Microsoft wants you to try out its latest VR experiment. One that goes by the name of DreamWalker, and is a virtual reality rig that lets you experience a completely different VR while you are walking through the real one.
Appropriately named, this one, that’s for sure.
Work of Microsoft Research, this one comes at a time when smartphone based VR is on the way out. And instead, we are seeing the rise of advanced enterprise level virtual reality and augmented reality solutions, with companies like Microsoft sinking millions of dollars into research.
The result of which is this:
Interesting use case, very interesting use case.
No doubt, the biggest strength of a virtual reality system is that it takes you somewhere else. And in this case, not only is it taking you somewhere else, it is also letting you explore that virtual location — via magic of advanced software.
Basically, before you head outside for your daily stroll, you are provided a path planning software, which finalizes the route you will be taking, or your ultimate destination. The software then analyzes an existing virtual world for a route that’s as similar as possible.
This is done to make sure that minimal modifications have to be made to virtual streets, virtual buildings, or other rendered objects that exist in the virtual world.
Once all that is done, you simply strap on a virtual reality rig that right now is rather cumbersome, with a portable computer, virtual reality goggles, a pair of RGB depth cameras, GPS, and a smartphone that has a mobile data connection.
And as you walk in the real world, your motions and movements are mirrored in the virtual world that you are experiencing.
Things are still in the prototype stage, here, but the applications of this could be massive!
