As the virtual world has been threatening to blend into our real-world seamlessly, I sought to understand what that could mean for us. Just like the smartphone has become an extension of ourselves, will the lattice of spatial computing engulf us in a fantastic new “matrix”?
Virtual reality (VR) has been around a while now. “VR is a computer-generated 3-D scenario that simulates a realistic experience. A person using virtual reality equipment can “look around” the artificial world, move in it, and interact with virtual features or items”. The phrase “immersive- experience” follows VR closely in tow. To me, for the longest time, it was people wearing bulky headsets flailing their arms around, until I had my own VR experience. It was just a few weeks before our baby came, I was hugely pregnant and put on a friend’s VR set, to see what the fuss was all about. I was in an ocean with beautiful fish swimming around me; some even came up to me, but when I tried to touch them, they shied away. The corals were enchanting, and the shimmering water was of a luminescent blue hue, I was in paradise. Then suddenly, a shark came charging out of nowhere and caught me completely unawares, I almost tripped and fell. The baby gave a resounding kick from within as if admonishing me for my frivolities. I decided to visit VR another day.
Besides swimming in shark tanks, VR has opened up some “mind-bending” possibilities. Immersive experiences have found to be effective in reducing pain in acute as well as in chronic pain sufferers. VR has alleviated PTSD symptoms in war veterans; eliminated specific phobias and aided in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. The successes of these VR therapies rely on distracting the brain, revisiting traumatic experiences in graded measures and boosting confidence, respectively. It is as though a window has opened, to tinker with the brain and this is just the beginning.
Why is VR more immersive, than say watching something on TV?
In VR, the virtual world responds and reacts in real-time to our movements and actions, and likely taps into a set of neurons called “mirror neurons”. “Mirror-neurons” fire when an animal acts, as well as when it observes the same action. However, the precise function of “mirror neurons” in humans is a hotly contested field; but may have some bearing on VR therapy.
VR is making strides in sports, US skiers trained for the Pyeong Chang 2018 Winter Olympics with VR headsets, brain zapping headphones and a platform on rollers! A VR simulation of all the ski runs, in conjunction with headphones that send electrical currents to the motor cortex for neuropriming allows skiers to practice on a piste like never before. Sports-training unreservedly has entered a new era.
Unlike VR, where everything is Virtual, Mixed Reality (MR) is the merger of the real and virtual worlds, such that the digital objects co-exist and interact with the physical environment in real-time.
MR opens up a new world of possibilities; of interacting with the Stars (planetary as well as Hollywood!), performing complicated surgeries superimposing virtual over real, guiding the blind, of conjuring R2D2 anywhere, any wild dream can now be staged into reality, and viewed from the comfort of your sofa!
R2D2 apart, MR is a medium, much like the Internet, only far more personalized. It is like donning an added pair of eyes with artificial intelligence (AI) powered brain, with the ability to see and interpret the world through your eyes! In addition to the display, specific sensors could be tuned to obtain health status info, build a user-health record and also have the ability to warn, when you eat a chocolate cake too many!
Who can access, tap and possibly even manipulate your innermost thoughts, political leanings and life thereby, will have to be seriously considered. MR, can provide an unprecedented amount of information and insight on the user and their unique choices, which can be both good and bad. Perhaps, data ownership and security will transcend to a new level altogether, where one wonders who/what will be in control?
Would you, however, complain if you could have breakfast with Curie, chat with Darwin in your living room, invite Jane Goodall (and a chimp) for tea and look at the stars with Hawking? To that I say, bring on the Magic!
Author:
Roopsha Sengupta is the Editor-in-Chief at ClubSciWri. She did her Ph.D. at the Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna and postdoctoral research at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK, specializing in the field of Epigenetics. During her research, she was involved in many exciting discoveries and had the privilege of working and collaborating with a number of inspiring scientists. As an editor for ClubSciWri, she loves working on a wide range of topics and presenting articles coherently, while nudging authors to give their best.
Editor & Blog Design:
Rajamani Selvam received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience. She is currently pursuing a fellowship where she studies the blood-brain barrier. She is interested in a career in science policy or regulatory affairs. During her free time, she volunteers as a judge to Science Fairs to elementary and high schoolers, performs demonstrations and hands-on activities to provide insights on brain and Neuroscience. She also mentors students through 1000 girls’ 1000 futures program and Freedom English Academy where she provides career guidance. Away from science, she is an artist and enjoys leisure travel.
Cover Image: Pixabay
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