By Heather Hamilton, contributing writer
With the ongoing advancement of virtual reality, many predict that 2018 represents a critical year in which the once-niche technology transitions from tradeshows and early adopters to the mainstream. In 2014, there were approximately 200,000 people actively using virtual reality. By 2017, this number had risen to 90 million active users. Statista predicts that 2018 will see that number rise to 171 million users. For many, this comes as no surprise.
What might be surprising, though, is the growth of the virtual software industry, which has risen from $129 million in 2015 to (an estimated) $2.57 billion this year.
Virtual reality in advertising
The Next Web believes that VR will likely expand into advertising, which makes sense, given the speed at which advertising moves and the newfound accessibility of the industry. They’re also predicting more 360° virtual reality videos, given their use by Nasa, Honda, Ford, etc. and the subscriber rate for YouTube’s 360° channel. The Next Web is expecting VR to become even more immersive and is expecting an increase in VR developers because of the growth, as well as more widely available and affordable VR equipment.
VR in advertising could go on to look a lot of different ways — take, for example, the innovative use of VR at the South by Southwest Film Festival, where “Ready Player One” recently debuted. Stephen Spielberg’s science-fiction film partnered with HTC Vive and created eight immersive VR experiences at the festival to mimic the film’s setting — and it takes up a two-story block of space. In the experiences, you can do everything from bow-and-arrow battle to arcade games.
But not every experience is as immersive. In July 2017, Wired described Google’s floating-cube concept, which allowed players to interact with video advertisements, which they described as auto-play in VR. These sort of “simple” advertisements (as opposed to the larger publicity stunts at South by Southwest) are likely more common and will slowly infiltrate the marketplace as part of the natural and inevitable evolution of digital advertising. Still, Forbes cautions advertisers from focusing too heavily on what they deem fringe audiences (aside from influencer channels and mobile gaming industries).
Virtual reality in biomechanics
The University of Melbourne recently unveiled a biomechanical facility that combines computer science and neuroscience to study movement and performance in real time in an effort to treat and prevent human injury. The facility represents just one such effort to utilize virtual reality in health and medicine.
Called the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN), the facility was developed by Motekforce Link and launched in mid-February by the Hon. Greg Hunt, Federal Minister for Health. It is the first of its kind in the country, has a treadmill on a movable platform, and is equipped with sensors and motion capture cameras. Researchers at the facility say that “the breadth of applications is endless.”
By creating a 3D model of a patient, which can be placed in a city, park, etc., physicians can study patient reactions to things like tripping (the treadmill belts can be moved to induce this) to better understand joint motion, muscle loading, and ground reaction force. This particular application of VR is important because, as Melbourne School of Engineering Dean Graham Schaffer explains, it simulates a field environment, which is unlike most labs of its kind.
Accessibility to VR is sure to increase its prevalence in biomechanics and medical research labs across the world, which is likely to have a positive impact on global health.
Virtual reality for tourists
The New York Times reports that the National Museum of Natural History in Paris is now using virtual reality as a permanent exhibit at the museum that lets users wear a headset and closely examine exhibits, which speaks to the broadened availability and affordability of the technology. Through virtual reality, they’re breathing new life into an otherwise stagnant taxidermy exhibit, a move that museum president Bruno David says helps make it a little less stuffy — no pun intended.
The exhibit is permanent and allows visitors the opportunity to experience exhibits to scale. Housed in a dedicated room and home to five VR stations, the exhibit will eventually be expanded to include a VR sea-diving experience.
VR for tourists isn’t a totally new idea — the British Museum introduced a VR exhibit in 2015 and reports that they are exploring additional VR options for maximum guest engagement as their budget allows. London’s Tate Modern has also used VR in an exhibit, and The New York Times reports that even the older visitors are embracing the technology.
The list of museums exploring VR technologies is increasing. Most cite funding as their primary hesitation, though many acknowledge the necessity of some form of VR as exhibits go digital.
Virtual reality in retail
It seems clear that VR is becoming a little more mainstream — even retailers are getting in on the VR action. Engadget reports that Macy’s is utilizing VR in an attempt to increase the amount of people in their stores and making purchases. Using a special app, shoppers will be able to lay out a room in their home on an app provided by the store, placing furniture where they might like it.
Then they’ll put on a helmet and see how the space feels. But there’s more on the horizon for Macy’s, who will update the app next month to include the ability to see the furniture in your specific room. Other retailers (Williams-Sonoma, IKEA) have experimented with it, but Macy’s seems pretty committed to using technology to set their stores up for the future.
Sources: The Next Web, Statista, Digital Trends, Open Gov Asia, New York Times, Wired, Forbes
Image Source: Pixabay
Advertisement
Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
