1 00:00:01,260 --> 00:00:08,260 Soon to become a $150 billion industry, virtual reality and augmented reality ar here to stay. 2 00:00:08,260 --> 00:00:15,040 Over the last year, new models of mobile friendly VR headsets have made $861 million in revenue 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,980 and now the market has spoken, experts are wondering what tomorrow may bring. 4 00:00:19,980 --> 00:00:23,800 Today, we ask what is the future of virtual reality? 5 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,800 And how will it shape our world? 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,720 I’m Zachary Maslanik, lead video producer at cybrink.com and I will be bringing you 7 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:36,120 up to date with all the latest developments in science, technology and business. 8 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,269 Cybrink will be your window into the future, so subscribe now for more content. 9 00:00:40,269 --> 00:00:45,730 There have been many experiments with virtual reality and augmented graphics in every decade 10 00:00:45,730 --> 00:00:47,809 since the 1960s. 11 00:00:47,809 --> 00:00:52,530 Even though tech developers have tried their hand, VR technology didn’t enter the consumer 12 00:00:52,530 --> 00:00:58,420 space until 1995, when Nintendo released the ​Virtual Boy​ , a console that bombed 13 00:00:58,420 --> 00:01:01,769 for many reasons but mainly because of the physical strain it caused. 14 00:01:01,769 --> 00:01:06,500 It wouldn’t be until 2012 that real progress was seen. 15 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:11,730 Invented by an American teenager named Palmer Luckey, The Oculus Rift offered a new experience 16 00:01:11,730 --> 00:01:16,620 with a motion tracked headset and promised to deliver deeper immersion. 17 00:01:16,620 --> 00:01:22,140 Even though the Oculus Rift is currently struggling to turn a profit for Facebook, Oculus has 18 00:01:22,140 --> 00:01:28,600 paved the way for VR in gaming and the consensus among fans is that the new generation of VR 19 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:30,560 headsets are highly immersive. 20 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,520 Over the last couple of years, the technology has become more affordable with the release 21 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:40,210 of numerous Oculus inspired products such as the Samsung Gamegear and the cardboard 22 00:01:40,210 --> 00:01:44,880 range by Google, all of which are designed to be used with phones. 23 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,630 In the present, interesting uses of VR are emerging. 24 00:01:48,630 --> 00:01:54,820 In the military, VR is being tested as a way to treat PTSD, the idea being that soldiers 25 00:01:54,820 --> 00:01:59,729 can re-experience and confront their trauma in a controlled space...And in the medical 26 00:01:59,729 --> 00:02:05,460 sector, hospitals have found that they can save money by distracting patients with VR. 27 00:02:05,460 --> 00:02:10,209 Apparently, distracting people helps them to ignore their pain and this means less medicine 28 00:02:10,209 --> 00:02:11,209 is required. 29 00:02:11,209 --> 00:02:16,939 It’s obvious this technology has many uses so what can we expect as VR and augmentation 30 00:02:16,939 --> 00:02:18,760 continue to develop? 31 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:24,180 PopCap Games cofounder John Vechey believes that VR will help to shrink the world and 32 00:02:24,180 --> 00:02:26,630 will change our working lives for the better. 33 00:02:26,630 --> 00:02:30,239 No longer will a businessman have to travel to Japan to make a deal. 34 00:02:30,239 --> 00:02:34,969 Instead, he will place a headset on and negotiate in a convenient virtual space. 35 00:02:34,969 --> 00:02:41,969 When it comes to schools, game industry professional Phil Kauffold believes VR could improve education. 36 00:02:41,969 --> 00:02:47,849 Kauffold says that lessons using VR immersion could be more engaging, rid the classroom 37 00:02:47,849 --> 00:02:52,180 of distractions and give teachers further control of their students. 38 00:02:52,180 --> 00:02:57,590 All of this sounds ideal but considering we use VR and augmented reality mainly for entertainment, 39 00:02:57,590 --> 00:03:02,640 we only have to look at the use of current technologies to see how the future may look. 40 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:05,540 Ten years ago, social media wasn’t so accessible. 41 00:03:05,540 --> 00:03:10,969 If you step onto a bus today and look around, you’ll see that where outwards facing people 42 00:03:10,969 --> 00:03:16,069 were once involved with their surroundings, there is now a collection of tilted heads. 43 00:03:16,069 --> 00:03:21,859 Smartphones are ironically connecting us at the same time as ruining our presence in the 44 00:03:21,859 --> 00:03:22,859 moment. 45 00:03:22,859 --> 00:03:25,849 Our awareness of others isn’t the only thing that’s changed. 46 00:03:25,849 --> 00:03:30,799 Ten years back, how you look in a photograph couldn’t be instantly edited on a phone 47 00:03:30,799 --> 00:03:35,090 and many people now prefer to post filtered versions of themselves. 48 00:03:35,090 --> 00:03:40,110 How long will it be before each of us chooses to present ourselves with an avatar rather 49 00:03:40,110 --> 00:03:42,150 than our true selves? 50 00:03:42,150 --> 00:03:46,969 Perhaps augmented reality will make it possible to edit ourselves like a character in a game 51 00:03:46,969 --> 00:03:50,189 and re-skin our environment with something brighter. 52 00:03:50,189 --> 00:03:55,209 It sounds insane to suggest this but none of us can deny the potential when Samsung 53 00:03:55,209 --> 00:03:59,900 are already at work on a prototype for augmented contact lenses. 54 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,560 Until then, I guess we should try to just relax and enjoy some gaming. 55 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,940 Even though the future of VR and augmentation could be both dark and bright, all we can 56 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:15,900 do is hope that we don’t end up as the lead role in an our own personal episode of Black Mirror 57 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,600 If you enjoyed this video please make sure to subscribe and leave a like and tell us your 58 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,970 thoughts in the comments section. 59 00:04:22,970 --> 00:04:25,790 What do you think the future of virtual reality will be? 60 00:04:25,790 --> 00:04:30,500 We’ll catch you next time with more interesting insights into the future from cybrink.com.