[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]image credit: Facebook[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_column_text]A room filled with executives and technology enthusiasts, and arguably one of the most influential and well-renowned creators strolls past unnoticed.
Virtual reality technology is rapidly becoming one of the most talked about developments in the digital media industry. With the recent releases of Samsung’s Gear VR headset and the accompanying Gear 360 VR Camera , the hype is delivering up to its promise, as rave reviews pour in.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]1957 – Morton Hellig invents the sensorama, a simulation device that incorporates 3D images, smells and sounds to the user experience
1961 – Philco corp develops Headsight, which used a head tracking system
1997 – VR used by Georgia tech to create war zone simulations for PTSD therapy[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]It wasn’t until the early 90’s that VR technology started to become accessible to the general public. In 1991, Virtuality group introduced VR technology to arcade games. Gamers could step into a ‘Virtuality Cabinet’ and become immersed into a three-dimensional digital world. In 1993, SEGA launched their ‘Genesis’ wrap-around glasses.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][image_with_animation image_url=”5367″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In”][vc_column_text]image via[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]It was from 2010 that virtual reality development started to gain serious momentum, a ball that is still rolling fast today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]2010 – Google introduces a 3D street view mode
2014 – Facebook buys Oculus VR for $2 billion, Sony announces Project Morpheus (a headset for the Playstation 4), and Google releases “Cardboard”, a DIY stereoscopic viewer for smartphones[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The potential is infinite for virtual reality technology, with notable advances being made in the business and entertainment industries. Real estate companies are rolling out virtual tours of property, and the gaming and video entertainment areas are seeing more and more content that makes use of 3D immersive realities.
Yan Chen the founder of LENS Immersive will be a guest speaker at Melbourne Webfest this year. LENS Immersive is a service that provides virtual reality experiences across a streaming platform, through both pay-per-view and subscription memberships. Content is viewed on a VR device, which ranges from compatible smartphones to VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard.
“We will support the iPhone via the Google Cardboard SDK in the next quarter. But those plans may change depending on what Google comes out with in terms of their next headset iteration. We currently support the Cardboard on Android but definitely recommend using a premium headset, such as the GearVR, Oculus, or HTC Vive. Our HTC Vive support is coming this month, and [support for] Play Station VR when it launches.”
He says that VR, along with augmented reality (AR) have very bright prospects for the next five to ten years. “In ten years, as a business, if you are not using AR/VR, it’s like saying you are not on the web or mobile in 2016,” Chen said. “For a consumer, if you are not hooked up into VR/AR, you’ll be in the very small percentage of the minority.”
He is impressed by the progress that headset technology has made, improving by ‘leaps and bounds’ over the last few years.
“The David Attenborough VR experience is probably the closest to the premium type of experiences that we are going for. There is not a lot of content that can demand a consumer fee as of yet, but that’s one of them. We hope to create a lot more in the coming months to build out [our own] catalogue.”
LENS Immersive is making their Webfest debut in Melbourne this year, with Chen looking forward to “meeting great new content makers and seeing what can come out of their brilliant minds.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]