Exploring The World of Virtual Reality
During the past couple of years as work and life became virtual during the pandemic, the potential of bringing real-life experiences closer to everyone became more important than ever before. I had tried phone-based VR apps 5 years ago. While it was a different experience, the capabilities with the phone seemed limited and content was limited. Given the recent hype of Metaverse, I decided to give the best available VR headset Oculus Quest 2 a spin. The wireless capabilities, enhanced lenses, connectivity with iPhone, and available content piqued my interest. I had to get over the fact that I had to set it up with my Facebook login, set my privacy options, figure out how to put it on top of my eyeglasses, and get a hang of the controls. I must admit that it was not easy and comfortable, to begin with, but what I experienced after that initial setup blew my mind. The wire-free VR experience was compelling and got me thinking — what are some compelling use cases of VR in the context of work, business, and life? It was not obvious to me as we are in the very early stages of the evolution of VR. But if this technology builds over time this truly has the potential of becoming mainstream by bringing more immersive experiences that can enhance the quality of work and life. So here are some I think are very compelling.
Entertainment as we know it has dramatically changed with VR. No need for a big theater room, a 360-degree experience with interactivity can now come to your small room. Streaming on a VR headset makes it possible for you to experience the world very differently. The content from National Geographic brings you closer to wild animals in a comfortable setting. YouTube VR — especially the 360-degree content is a great place to sample some of these experiences. Gaming is a great use case. I am not a big gamer, but I can see some gaming experiences can be better in VR if the battery can last longer.
Immersive Learning experiences will help shorten the cycle of information-knowledge-wisdom. A picture is worth a thousand words, a VR experience is worth a thousand pictures. Understanding of complex concepts in biology, astronomy, architecture, etc. that have been hard to teach and comprehend can now be delivered in vivid detail. Classrooms will look different as diverse individuals with curious minds look at this information together, absorb and interpret this differently. In the context of work, technicians can quickly learn how to perform maintenance or repair of equipment. The possibilities are endless.
Virtual Meetings bring us closer. In the new VR world, you could be seated across a table or meet at the water cooler — just like in the real world. Working effectively requires you to build trust with your colleagues. Sometimes a face-to-face conversation in a private setting without anyone overhearing or looking over your shoulder goes a long way in building rapport and trust. VR experiences can facilitate that. Personal meetings with your loved ones can become more realistic. Voice and video calls have brought the world closer; the VR experience can now bring us even closer. I am not a big fan of avatars talking to each other, this part needs more work to be even more effective. Mixed Reality (MR) experience that combines elements of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in the context of the real world can perhaps bring a much better holographic experience. Microsoft’s HoloLens promises to deliver this experience.
The practice of Mindfulness is becoming important at work and in life to reduce stress. Working remotely from home makes it harder to disconnect from work. The practice of meditation helps to bring the calmness that will bring the focus needed to drive more productivity at work and help you lead a much more fulfilled life. If you are like me, while I am convinced about the benefits, finding the motivation, cadence, and consistent way to practice meditation can be hard. Believe it or not, some VR apps specifically designed for meditation can give the visual experience for monitoring breathing which is an important part of practicing meditation. This was a surprise for me as I never thought VR could bring some tools to take care of mental health. Try the VR app Tripp, it is quite a compelling experience.
Virtual tours for homes, museums, art galleries, college campuses will be amazing with VR. The immersive experience of looking at homes with a 360-degree view will provide a differentiated experience. Museums can now provide remote access passes to patrons for a price, increasing revenue for museums with a much better customer experience. New NFT (non-fungible tokens) Art galleries powered by blockchain technology in the virtual world will provide a physical art gallery-like experience. Suddenly owning and placing NFT Art in a gallery for income becomes a possibility. Revenue share opportunities between art owners and galleries bring new profit-sharing models for artists and galleries. It doesn’t replace physical experiences, but it makes access to Smithsonian Art Museum to those who can’t travel to Washington DC in a way that is very close to the physical experience. Check out the White House VR experience on YouTube VR on a VR device to get a glimpse of what lies ahead in the future.
Arena experience for Sports and Concerts will be another place where VR can change the Fan experience for a price. Bring your own beer, pizza, or popcorn to the party. Virtual tickets for any part of the stadium can be an attractive way to experience your favorite sport or artist in a very intimate setting. On-stage, back-stage, on-field, or inside the stand experiences can be significantly safer, comfortable, and more relaxing.
And finally, E-Commerce will be a big winner. The buying experience in a store can be transformed with VR. Product placements and promotions in VR will become an interesting option now for retailers. Retailers already provide AR experience today on web stores, allowing us to place products virtually in your room as the camera in the phone brings the contents of your room in the background.
While these may not be all the compelling use cases, there are some hurdles for the technology to overcome. Here are some:
1. VR Headsets need to become lighter, reliable with longer battery life
2. Content availability is limited. This is an opportunity for developers to build these new experiences and they will need tools to build compelling VR experiences
3. Heavy usage of VR headsets can be a strain on the eyes. Excess usage can have unintended consequences and VR users must exercise caution for prolonged use.
4. If you use eyeglasses, it is not an easy experience at the beginning but gets better as you get used to it
5. Battery life is limited, and you will have to carry a battery power pack along with the headset if you want the headset to last longer.
While we all can see the benefits and challenges, the VR train is rolling. New opportunities are getting created and existing experiences are getting disrupted. New skills will be required to build new VR experiences. Blockchain-enabled NFTs will give artists and graphic designers new opportunities with lucrative financial returns. VR experience will require avatars, backgrounds, and other artifacts that are close to real-life experience. This will mean that those students pursuing Arts & Design will be driven more towards the digital world. As the technology matures, the form factor of VR devices becomes smaller, has longer battery life, and blends into a natural lifestyle, one can imagine a pervasive use of VR when it becomes as simple as wearing a regular pair of glasses. The convergence of AI, Blockchain will drive the successful adoption of VR. It is exciting to watch the early stage of Web 3.0 emerge.
We live in interesting times with new possibilities ahead. What are some of your experiences with VR? What are some practical use cases that we are missing today in VR? Love to hear your thoughts.
