The term “virtual reality” has been lurking around for sometimes now. If you’ve not got your head stuck in the sand, you’d have likely heard about that the technology is tending towards mainstream adoption. As with most innovations in the tech world, consumer virtual reality devices are expected to make ways in 2017. So there is no better time to get familiarized with the new trend of virtual discovery in the industry.
What is Virtual Reality?
With the use of computer software and hardware, virtual reality as it stands is an imminent technology that is designed to give users the experience of a Virtual Environment (VE). Originally, it was perceived as a digital space created by donning special computer equipment accessible by humans. With this technology, VR app development companies can create information that can be easily accessed by humans (users).
VR provides users with a dynamic and immediate means of seeing and experiencing information differently. Basically, the technology seeks to create a simulated, 3-dimensional world around users in which they can easily interact with environments, people, and objects. Typically, these VR app development companies try to present 3D life-sized images around users with support of audio devices. Generally, the user’s head or eye movements help to modify the perspective. Along with the computers, there are several devices that can be used to create a virtual environment.
When it comes to virtual reality, it is essential to note that not all wearable screen technologies are designed to function the same way. They are not created equal to start with. To this end, wearable screens are steadily evolving into three distinct domains, which are given below;
- Virtual reality (VR)
- Mixed reality (MR)
- Augmented reality (AR)
The term virtual reality was first introduced by computer scientist Jaron Lanier in the year 1987. And since then, it has been serving as a kind of umbrella term for the reality space. Unfortunately, with the rollout of all the impending products, there is every tendency for virtual reality to become the least popular in the industry.
How VR can be employed
In a bid to replace the real world environment with the digital version, a VR app development company will always see to immerse the human senses in the virtual environments. Basically, a user will have to use special goggles, earphones, and gloves so as to be able to enter into the visual environment. Immersion is one common process employed by app development companies to shut out all cues from the physical world. This experience is established to help users lose themselves in the VE.
Depending on the mobile app platform, a virtual environment can be developed on different extents. Ranging from a smartphone screen to an external display unit, and to a fully Immersive Virtual Environment (IVE). Unlike the traditional media such as video games and televisions, a VR app development company may choose to make the experience more immersive and interactive by tracking and rendering the whole process.
Here are some of the major components of a virtual environment
- In order to effectively help users specify their interactions with virtual objects, there is the need for certain enabling devices such as tracked gloves with pushbuttons.
- A sound system capable of producing simulated sound fields as well as high-quality directional sounds.
- A database construction and maintenance system that is capable of creating and maintaining a comprehensive and practical model of the virtual world.
- A tracking system that regularly indicated the position and orientation of movements established by the user.
- The graphics rendering system that is designed to produce an accurate display of the consistently changing images at 20-30 frames per second.
- Visual displays that place the user in the virtual environment and restricts sensory impressions emanating from the real world which might be contradictory.
How Virtual Reality Works
When it comes to virtual reality app development, it is very important to understand how things are done and their consequential effect. To fully understand how VR works, try to play the ‘Counter Strike’ game. You will discover that along with the interfaced input-output devices, there is another crucial element that runs with the help of the computer system which is the software program.
VR app development cannot be complete without writing code for characters and environments. Based on the written code, every character within the VR environment is expected to behave very closely to reality. Both characters and environments are facilitated by the code so as to ensure smooth interaction with those other characters that are being manipulated by the input devices.
Note that the processor which is responsible for handling the input-output devices helps to interpret the code. When it comes to building games through VR app development, it is very needful to understand that along with a high-performance processor, a number of advanced input and output devices is also required to increase immersion. However, this is quite similar to the working or more immersive virtual reality environment.
In the case of a more immersive virtual reality, the processes are quickly executed by the process base on the command provided by the user while the output is rendered by users in such a way that they feel themselves to be part of the environment and its objects.
VR app development basically seeks to make use of any of the display, projection-based or screen based to superimpose the real-life environment with 3D images. A display methodology that enables users to clearly witness 3D scenarios is employed to achieve the feat. Along with the sound system, a head-mounted device or a high-quality display screen in terms of color and resolution can be used to support the screen based virtual environment.
Apart from the 3D visualization components, other gears will be used as input devices such as the joystick, gesture recognition system, finger trackers, head tracking sensors, microphone, and keyboard. Users can feel and see how they control objects and environments on screen by pressing keys on the keyboard, move their head or move the joystick or gear.
It is imperative to know that every input is processed by a high-speed powerful processor. Note that the interface to input devices connect to the system such as keyboard and mouse is supported by an Application Programming Interface (API) .
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