I think we have to look at the seeds
of our society to predict a future world, but the present methods of education
don't seem to be very successful or optimistic. VR is capturing and neutering
the imagination of children, so if the technology could reach out on a wider
scale we would see many changes in equal opportunity bringing a new perception
and attitude to education as we know it.
So,
what now?
As
with the computer industry, VR technology appears to be advancing all the time.
Ideas that were thought to be years away, maybe developed sooner rather than
later.
The
emergence of the Internet is greatly accelerating this process of people and
ideas coming together. VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language) is a language
that allows 3D information to be put on the World Wide Web. This, it is thought
will increase the visual interpretation and interaction of the Internet, enabling
viewers to walk through a virtual web-site or sit in a virtual bar and chat
with other people around the world . In some cases this appears to have been
implemented already.
It
seems VR in its many forms will be capable of bringing the imagination to life
and providing a vast platform for creativity. As with anything that is introduced
to society, there is an effect. We have already seen the impact TV has had,
and VR has a much greater power of influence. TV and film is a 2D image with
sound, whereas VR is a 3D inter-active world that can involve all the senses.
Its all very well talking about how VR is making so many great things possible,
but what if it gets in the wrong hands. The mass media use advertising to make
people believe something to be true, and who could ask for a more convincing
tool than VR.
The
use of VR to communicate information is based around experience and therefore
accelerates learning speed greatly, so VR, could allow us to access dormant
workings of the brain, and change our view of the world, but judging from the
way we have dealt with technology in the past, the evil grip of money and power
over comes all.
If
only the answer to the worlds problems were so simple.
While the future of VR looks into
developing its uses further, it must be noted that VR technology, due to its
expense and assessability, will for the time being, be restricted to those
who can afford it or have access to it. However mediums such as the internet
will help develop and increase accessibility of VR throughout the population,
and into the next generation, It is worth watching the progress of this technology
as the potential future applications are infinite.
