Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality For The Disabled
Gamers have long seen the potential of Virtual and Augmented Reality. These platforms and headsets provide a sense of fantasy and new opportunities that would not be possible in the real world.
Video games take players to the world they want to escape and giving them powers, abilities that are not possible. We can be wizards, superheroes, major league sports stars and so much more.
This new technology continued to build on that sense of separation between the real world and augmented one. This chance to make new abilities and opportunities through gaming has led to some exciting developments for the disabled.
Disabled People Can See The World, And Themselves, In New Ways.
VR software changes the way we see our surrounding and our physical forms. So why not create a virtual limb or another body part for those that have dealt with amputation or birth defects. That would let them carry out games and activities that are impossible in the real world.
Virtual reality can provide an essential form of escapism for disabled children that struggle to fit into the reality. That is individually the case for those with Autism that has trouble with social situations.
The University of Texas tested children on their willingness to participate in social activities in this new landscape and found heightened brain activity. Numerous trials and studies the carried out that show breadth of the technology available. Also the endless possibilities for different disabilities.
A VR headset with AR tech means that people can interact with the world in a way that has been lacking – or perhaps in a way that has robbed from them.
VR Gear Is On The Rise In 2016 And The Opportunities For Disabled Users Can Only Grow.
Big names like Sony and Microsoft are releasing sleek, impressive headsets like the Hololens for gamers. Over in Switzerland, attention has been placed on the MindMaze VR system, which is used for motor function impairments.
The software connects to the brain via electrodes and creates a virtual limb that the patient can control. The purpose of this mostly for therapy and research into neuron development, but there are other, recreational implications.
The Five systems are going a step further by allowing players to play the piano with eye movements so that hands are no longer need. The technology essentially turns the mechanics of the real world on their head to create a new norm. A new way of doing things where the disability is no longer a hindrance.
The reason that AR and VR so loved by gamers and other industries is that they make the impossible possible. For some they are just games that offer a new opportunity in a fantasy world; for others, they are tools for problem-solving in architecture, security, and other sectors.
Either way, this new reality lets users push the boundaries. That means that VR for the disable is a massive step forward to allow unable people to push their limits. They can see the world in a new light. That could be social, recreational, educational or vocational – the potential is endless.