Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is an artificial, virtual environment that is created with software and presented to the user in such a way that the user accepts it as a real environment. VR, as we know it today, is primarily experienced through sight and sound. Many companies are currently developing head-mounted displays that are presenting virtual environments to users through 360-images or videos.

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Augmented Reality (AR) is another concept that, instead of taking you to a virtual environment, starts with the world around and builds stuff on top of it. There is also the concept of Mixed Reality (MR), which is a mix of VR and AR. The difference between MR and AR is that the objects in MR are more natural. For example, if you lean in on an object, the object becomes larger, as it would in the real world - this is not the case with AR. This webpage will be focusing on VR, but can touch the concepts of AR and MR at times.

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The webpage will present the evolution of VR, as well as the technology behind it. A survey was conducted as part of the research for this paper, where 166 people where questioned. Throughout this webpage, you will be seeing result from this survey. In order to give you a more complete picture of the technology, we will be discussing some of the areas where VR can be used, such as video games, architectural visualization and human interaction. Even though VR can be fascinating to people the first time they try it, the technology is facing certain challenges to become optimal. Improvements related to the quality of the user experience are necessary.

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You will be able to read about selected VR headsets and to see a comparison of the products. We will be taking a look into the future, namely how the business model for VR looks like, how VR can affect peoples lives and how the technology might be developing. What can VR be used for? Will VR be a mainstream product in a few years? Can VR change the way humans interact? How will the future VR headsets be like? These are just some of the questions that will be discussed. In the video below, you are able to get a better picture towards what Virtual Reality really is! You can also try our quiz to test your knowledge about virtual reality- enjoy!

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