10 Amazing Uses for Virtual Reality Beyond Gaming

The estimated reading time for this post is 7 minutes

The Wonder of Tech is honored to welcome Ben Allen as a guest author.

When people first think of virtual reality (VR), they generally think of video games. Tech demos for new VR headsets often use the latest games, showing how players can be immersed into the experience.

As Virtual Reality tech becomes more affordable and easier to use, exciting innovations are being implemented outside of video games. VR is being used and developed in many areas of our lives.

Here are 10 areas where VR tech is being used now, and could become essential in our future.

What Virtual Reality Is

Virtual Reality is defined as “the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.”

Google Cardboard is an example of a Virtual Reality viewer. When you view VR apps using Google Cardboard, you can look up, down and around 360°, as if you were viewing actual reality.

=> Don’t miss, Google Cardboard – A New Way to View Reality!

Virtual Reality Film and Television

Going hand-in-hand with video games is the entertainment industry as a whole. One of the benefits of video games is the level of immersion it brings to a story. Virtual Reality is able to bring that immersion to other mediums.

For example, Virtual Reality films have the capability to place viewers in the middle of the action. No longer are you sitting on your couch watching, you are there, on the space station hurdling out of control through space, or going on a journey of discovery with the main character.

As VR becomes increasingly common, more studios will create movies that will capture our imagination and make us feel part of the movie. At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, several VR films in different genres were shown, evidence that filmmakers are excited about the tech.

The next big step for VR in television is sports. Already, the NBA has broadcasted an entire basketball game with VR, placing viewers on the front row of the court.

If interest in the idea were to continue, entire sporting events could be shown allowing viewers to sit in any seat we want at anytime during the game. Sports enthusiasts could be right on the sidelines to watch sweat pour off athletes, or get an aerial view of the game.

If enough people were to buy the tech, even television could use the tech. We could get up close to gruesome crime scenes in police thrillers or be in the middle of an awesome action scene in a superhero show. This would definitely require a lot of interest before it happens though.

Virtual Reality Vacations

As the price of travel continues to rise, people looking to see the world may use virtual reality as a less expensive option. While VR isn’t the same as physically being there, it could be the next best thing

As 360° and VR cameras are becoming more available for the public, more of the world will become accessible in virtual reality. With 360° cameras, people are able to capture an entire environment and share it with others, and VR camcorders can create an explorable tour of an area. 360° cameras like the Ricoh Theta S aren’t difficult to use, similar to using a camera on a cell phone, but are able to take 360° photos and videos.

People will be able to share each and every memorable spot and experience on a vacation and companies will be able to create entire experience virtually. Along with sharing vacations, VR could be use to tour different places like museums and landmarks, letting people who can’t travel appreciate fine arts and beautiful sites virtually. Companies could even make a business of it, offering full VR tours of exotic locales and experiences.

Medical Applications

Virtual Reality gives the rehabilitation and mental health industries extra tools to help patients on the healing process. For example, VR can be used to help physical therapy patients with their necessary exercises and keep them motivated. VR has been especially useful with victims of spinal cord injuries.

Virtual Reality gear is already being used for improving mental health, especially for soldiers suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). VR helps soldiers handle everyday scenarios and triggers for PTSD, and is currently in use in many military clinics. This idea could be applied to other people who experience symptoms of PTSD or other emotional issues, such as depression and phobias.

Surgeons are even using VR in extremely complex surgeries. VR allows doctors to see issues in context to the rest of the body and explore different options for less invasive surgeries. Using VR, one surgeon was even able to save the life of a baby born missing a lung and half a heart.

Virtual Reality in Education

Getting students engaged in learning can be a challenge for educators. Virtual Reality can be helpful with certain subjects, such as history, geography, and even recreational learning. VR tech can help children who struggle with staying focused and assist visual learners to picture what is being taught.

Reading out of a textbook can seem dull to some students, but living in a Virtual Reality re-creation of the city or of specific events could help engage students. Imagine learning about the US Civil War and watching a battle unfold in front of your eyes, or learning about astronomy while on the surface of Mars.

Learning through VR would be like living The Magic School Bus series at school everyday. VR could help bridge the gap for students between learning and having fun. Projects like Google’s Expedition Pioneer Project are already underway, providing students with exciting new ways to learn.

Major universities are getting into VR as well. Arizona State University President Michael Crow has recently stated that ASU is experimenting with VR in basic science courses. Crow has already been recognized as a disruptive force in higher education for his formation of ASU Online, and may be joining other college presidents in a further push towards the utilization of new technologies to enhance learning experience at a higher education level.

Developing VR Products and Training Employees

Alongside having VR in the classroom, Virtual Reality tech can be a big influence in the business world. Currently, engineers at Caterpillar and GM are using VR when designing products to test functionality and identify potential problems. Other STEM careers will adopt VR as the technology progresses and adds additional tools for their work.

VR also can be an important tool to train employees. Militaries around the world are using Virtual Reality rigs and headsets to train soldiers in different tasks and prepare for missions, lowering training costs and making soldiers better prepared.

VR is another asset putting astronauts into space. Even skilled trades like welding and auto repair can use VR to train workers without the costs of supplies.

Social Media

We can expect VR to be a big influence in social media because of Facebook’s acquisition of the VR viewer company Oculus. Just as email and Skype both changed how people communicate, so will VR.

For example, Oculus Social lets you watch videos in a virtual room with your friends. The technology is still in development, only showing avatars in place of your friends’ bodies. Using this tech you could watch movies with friends and talk with each other, as if you were sitting next to them in an actual room.

Eventually more normal life activities that you do with friends, such as watching movies, going to concerts, or just hanging out, will have VR adaptations. Ideas that were once science fiction, like Virtual Reality chat rooms, aren’t that far away.

The Potential Future for Virtual Reality

Ernest Cline’s novel Ready Player One revolves around how Virtual Reality technology could impact our world, and while the story focuses on video games, other VR uses are woven into the plot. In the novel, people use VR for hanging out with friends, holding business meetings, host customer support interactions and even going to church. All of these applications will be available soon, with even more possibilities in the future.

=> Check out 7 Must-Read Books for Everyone Who Uses Tech

While VR will never be a full replacement for real life, the technology has the potential to change most, if not all, facets of our lives.

Your Thoughts

Which uses of Virtual Reality excite you? Are you planning to get a VR viewer? What would you like to see VR used for in the future?

Let us know in the Comments section below!

Ben Allen lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife and daughter and is passionate about technology. He loves playing with new gadgets and finding ways they can improve people’s lives.

You can connect with Ben on Twitter at @allen24ben.

* Virtual Reality image (edited) courtesy of  COM SALUD Agencia de comunicación via Flickr and Creative Commons

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