virtual reality
Clubber
Florida
Virtual reality was mentioned in another topic and I wish to ask others their opinion on virtual reality.
In your opinion, what constitutes virtual reality?
Do you think it is even possible?
And if it is, what might be the ramifications, personally and culturally?
Other thoughts?
In your opinion, what constitutes virtual reality?
Do you think it is even possible?
And if it is, what might be the ramifications, personally and culturally?
Other thoughts?
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15 comments
It's possible right now in relatively primitive forms, but the technology is being aggressively refined. The biggest investors right now are not entertainment, but rather military (both for training and drone warfighting capabilities). Those applications will filter down to general business, industry, communications, and entertainment. Those industries are also dumping money into VR. So, expect some of their advances to filter up to government / military.
The impact within our lifetimes (except perhaps for the very young) will only be minimal to moderate, I think. Beyond that, it will be much more profound.
A question, if I may. I sort of understand present day VR, but was not a Star Trek watcher, so went to youtube to check it out. To me, seems a real flaw in that version.
I would expect VR to simulate exactly what one perceive in true reality. They obviously knew what they were seeing wasn't reality, rather a "fake". What I am saying could open up a can of worms for a user of VR, don't you think?
I don't know of any conceptual version of VR where the user is completely unaware that it's fake. But sure, you could extrapolate VR to highly unethical uses once the technology reaches Star Trek levels. Example: interrogation. If you're waterboarded in VR, then have you actually been tortured?
The other negative result is that certain personalities may become lost, disconnected, or obsessed within VR. That type of dysfunction could become an issue well before "holodeck" VR.
But unhealthy, obsessive fantasy behaviors are not new and already present minus advanced VR. Example: San Jose Guy.
It's probably going to be a bumpy road, but we'll travel it anyway. Humans have essentially never turned away from technology based on ethical concerns.
SJG
1) military
2) porn
3) mainstream entertainment
4) medicine
5) general business
. . .
999) non-military government agencies
. . .
9999) public schools in Mississippi
In "Insurrection" there was a plan to use a "holoship" to recreate an entire village (big hole in that plot was that the ship was too small).
In Deep Space 9, there were many inferences that the "holosuites" were used for sex with holographic partners.
A "holojoint" would never run out of good strippers, there would always be one you like, they could be programmed to play hard to get for those of us that enjoy the chase, and they could even make out in the front room so SJG would have something to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWyiVtx2…
I know a guy who claimed he co invented the first VR helmet. I havent talked to him in over 20 years. He's probably still living out in the boondocks after all that government hacking he did. I wonder if he ever built the new engine design he said he had? He said he had to redesign the entire car though. He'll probably have it ready a year after everyone is only buying electric cars.
Hence, the use of the term 'virtual'.
How about the tactile feeling process? Smelling? There is "virtually" no end to the differences, including visual.
I have no idea what direction this technology will take or how far it might go in my lifetime, but technology historically has been unkind to the "It'll never work" guys.
We shall see.
I think it can work once they develop input into the brain that doesn't involve our traditional senses.