Augmented reality and virtual reality are considered the new fad of this techno-crazy world. Gamers and gadget freaks know this pretty well especially because of the extensive use of AR and VR in video games.
There’s a general notion all around that the importance and usefulness of virtual reality is mainly limited within the realms of gaming. That’s wrong to be honest. Its importance goes well beyond the realms of gaming.
Let’s take a peek at a few uses of virtual reality in other realms of our life that are not associated with gaming in any way whatsoever.
1. Healthcare
The healthcare industry has adopted this technology with full gusto. Virtual reality is especially popular among those institutes and diagnosis centers that use CGIs for patient treatments and diagnosis. There’s a specific reason for that. Institutes who use extravagant technology for specialized treatments of complex medical issues use VR to construct a virtual anatomy of the patient for virtual diagnosis purposes. This allows the doctors to pinpoint the problem and the solution accordingly and effectively. Such a mode of diagnosis is particularly effective in surgeries where blood loss and recovery time is brought down to the bare minimum. Apart from surgery, virtual reality can also play the role of a useful tool in rehabilitation purposes. Virtual rehabilitation exercises are designed to feel like games which add to the fun factor. Such a technology is particularly effective in treating stroke and brain injury patients.
2. Courtroom cases
This hasn’t become popular yet. But you can be assured of the fact that the idea of using virtual reality in courtrooms will gain a huge momentum in the upcoming years. Virtual reality can play a huge role in reconstructing the entire crime to the audience (incl. the judge and the jury) in a step by step fashion on basis of the results of the investigation and witness statements. The crime will be portrayed live to the audience in such a way as if they’re present on the very spot. Things like these will make things clearer and easier to understand especially from the layman’s point of view.
3. Retail stores
Many retail stores are using virtual reality to boost their sales and draw in more customers.
For example:
Audi is using the virtual reality technology to give their prospective customers a glimpse into the car of their choice in a complete virtual environment. The customer will have to select any model from a list, put on his/her HTC Vive headset, go into a 16X16 ft. area and bang! Their virtual vehicle would appear in no time on the very spot. The customer will be able to move around, check the headlights, open the trunk and do anything s/he wants to check the car thoroughly from the head to the toe. Such an experience is more than capable of creating a long-lasting impression on the customer.
4. Education
Virtual reality has great potentials in this field. This technology can make cognitive learning effective, faster and more efficient. Imagine a scenario where the textual world is recreated into a simulation like environment specifically for education purposes say, for teaching geography. Or a scene of the Battle of Waterloo is recreated in a virtual simulation-like environment for history lessons. That’s something extraordinary; isn’t it? Well, those are very possible with the inculcation of the virtual reality technology. Effective education you wanted, effective education you’ll get.
5. Real estate
Virtual reality is extensively used by real estate professionals as a part of their property listing procedure. This has made it easier for a prospective customer to tour a property of his/her choice from the very comfort of their drawing rooms by using the internet and a VR glass. In-person tours have gone almost obsolete these days, at least at the start; 360 degree virtual tours through VR technology have become the new trend. Virtual reality has curbed all geographical barriers in real estate dealings. Through the use of VR, real estate professionals are generating more leads and more sales with the passage of time. VR is definitely the next best thing in the real estate market. Better adapt to this trend ASAP.
So you see virtual reality is definitely not limited to the realms of gaming. It goes well beyond. The potentials are huge. Therefore, it’s advisable to get into this trend as soon as possible.