Virtual Reality: Features, Requirements, Applications, Advantages and Disadvantages

Introduction

Since the mid-1400s, "Virtual" had the meaning of "being something in essence or effect, though not actually or in fact". The term of "virtual" has been used in the computer sense of "not physically existing but made to appear by software" since 1959. Virtual reality is an artificial environment that is created with software. After that, it presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment.

The environment in virtual reality also can be fantastical. Sound and sights is the two of five senses that used to experience virtual reality. A person is able to "look around" in the artificial world, move around in it, and interact with virtual features or items by using virtual reality equipment. These effects are created by virtual reality (VR) headsets that is consisting of a head-mounted display with a small screen in front of the eyes. Moreover, it can also be created through specially designed rooms with multiple large screens.

There are some elements that shares among virtual reality and "augmented reality" (or AR). AR is a type of virtual reality technology. It blends real surroundings that user sees with digital content generated by computer software. Some AR systems such as Microsoft’s HoloLens and Magic Leap use a camera to capture the user's surroundings or some type of display screen which the user looks at. The Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) was first introduced in 1994 as it was with the intended for the development of "virtual worlds" without dependency on headsets.

In 1997, the Web3D consortium was subsequently founded with the aim for the development of industry standards for web-based 3D graphics. The consortium subsequently developed X3D from the VRML framework as an archival, open-source standard for web-based distribution of VR content. All modern VR displays are based on technology developed for smartphones including gyroscopes and motion sensors. All of these are for tracking head, hand, and body positions other than small HD screens for stereoscopic displays; and small, lightweight and fast processors.

The development of omnidirectional cameras, also known as 360-degree cameras or VR cameras has increased the independent production of VR images and video. These types of camera have the ability to record of all directions although at low-resolutions or in highly compressed formats. In short, photogrammetry is using to combine some high-resolution photographs for the creation of detailed 3D objects and environments in VR applications.

This picture show that the headset of virtual reality. The world in virtual reality are kind of similar as our real world. However, people can enjoy different world such as gaming environment by using virtual reality. This picture show that virtual reality is suitable for kids and adults to enjoy. This picture also show that virtual reality need an output device such as controller to control the motion in virtual reality environment.

Hardward of VR

Virtual reality experiences are a lot like games no matter it intended to be educational, entertaining, or actual interactive games. VR as an industry is still in early stages, but the software have great similarities to modern computer gaming. Frequency also known as clock speed tends to be more important than having lots of cores. This is because clock speed impacts how many calculations each core can handle per second.

Therefore, dedicated virtual reality systems are usually with a low core count CPU at the highest possible clock speed. Intel Core i7 8700K 3. 7GHz (4. 3/4. 7GHz Turbo) 6 Core is one of the highest clock speed CPUs. It is topping the charts for single-core performance and virtual reality or gaming applications. It has more cores than previous generations of Intel processors. Computers for developing virtual reality content can often benefit from additional CPU cores. It depends on what software packages are being used.

However, many 3D manipulation and rendering programs scale well with multiple cores. A lot of developers and artists will also run multiple programs at the same time. Therefore, they may need to have debugging tools or other applications running at the same time when they are testing out the virtual software (VR) software. Other than that, output device is device that each stimulates a sense organ. Output devices are used for presenting the virtual reality content or environment to the users and it is also a device to generate an immersive feeling.

Example of output devices for virtual reality are visual, auditory or haptic displays. Output devices are similar to input devices as they also underdeveloped currently. This is because the current state-of-art virtual reality (VR) system does not allow to stimulate human senses perfect ideal manners. Most systems are supporting visual feedback however, only some of them are enhanced it by audio or haptic information. Virtual reality audio may not as technically-complex as the visual components but it plays an equally important roles to stimulate a user’s senses and achieve immersion. Most virtual reality headsets provide users with the headphones that in conjunction with a headset.

However, other headsets may provide own integrated headphones. Virtual reality audio is a way of seeing the environment with user ears as to gain user’s attention or give users information that may not be presented visually. This technology is already quite common and often been found. VR Controller is known as an input device which provides to the users the sense of immersion and determines the way of a user to communicate with the computer. It helps users to interact within a VR environment to make it natural as possible.

When using the Gear VR, this controller will become a replacement for lots of the activity that usually done by the headset itself. You may look down and see the controller in VR, and as you point the end of the controller at things you can see an almost laser pointer effect. You may also select things without turning your head around, shoot enemies in games, and drag things around on the screen as you see fit.

