Virtual reality technology is bridging cultures and fostering understanding in a wide variety of applications from medicine to museum productions to sport and gaming platforms, Noelle Reyes reports.
The vibrant colours are breathtaking. Wonderful corals. Darting fish. Sleek reef sharks. Sitting inside a glass submarine, the Great Barrier Reef’s depths are magical. A stingray glides above the submarine, blocking the sunlight. Then it all fades to black. Credits are rolling. The experience of virtual reality is incredibly surreal.
Virtual reality (VR) has exploded over the last few years. Its accessibility has allowed it to become one of the hottest trends in technology and gaming. From Google Cardboard, right up to HTC Vive’s highly advanced features, the options are rich for consumers around the world. But aside from its popularity in technical gimmicks, VR is assisting educational voyages, making many different applications possible. Classrooms are using VR to take children on excursions to Ancient Egypt. Volleyball players can now serve 200 times in a row. It is now even possible to be inside DNA cells.
Kate Patterson, visual science communicator at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, works closely with VR elements to create beautiful 3D animations. Kate describes her first experience of a VR game and her hopes for VR in the future of education.
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is familiar with VR’s capabilities in the field of biomedical science. Kate Patterson, a visual science communicator at the Garvan Institute, creates 3D animations of genomics and epigenetics for VR, using a range of resources to allow viewers to be physically inside a cell. Genomics are the study of genes in the body, while epigenetics are the study of changes in gene expressions. Kate develops stories that herself and other scientists wish to present outside the medical world.
“Sometimes I’m finding excuses to get away from my kid and my wife, just so I can really immerse myself.” Gaming enthusiast, Rajan Narayan.
Biomedical animation has been able to bridge the gap for many through scientifically accurate, beautiful animations that can be awe inspiring. “Anything that transforms you into a physical world – if that’s going to enhance the learning experience – then I think it would be suitable. I’m very interested in being physically among DNA and its chaos, and the way it’s packaged by all these thousands of different proteins. There are different stories within that concept, so I want to tease out what are the best stories,” Kate says.
Kate Patterson, shares some great footage of her 3D animations for VR. The Australian Museum also provides an excellent sneak peek at David Attenborough’s Virtual Reality Experiences exhibit. Oz-Comic Con volunteers, Luka and Seth, also share their insight into VR’s popularity.
VR is overcoming the technical hurdles of the past. Its biggest factor is its ability to allow users to interact with their world, beyond a 2D or 3D experience on a screen. Kate believes this can change the way classroom environments are structured. “To have assets and material relevant to the curriculum really brings it to life and sparks conversation. It allows the students to work together, to talk about a common visual. They’re not imagining a scene that’s different for everybody or listening to a teacher talk about it. They’re actually seeing it and being able to talk about the visual experience together,” she says.
David Bock, events coordinator at the Australian Museum, shares his experience of the David Attenborough Virtual Reality Experiences exhibit. While Daniel Sim Lin, explains how VR enhances daily activities like ultrasounds and volleyball.
An example of a visual experience that VR can lead is a journey to the Great Barrier Reef, and in doing so makes David Bock’s role of events coordinator at the Australian Museum, much more exciting. He now takes visitors through David Attenborough’s Virtual Reality Experiences exhibit, the first documentary of its kind to incorporate virtual reality. With over 33,000 visitors since the exhibit began in April 2016, people are starting to become more aware of VR’s involvement in many projects. “It’s very interesting technology,” says David. It is no longer limited to television and living room entertainment. The device is transforming the way experiences can be felt.
Kate Patterson’s very first VR game was Colosse. A visually beautiful story told through the features of VR, this trailer is provided through Chromosphere.
For some, nostalgia is an important experience that makes VR’s benefits more important. Rajan Narayan, 29, has been a father for 18 months, but a fan of technology and gaming for most of his life. He continues to follow franchises such as Pokemon, since he was 11. He also loved the 1994 PC game, Raptors: Call of the Shadows, a 2D vertical-scroller shooting game. So when Rajan started using his Samsung Gear VR over a month ago, the nostalgic drive grew heavier. “Sometimes I’m finding excuses to get away from my kid and my wife, just so I can really immerse myself,” he laughs.
“It allows the students to work together, to talk about a common visual. They’re actually seeing it and being able to talk about the visual experience together.” Kate Patterson, visual science communicator, Garvan Institute.
The built-in Gear VR game, Gunjack, is an intense version of Raptors with a full immersion arcade gameplay. Jack into your turret, power up your guns, and defend your mining platform from deadly waves of enemy ships determined to blast you and your crew into oblivion. “It was painful after 20 minutes. I just wasn’t ready for it, but it was really fun. You could see enemies approaching from further on and you could alter your course to avoid them altogether. You’re actually controlling the character by your own movements. I’ve never done anything like it,” Rajan says.
Rajan Narayan, gaming and VR enthusiast, enjoys using his Samsung Gear VR. From experiencing movies like never before to bursts of nostalgia, Rajan shares his excitement for VR games and its future.
Rajan is a firm believer that VR will only continue to grow in its capabilities. “Imagine walking past a store, having your headset on, and instantly load up that store’s website. And save items on a virtual cart to then purchase later because you just don’t have the time to carry stuff around. Little things like that could have tremendous benefits for commerce as well.”
VR has dozens of applications and it is rapidly growing in potential. Sony has just announced its new Playstation VR headset. It is clear that at its current pace, VR is just the tip of the immersive iceberg.
Video by Noelle Reyes. Audio by Brianna Berehowyj and Noelle Reyes. Header image by david_pics used under Creative Commons licence.
Noelle Reyes 