What are the basic components of virtual reality?

Virtual reality is the use of computer technology to create a 3-dimensional artificial environment and place the user in it. There are three basic types of virtual reality.

1. Non-immersive VR systems: Users are aware of their surroundings and use a monitor to enter the 3-D world, for example, video games.

2. Semi-immersive VR systems: Users usually have a large screen in front of them and input devices that they can use. Semi-immersive VR technology is used in flight simulation.

3. Fully-immersive VR systems: These are VR systems that provide very realistic simulation. Users wear a headset and enter an alternate reality.

Practical applications

Virtual reality is being used all around the world and is benefiting many fields:

• Gaming industry

• Virtual tourism

• Medical training

• Aviation industry

• Military training

Basic components

Computing device: It is a strong, powerful machine that processes and creates the 3-dimensional world. All other input devices pass their data onto it, it tracks the user movement and renders all the graphics. Computing devices should have a large amount of RAM, a good GPU, a powerful CPU, and a sufficient storage device.

HMDs: It is a head-mounted display that consists of two screens that display the virtual world in front of the users. They have motion sensors that detect the orientation and position of your head and adjust the picture accordingly. It also usually has built-in headphones or external audio connectors to output sound. Moreover, they have a blackout blindfold to ensure the users are fully disconnected from the outside world.

Sensors: Sensors are mostly incorporated into the headset of VR. They track users’ poses and their head position, detect movement and rotation, and then pass all this data to the VR processor/computing device. Because of these sensors, the user can interact with the virtual environment. VR depends upon several sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and 6DoF.

Input devices: Input devices are used by users in the VR system to interact with the virtual world in front of them. These devices might be a tool or a weapon in their artificial world. The input devices include mice, controllers, joysticks, gloves with sensors, and body tracking systems.

Audio system: Audio systems have a particularly important job in VR, ensuring a great VR experience in which users’ brain is forced to think like they are in that artificial world. They are mostly integrated inside the HMD. VR provides spatial audio, so the users feel how real the virtual world is.

Software: Software is a crucial part of VR systems. The software is an application designed that runs on VR hardware and creates an artificial world. There are several different types of software based on what users need. For example, games, simulations, medical ecosystems, etc.

Conclusion

Virtual reality is a fascinating technology that makes an augmented world for its users. Its basic components include a computing device, a headset, sensors, input devices, an audio system, and software. Together these components guarantee an amazing and realistic experience.