[djohnson]

I want everyone's opinion on when VR will realistically happen. Coming from a programming background, I think it is possible to happen in about 10-15 years. Most of the things you need are present, only a few need to be developed. Let me know what yall think!

EDIT: Oh and I am thinking more along the lines of internet and computer based stuff. Basically everything you do on a computer.

[Tulkas]

Depends what you mean by virtual reality.

Complete VR? No, the technology is just not there. Its also not advancing so...

Frankly, I think it'd go over like a lead balloon.

[MaxPower]

There is some bigtime work going on with the wearable computing. The thing that I see as the stumbling block is the on-the-fly integration of your regular vision with the augmented data. What will provide the hooks that the computer will pick up on when I look down a street? Will it be some sort of image processing that recognizes elements I am looking at, then intelligently presents data relating to that? Or will there need to be an explicit declaration of availability by all the things in my FOV in order for the computer to process them?

I would like to see the former, but I suspect the latter method will be used to get the ball rolling. All things evil about them aside, RFIDs can provide that hook that the processors need do do this.

Once the recognition part is done, then you have the data portion to consider. Where will the meaningful information come from? I forsee this as being another race for your dollars once the pointy haired bosses see the light.

If you have access to a PC, check out http://www.keyhole.com. For some idea how the data can be used. (too bad its not Mac friendly)

I think the perils are twofold: 1: The RFIDS bug the hell out of me. Any way for big business to make the use of them a necessity makes me uneasy. 2: The ability for a Microsoft,AOL,Disney, or some other global media juggernaut to co-opt your experience with data tainted by their paid advertisers. (probably on a service you have to pay for nontheless!)


Obligatory VR story

I remember going to Virtuality in St. Louis and playing Exorex. Lagtastic frame rates, low low resolutions, and no textures on the polygons. But it was like digital crack. Just to be able to put the helmet on and move your head, not only with yaw,pitch,roll but to lean forward and backwards to change your perspective. That added such a level of realism to the experience that negated the visual shortcomings. The 4 pod system ran on an Amiga!

[djohnson]

MaxPower,

I know there is software that will follow where you eyes are looking. Call it a hunch, but the first VR simulations will use this technology. I have seen some research on Haptic sytems that use 3d virtual objects and they are pretty sweet. Basically it is the same system that will allow doctors to examine patients from across the world. Pretty cool stuff.

I have another feeling that big business will play a part in it, but more than likely it will be a small startup company that will bring the technology to fruitation. Seeing ads in VR would make me slightly mad and I would probably write an override program to take them out, like a filter of some kind...

Data will be 3d objects, same as games are now. Data will be relative to the viewer. Could be like we have it now, but using whatever the person wants to present the information. The key will be the immersion into the virtual world. This is what people will like. Programming the simulations and experiences will come along in time.

Oh and thanks for the intelligent conversation. Any more ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[djohnson]

Tulkas,

A lead ballon? Everyone I went to school, including my wife who even though she has a CS degree, doesnt like playing on computers all the time, would LOVE to have something like VR. Also, saying that we are not leading to VR doesnt make since seeing how 3D games are all the rage and graphics cards are specializing in 3D animation. It is the future of how we will interact with computers, just give it time. You will like it. Going anywhere in the world, at any time, and doing just about anything would be awesome. Being able to program up a simulated world taking place in Ancient Egypt and being able to fly over the pyramids as the are contructed would be awesome. It might not be True To Life, but it would be awesome indeed.

[:haripu:]

30 to 50 years is a realistic time-frame in my opinion.

I read a Michael Swanwick essay once, titled "Growing up in the future", in which he wonders why every child today seems to perfectly know what Virtual Reality is and how it works, without it actually existing. Funny that. There is no technology that even comes near the kind of VR that movies show us every day and there probably won't be for a long time.

[Judge_Fire]

Total Holodeck- type immersion?

About 300 years.

Holography and surround sound based system with simple haptic feedback and a mechanism to fool the inner ear for motion?

About 20 years.

Wild guess day

J

[homgran]

Originally posted by djohnson:
Also, saying that we are not leading to VR doesnt make since seeing how 3D games are all the rage and graphics cards are specializing in 3D animation. It is the future of how we will interact with computers, just give it time. You will like it.

People have been telling me to "give 3D games some time" for almost ten years now, and you know what? Despite all the eye-candy, I still play my old Mega Drive more than my PS2. Much more. Give me Street Fighter II over Soul Calibur 2 any day of the week. Or Sensible Soccer over the latest release of FIFA / Pro Evolution Soccer. Or a good 2D platformer over whatever the newest clunky 3D effort may be.

Why? Because despite being more "immersive" and "true to life" (from a visual standpoint), the third dimension in gaming has one severe drawback - it's lack of accessibility. Is it possible to interface seamlessly with billions of fast-moving polygons? For the most part, 3D games are merely mutton dressed as lamb - more enjoyable experiences can be had from similarly-themed 2D games. Of course, there are a handful of exceptions. But I'm sure many of you have played through a 3D-based game just to see the next cut-scene, rather than through enjoyment.

And I feel that this deficiency will be greatly magnified with Virtual Reality. It's inevitable, really. Granted, our current means of working with computers may not be perfect, but in a medium where control is of greatest importance, it seems unreasonable to position more obstacles between us and the machines.

As you can [hopefully] tell, I'm not in the least bit excited by VR. However, I'll be interested to see how (or, more appropriately, if) it is used in the future.


-Matt