Virtual reality is one of the most important inventions of the 21st century. With the power to create an immersive experience that facilitates the training, management, and development of employees and customers alike, virtual reality is poised to revolutionize every industry on a global scale. Virtual Reality design is a young profession with an incredible amount of opportunity for growth as VR becomes more mainstream. VR will change every aspect of our lives: from how we shop online, interact on a daily basis, communicate at work or school, to how we educate people about history (or anything else for that matter). As if to confirm this vibrant future for the field of VR design, a recent McKinsey article featured research from both Gartner and Google concluding that by 2020 virtual reality will reach $11 billion in revenue!
Recent boom in developing virtual reality technology.
The recent boom in developing virtual reality technology has led to an unprecedented amount of tools for the creation of VR content becoming available to developers. These tools are free and open source so it’s never been easier for people to get started with creating virtual reality experiences.
Opportunities to create your own VR experiences
The first step is to get your hands on some virtual reality software. There are several options available, but I’d recommend you check out Unity 3D. Unity 3D is free and user-friendly, providing a great platform for those with little or no design experience to get started in virtual reality design.
If you’re completely new to Unity 3D, you should consider undertaking a course such as the Udemy course mentioned above. This will provide you with all of the knowledge and inspiration you need to begin creating your own virtual reality experiences.
Oculus Rift, the VR technology
The Oculus Rift VR headset, the VR technology that is currently supported by the most available high-quality development software and resources, was developed using a clever hack of inexpensive hardware equipment.
The Oculus Rift hardware is built using a borrowed design of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which has an ultra-high resolution screen (2560×1440) with a fast refresh rate (60Hz).
By gluing this screen inside of ski goggles, the designers were able to create an immersive virtual reality experience for a fraction of what it would have cost to custom-build or purchase this screen from a manufacturer.
To achieve this, they utilized an open-source operating system called Android to run their development software. They also wrote their own VR software using the Java programming language, which is free and easy to learn.
You are not bound by the limitations of expensive headsets and controllers.
The main thing that puts off people from getting involved with Virtual Reality is the cost of the necessary equipment, but we’ve got some good news! You can easily create virtual reality experiences without having to touch any expensive headsets or controllers.
All you need is an Android or iOS phone (or any smartphone for that matter) and a Google Cardboard viewer.
Google Cardboard is a virtual reality platform created by Google for use with a head mount for a smartphone. The Cardboard platform is intended as a low cost system to encourage interest and development in VR applications.
Once you have assembled your cardboard viewer and installed the relevant app, you can start building VR interfaces using WebVR, which is an open standard that makes it possible to experience VR in your browser.
You can make your own 3D glasses and sensors to experience VR first hand.
You’ll need a few things:
Cardboard or construction paper
Glue stick
Scissors
Black marker (optional)
Hole punch (optional)
Elastic string or cord (optional)
Aluminum foil
Wax paper or plastic wrap
Rubbing alcohol or other isopropyl alcohol (91% will work best)
Bowl or container of some kind
Here’s how it’s done.
Virtual reality is a media tool that creates and presents visual, auditory and tactile experiences. It’s a powerful tool, with applications in healthcare, war gaming, science and entertainment.
For many people, the idea of being immersed in a virtual world sounds like fun. However, it can be difficult to get started if you have no money for equipment or have never had any experience building media environments.
To help you learn the basics of virtual reality design, we’ve gathered some helpful tips on what equipment you need and how to start building your own environments.
Google Cardboard provides a very inexpensive, but surprisingly effective way to experience virtual reality on your smartphone (Android or iPhone).
It is basically the same principle as an Oculus headset, but with a much lower quality image and resolution (since it is powered through your smartphone).
The advantage of this method is that it is relatively cheap (about $20 for parts) and very doable for people with no prior experience in building VR devices.
There are several ways to build a virtual reality headset at home. The simplest method is to use your smartphone and a Google Cardboard, which can be purchased online or by following the instructions on Google’s site. There are also a number of homemade VR designs floating around online, including some 3D printed options.
You can purchase a pre-made kit from Google’s website
In an effort to make VR design more accessible, Google launched its free Cardboard program in 2014. Cardboard is a foldable kit that can be used with any smartphone to create a makeshift VR headset. You can purchase a pre-made kit from Google’s website or find information on how to build one from scratch.
To make things even easier, Google released a video showing a step-by-step method for creating your own virtual reality environment using Tilt Brush, one of the most popular VR programs currently available.
VR is changing the way we explore, interact with and experience the world. So if you’re just beginning the journey into virtual reality, or are looking to improve your skills.
