The Transformation of Virtual Reality Technology Beyond Gaming

Virtual Reality has been one of the most trending topics of the last few years. The term virtual reality itself means being close to what we experience in real life or ‘near-reality’. It is becoming one of those technologies to have a huge impact on our lives. Even though gaming is an evident VR application, it is becoming way more important than just gaming. The world of virtual reality has a lot of makings to revolutionize the world of business, psychology, medicine, education, sports, etc.

While all the technologies brought to us have been mostly two-dimensional, virtual reality headsets let us experience the three-dimensional world with an almost near-reality understanding. VR has the ability to change the way we experience things in our everyday lives. Let’s have a look at the major sectors virtual reality could have a change on:

1. Virtual Reality for Anxiety Problems

Anxiety is not an illness, but just an emotional state of mind wherein the person going through it feels apprehensive, nervous, being worried and fearful. Virtual reality technology could help calm the anxiety levels. It exposes the person to a situation they are most anxious about in a very safe environment helping them get over their fear. It can also be used to treat stress, depression and phobias all in the person’s comfort zone.

2. Virtual Reality for the medicinal field

Virtual reality could also help our doctors and surgeons train to work on their techniques. It gives them space and the scope to remove unwanted tumours without any complication. VR enables them to understand the best possible way to deal with all sorts of complications during surgery. Surgeons are working on using tiny machines with the help of virtual devices to carry out fragile procedures eliminating the risk of human errors. Dentists can also use virtual reality to distract their patients from the pain and help soothe their nerves.

3. Virtual Reality for Education

Education is another area where VR could play a changing role. It can help a large group of students easily interact with each other and enjoy their lessons in a three-dimensional environment. It is a fun and easy way for students to grasp everything in their virtual surrounding allowing them to interact with the environment. It takes the students to a different world of learning without having to go on excursions.

4. Virtual Reality for Military

Virtual reality apps help gamers get a sense of their surroundings and interact with the 3D universe, this is what helps VR standout. Similarly, VR can help the militants train and toughen themselves for combating dangerous and complex situations they might have to face in the real world. It is used for all the three services- army, air force and the navy. VR gives them the opportunity to re-enact situations with real-world risks, but with the benefit of risking any serious injury or death. It also helps militants deal with the post-traumatic stress in a safe environment, which further enables them to face new situations.

5. Virtual Reality for Business

A lot of businesses have welcomed virtual reality into their niche to make an impact in the world of business. VR gives businesses a chance to test out their prototype and find any possible glitches in the design at the initial stage. All businesses that deal with manufacturing harmful products can evaluate it to avoid any health risks. It can also be used for reducing costs like travelling for business, giving tours, hold meetings or even interview a candidate by using virtual conference rooms.

6. Virtual Reality for Real Estate and Construction

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VR could have an increasingly significant part in the world of real estate and construction. It gives the architects and engineers a clear idea of the three-dimensional image of their proposed structure. Giving them an insight into how the proposed building will look once completed and to rectify flaws if any. It can also make it easier for the potential clients to view properties without leaving the comfort of their own house. Helping them buy their dream properties with virtual assistance.

7. Virtual Reality in Cinemas

Virtual reality can enhance the experience of movie watching to another level. VR can keep the crowd immersed in the movie with the innovative form of storytelling, making them feel like a part of the entire plot. It can transport the viewers to an actual 3D wherein they can pay more attention to the details giving them the chance to see what they want rather than what’s in front of them. The most popular genre for virtual reality movies is science fiction, where it is easier to turn everything to look totally real.

8. Virtual Reality for Museums

Just like movies, museums are can be enjoyed through virtual reality. This will allow the viewers to take pleasure in viewing different museums and heritage right from the comfort of their current location. It gives the viewers the opportunity to walk through and look at the different items that are displayed in different museums on different continents without having to travel so far. VR can increase the buzz of showcasing the historical culture.

9. Virtual Reality for Automobiles

Just like virtual reality can boost all other fields it can also help in changing the world of manufacturing automobiles. Prototypes of any vehicle could be uploaded to the virtual reality platform and viewed by a group of engineers. All the essential changes could be implemented in the design before manufacturing takes place.

10. Virtual Reality for Space

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With the help of virtual reality, people could experience a life-like experience of space. VR is already used to control robots that are in outer space by our scientists. But on the other hand, for a viewer, it is a very interesting way of flying through space without actually being there. It could give people the chance to view and explore space like never before in what feels like a real-life experience. Google cardboard VR headsets have a lot of interesting space travel apps to explore through.

The Transformation of Virtual Reality Technology Beyond Gaming was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.