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Digital Media Concepts/Virtual Reality

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Virtual Reality. (Unsplash)

Overview

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Virtual Reality has been a fascinating interest in people for a really long time. Virtual Reality is a simulation of a Digital world where you can experience things that you can’t in the real world. Virtual Reality allows you to be fully immersive into a film or a game and even training and learning programs,quite different from being bound to a TV screen or a Monitor.

How to enter Virtual Reality

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Virtual reality is entered by using a virtual reality headset, these headsets give you the visual eyes and the scenery of the virtual world. Movement in the Virtual world is accompanied with controllers. Depending on the brand of your VR headset, there's a stand alone system that allows you to connect to your Computer which then you can download the software SteamVR[1]. This software allows more human-like movements that are fluid motions like day to day reality, rather than being stiff like dynamic bones or a floating entity.

Avatar of virtual world

Virtual Avatar

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A Virtual Avatar can be customized to be yourself or it could be your favorite fictional character. This feature is used in the popular game VRChat.

To create a Virtual Avatar you must use a software program that creates 2D or 3D Character Models like the software Virtual BodyWorks. The character avatar creation is pretty simple.

First step- Selfie[2]

You take a selfie of your face, which you upload to Virtual BodyWorks. Your face is used has a model for your avatar.

Second step- Character Creation

Most programs have prepackaged models you can choose from. All you have to do is design your character. If you don't like how your character avatar looks, you can always hire a artist to design the character for you.

Third Sep- Export

Once your done with your character model, Virtual BodyWorks has a software that you can export your avatar to.

There are also Full Body Avatars. Which can be a downside for people who are just getting into Virtual Reality because Full Body Avatars are expensive. Full Body Avatars are created by use full body tracking suit which capture the movement of your whole body, which you often see in movies.[3]

Half-Life Alyx Logo

Gaming in Virtual Reality

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Gaming has become more and more popular in the recent years, from 2D pixel sprite games we all loved to Virtual games that are first person point of view. Virtual Reality allows people to experience the visual action like the characters do in video games. Gaming in Virtual Reality is interactive and immersive meaning that you get a full feel of the game.


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Virtual Reality is a new age in technology, it provides entertainment through interactive and immersive visuals and actions. The idea of entering a completely different world is fascinating and has interested people for many years. When people grew up they watched shows that featured Virtual Reality and people want to experience something similar.(SAO, Black Mirror, Altered Carbon )

Types of VR Awards

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Awards[4] 2021 Winners[5]
VR Social Influencer Award ThrillSeeker
VR Hardware of the Year HP-HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition
VR Game of the Year Resolution Games- Demeo
VR Experience of the Year ATLAS V NO GHOST - Madrid Noir
VR Film of the Year 3DAR- Paper Birds
VR Marketing of the Year Geometry Ogilvy Japan- Shibuya Virtual Halloween
Rising VR Company of the Year triple A code GmbH
Innovative VR Company of the Year Virtualware
VR Social Impact Award Accenture - AVEnueS - Race Equity in Child Welfare
VR Enterprise Solution of the Year Masters of Pie - Hyberbat - World’s First VR Design Review over 5G
VR Education and Training of the Year NORCAT- Vale VR
VR Healthcare of the Year Osso VR- Cinematic VR Surgical Training Platform
Out of Home VR Entertainment of the Year Figment Production Ltd. - Current Rising

Side Effects of Being in VR for long periods of time

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Virtual Reality can be fun and immersive to people, but being in Virtual reality for long periods of time could cause instances of eye strain, mild headaches and nausea. Such symptoms are triggered by the VR illusion, which makes the eyes focus on objects apparently in the distance that are actually on a screen just centimeters away.[6]

Reference

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  1. "SteamVR on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  2. "Behind the scenes of avatar creation". www.virtualbodyworks.com. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  3. "Behind the scenes of avatar creation". www.virtualbodyworks.com. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  4. "Categories". VR Awards 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  5. "Winners and Finalists 2021". VR Awards 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  6. "Are VR headsets bad for your health?". BBC Science Focus Magazine. Retrieved 2022-03-07.