2 minute read time.
IET Central London Christmas Event, Savoy Place, 14-Dec-2016

A joint event between the IET and IMechE.


Is Virtual Reality true fantasy? Well, yes and no.

What it achieves can defy belief and take away our grip on reality. Its nascence through games development has spurred interdisciplinary research to take it into truly awesome realms of practical applications. The entertainment possibilities of immersive gaming have their place, but it is the  educational, training and life-expanding visions that are truly noble. 

 

Our two enthusiastic, energetic and experienced speakers, Liz Mercuri and Ivan Phelan, raised the excitement level of the 320 strong audience, of a very wide range of age and technological knowledge, with a fast-paced journey through the lifetime of VR. 

We were transported from some frankly lunatic attempts in the 1950's through to the 80's and 90's, which were all doomed to fail, and up to the present day. So what makes it any better now? Is it the technology , with sufficient computing and video graphics power, or is it down to a new way of thinking? It's probably both, with the former providing the platform for the latter. 

Whether it flourishes or fades will depend on many factors. One danger is that an initial bad experience will ruin the concept of this generation of VR and it will also die.  There's also a problem that if you don't get the synchronisation right, it tends to make the user feel sick. Currently, the Oculus Rift, Microsoft HoloLens, HTC Vive and Sony PlaystationVR are making waves and winning supporters - they're getting it right.

 

From Liz's love of horror genre gaming to Ivan's transformational research and beyond, VR can find its place. 

Ivan showed us how he had created a VR environment for the normal everyday situation of a kitchen and living room. Using a variety of sensors, a Vive and programming/configuration, he had produced a training tool to help amputees learn how to use their prosthetic limbs.


There's so much going on with VR that it offers great opportunities for students and professionals; we got a glimpse of the resources available to ease our way in.

And what's coming up for VR?  Eye tracking, improved headsets, augmented reality, mixed reality. A huge market value increase is predicted.

 

Charles Ingram of IMechE provided a good wrap-up summary and led the vote of thanks to our two intrepid speakers.


Back upstairs in The Riverside Room, the festive spirit flowed and a lively band nearly had people dancing. They struggled against the two VR demo set-ups: an HTC Vive system provided by Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) and run by Ivan; an Oculus Rift system provided by ABB, one of Europe's leading automation engineering companies and run by Jordan Tassell, a very keen and enthusiastic apprentice of theirs. We're incredibly grateful to both.

Both demos showed the power and potential for VR technology and were very popular, keeping Ivan and Jordan busy for hours. 


I'm sure that everyone who attended went away fired-up with their minds racing on how VR could impact themselves and the wider world. It's truly a virtual future!

This is a link to the presentation