7 Things You Need To Know About Virtual Reality

“Virtual Reality is the first step in the grand adventure into the landscape of imagination”. It’s gaining huge popularity and a phenomenon that is bound to go haywire in the coming years. Some experts have even predicted that it can create a big impact just like the Internet did, making VR headphones as common as smartphones and game consoles. To bring you up to pace, here’s a rundown of all you need to know about Virtual Reality:

1. Kids are Not the Only Ones Interested in VR

Both Generation Z and the millennials are as kicked in trying VR as kids are. According to research by Greenlight VR and Touchstone Research, 64 percent of Baby Boomers are looking forward to virtual reality.

2. The Competition in the VR Space is Booming

What kickstarted the momentum of VR kits was the 2012 Oculus Rift. And, since then Facebook has paid $2 billion to buy Oculus. Numerous other start-ups are also joining the space and the competition is getting bigger and bigger.

3. VR does not have to be Expensive

The predominant idea the virtual reality is expensive is not always true. It is poised to be made affordable for the average consumer. The price depends on the scope of the project. All the competition in the market will surely come up with more economical options and soon it would be hard to choose a VR headset with all the options.

4. The Term Virtual Reality’s Premise

The term was coined back in 1987 by Jaron Lanier when they were working on a research around this form of technology Lanier also teamed with Tom Zimmerman – the inventor of the first data glove and together they produced a range of virtual reality products such as glasses, gloves and a relatively inexpensive head-mounted display. There are many people who contributed to the growth of this technology.

5. HealthCare to Benefit from VR

So how is VR going to change your life? Sure games like caesars casino and movies will take advantage of new opportunities in the VR realm. But apart from this, the healthcare industry will also derive great benefit by incorporating VR in several segments. This includes 3d virtual models to help surgeons prepare for surgery.

6. Virtual Reality will Augment Travel Experience

Would you like to travel to Venice or escape instantly to a scenic place? You can now travel virtually and enjoy your short burst of vacation with VR. Thanks to Mariott who started a venture in 2015 to transport clients from London to Maui in 90 seconds using the Oculus, there are many other players who have followed suit.

7. You can Get Hooked to VR

The idea that VR can be too good to be true can leave you hooked on to it. As the experience keeps improving and new inventions rolling out, who will not like to transport themselves to a whole new world? Who knows, a century from now Virtual Reality has all the potential to be the new normal.

Five tech trends for 2020

Indeed, even as new advancements are created, development around the utilization of existing innovation is quickly changing how associations work and how we interface with the world. Jumps in processing limit, information handling and availability are quickening this change. Here are five tech trends to watch in 2020 and past.

• Artificial intelligence

AI is about machines with human attributes – speaking, reading, seeing and even recognising emotion – completing tasks while also “learning” from repeated interactions. Using algorithms that adapt to location, speech or user-history machines can perform tasks that are dangerous or tedious, more accurately or much faster than humans.

Within a few years, analysts predict that all software will use AI at some level, according to US research and advisory firm Gartner. Importantly AI offers the opportunity to continuously tailor products and services providing a competitive advantage over rivals that is not easily copied. The question to ask is ‘how can AI help my organization?

• Augmented reality

Systems that combine real-time 3D vision, sound, haptics (the sense of touch), location data and even other senses such as smell enable people to immerse themselves somewhere else, react to what’s around them and alter their virtual environment in real time. Organisations are increasingly applying this technology across a wide spectrum of human activity from art and entertainment to commerce, education and the military. It’s used to train doctors, nurses, teachers and police officers and will soon be available on your smart device. Could you use AR to lift efficiency for your internal stakeholders or help you communicate with your customer base?

• Blockchain

The fortunes of digital currency Bitcoin have drawn public attention to Blockchain technology, but this secure system for recording and verifying transactions and storing trusted records has the potential to disrupt enterprises of many kinds. Companies are using Blockchain technology to transform time-consuming, centralised, less reliable and less secure systems. Digital democracy platform MyVote, for example, uses Blockchain to store users’ personal data and voting history to give citizens a more direct voice in the political process. Could you use Blockchain to keep your data secure?

• Automation

Robots in manufacturing go back to the 1960s. Now it’s the scale and breadth of the transformation that automated systems make possible, as a result of other advances in machine learning and connectivity, for example, that puts automation firmly at the forefront of technology trends. From convenient devices at home to industrial applications on a massive scale, automation will be a key focus of technological change, with potentially far-reaching economic and social consequences.

Currently, professional services such as the legal and finance industry are being disrupted by automation with feedback from these sectors being that core technical skills together with management and people skills being more important than ever. How will automation disrupt your industry?

• Combination of Technologies

Gartner calls the combination of technologies and the connection of people, devices, content and services the “intelligent digital mesh.” This is the foundation for new business models, platforms and possibilities that will transform how we live and work with implications that go far beyond the technology itself and involve disciplines such as law, economics, business and politics.

It is early days for the application of IoT strategy but it is clear that opportunities will exist for those with the technical knowledge to connect platforms as well as those with the data analytics skills to utilise the rich stream of information generated by IoT applications. What could you learn from connecting and analysing the data from your products or elements of your core operations?