside and around my creation.
Ben at the Digital Arts Network gave me a real treat with his Crash Test Dummy experience made for the NRMA. The first time I experienced being a crash test dummy I closed my eyes and held tight to the table, not the coolest look!
Transmedia Entertainment was impressive, some nice learning work developed for ThinkEducation a bit like experiencing the Robbie Williams Rock DJ video in VR!
Remembered it though, intellectually and viscerally, there’s good learning for you.
I am very excited with the possibilities for learning, as one of the pioneers of the internet, Brian Shuster states,
“Education becomes truly interactive in a virtual setting. Foreign language learning generally requires total immersion. Virtual worlds enable the ability to place students from a French class, directly into “field trips” of, for example, tours of virtual Paris to see the sights and learn, in an amongst actual native speakers of the French language, as though they were actually there”
So, as you can tell I am hugely excited, are you?
Have you immersed yet? Would you like too?
Easy…
- Get a few free VR apps on your phone, I am enjoying the work of Jaunt at the moment and of course, the Google Cardboard app sets you up.
- Immerse and enjoy
Oh and maybe sit down!
