Dec 19, 2018 Want all the fun of wrenching on your car without the busted knuckles? Early access for “Wrench” launches today for gamers and garage nerds looking for some extra virtual time under the hood. “Wrench” is a highly realistic game playable on a PC and with full VR support where you get to work on a Bauer Catfish—basically a custom-framed sports car using Miata drivetrain and suspension bits. Parts have been mapped and 3D modeled down to individual fasteners, which must be torqued to specific tensions if you want to move on to greater challenges in the simulation (and not break fasteners). We can only assume future expansions of the game will ramp up the realism by randomly misplacing the 10mm sockets, and adding a mini game where you have to hide credit card bills for parts from nosy spouses. “Wrench” is available now on the Steam store. Comments View comments on the GRM forums You'll need to log in to post. Log in … [Read more...] about Virtual Game “Wrench” Offers Shop Time in Virtual Reality
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New era in virtual reality therapy for common phobias
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
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