Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Virtual Reality: Purpose Beyond Gaming

Posted by Soulskill on from the advertisers-will-invade-soon dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Virtual reality tech is getting a ton of attention for what it can do to video games. But the technology itself isn't limited to games — just as Kinect was hijacked and used for myriad other purposes, so will VR be broadly adapted. This article goes into some of the applications: 'An elderly woman in a retirement home recently used an Oculus to explore a garden and walk stairs again. This simple environment brought her to tears. Work is also being done to help PTSD sufferers deal with their trauma by replicating the scene within virtual reality and there is great interest in using a similar approach for other conditions like amnesia, Alzheimer's and dementia. ... It's now possible for museum spaces and schools to teleport students to specific moments in history, to allow them to experience being executed by a guillotine, take tours of space or even explore the depths of the ocean.' What other VR uses can you foresee?"

10 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Nice summary. by Leonard+Fedorov · · Score: 4, Funny

    Good thing it mentioned the anecdote about the eldery woman twice, otherwise I might have forgotten it. Clearly no one is proof reading these...

    1. Re:Nice summary. by Bobakitoo · · Score: 5, Funny

      Good thing it mentioned the anecdote about the eldery woman twice, otherwise I might have forgotten it. Clearly no one is proof reading these...

      It was for stereoscopy purpose. If you had the Oculus you could have seen it in 3d and it would have brought you to tears.

    2. Re:Nice summary. by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 4, Funny

      The Alzheimer is mentioned in the middle. That could give you a hint as to why that is. The Alzheimer is mentioned in the middle.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    3. Re:Nice summary. by RivenAleem · · Score: 2

      I've been staring at it for ages trying to see the 3D image, and it's bringing ME to tears!

    4. Re:Nice summary. by Alzheimers · · Score: 2

      It wasn't me...at least I'm pretty sure it wasn't.

      Then again, I am quite interested in VR tech.

    5. Re:Nice summary. by RivenAleem · · Score: 2

      *Tackle*

  2. Just not social by gajop · · Score: 2

    Any use of VR is fine, with gaming, medical and tourism being the most amazing from my perspective.
    That said, I would hate to see it become predominantly a platform for social networks as Zuckerberg has envisioned. That stuff has the potential to ruin the technology by integrating itself too deeply.

  3. Re:virtual sex - what else? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2

    I tried wearing my dog on my nose, but all I could see was fur. Your method definitely needs some improvement.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  4. CAD, and Maintenance Manuals by Grey+Geezer · · Score: 2

    are a couple of the more practical, less warm and fuzzy, places where I thought VR would have been employed much sooner.

    --
    The USA is only 4X older than me...perspective
  5. We know what its really all about by voss · · Score: 4, Funny

    *band if you please*

    The Oculus Rift is really great....FOR PORN!
    You can do all kind of advanced graphics... FOR PORN!
    Explore whole new worlds...FOR PORN
    Then return safe and sound FOR PORN

    The Oculus Rift is for porn
    The Oculus Rift is for porn
    Grab your RIFT and double click for PORN! PORN! PORN!