虛擬現實的十種迷人應用

克努爾·謝赫

Virtual-reality （VR） headsets are now being used in many industries as a way of training people or providing a new way to experience things. Here are 10 ways virtual-reality technology is being used.

Entertainment

Theater audiences can already enjoy 3D movies， but with apps like Oculus1 Cinema， users can be even more deeply immersed in their movie experiences. They can watch movies on a huge virtual screen， something like their own personal theater， or even watch as if they were inside the movie itself， surrounded by the imagery and sound effects. And if you are a sports fan， the virtual-reality platform company LiveLike VR has built a virtual stadium so you can have the thrill of game day experiences with your friends， right from the comfort of your couch. Similarly， virtual reality can also transport users to a Cirque du Soleil2 performance， or a Coldplay concert as shot by the virtual reality filming company Next VR3， minus all the rowdy fans.

Even the tourism industry has jumped onboard， with Marriott’s Travel Brilliantly collaboration with Oculus promising to satisfy people’s wanderlust4. Using the app， you can be transported virtually to Hawaii in just 90 seconds， according to its website. Say goodbye to those winter blues5！

Health care

The health care industry has been a big adopter of virtual-reality tech， with some institutions using the computer-generated images for diagnosis and treatment. Virtual-reality simulations， such as those created by software companies Surgical Theater and Conquer Mobile， use actual diagnostic images from CAT scans or ultrasounds to construct 3D models of a patient’s anatomy. The virtual models help both new and experienced surgeons determine the safest and most efficient way to locate tumors， place surgical incisions or practice difficult procedures ahead of time.

Beyond surgery， virtual reality could also serve as a cost-effective and engaging tool for rehabilitation. Stroke and brain injury victims across Europe can now use an immersive virtual-reality therapy created by MindMaze6 to regain motor and cognitive function faster than with traditional physical therapy， according to the company. The virtual exercises and real-time feedback in MindMaze are made to feel like games， helping to motivate patients to practice everyday activities.

Space

Scientists at NASA have a tough mission： to search for life on other planets. That’s why they look to cutting-edge virtual-reality technology to control robots on Mars and to provide astronauts with a way to de-stress. At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory， researchers connected the Oculus Rift with motion-sensing equipment from the Kinect 2 sensor and Xbox One game console to control a robotic arm with the operator’s gestures. The setup could one day be used to control rovers7 or other instruments millions of miles away， according to NASA. By adding a Virtuix Omni treadmill to the setup， researchers were also able to simulate a walk on Mars to prepare astronauts for a potential human landing.

Museums

Virtual reality could add a lot of culture to our lives. The technology could instantly transport users to the Louvre in Paris， the Acropolis in Athens and the Guggenheim in New York City， all in one day. In fact， a number of museums have already collaborated with developers to create virtual spaces where people can experience the museums’ physical collections. In 2015， the American Museum of Natural History in New York City made some of its collections virtually accessible through Google Cardboard.

Automotive manufacturing

In Ford Motor’s Immersion Lab in Dearborn， Michigan， employees can don8 a virtual-reality headset and inspect the interior and exterior of a car， as well as have a seat inside an automobile before it is manufactured. The virtual prototype allows designers and engineers from various departments to closely inspect different elements， such as the engine or upholstery， and spot potential problems before they arise.

Education

Toyota is using Oculus headsets as part of its TeenDrive365 campaign， to educate teenagers and parents about distracted driving. By making field trips and simulations of complicated concepts accessible to people of all ages， virtual reality can make cognitive learning faster， more effective and efficient. Unimersiv and Cerevrum are examples of two such apps that offer an immense resource of educational VR content online.

Courtrooms

Jury members may no longer have to evaluate crime scenes by looking at dull， two-dimensional photographs. Seeing a crime scene in 3D could help jurors visualize how people and objects， such as bullets， move through space. The use of interactive technology made it easier for people to visualize and understand the details of a case and make a decision regarding whether a suspect was guilty or not.

Meditation and mental health

Virtual reality can also act as a therapeutic tool for those who experience debilitating9 stress， including PTSD， and panic disorders or phobias10， researchers say. Virtual-reality tech could provide a safe environment for patients to come in contact with the things they fear， while remaining in a safe， controlled environment.

Shopping

Many people are already familiar with online shopping websites， but virtual-reality apps like Trillenium could be the next step in how consumers purchase products on the Web. These apps can provide a virtual tour of an entire store， improving on the traditional online shopping experience. Instead of looking through catalogs on a website， shoppers can get a real-time shopping experience and even shop with their friends. Shoppers will soon be able to purchase items from ASOS11 through the use of their headset as easily as buying something on Amazon.

Military

The U.S. military often uses virtual-reality simulators to train soldiers before they are deployed. Noncommercial versions of games like Virtual Battlespace 2 and Unity 3D are used to prepare troops for combat. The gamelike simulations allow teams to practice working together in realistically replicated environments before they have to use real-world tactical equipment. And this immersive environment is extremely important， because training that captures the attention of the learner is often retained longer and is better understood.