The Samsung Gear VR Controller is a small Bluetooth joystick, designed to almost disappear in your hand. There's a small track pad at the top for your thumb to rest on, a trigger on the front for shooting games, and the rest of the Gear VR controls from the side of the headset live on the body. The volume rocker is slightly recessed to make it easy to find when your eyes are busy, and the Home and Back buttons feel very similar the ones on the side of the headset for familiarity.

The Oculus Rift's motion controller system is known as Oculus Touch. It consists of a pair of handheld units, one for each hand, each containing an analog stick, three buttons, and two triggers which one of it is commonly used for grabbing and the other is for shooting or firing. The controllers are fully tracked in 3D space by the Constellation system, so they may be represented in the virtual environment, and each controller features a system for detecting finger gestures the user may make while holding them.

Janus is similar to a web browser for VR than a development tool. It’s a platform and while the client is closed source and built in the QT5, the server side component is open source and written in the NodeJS. Furthermore, Janus VR is an application software. Virtual environments are written much in the same way as a more traditional website is created. An HTML-like syntax is used to set up what is referred to as “rooms” and there is a basic JavaScript support as well. Since virtual environments are just websites in Janus, you can serve them up just like a traditional website.

Within Janus you can hit ‘tab’ to create a portal to a new website, much the way you enter an address into your traditional web browser. Just click the portal and walk through to a new website, or “room”. You can even place the Janus markup inside of a traditional website within comment tags so that when you view the site with a typical browser, you see your regular website which parses the HTML, and Janus will see the 3D version of the site. Janus means of editing code of the room from directly within Janus and the saving.

This is one feature making it become a popular option for web developers to start the transition for the building virtual environments. Janus even has built-in multi-user support so that you can walk around the internet with your friends, and talk to them via the built-in voice chat support system. It’s a lot of fun and it can provides a very low learning curve, especially if you’re already familiar with the web technologies.

Unity is one of the most popular tools that being used today for VR development. It’s known as a game engine. It has a direct VR mode to preview your work in an HMD (Head Mounted Display) which can really boost productivity by designing for VR within a virtual environment. Unity is quickly becoming the default tool for VR development due to its ease of use and ability to quickly prototype VR applications with it. There’s a huge community around this tool so there are abundant of resources and documentation for us to learn from. A market of 3D assets can get you up and running in a short time. If you’re familiar with JavaScript, you can get into the scripting easily. All major HMDs are supported and you can export your work to any platform that are imaginable, even WebGL. Moreover, Unity 3D is one of the application software.

Unreal Engine is also a gaming engine with VR integrations, an asset store, and great documentation. The graphics are more advanced and realistic. In addition, the learning curve is also very similar to Unity. Many of the VR demos built with UE4 are much more life-like and smoother to navigate within. It provides a great performance with the conveniences of a modern editing environment. UE4 also exports to most platforms but exports to slightly less than Unity. The unreal engine (ue4) is known as application software.

Advantages and Disadvantages of VR

There are three advantages of Virtual Reality (VR), the first advantages is it bring benefit to the business world due to VR save time and capital. This technology is a wealth since users in every industry can experiment its products without practically using raw material and achieve their end goal by enhance the success rate. For instance, before production, manufacturing companies will fit and shape parts jointly.

By doing so, organizations may only need one edition of an archetype and can make changes without produce a new one. This is important to organizations because resources waste and lag time can be greatly subtract. Besides from diminish resources waste and lag time, VR also help organizations cut back the fee of development. By this way, problems can also be identify and solve at earlier period of the development process before it is too time consuming and costly to repair.

The second advantages of VR is it make learning fun and interesting. As a young people, when they play, watch and listen to the VR, they were also attracted by sounds, colours and shapes. VR is the only way that people found out how something works by using and playing it. VR imitations use basic elements of learning to generate memorable, fun and compelling. By using 3D virtual environment, it engage the user with the interactive scenarios, breath-taking graphics and information audio to give a sense of really being there.

Through this, users have awesome experiences because by using VR, they can probe the real world. Films which are created for VR gives the opportunity to the users to view the environment surroundings in each and every site. The third advantages of VR is it can be a counsellors in healthcare. Counselling is another part where VR has been utilised. This is because VR helps patients manage their stress and help them to feel more unrestrained and in control. Virtual reality therapy which is being used to assist patients to treat their fear. With VR therapy, patient able to permeate themselves in scenes which are concerned to their condition.

