Virtual reality - what is it?

Virtual reality.

What is it anyway?

OK - you know what virtual reality is, right? It's the holodeck, it's the Matrix, it's the lawnmower man.

Well, it might be all of those things one day, but at the moment, it's strapping a big pair of goggles to your face and trying not to throw up.


You've heard about it and youd like to try it. But what is it, how does it work and what do you need?

And how can you try it out without spending loads of cash on something you might not even like?



What is it?

OK. Virtual reality. Forget the holodeck, the Matrix and all the other sci-fi representations of virtual reality you've seen in the movies.

There are no cables plugged into the back of your head, no laser generated holograms and no tight fitting body suits,. Well, you can wear a tight fitting body suit if you want. Whatever gets you in the mood!

The current state of virtual reality consists of a headset. That's it!

A headset about the size and shape of a scuba mask but a bit bulkier and a bit heavier. Strap it to the front of your head. Put some headphones on. That's it.

In the "scuba mask", the glass has been replaced with a screen like a little widescreen HDTV. Also in the mask are some motion detectors so the mask "knows" when you move your head.

When you look at the screen, you see a virtual world in 3D. That world might be under the ocean, in outer space, in a dungeon or a haunted house. You might see sharks and dolphins swimming around you, asteroids hurtling towards you, zombies reaching for your face or ghostly figures standing in the shadows.

Or anywhere or anything.

But you will see it all in stereoscopic 3D and with positional head tracking.

By that I mean that there will be a sense of depth and you can look around.

Try to remember the last movie you saw in 3D at your local multiplex or Imax cinema. Remember how things floated out of the screen towards you or the hills in the background seemed much farther away than the movie screen. Now imagine that movie screen stretching right around you in a full circle - and above and below you - as if you were sitting in the middle of a huge ball-shaped screen.

Let's imagine you're watching a film called "Zombies Eat Your Face 3D". You're looking down a subway tunnel. Zombies are staggering up the tunnel towards you.

But now you turn your head - physically turn your head in real life. You see the plucky blonde love interest standing by your side. You turn the other way and see the geeky scientist who you know is going to get killed before the credits. You turn right round in your seat. Now you can see a subway platform and stairs up to the street.

Or perhaps you look down and see your shoes covered in zombie brains. Or look up and see zombie bats hanging from the ceiling.

In your cinema, you are in a virtual world - you can look at any part of the screen globe which surrounds you.

But in a And you can move. Unlike a movie, you can choose to move forward to fight the zombies or turn and walk to the subway platform or to stay where you are and get your big gun out. Yippee Ki-yay!

You can do stuff. You can interact. You can live in the virtual world.


What it isn't.

"I will sit right down, waiting for the gift of sound and vision.
And I will sing, waiting for the gift of sound and vision."

David Bowie, 1970

As David Bowie predicted in the seventies, virtual reality is just sound and vision.

You look at a screen and you listen to your headphones. There is no actual movement, smell or touch.

Most people use HMD headsets sitting down or standing up. Although you can move around inside the virtual world, your real body is not actually being moved.

However, the environment can be so immersive that the brain is fooled into thinking there is actual movement. Virtual roller coasters can make people feel nauseous. Users will sometimes duck or dodge out of the way of things moving on the screen. Some scream as they step off a virtual cliff edge and "plummet downwards". 

But the truth is, of course, you are not actually being physically moved by virtual reality. When you feel the spew rise as the roller coaster tops another crest and plunges into a corkscrew bend, you can just close your eyes. There you are just sitting nicely still in your armchair. Deep breaths. Think happy thoughts. 

However, although the virtual reality experience does not physically move you, you might move yourself. The 360' world means that you might have to physically turn to look behind you, to go around that corner, to run away from that zombie.

You can do that standing up but, mostly, people sit in a swivel office chair.  If you stand up, you can accidentally move about the room without realising it. Taking steps in the real world that you don't mean to. Bump into furniture. Trip over the dog. That sort of thing.

A swivel chair keeps you safe and allows you turn on the spot. Bang! Take that, undead!

Also, there's no touching. You might be under the waves with a clownfish floating inches away from your nose. So close, you can just reach out and touch it. But, of course, you can't. If you reach out, you won't even see your hand in front of your face. Little Nemo is safe.

And, of obviously, no smelling or tasting. Those beautiful virtual flowers in the Tuscan garden have no bouquet. The virtual apples on the tree wouldn't taste sweet and juicy even if you could virtually take a bite.

Nonetheless...