Technology
has always been evolving at a very fast pace. Over the past few decades, it has
taken over our lives to the point that we are always connected to one gadget or
another. This can be seen in the tech diary activity that we had to do just two
weeks ago. In my case, I found that I am connected to my computer or my
cellphone, or any other tech device, about 70% of the day. Although this may surprise some of you, most
will agree that being a college student, especially one majoring in the field
of technology, requires prolonged use of technological devices. Personally, I have
used my devices for things such as doing homework, teaching a course, listening
to music, playing games, maintaining a social profile, and keeping touch with
friends and relatives. Although I use my devices for a great chunk of the day, something
I am trying to work on daily, I can easily interact with the world around me.
In other words, I am not drawn into my technologies to the extent that I do not
notice things around me. New technologies, however, are beginning to change
that.
Introducing Virtual Reality Getaways by Marriott Hotels, a phone booth shaped contraption designed to take you to a resort thousands of miles away. The booth contains 4D sensory technology, which include a headset, wireless headphones, and 4D sensory elements. Developed by Oculus VR, a company that is also working on virtual reality gaming, the Virtual Getaway lets the users be ‘transported’ to their getaway vacation. The users not only get to see the beaches of Hawaii through a 360 degree live-action video but also feel the summer heat or breeze through the 4D sensory elements. In addition, the users get to smell the environment, such as ‘lush palm trees, coconut oil and the salty ocean’. In conclusion, the device immerses the user in the virtual world and allows the user to experience the vacation before committing to taking one. Thus, the device is not meant to replace a vacation but rather provide a means to a better decision in terms of the location of a vacation.
Although this technology has a lot of positive uses, I personally fear the extent to which Virtual Reality Technology affects our interaction with technology and society. Instead of sitting at a computer and typing an essay while being aware of your surroundings, the ‘Teleporter’ takes you away from reality and your surroundings. When I first read this article, I connected it to two films, Surrogates and Inception. In the movie Surrogates, people are connected to a machine, which resembles Virtual Reality Technology, in order to control a robot through which they interact with the world. Also, a part in Inception, which has people drugged on sedatives to induce sleep in order to enter a so called ‘Dream World’, also closely resembles Virtual Reality Technology. This comparison, although it is to science fiction movies, shows the extent to which Virtual Reality can affect our daily lives. It can take us away from our surroundings, cause addiction to the feelings we get while we use Virtual Reality Technology, and hinder social communication and social ability in general, much like video games do.
While Virtual Reality Technology is still in its infancy, it may be seem dubious to say that it will be addictive or that it will become a part of our daily lives or routines. However, this could also be said in terms of internet and cellphones a few decades ago. Before the existence of cellphones, for example, it was far-fetched to say that a wireless phone with many other features would emerge and change the way the world communicates. Thus, as Virtual Reality Technology grows in the coming decades, these fears could become all too real. In the end, VRT could become something that we use on a daily basis. It could become something that we mention in our tech diaries. It could be something that we must manage along with our use of cellphones and computers.
Introducing Virtual Reality Getaways by Marriott Hotels, a phone booth shaped contraption designed to take you to a resort thousands of miles away. The booth contains 4D sensory technology, which include a headset, wireless headphones, and 4D sensory elements. Developed by Oculus VR, a company that is also working on virtual reality gaming, the Virtual Getaway lets the users be ‘transported’ to their getaway vacation. The users not only get to see the beaches of Hawaii through a 360 degree live-action video but also feel the summer heat or breeze through the 4D sensory elements. In addition, the users get to smell the environment, such as ‘lush palm trees, coconut oil and the salty ocean’. In conclusion, the device immerses the user in the virtual world and allows the user to experience the vacation before committing to taking one. Thus, the device is not meant to replace a vacation but rather provide a means to a better decision in terms of the location of a vacation.
Although this technology has a lot of positive uses, I personally fear the extent to which Virtual Reality Technology affects our interaction with technology and society. Instead of sitting at a computer and typing an essay while being aware of your surroundings, the ‘Teleporter’ takes you away from reality and your surroundings. When I first read this article, I connected it to two films, Surrogates and Inception. In the movie Surrogates, people are connected to a machine, which resembles Virtual Reality Technology, in order to control a robot through which they interact with the world. Also, a part in Inception, which has people drugged on sedatives to induce sleep in order to enter a so called ‘Dream World’, also closely resembles Virtual Reality Technology. This comparison, although it is to science fiction movies, shows the extent to which Virtual Reality can affect our daily lives. It can take us away from our surroundings, cause addiction to the feelings we get while we use Virtual Reality Technology, and hinder social communication and social ability in general, much like video games do.
While Virtual Reality Technology is still in its infancy, it may be seem dubious to say that it will be addictive or that it will become a part of our daily lives or routines. However, this could also be said in terms of internet and cellphones a few decades ago. Before the existence of cellphones, for example, it was far-fetched to say that a wireless phone with many other features would emerge and change the way the world communicates. Thus, as Virtual Reality Technology grows in the coming decades, these fears could become all too real. In the end, VRT could become something that we use on a daily basis. It could become something that we mention in our tech diaries. It could be something that we must manage along with our use of cellphones and computers.
Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/emerging-tech/81077.html
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