For example, a dread of public speaking where the patient is able to learn abilities and accumulate their confident in a virtual environment. While there are also have three disadvantages of virtual reality, the first disadvantages is bring harm to social consequences. This is because users will addictive in playing VR, even though a normal user also find that once they have be in touch with VR, it is difficult to stay away. By using VR, users will find that they are more prefer to live in virtual world compare with reality, hence, many people may neglect their duty in real life.

For instance, if a student are addicted in VR, he or she may omit their academic and get a poor result in the exam. Thus, in future, they will find that difficult to get a job because they have no certificates for any course. The second disadvantages is in connection with the business company which is buying a VR is costly investment. Virtual interviews, meetings and Google 360 Virtual Tour can afford by the large established company but for the small company, an employer could not afford to buy the equipment such as headset and goggles for all employees.

Therefore, the price of the VR can be costly if buy in large quantity. Not only affect in business company, it will also bring effect towards families. Nowadays, most of the children have their own electronic product such as mobile phone, tablet, laptop and also VR. This is because current economic aspect is more stable than before, hence, when the parents had earn more money, whatever their child request, they will also find ways to satisfy them. The third disadvantages of VR is the sensibility was not reality. While technological advance have made people’s life easier, however, VR will only ever be able to copy reality.

Although VR make people feels like they are undergo everything in real time, yet they are still cannot get rid of staying in a real world. The satire of the VR at people’s finger tips is it show less actuality real-life experience, conversations and interactions. In the years, VR may bring surprise to people by coming with extra advantages, but technological advancements will always be a cons to in-the-flesh experiences by adding another layer of unreal automation that already consume by people.

Virtual Reality (VR) become very useful and common in the world. VR are bring a lot of benefits in every aspect especially education, healthcare and manufacturing aspect. In education aspect, VR can opening up children opportunities. With class VR, children are able to experience it by themselves and level that playing field in their daily life. VR are also allow children to foster their imagination and this will lead to find out their interest since they are young. Without VR, children are difficult to understand or talk about something that they never seen it with their own eyes. [image: Image result for vr in education

In addition, VR can also speeding up recovery after traumatic brain injury. Brain is the main function to control our body and it is important to human. If brain is injury, it can cause many serious problems toward human. Nowadays, people are able to speeding up recovery after traumatic brain injury by using VR. VR can help to detect the bad cells that may destroy our brain and the doctors will know it faster. So that, patients will not miss the golden medical treatment time and may become better in a short period.

Last but not least, only a small amount of medical students can attend an operation. It given very little less chances to the medical students to learn and explore more as the operation room are not allow too much people to prevent disturbing from carry out surgery. So that, VR are use in watching operations. Therefore, every medical students can deep learning by using VR. For an example, the first introduced is in 2016, a cancer surgeon Shafi Ahmed performed an operation at the Royal London hospital by using a VR camera and connected to the Medical Realities websites for who are interested in.

In manufacturing aspect, VR is a technology that allow some experts improve their products, for example, Ford Motor Company goes big with VR. One of the first car manufacturers to utilize virtual reality in its processes is Ford. This company will hire many experts and professional are good at virtual reality in order to work in all aspects of its operations. Engineers can design and build the whole car by using VR, and improve it to a better level. Besides, the cars that produce by Ford are extremely high-resolution models and may have textures as VR are able to detect the mistakes done by manpower even it is a small mistakes.

Other than that, VR provide safety training. Gabler, who is the equipment developer has incorporated VR in to their company and manufacturing process. He recreate his manufacturing lines by using head-mounted in the virtual world. Gabler are able to ensure the potential safety hazards before his product reaches to client and workers facility, or it will be rebuild at all before. With VR, designer Glaber can ensure the costly and dangerous mistakes occur due to the design line.

Lastly, VR remote maintenance and inspection in the manufacturing aspect. The specialists are allow to virtually visit a manufacturing facility. Besides, safety inspection and daily maintenance will be performed more easily and faster, and also can save company cost by using VR. Nowadays, they will use VR to check or detect the electronic product such as the inside part of a car, circuit boxes and so on. By using VR, it bring a lot of convenient to human as they can ensure or maintain their electronic products are always in a good condition and not easily broke down.