VR Terms pt. 2

Haptics

Here's another word that's not exclusive to virtual reality, but still gets play. It's tactile feedback. In VR, that would mean users feeling like they're touching something that's not really there. Some companies are trying to create products to enhance haptic experiences.

Presence

If virtual reality strives to takes users and immerse them in new environments, presence is what's achieved when that happens. Plain and simple, users feel like they're there, wherever "there" is.

Metaverse

Broadly, this is a bit of a philosophical underpinning of virtual reality; Forbes defines it as a "collective virtual reality," but there's plenty of debate about what that applies to and really, what exactly that is. A suggestion: check out Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. It's a 1992 sci-fi that envisions a metaverse.

Social vs Cinematic VR

Social VR refers to a type of app that aims to create a shared VR space where users can interact with each other and even participate in activities.

Cinematic VR is made using cameras, whether rigs made of mounted GoPros or actual 360 cameras.

360 Video

There is a difference between virtual reality and 360-degree video. The latter is less immersive and typically keeps the viewer in a fixed point surrounded by roughly 360 degrees of video. This is what you're most likely to see if you're playing around with YouTube 360 or Google Cardboard apps. Purists will say that 360 video is not actually virtual reality.

Stitching

Stitching is the process of taking footage from different cameras, like GoPro cameras that have been used in a 360 camera mount, and combining that footage into spherical video. The process usually involves reorienting video, placing seams, and generally editing it so that it looks like one continuous view, rather than a patchwork of angles.

Multiple Select

What are the main types of VR experiences?

• Social VR

• Military VR

• Cinematic VR

• 3D VR