Virtual Reality Technology - Essay Example

?Virtual Reality Technology Introduction It is overwhelmingly interesting to observe how technology has evolved for the last few decades. Indeed, modern lifestyle has been made possible due to the advancement in technology in various aspects of life. Among the many technological evolutions, virtual reality technology has made remarkable progress in advancement. Additionally, the virtual reality technology has found profound use in modern society and has actually been used so solve a wide variety of social challenges. Modern virtual reality systems and machines are simplified, light, and more advanced. They are able to simulate real life experiences with a remarkable degree of accurateness. However, the most notable feat in virtual reality technology is the ability to integrate the technology with real time applications. This paper reviews the history of virtual reality technology, current state, impact of virtual reality technology on social responsibilities, culture, and beliefs as well as the various uses of this technology. Although virtual reality has been on the public limelight for the last 20 years, the technology has been present for a much longer period. It is believed that virtual reality first existed as early as mid-1800. By that time, the technology was in its most crude form and only occurred as panoramic murals (Sherman, et al, 2003). The first persons to use these crude forms of virtual reality were artists. A good example includes Sala delle Prospettive that was a piece of art that could be viewed in 3D. However, the technology improved albeit slowly to more theatrical applications. Heilig Morton engineered a prototype of his vision, which he called Sensorama at approximately 1960 (Sherman, et al, 2003). He used the different senses in the hope of revolutionizing the world of theatre. He envisioned the world where theatre would become more lively and real by combining all the five senses and not just vision and hearing (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). However, Furness III made a milestone development when he made further advancements to the already available virtual reality technology. He was able to make a flight simulator for American Air Force. His technology provided a solution, albeit partly, to the problem of overwhelming control systems in the pilot cockpit. Comeau and Bryan working at Philco Corporation made another milestone development by creating a head mouted display, which had a magnetic tracking system to guide the head. It is however worth noting that the first head mounted virtual reality gadget was made by Sutherland by the end of 1960s (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). Interestingly, this gadget was so heavy and large that it had to be mounted on the roof while in use. Sutherland is credited with his efforts and contribution to the world of virtual reality and the fact that he was the first person to come up with an augmented reality head-mounted machine. The images were also very simplified. Whereas many scientists were concentrating on the practical aspect, other scientists such as Roberts contributed to the evolution by writing algorithms for making images clearer and more realistic. McGreevy Michael came up with yet more advancements by coming up with the first Virtual Visual Environment Display system. At this stage, the use of computers in virtual reality machines was more prevalent. Lippman Andy made other remarkable fetes in the evolution of virtual reality in 1978 by integrating the processing power of computers in computing the relationship between the user’s image and the virtual graphic objects. Digitization then made it possible to create silhouettes. Fakespace built a telepresence camera, which had advanced 3D with high-resolution imagery. In 1990s, other contributors such as Larry and Andy Wachowski, Silicon graphics and King Stephen made further developments (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). At present, virtual reality has become autonomy for the modern society. There is a remarkable acceptance for virtual reality as a component or aspect of modern lifestyle. Virtual reality technology is being used in virtually all aspects of life. For instance, virtual systems are being used in war technology especially in training and control of war crafts (Craig et al, 2009). Additionally, the social aspect has increasingly been inclined towards use of virtual technology especially for advanced gaming. Medical field has benefited much from virtual technology as it becomes possible to operate on patients in virtual reality. Additionally, it is being used in virtual reality therapies More advanced use can be seen in situations where virtual reality technology is used to control systems in hazardous or dangerous situations such as in nuclear power plants. Interestingly, virtual reality is also being used to enhance learning. Whereas virtual reality technology has brought profound benefits in the modern society, it has greatly affected many tenets of life. The increased use of virtual reality technology has been blamed for the shift of human values to machine dependent lifestyles. This is because people are much more likely to interact with machines as opposed to fellow human beings. This causes a decline in respect for social values. Virtual reality systems have caused an increase in sedentary behavior as more people become glued to their seats in virtual reality machines. