This assignment is a homework for the class Human-Computer Interaction at the Hague University of Applied Sciences. These reflections were done during the fourth week of the course following a lecture about virtual and augmented reality.
Research
When I did some desk research about this topic I mostly looked at how AR and VR can help people with disabilities. I found some truly inspiring examples, for example, AR technology can help autistic children learn skills they struggle with like crossing a street safely. Another example is how VR can give people with motion disabilities a way to easily travel and discover the world from the safety of their home or wheelchair. In the case of autistic children learning new skills through VR or AR, the exercises light up the brain during imaging tests and showed “increased brain activity and connections seen after the virtual-reality training more-closely resemble the brain activity seen in the four “neurotypical” adults serving as controls.” - Dr. Yang. Which means that this changes the brain and leads to long term results. One noteworthy tool for this is called Floreo.
Assignment
For this assignment I was asked to select three application areas from a list and think of a VR or AR concept for each of them.
I chose the following areas:
Healthcare - I imagine an AR module which could be used on normal screens like phones and tablets or on smart glasses for convenience, which could be used by medical staff in hospitals to keep track of each patient's record and medical history. Anytime they meet a patient they would be able to scan them with their device's camera and they would get their profile with information such as name, condition, last medication and so on. This would help them gain time and also record and edit this information digitally so it can be analysed and processed efficiently.
Cars/car technology - I imagine a smart copilot in the windshield. I think there are many ways drivers already use technology in their car but it can be dangerous to have to look at your phone or GPS and when you try to interact with it to change settings for example, this is very distracting and dangerous. So by using AR in the windshield and voice commands to interact with it you can make it much safer. It needs to keep the road visible at all times of course but because their is such a large surface it can easily add small information without blocking the view. The driver wouldn't even have to take their eyes off the road to change the radio station, just ask and see the list on your windshield.
Sports - I imagine a VR set which would help professional players (for example football and tennis players) improve their movements and performances. For Example, combined with a tracker in the football or the racquet, the players would be able to practice their movements and see in real time how their movements compare to ideal ones so they could improve their performance or have a healthier postures. The player could also try out new movements in slow motion.
Unreal Engine
During one of our workshops I created an interactive game with Unreal Engine. I was now asked to expand this scene and add more interactivity.
The game currently consists of a cube going around and collecting bananas. To add some interactivity you could add a second player and have the two players battle to collect the bananas as fast as possible before the other player gets them.
Reflection
In my opinion VR has become a little bit overrated. Don't get me wrong, I think it can be a great technology and it opens a lot of possibilities, but I think it is too much in the spotlight and the truly great applications do not exist yet. Everyone seem to want a VR set nowadays and most tech companies were quick to jump on the trend but so far VR seems to be mostly used for games and entertainment, and the value it adds to those doesn't justify, in my opinion, the higher costs and the massive trend. Hopefully the great ideas will soon catch up to the technological development it represents. That being said, I am very excited about AR and its applications. This technology hasn't been developed as much and often requires AIs and complex/costly developments, but I think it has a potential to enhance our life by adding a layer of interaction and information on top of our life. I am excited to see where it will leads us, although I am also a little scared of how, combined with personal data mining, it can be used for evil purposes and authoritative governments.