Most of the time, when we talk about how VR tech is being used, the focus is all around pure entertainment. While entertainment apps are the flagship features that get headsets sold to the wider public, many people overlook just how useful and flexible the technology is. Here are just a few of the more practical uses of VR tech.
Tourism
Up to about a hundred years ago, tourism was one of the most elite activities in the world. Cheaper air travel has opened it up to a lot more people, but it has still remained a bit of a luxury. VR tourism has risen recently to open up the world to even more people, especially those areas that have previously been naturally inaccessible.
By that, we mean areas like the Sahara Desert, famously beautiful but hostile to visit. The Sahara has sparked a lot of creativity over the years, from cinema to online casinos, and, in the latter case, through a range of slot games. Titles like the Sahara Riches Cash Collect slot at Betfair and other major casinos are filled with the beauty and mystery of the region, and now, thanks to VR, many more people are being inspired to create media of all kinds that celebrate the same things.
Automotive design
Designing any new car has always been a lot more time-intensive than most people would think, and shaping the current generation of modern cars takes that even further. There are extensive considerations on safety, aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, and a lot more besides that, so the old-fashioned ‘trial-and-error’ design approach would be prohibitively expensive.
VR allows manufacturers to build up a comprehensive testing picture of their design faster than ever before. Instead of using expensive and specialized facilities, companies like Ford or ToyotaΒ can use VR to accurately simulate different weather or road conditions, and even crash them to test safety without having to destroy too many costly prototypes.
Architecture
One of the more publicly popular uses for VR outside of entertainment has been for picking out designs and furnishing inside the home. The tech allows the user to have a 3D experience of what everything will look like, and architects use the same concept to build the homes themselves.
The tech allows both the designers and the clients to get an immersive view of the work in a way that was impossible just a few years ago. Being able to put designers, engineers, clients, and their staff inside the building allows developers to spot and remedy issues that otherwise may not appear until after construction is started, saving everyone involved a lot of time and money. It isn’t just small projects either, with Bloomberg’s European HQ being a massive undertaking right in the heart of London a few years ago, and since then, VR has become a staple of the process in many places.Β
There are plenty more uses for virtual reality that we didn’t have time to cover here. Keep in mind that your own VR headset may have a lot more potential than what you’re currently getting out of it!