What is Virtual reality (VR)? Everything you need to know about it. ✽

Table of content:

1- What is Virtual reality? 

2- Examples of virtual reality

3- Types of virtual reality

4- History of Virtual reality 

When we mention virtual reality (VR) people usually think of science fiction movies that show alternative universes and live the computer-generated realities. Virtual reality is now available as a mainstream leisurely activity that anyone can indulge in.

Virtual reality is everywhere around us in this technologically advanced day and age. Video games, education, and even medical fields use virtual reality, not to mention there are now VR game rooms where people can go to and get hooked into the equipment such as VR goggles, consoles, and even machines to get the full experience.

The popularity of virtual reality is increasing rapidly among people and that is why it has been introduced to the marketing field. Some even say that virtual reality has changed the marketing scene. It helps enhance the engagement with the customer and increase brand awareness.

What is Virtual reality? 

The idea of virtual reality is that it is an environment generated by a computer and that it contains scenes, objects, and another element to make it seem as real as possible, this gives the user the feeling of immersion in the surroundings.

Brands now use virtual and augmented reality technologies in marketing their products and services. This works because although fake, the environment seems very realistic. Complicated technologies need the whole virtual reality headset to be completely experienced.

Example of Virtual reality

A shoe brand called Toms started a campaign where they donated a shoe for each purchase made from their stores and then they put an instore VR headset to enable the customers to engage with the campaign since the video played in the VR headset was of one of the donation trips. It made customers feel as if they were there and even saw how some of the people they donated to lived. The campaign was considered very successful and the feedback from the customers was positive.

Another example of how VR was used to create awareness towards social issues was done by the Alzheimer’s Research UK in collaboration with Google Cardboard to create an application that enables its users to experience exactly how people with dementia face problems and view the world every day, from going to the grocery store to being overwhelmed by outside noise.

Types of virtual reality

There are different types of virtual reality, some of these types are as follows:

1. Non-immersive: this type of VR is where one can control a character and there is an interaction with the environment but not directly for example video games like Dota 2.
2. Fully Immersive: this is the opposite of non-immersive, it guarantees full interaction to ensure a realistic experience, for example, virtual gaming zone where VR equipment is used to make sure you get the full experience.
3. Semi-immersive:  a type that is between fully immersive and non-immersive, this type allows for visual immersion but no physical sensation is present for example a virtual tour.
4. Augmented Reality (AR): it is a type of virtual reality. This is a type that makes visual changes to the screen for example Instagram filters.
5. Collaborative VR: is where different users from different locations can come together in virtual reality for example PUBG where you can form a team of players from different countries.

History of virtual reality

The term virtual reality was first introduced in the 1980s when the founder of VPL Research started developing the equipment that is needed for virtual reality like gloves and goggles. In 1956 sensorama was introduced by Morton Heilig whose background is in the Hollywood movie business, he wanted to know how people can feel as if they are in the movie.

 Morton Heilig also patented a head-mounted display device in 1960 called the Telesphere Mask which is the basic foundation of virtual reality. In the mid-1980s NASA created a system named VIEW which is short for Virtual Interface Environment Workstation.

VIEW allowed the head-mounted device to connect with gloves and enable interaction. Later on, many advancements were made by many people in the field of technology to be able to reach the level of advancement that we have today.

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