Amir Zakaria Consulting Group | Virtual Reality (VR)
technology, Virtual reality, customer experiences, virtual environment
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Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual Reality (VR)

 

Virtual reality (VR) is a topic that is expanding rapidly both in terms of technological advances and the domains of its applications.

While VR has been around since the late 1960s, recent developments in VR platforms, devices, and hypermedia content production tools have allowed for the technology to emerge from the shadows into the realm of everyday experiences (Tussyadiah et al, 2017).

Sherman and Craig (2002) underline that Virtual Reality (VR) can be considered as a medium and that its definition is still in flux. Lauria & Ford Morie elaborate on this concept, defining VR as a “metamedium—one that we call virtuality—which transcends the ability to merely statistically represent and present data, but increasingly alters our very perception of reality” (2015, p. 141). “Virtual” is defined as “existing in essence or effect though not in actual fact,” while “reality” is “the state of being actual or real, the state of the world as it really is rather than as you might want it to be, the quality possessed by something that is real” (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu).

These definitions reveal the essential component of VR: experiencing a new dimension that we might consider as real. Guttentag specifies that VR can be considered as “the use of a computer-generated 3D environment—called a ‘virtual environment‘ (VE)—that one can navigate and possibly interact with, resulting in real-time simulation of one or more of the user’s five senses” (2010, p. 638). The concepts of presence and immersion are considered as key aspects of VR. Presence refers to an individual’s reactions to stimuli in the environment (the virtual world) as if they were actual/real and not computer-generated, while immersion refers to the objective level of sensory fidelity (Slater, 2003). As Biocca and Nowak (2001) point out, assessing the level of presence is a crucial aspect for VR designers and is of key importance in designing VR content.

VR content has so far been composed of many visual aspects that help to achieve sensory fidelity. In particular, the “effects of gravity on unsupported objects must be incorporated” in VR applications (Sherman & Craig, 2002; p. 52). Indeed, current VR applications offer mainly a 360° video footage and/or a 3D video reconstruction of existing places or new objects/virtual worlds. As Highton (2015) states, the horizon perspective is a key component in creating a higher level of immersion.

Moreover, Earnshaw et al. point to the human brain’s ability, defined as motion parallax, “to render a three dimensional mental picture of an object simply from the way it moves in relation to the eye. Rotations offer the best results because key positions located on the surface move in a larger variety of directions. Furthermore, in a perspective projection, depth perception is further accentuated by the speed in which features flow in the field of view-points located closer to the eyes move faster than the ones situated in the back” (1993, p. 148). Therefore, in VR applications, size, rotation, and speed of animated objects are considered as relevant media characteristics (Marchiori et al, 2017).

Reference

  • Biocca, F., & Nowak, K. (2001). “Plugging your body into the telecommunication system: mediated embodiment, media interfaces, and social virtual environments”. In Carolyn Lin & David Atkin (Eds.), Communication technology and society (pp. 407–447). Waverly Hill, VI: Hampton Press.
  • Earnshaw, R.A., Gigante M.A., & Jones H. (1993). “Virtual reality systems”. Academic Press, London Earnshaw R.A.
  • Guttentag, D. A. (2010). “Virtual reality: applications and implications for tourism”. Tourism Management, 31(5), 637–651.
  • Highton, S. (2015). “Virtual Reality Photography: Creating Panoramic and Object Images”. Foreword.
  • Lauria, R. M., & Ford Morie, J. (2015). “Virtuality: VR as metamedia and herald of our future realities”. In L. Cantoni & J. A Danowski (Eds.), Communication and Technology. Series: Handbooks of Communication Science [HoCS] 5, De Gruyter Mouton, pp. 141–160.
  • Marchiori, E., Niforatos, E., Preto, P. (2017). “Measuring the Media Effects of a Tourism-Related Virtual Reality Experience Using Biophysical Data”. Springer International Publishing, R. Schegg and B. Stangl (eds.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism.
  • Sherman, W. R., & Craig, A. B. (2002). “Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design”. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc.
  • Slater, M., (2003). “A note on presence terminology”. Presence Connect 3(3): n/a.
  • Tussyadiah, I. P., Wang, D., Jia, CH. (2017). “Virtual Reality and Attitudes Toward Tourism Destinations”. R. Schegg and B. Stangl (eds.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism

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