In today’s pandemic driven world, VR offers some hope of returning to a new normal in a lot of ways. CNBC mentioned a number of ways this might happen in their article “Coronavirus could be catalyst to reinvigorate virtual reality headsets” Let’s take a look at some of the areas I think might be strongly impacted.
Sports In VR
Can’t go to the Laker game? watch it in VR. The NBA experimented with this last season, with good cameras VR really does make it feel like you are in the stadium. Just a 360 stereo camera courtside provides a decent experience, but imagine an augmented experience with stats that can be pulled up in a floating window, virtual announcers that guide you through the game, and the added social element of being able to “sit” next to your best friend in New York and watch a game together.
Concerts in VR
What I would give to be able to sit on stage during a Nine Inch Nails concert. Perhaps the concert of the near future will be a virtual one where I can experience something I doubt I’ll ever be able to experience in real life. In the past concerts have been a real creative experience, VR could bring that age of creativity back.
Virtual Tourism
For me this is a big one. I had plans this summer to travel overseas, hike the mountains, enjoy some of the classic world heritage sites. Unfortunately, the virus is making it such that I’m not sure when I’ll be able to continue those plans. Immersive, stereo 360 degree captures of physical sites is something that is entirely possible now. In fact many historical and archealogical projects exist to document sites before they are destroyed. Everyone can now enjoy these sites without visiting them in person and in some cases loving a site to death. Over visitation is a real problem for historical sites as well as many natural sites. Humans, while perhaps well intentioned, destroy these areas in the process of visiting them.
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