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Virtual
reality has arrived
First
revolutionary technology to let you see, hear, smell, taste
and touch
ScienceDaily
- The first virtual reality headset that can stimulate all
five senses has been developed. What was it really like to
live in Ancient Egypt? What did the streets there actually
look, sound and smell like? For decades, Virtual Reality has
held out the hope that, one day, we might be able visit all
kinds of places and periods as ‘virtual’ tourists.
To date, though, Virtual Reality devices have not been able
to stimulate simultaneously all five senses with a high degree
of realism.
Scientists from the Universities of York and Warwick now believe
they have been able to pinpoint the necessary expertise to
make this possible, in a project called ‘Towards Real
Virtuality’.
‘Real Virtuality’ is a term coined by the project
team to highlight their aim of providing a ‘real’
experience in which all senses are stimulated in such a way
that the user has a fully immersive perceptual experience,
during which s/he cannot tell whether or not it is real.
Teams at York and Warwick now aim to link up with experts
at the Universities of Bangor, Bradford and Brighton to develop
the ‘Virtual Cocoon’ – a new Real Virtuality
device that can stimulate all five senses much more realistically
than any other current or prospective device.
For the user the ‘Virtual Cocoon’ will consist of
a headset incorporating specially developed electronics and
computing capabilities. It could help unlock the full potential
benefits of Real Virtuality in fields such as education, business
and environmental protection.
A mock-up of the Virtual Cocoon was on display at ‘Pioneers
09’, an EPSRC showcase event held at London’s Olympia
Conference Centre on March 4.
Professor David Howard of the University of York, lead scientist
on the initiative, says: “Virtual Reality projects have
typically only focused on one or two of the five senses –
usually sight and hearing. We’re not aware of any other
research group anywhere else in the world doing what we plan
to do.
“Smell will be generated electronically via a new technique
being pioneered by Alan Chalmers and his team at Warwick which
will deliver a pre-determined smell recipe on-demand. Taste
and smell are closely linked but we intend to provide a texture
sensation relating to something being in the mouth. Tactile
devices will provide touch.”
A key objective will be to optimise the way all five senses
interact, as in real life. The team also aim to make the Virtual
Cocoon much lighter, more comfortable and less expensive than
existing devices, as a result of the improved computing and
electronics they develop.
There has been considerable public debate on health &
safety as well as on ethical issues surrounding Real Virtuality,
since this kind of technology fundamentally involves immersing
users in virtual environments that separate them from the
real world.
Professor David Howard says: “In addition to the technical
development of the Virtual Cocoon, we aim to closely evaluate
the full, far-reaching economic and other implications of
more widespread application of Real Virtuality technologies
for society as a whole.”
Funding was provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council.
Adapted from materials provided by Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council.
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