目前，虛擬現實（VR）頭顯設備廣泛應用于多種行業，主要用于訓練或提供一種新的體驗方式。以下是VR技術的十種用途。

娛樂

電影觀眾已經能體驗3D電影帶來的樂趣，但如果再配合Oculus Cinema這類應用，使用者將擁有更深入的沉浸式觀影體驗。觀眾可以通過VR頭顯設備投射出的巨大虛擬屏幕觀看影片，好似擁有一個個人專享的影院一般，畫面、聲效縈繞，觀眾仿佛身臨其境。如果你是體育迷，你和朋友舒服地窩在沙發上也能體驗到比賽現場的刺激;而這只需要通過LiveLike VR這款虛擬球場應用便可實現。同理，通過VR電影拍攝公司Next VR提供的服務，你可以置身其中觀看太陽馬戲團的表演或酷玩樂隊的演唱會，不受喧鬧粉絲的干擾。

旅游產業也加入了VR技術應用大軍：萬豪集團旗下的Travel Brilliantly網站與Oculus合作，旨在滿足人們的旅游癖。其網站介紹，通過這個應用程序，只需90秒便能置身于虛擬的夏威夷，從此告別“冬季憂郁癥”。

醫療衛生

醫療衛生一直以來都是VR技術的主要應用領域，一些機構利用電腦生成的圖像進行診斷和治療。Surgical Theater和Conquer Mobile等軟件公司研發的VR仿真模擬軟件使用CAT掃描或者超聲波診斷圖像來生成患者身體構造的3D模型。虛擬模型可以幫助新手或有經驗的外科醫生找到最安全、最有效的方法來定位腫瘤和手術切口位置，或是提前練習有操作難度的手術流程。

除了手術，VR同時也可作為一種高性價比康復工具，對病患頗具吸引力。MindMaze公司稱，在歐洲，中風及腦損傷患者現在可以使用其研發的沉浸式VR療法來恢復運動和認知能力，使用這種療法的恢復速度要比傳統的物理治療更快。MindMaze的虛擬練習和實時反饋讓恢復過程好似玩游戲一般，有助于激勵患者完成每天的練習任務。

航空航天

美國航空航天局（NASA）的科學家面臨一個艱巨的任務，即搜尋其他星球上的生命。因此，他們希望用前沿的VR技術控制火星上的機器人，并為宇航員提供一種解壓方式。在NASA的噴氣推進實驗室，研究人員把Oculus Rift和Kinect 2 傳感器上的運動傳感設備以及Xbox One游戲主機連接起來，利用操作者的動作控制機械臂。NASA宣稱，這套設備未來可能被用來控制火星車或其他幾百萬英里以外的設備。如果把Virtuix Omni跑步機與這套設備連接，研究者也可以模擬在火星表面行走，為未來人類登陸火星做準備。

博物館

虛擬現實可以為我們的生活增添很多文化氛圍。該技術可即時讓用戶置身巴黎盧浮宮、雅典衛城以及紐約市的古根海姆美術館，一天之內便可游覽個遍。事實上，一些博物館已經與開發商合作創建虛擬空間，讓人們體驗博物館的館藏。2015年，紐約的美國自然歷史博物館推出了一些可以通過谷歌紙板眼鏡來欣賞的館藏。

汽車制造業

在位于密歇根州迪爾博恩的福特汽車沉浸式實驗室里，員工可以戴上VR頭盔對汽車的里里外外進行徹底檢查，也可以在汽車制造完成之前，先在車里體驗一把。這個虛擬的原型可以讓不同部門的設計者和工程師們針對不同的元件進行細致檢查，如發動機或內飾，以及發現一些潛在問題。

教育

豐田正使用Oculus頭盔作為其TeenDrive365活動的一部分，讓青少年及其父母了解分心駕駛的危害。通過VR技術，各年齡段的人們可以參與復雜概念的實操和模擬，其認知學習速度會變得更快、更有效。Unimersiv和Cerevrum是其中具有代表性的兩大應用，提供了海量的線上VR教育資源。

法庭

陪審團成員可能不必看枯燥的二維圖片來評估犯罪現場了。觀看案發現場的三維影像有助于陪審員直觀地獲知人與物（如子彈）是如何在空間中移動的。交互技術的應用使人們容易想象和了解案件細節，并據以判斷嫌疑人是否有罪。

冥想和心理健康

研究者稱，VR技術也可以作為一些嚴重壓力疾病的治療工具，比如創傷后應激障礙（PTSD），以及驚恐障礙或恐懼癥。VR技術可以給患者提供一個安全可控的環境，讓他們接觸自己恐懼的事物。

購物

很多人已經很熟悉在線購物網站了，但是像Trillenium一樣的VR應用將會成為消費者在線購物的下一嘗試。這些應用可以提供整個商店的虛擬導覽，提升傳統的在線購物體驗。傳統購物通過瀏覽網站目錄進行，而通過該應用，消費者可以獲得實時購物體驗，甚至和朋友一起購物。消費者很快就可以通過他們的VR頭顯設備從ASOS上購物，跟在亞馬遜上買東西一樣方便快捷。

軍事

美國軍方經常使用VR模擬器訓練新兵。虛擬戰場2和Unity 3D等游戲的非商業性版本被用于部隊備戰練習。這種游戲式模擬可以幫助多個團隊在復制的現實環境中練習協作，為真實世界的戰術裝備使用打基礎。這種沉浸式環境極其重要，因為能讓學員集中注意力，培訓效果常常更持久，培訓內容也更容易被領會。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎選手）