Building immersive, virtual environments is a challenging
& experimental endeavor. VR can provide a rich environment for art,
entertainment and scientic visualization. The challenges are how to exploit
the medium most effectively, whatever the subject or intentions of the
VR and to create 3D interfaces and interactions that really work. Collaborative
teams of artists, scientists and engineers are needed to build innovative
and intense experiences.
Increasingly people are fascinated by the prospect of networking remote VR devices over high speed, broad bandwidth networks which enables long distance collaboration or experience as remotely located participants share a common virtual world. Presently a high level of technical expertise is necessary for networked VR. |
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Art Applications
Visual artists are embracing virtual reality as a new medium for their work. Artists experimenting with this medium have produced work which is abstract, formal, surreal, political. metaphorical, & psychological. Three main areas of focus are; exploiting the interactive aspect of VR; using procedural methods to create imagery; and immersing the viewer/user in a visually rich 3D environment. Sound artists are also embracing virtual reality.
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Story- telling/performance
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Cultural Heritage and Cultural Interpretation
VR is a powerful tool for cultural heritage projects. It allows visitors to virtually experience reconstructions of architectural & archeological sites which are now in ruins, in inaccessible locations, or too fragile to allow for a constant stream of visitors. Pioneer workers in this field are also moving beyond the model of a simple walk throughs of reconstructed sites to use the strengths of VR as an interactive device. |
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Education & Medicine
VR applications have been developed to teach grade school children and medical students. A 3D environment is paricularly suited for teaching concepts or structures with a 3D nature. Experiments are ongoing to test the effectiveness of VR as an educational tool and into remote learning using VR.
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Architecture, Industry & Design
VR is fast becoming a useful tool for prototyping, design review and collaborative design. |
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Scientific Visualization
VR is used to help scientists visualize, model and interact with a wide variety of data sets - from molecules to volcanoes. |