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Basically any usage of VR outside of gaming right now is guaranteed to just be marketing nonsense. The hardware simply isn’t there for real world professional u

Basically any usage of VR outside of gaming right now is guaranteed to just be marketing nonsense. The hardware simply isn’t there for real world professional usage as a productivity enhancing device. Some day we’ll be there, but the current state of even the most advanced HMDs is little beyond toy prototypes at this point.

andybak 8y ago
The hardware is fine. (What's more arguably lacking is software) Yeah resolution could be better but it's far from being a deal breaker for viz, modelling etc. Curious to hear what you thought the blockers were?
- carlosdp 8y ago
  No, it's definitely the hardware. Hardware makers like to tout that VR is waiting for its "killer app." What's really missing still is the "killer hardware." They're all still devkits (speaking as someone who owns one of each of the top headsets), it's just that when FB bought Oculus, suddenly there was a mad rush to plop the "consumer-ready" label on them. But we're not there yet, which can be evidenced by the re-orgs at Oculus. You can't make Angry Birds or w/e on the VR equivalent of a Blackberry. No one's made the iPhone yet.
- aphextron 8y ago
  >"Curious to hear what you thought the blockers were?" 1. Resolution is hopelessly too low for working with text 2. Ergonomics too awkward to wear for 8 hours at a time. 3. Total lack of multi-plane focus, no ability to sense depth beyond a few meters These are strictly true for every HMD available, having owned and worked with them all extensively since DK2. I wish it wasn't true either, but it's just where we're at. One big thing that has been solved is tracking though. It's easy to forget what a quantum leap Lighthouse was in consumer grade tracking technology. Having sub-millimeter precise tracking and pose estimation was a huge part of getting VR to an MVP. That gives me hope the other problems can be solved, but there's a long way to go with the need for things like integrated eye tracking, foveated rendering, and full vision FOV being table stakes for a real consumer product.
  - Impossible 8y ago
    All these things are solvable, and there are consumer hmds coming that will solve some of them. Resolution upgrades are happening, ergonomics will improve. One problem with getting these features fast tracked in an HMD is the industry focus on gaming and media and keeping costs low for consumers. A high price enterprise focused HMD with all of the features you mentioned might work with the right software and clients.
nordsieck 8y ago
> Basically any usage of VR outside of gaming right now is guaranteed to just be marketing nonsense. I've seen some noise about VR used to locate pipes and wires when digging. That seems pretty legit. I've also heard of VR used in conjunction with building construction, although it's less obvious to me just how useful it would be.
- RobLach 8y ago
  Both of those sound like applications for AR.
  - tlow 8y ago
    It seems likely we'll see widespread AR deployment first.
- dwighttk 8y ago
  Seems like AR would be a bit better there.
vjeux 8y ago
Lots of people are doing some really cool art using VR headsets. Those two Facebook groups are really nice to join if you’re interested. Animations: https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.animation/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.animation/ Paintings: https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.paintings/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.paintings/
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- aphextron 8y ago
  I should have included art as well. There's definitely a lot of cool visual stuff being done. But the ergonomics just aren't there yet for the use cases constantly being touted in the media like virtual desktops and CAD modeling.
mattnewport 8y ago
Our large medical device customers for VR surgical training would beg to differ.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
ryoshu 8y ago
Virtual reality and pain management: current trends and future directions - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138477/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138477/
tedunangst 8y ago
Next they can put the design on the blockchain so you can verify the car you buy is the car they designed.
fipple 8y ago
You could not be more wrong. A lot of new employee safety training is moving to VR, backup NFL quarterbacks are practicing in VR (since the starting quarterbacks get all the actual time in practice), this is already happening. Not vaporware.

andybak 8y ago

The hardware is fine. (What's more arguably lacking is software) Yeah resolution could be better but it's far from being a deal breaker for viz, modelling etc. Curious to hear what you thought the blockers were?

carlosdp 8y ago
No, it's definitely the hardware. Hardware makers like to tout that VR is waiting for its "killer app." What's really missing still is the "killer hardware." They're all still devkits (speaking as someone who owns one of each of the top headsets), it's just that when FB bought Oculus, suddenly there was a mad rush to plop the "consumer-ready" label on them. But we're not there yet, which can be evidenced by the re-orgs at Oculus. You can't make Angry Birds or w/e on the VR equivalent of a Blackberry. No one's made the iPhone yet.
aphextron 8y ago
>"Curious to hear what you thought the blockers were?" 1. Resolution is hopelessly too low for working with text 2. Ergonomics too awkward to wear for 8 hours at a time. 3. Total lack of multi-plane focus, no ability to sense depth beyond a few meters These are strictly true for every HMD available, having owned and worked with them all extensively since DK2. I wish it wasn't true either, but it's just where we're at. One big thing that has been solved is tracking though. It's easy to forget what a quantum leap Lighthouse was in consumer grade tracking technology. Having sub-millimeter precise tracking and pose estimation was a huge part of getting VR to an MVP. That gives me hope the other problems can be solved, but there's a long way to go with the need for things like integrated eye tracking, foveated rendering, and full vision FOV being table stakes for a real consumer product.
- Impossible 8y ago
  All these things are solvable, and there are consumer hmds coming that will solve some of them. Resolution upgrades are happening, ergonomics will improve. One problem with getting these features fast tracked in an HMD is the industry focus on gaming and media and keeping costs low for consumers. A high price enterprise focused HMD with all of the features you mentioned might work with the right software and clients.

nordsieck 8y ago

> Basically any usage of VR outside of gaming right now is guaranteed to just be marketing nonsense. I've seen some noise about VR used to locate pipes and wires when digging. That seems pretty legit. I've also heard of VR used in conjunction with building construction, although it's less obvious to me just how useful it would be.

RobLach 8y ago
Both of those sound like applications for AR.
- tlow 8y ago
  It seems likely we'll see widespread AR deployment first.
dwighttk 8y ago
Seems like AR would be a bit better there.

vjeux 8y ago

Lots of people are doing some really cool art using VR headsets. Those two Facebook groups are really nice to join if you’re interested. Animations: https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.animation/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.animation/ Paintings: https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.paintings/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/virtual.paintings/

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
aphextron 8y ago
I should have included art as well. There's definitely a lot of cool visual stuff being done. But the ergonomics just aren't there yet for the use cases constantly being touted in the media like virtual desktops and CAD modeling.

mattnewport 8y ago

Our large medical device customers for VR surgical training would beg to differ.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

ryoshu 8y ago

Virtual reality and pain management: current trends and future directions - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138477/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138477/

tedunangst 8y ago

Next they can put the design on the blockchain so you can verify the car you buy is the car they designed.

fipple 8y ago

You could not be more wrong. A lot of new employee safety training is moving to VR, backup NFL quarterbacks are practicing in VR (since the starting quarterbacks get all the actual time in practice), this is already happening. Not vaporware.