I was flying in the air, between buildings and way up above them. I could choose to land on top of one. I could speed up or slow down. I was superman! (ummm... sans the red underwear and cape).
This week, while at a meeting at Stanford University, I had a chance to visit their Virtual Reality Lab, run by Dr. Jeremy Bailenson.
The group of us that were touring this lab, were awestruck by the experience and technologies that await us.
Lab setup
The lab(s) is a square space maybe 20 feet by 20 feet. There is a control room in the back. The walls are bare except the front wall has a large flat screen TV. There are cameras and speakers in the walls all around.
The participant wears a headset, and when the program is turned on, immerses into a virtual reality scene. The program I picked was the ability to fly over an artificially constructed city. Another person was a lumber jack and felled a virtual tree.
The idea, according to Dr. Bailenson, is to simulate environments such that professionals can be trained before entering the real environment.
For example, there was a virtual reality simulation of New Orleans and the Katrina storm. It was quite unnerving to see the threatening waves everywhere and the water levels rising as the 'journalist' was stranded on the roof. Even more unnerving, when the rescue helicopter left without the journalist. The surround sound, made it very real too.
Crossing the chasm
The simulation that got the most gasps was one called, 'crossing the chasm.' In this simulation, the floor suddenly drops down by 50 feet and a plank appears across the chasm. For the rest of us observers in the room, nothing has changed. The floor is still the floor.
Somewhere in the back of the mind of the person in the virtual reality session, they know that the plank and the chasm are false. But they are simply frozen because their brain won't let them believe it is an illusion. After the rest of the crowd encourages the participant, finally in great desperation they lunge across the chasm.
Coming out of the virtual reality session, they are quite shaken!
Role reversal
In a simulation meant to evoke empathy, the subject stands in front of a virtual reality mirror. When they duck and stand up, they are transformed into another person. So for example a white male, would be looking at an African American mirror image or a female. Then the subject faces several simulated conversations. And in about four minutes, begins to believe he is that other person, the avatar, as it were.
There was a twitter in the group when the male subject suddenly saw himself in the mirror as a woman in a dress.
Hut, Hut, Hike
Another simulation with use in real life is for American Football training for the quarterback position. Dr. Bailenson, worked with the coach of the Stanford Football team and filmed several plays by the defense against whom the quarterback has to execute his plays.
Then in the lab, the quarterback would learn to recognize these defense formations and practice against them.
One of the graduate students who worked on this project, in classic Stanford style, went on to set up a company and sells this training program to professional football teams.
A caution
However, there was a worrisome incident. The person participating in the simulation, had to go backward to 'catch the ball' and ran into the control room glass wall! No damage was done, save a little embarrassment.
The worry is with Occulus Rift from Facebook, Samsung and others flooding the market this Christmas season with these VR kits, children might end up at some risk. Imagine them tumbling down the stairs or worse?!
A final note
From my own experience at this high-end lab, I can share with you that the Virtual Reality experience is quite immersive and quite compelling. I can see any number of applications of this in the real world in terms of training professionals such as airline pilots and soldiers.
There are cultural and legal ramifications that we are not thinking about. As always, we learn from mistakes (if not catastrophes). Unfortunately, the excitement of Virtual Reality will be the first wave. Then the legal, regulatory and cultural waves will follow.
But one trend is unmistakable. Virtual Reality is coming - and in a big way!
The group of us that were touring this lab, were awestruck by the experience and technologies that await us.
Lab setup
The lab(s) is a square space maybe 20 feet by 20 feet. There is a control room in the back. The walls are bare except the front wall has a large flat screen TV. There are cameras and speakers in the walls all around.
The idea, according to Dr. Bailenson, is to simulate environments such that professionals can be trained before entering the real environment.
For example, there was a virtual reality simulation of New Orleans and the Katrina storm. It was quite unnerving to see the threatening waves everywhere and the water levels rising as the 'journalist' was stranded on the roof. Even more unnerving, when the rescue helicopter left without the journalist. The surround sound, made it very real too.
Crossing the chasm
The simulation that got the most gasps was one called, 'crossing the chasm.' In this simulation, the floor suddenly drops down by 50 feet and a plank appears across the chasm. For the rest of us observers in the room, nothing has changed. The floor is still the floor.
Somewhere in the back of the mind of the person in the virtual reality session, they know that the plank and the chasm are false. But they are simply frozen because their brain won't let them believe it is an illusion. After the rest of the crowd encourages the participant, finally in great desperation they lunge across the chasm.
Coming out of the virtual reality session, they are quite shaken!
Role reversal
In a simulation meant to evoke empathy, the subject stands in front of a virtual reality mirror. When they duck and stand up, they are transformed into another person. So for example a white male, would be looking at an African American mirror image or a female. Then the subject faces several simulated conversations. And in about four minutes, begins to believe he is that other person, the avatar, as it were.
There was a twitter in the group when the male subject suddenly saw himself in the mirror as a woman in a dress.
Hut, Hut, Hike
Then in the lab, the quarterback would learn to recognize these defense formations and practice against them.
One of the graduate students who worked on this project, in classic Stanford style, went on to set up a company and sells this training program to professional football teams.
A caution
However, there was a worrisome incident. The person participating in the simulation, had to go backward to 'catch the ball' and ran into the control room glass wall! No damage was done, save a little embarrassment.
The worry is with Occulus Rift from Facebook, Samsung and others flooding the market this Christmas season with these VR kits, children might end up at some risk. Imagine them tumbling down the stairs or worse?!
A final note
From my own experience at this high-end lab, I can share with you that the Virtual Reality experience is quite immersive and quite compelling. I can see any number of applications of this in the real world in terms of training professionals such as airline pilots and soldiers.
There are cultural and legal ramifications that we are not thinking about. As always, we learn from mistakes (if not catastrophes). Unfortunately, the excitement of Virtual Reality will be the first wave. Then the legal, regulatory and cultural waves will follow.
But one trend is unmistakable. Virtual Reality is coming - and in a big way!
11 comments:
This is the best VR description, bar none. Is it advisable to carry adult diapers ?
just read your VR it is quite amazing . Just imagining how easy it would be teach students on very abstract subjects and human anatomy to students. Teaching methods will get transformed. Well in the wrong hands they will also get trained to do their evil things in a precise way and the war between Good and Bad will continue . It was really interesting to understand the situations you were describing
Very interesting!
wow wow wow
Very cool! Thanks for sharing
Great program!
very cool.
I wonder if this amazing technology will have anything to offer our senior fellow men and women, or pass them by like many other technologies that we are so used to. That would be a shame, yes?
Perhaps inevitable?
I imagine the culture associated with technology will pass us by even more.
I am thinking about texting and teenagers today...
I’m still counting on checkin’ out with a psilocybin drip and virtual reality goggles blastin’ me to heaven… whatever that may mean….
Good one!
These virtual technologies COULD help bring back the oral tradition of education IF we can just find another Socrates !
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