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Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

As computer rendering and video hardware/software continue to advance at a fast pace, virtual reality is steadily becoming a popular form of entertainment. Many times people view virtual reality as just video games with many virtual reality facilities opening up providing life like simulations such as driving a car or tight roping between two skyscrapers. However the applications of virtual reality is not only limited in video games as virtual simulations can be conducted in order to educate people on scenarios that may happen in the real world.

In the article "Avatar II: The Hospital" by Stephanie Simon, hospitals and other health care facilities have begun implementing virtual reality emergency drills where hospital staff are set in a virtual world as there own personal avatars and simulate real life events such as an earthquake happening and have to follow the procedure of evacuation of patients in a 1 to 1 replica of the hospital. Another thing that the article emphasizes on is the cost efficiency of these virtual drills as with everything being virtual the need to purchase mannequins or hire real life actors is not needed which saves a lot of money for the hospital.

Education is also finding ways to implement virtual reality into teaching lessons for the students to create more involved and stimulating experiences. In the article "The virtual world moves into the classroom" by Joe Earle, Ellis Thomas, a teacher, was able to implement VR into his lessons directing students in a tour of the French Kings home and its gardens as well as touring around World War I and World War II battlefields for kids to actual see places that they have just read in textbooks for a better understanding and perspective of these historic sites. With VR, these students were given a chance to experience places and people they might not otherwise encounter.

With this technology advancing , virtual reality will continue to develop and implement itself in our daily lives. Although it may seem only for entertainment at the moment, the applications of VR is limitless with real life simulations becoming more and more appealing as graphics improve and accessibility of VR hardware becomes easier to use for the masses.


Sources:

"Avatar II: The Hospital" by Stephanie Simon, The Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2010http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703909804575124470868041204.html?KEYWORDS=avatar+ii+the+hospital 

The virtual world moves into the classroom Posted by Joe Earle | Sep 14, 2018 https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2018/09/14/the-virtual-world-moves-into-the-classroom/

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