VR is here. There are plenty of games in which you get wrapped up. However, there are many practical things for which VR and AR (Augmented Reality) can be used. Here are a few of our favorites.
1. Stress Relief
There have been numerous studies on the effects of VR environments on stress levels over the last few years. Although, I’d like to pay special attention to a recent study from a team of researchers from Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, OhioHealth Healthcare Organization and Ohio University. Selecting 102 front-line workers from 3 different hospitals’ COVID units, the researchers used VR headsets showing a 3-minute lush green nature environment. On average, the front-line workers rated their stress level had lowered as much as 32% compared to their stress level before using the VR headset.
This could be a massive therapeutic tool for stress relief. This could be used to reduce levels of depression, anger, and frustration. I’m not saying it’s a possible cure for significant mental illness, but sometimes, we all could use a tiny, 3-minute getaway.
2. Medical Training
Training for a medical profession is no easy task. Oftentimes, medical students are crowded in operating rooms trying to observe the procedures from odd and often terrible angles. And hands-on training comes in the form of practice dummies and cadavers. Both of which can be difficult and expensive to use or maintain. Thankfully, medicine is often at the forefront of new technology and VR/ AR is no exception.
According to the Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism: ” The use of virtual reality is suggested for holding retraining courses to increase the quality of the educations. The results showed that people trained by virtual reality had lower performance errors and higher accuracy compared to those trained by conventional approaches.”
This journal and many studies in the medical field have shown that simulations and VR training has been proven to increase the technical skills of students. It has even helped to improve retraining for doctors who have been practicing for years. With strides being made in controller-free hand-tracking and graphics, who knows what kind of applications VR still has in the medical field. Perhaps controls for surgical robots allow for more precise and minimal surgeries?
3. Workout
There has been a huge leap for at-home workouts in the last couple of years. While working out at home is nothing new, the shutdown of almost all gyms caused a larger number of people to scramble for a way to keep fit and active. VR has seen a massive boon to its lineup of fitness apps. It’s true that a great many of the games available for VR will keep you moving plenty. However, there is a major difference between a game designed to immerse and a fitness app designed to make you move.
Apps like Holofit and FitXR have many workouts to choose from. Paired with a Fitbit or other fitness tracker, can be a great way to get/stay in shape. The only real downside is that most at-home VR systems track just the head and hands/ controllers. So the rest is up to the honor system, I suppose.
However you want to work out, there is likely a VR app for you. From cardio to yoga. Calisthenics to martial arts training. VR has you covered.
4. Virtual Travel
Virtual reality is usually about creating new and interesting fantasy worlds to visit or live in. Except, what about our own interesting world? Our little blue marble has its own share of places and attractions that must be seen to be believed. With world travel “difficult” at the moment, VR offers a vast array of location experiences for the home-tethered traveler.
Video captured experiences like skydiving or paragliding are plentiful in VR. These allow the viewer to step into the virtual shoes of a thrill-seeker and get amazing views and a bit of a rush. These may be the harshest for the motion-sensitive, so they might not be for everyone.
For those looking for more of an educational field trip, there are plenty of fully 360-degree museum experiences. Art museums like the Louvre and the Tate Museum have embraced VR. What if science is more your style? The Smithsonian and The National Museum of Natural History in Paris are but a small taste of the options offered by VR.
All this, and I haven’t even mentioned the apps that simply allow you to take in the stunning scenery all over the world. Most of these apps are free! So do yourself a favor and check out some scenic vistas!
5. Entertainment
VR is an incredible asset to entertainment. Not only does it have built-in web browsers like the Meta Browser or Firefox, but it also has a lot of apps specifically designed for watching. The best of which is the Netflix app.
Starting in a virtual living room in a cabin in the mountains, you have the option of using the “Void” to place the screen in an empty space where you can manipulate the size and placement of the screen. This means you can lie down and zoom the screen to the size of a small theater and relax while you catch up on your list. The Netflix app even has a drift mode which, when enabled, will make the screen a little floaty so you can watch while in a vehicle (not driving, of course) or on a bus and the screen will stay with you.
There are movie apps like Fandango VR that allow you to buy, rent, and watch all in VR. Even 3D movies are available here. Also, if your favorite streaming service doesn’t have its own app, you can use the browser to watch in full-screen mode. Much better than a phone screen and, in some cases, better than some TVs.
There are also live shows and concerts to consider. These can honestly be a little hit or miss. Although, as time goes on, we may see more bands and theater shows going in this direction since it can give everyone the best seat in the house.
These are just a few of the practical uses for VR that we’ve been able to come up with. Though, with continued improvements, and a healthy imagination, who knows what could be next!