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before a warning is issued on health effects of using virtual reality technology (Beardon, n.y). Additionally, use of such technology has caused a change of social norms and values as new definitions become adopted. Virtual reality makes many endeavors possible through remote controlled systems and therefore, it would require high levels of discipline and moral standards to avoid interfering with personal rights and privileges. Although widespread use of virtual reality technology has not been widespread due to the high cost involved in making simulations and buying of the gadgets, we can at least predict the near future by looking at how the present technology is being used. Advanced gaming and online gambling has already affected the users. Social platforms such as Facebook have already impacted on natural social interaction (Beardon, n.y). Therefore, we can posit that virtual reality technology will only make things worse if the technology is not used in moderation. However, the benefits of virtual reality technology cannot be underestimated. Training of pilots, medical practitioners, engineers, and other professions could not have achieved such remarkable levels without use of virtual technology (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2006). However, such advancements could mean less job opportunities as it becomes increasingly possible to do many tasks using the technology. However, it is important to note that virtual reality has made it possible to serve people. One of the most important applications of virtual reality for service to humanity includes advance medical use. Medical field has used virtual reality technology in various ways such as remote surgeries, treatment of psychological complications, virtual rehabilitation, activation, and recreation in health facilities among other uses (Craig et al, 2009). Virtual reality is also profoundly although in few areas, used in education to enhance learning especially for students with learning disabilities. One of the most important uses of this technology is simulation of scenarios that students would find hard or impossible to construct in their cognition. This way, virtual reality provides a platform in which students can be able to perceive the relationship between abstract ideas and the reality. However, greater use has been employed in advanced skill acquisition in higher levels of learning such as scientific laboratories (Youngblut, 1998). A more profound but indirect use of virtual reality technology for service to people can be seen in military and scientific operations. It is now possible for military and other relevant disciplines to use virtual reality technology to remotely operate machines in the efforts of averting danger to the public (Craig et al, 2009). For instance, virtual reality can be used to disarm a bomb without exposing the operator to potential hazard. Scientists on the other hand are able to simulate scientific scenarios during scientific trials. In most of the cases, the results of scientific explorations and discoveries eventually help the people. Modern businesses have also benefited from this technology, as it is now possible to hold virtual reality meetings. Additionally, advertisement has climbed a notch higher through use of virtual reality in advertisement. More notably, virtual worlds present a new advertisement platform for businesses. Simulation of business processes, procedures, possible outcomes, and work environment is an important tool for business managers and human resource managers as well (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2006). Conclusion Virtual reality technology has undergone remarkable evolution from panoramic murals and Sensorama made by Heilig Morton to the most advanced forms of virtual reality technology used in NASA operations and advanced remote surgical applications. It is also interesting to note how the usage of the technology is seeping to the public through social interaction platforms. However, the evolution could not have been possible without the stepwise contribution of different scientists such as Heilig Morton, Comeau, Bryan, Philco Corporation, Furness III, Sutherland, McGreevy Michae,l Roberts, and Lippman Andy among others. Each of them made advancements to previous work and therefore made the dream of virtual reality a possibility. Just like any other technology, virtual reality has impacted the social world and changed the definition of social values and morals. Most notably, virtual reality has changed the way people interact especially with the shift from natural way of interaction to technologically based interaction. However, many benefits have also been accrued in the process. Virtual reality technology is being used in various activities in different disciplines. There is still hope that more advancements will be achieved in virtual reality technology especially with the remarkable advancement in computing power of modern processors. References “National Aeronautics and Space Administration.” (2006). Spinoff 2005. New York: Government Printing Office. Beardon, C. (n.y). The Ethics of Virtual Reality. Intelligent Tutoring Media. 3(1), 23-28. Burdea, G & Coiffet, P. (2003). Virtual Reality Technology, Volume 1. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Craig, A et al (2009). Developing Virtual Reality Applications: Foundations of Effective Design. California: Morgan Kaufmann. Sherman, W et al. (2003). Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design, Volume 2. California: Morgan Kaufmann. Youngblut, C. (1998). Educational Uses of Virtual Reality Technology. New York: Institute for Defense Analyses. Read More