The Ultimate Empathy Machine - SS

 As I watched Chris Milk compare film and VR, I realized I had never considered the possibilities of film in VR. I love video games, hence I own the latest VR system, and I love films, so I took a film theory class and regularly sought out good movies. I learned in my film class about the illusionary techniques used to make and tell a story through film. The techniques they use to trick audiences into believing their videos scripted of actors performing dialogue and action were really a window to another world. As an audience, we cerebrally know Iron Man is not real, the Hulk does not exist and a real Batman would be hunted and punished for his vigilante actions. But audiences spend billions of dollars believing the fantasy; it's a big ruse we're all in on. 

I love the possibilities VR presents for the film. The knowledge that keeps me sane after watching a horror movie is knowing that it's just a film, and this knowledge is reassured when I stop looking at the screen. I cannot do that with VR. I am emersed in the world and as far as my brain knows, what I am looking at is not a screen and instead, reality. If seeing is believing, then VR allows you to believe the impossible. Possibilities such as literally walking a mile in someone else's shoes. Milk makes great points about the impact VR can have on individuals with great power. Those in power can often be disconnected from the people they serve or the true weight of their decisions. By showcasing stories like Milk does, they are brought closer to the epicenter of those who will be affected by decisions made far away. It becomes impossible to ignore the issue or mentally ignore the weight of your decisions because you see it happening all around you. Milk makes great points about what this technology can do for humanity. 

My "bring it to the table" this week is the accessories that are emerging to make VR a more immersive experience. One of the biggest issues for VR has been walking - you cannot walk when playing VR and players are limited in their mobility. It would be dangerous for people essentially wearing heavy computers on their heads to walk around without the ability to see. The treadmill has been suggested but it would be boring to have a singular direction for a player to go in. Introducing the Omni One VR Platform, the solution to stationary VR; "The Omni One Home VR Platform is an omnidirectional treadmill that allows players unmatched freedom of movement in VR, including crouching, kneeling, jumping, and running in any direction all in 360 degrees". The movement is achieved through a low-friction platform and low-friction shoes that trick the brain into believing the body is walking or running or etc. With VR becoming cheaper, better, and more accessible to the general population, along with more media created for VR, it seems inevitable that we will all be running around in virtual reality sooner than we imagined. 

Here is a video that shows what the Omni One Home VR Platform looks like and how it works.

Here is a video that shows the hit TV show Community, starring Donald Glover and Alison Brie, predicted this platform.