Carla K. Johnson Associated Press Published 6:35 PM EDT Sep 18, 2018 Dick Tracey didn’t have to visit a tall building to get over his fear of heights. He put on a virtual reality headset. Through VR, he rode an elevator to a high-rise atrium that looked so real he fell to his knees. “I needed to search with my hand for something solid around me,” he said. He told himself, “I must look stupid. Let’s just stand up. Nothing’s going to happen.” Virtual reality therapy can help people like Tracey by exposing them gradually to their greatest terrors. The technology is just now reaching the mainstream after 20 years of research. Equipment is lighter and more affordable, with tech advances spilling over from the gaming industry to help people fight disabling fears of flying, heights, spiders or dogs. And the surge in products is bringing VR to more therapists’ offices. Experts predict people with mild phobias will treat themselves … [Read more...] about New era in virtual reality therapy for common phobias
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Participate in Early Porsche Production with New Virtual Reality Experience
7/22/2018 10:13 est Filed to: Apps By: Chris Cushing Comment Porsche is adopting Smart Glasses in a big way. First they implemented the technology to aid technicians in diagnosing service issues. Now a new Smart Glasses-based VR feature gives a futuristic look at Porsche heritage. A new feature allows visitors to the Porscheplatz in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen to digitally tour the first Porsche workshop in Gmund. The original Austrian workshop has been digitally recreated, allowing users to virturally assemble and paint a 356 coupe in the correct surroundings. Isn't VR wonderful? For the 70th Anniversary year, the VR experience allows simulated participation in early Porsche production. The virtual tour takes place in a dedicated pavilion in the entrance to the Porsche Museum, and is free of charge through August 26th, 2018. The tour is available during normal museum hours, and on Mondays from 9am-6pm. Porscheplatz App The VR experience is an addition to the Museum's expanding digital … [Read more...] about Participate in Early Porsche Production with New Virtual Reality Experience
UK Tech Firm Uses Virtual Reality To Help Autonomous Cars Learn How To Drive
rFpro, a UK-based tech company, has launched the world’s first commercially available platform aimed at developing autonomous vehicles with the help of a virtual environment. Originally, this technology was developed for F1 teams, although it has since been adopted by some of the world’s largest automakers, helping them accurately replicate the behavior of a car without setting foot outside. Now, autonomous cars will also benefit from it. The key to rFpro’s platform is a high level of accuracy, enabling for various sensors used by autonomous vehicles to react naturally to diverse situations. Furthermore, rFpro has created a library of real roads using precise scanning technology, allowing users to simulate various environments such as traffic, pedestrians, weather and so on. “The autonomous vehicle market is expected to be worth up to $10Tn, but debate is rising about whether these vehicles should be allowed on our roads, if not, how do we develop them?” … [Read more...] about UK Tech Firm Uses Virtual Reality To Help Autonomous Cars Learn How To Drive
Walmart trains employees for holidays using virtual reality
Shoppers jammed the checkout line in Walmart’s electronics department during the holiday rush, their carts full of items to buy.But as Perry Lewis, a Walmart assistant manager, surveyed the scene, he saw some problems: The long lines appeared disorganized; an associate left a register to grab an item; children crowded too close to the work space behind the counter; and some customers looked irritated.Lewis watched the situation unfold not in the store but through a virtual reality headset he wore during a class at a Walmart training center in Glen Burnie. Because his three-dimensional view made the events seem real, he might as well have been in the middle of the action.Virtual reality is more than just this season’s hot toy. The technology, long used to train the military, pilots and, more recently, athletes, has become the latest trend in workforce training.“We saw this in sports, and now we’re seeing this with businesses,” said Derek Belch, founder and … [Read more...] about Walmart trains employees for holidays using virtual reality
From concept to (virtual) reality: How the Genesis Essentia concept coupe came to be
Two months after the 2017 New York auto show, lead Genesis designer Luc Donckerwolke and his assembled team set to work. Their goal wasn’t to rest long after the success of the New York concept car that precipitated the Genesis G70, it was to pronounce to the rest of the world that Genesis had arrived with its own style. “Last year in (New York), we brainstormed about how to make it more inspirational,” head of styling for Genesis SangYup Lee told Motor Authority. The global team set to work from all corners: Korea, Germany, and California. The Essentia concept was never fully formed in clay—only large-scale models helped designers visualize details such as the interior. DON'T MISS: Genesis Essentia Concept: Here’s your luxury Rorschach test The European advanced studio, helmed by famed former-Bugatti stylist Sasha Selipanov, tackled the exterior from Frankfurt. Chris Ha managed the interior from the studio in Irvine, California. Bozhina Lalova set the … [Read more...] about From concept to (virtual) reality: How the Genesis Essentia concept coupe came to be