"A challenge that concerns me the most is lurking on the horizon, one we don't yet understand the full scope of. As Immersive Education and other forms of personal virtual reality become more realistic and compelling we're going to see "immersive illness" become more common and more difficult to deal with. Although this is an issue today we're somewhat protected by the limitations of today's personal computers and game consoles (they just aren't powerful enough...yet), but in another decade or more it'll be a different story altogether. Nobody knows exactly what impact insanely realistic, media-rich virtual reality will have on society. We're already dealing with early forms of immersive illness, such as addiction, alienation, mental schisms, and more, but today it's not a problem that affects a large percentage of users. We don't see massive problems today for a number of reasons, including rather low-quality virtual environments and limitations on how much time we spend in these environments. But what happens when the visual and audio quality becomes indistinguishable from reality, the technology becomes truly mainstream, and a substantial portion of education takes place in such environments and not in a real classroom? With massive power comes massive problems. Last week I was asked how big this problem will be, and I responded that nobody knows for sure but I'd estimate that the at-risk population can be calculate by adding the percentage of people with addiction problems to the percentage of society that suffer some form of mental illness. That's a big chunk of society. Is it all gloom and doom? Certainly not, but it's a grand challenge we're not even remotely prepared for today. As with other disruptions society will eventually adapt, but I think we're in for a very rough ride." Professor Aaron Walsh from the interview "Virtual reality and higher education: Another perspective" at http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2007/05/teaching_in_vr_.html
After thinking about the topic of immersive illness I find it hard to understand how someone could actually become addicted to technology. I think if a video game or other form of technology began consuming my life I would have no trouble stopping or even getting rid of the device if it was becoming a serious issue. I think immersive illness is real, it's just not something I really understand.
Today, video games are incredibly realistic. Graphics, audio, and just a characters actions in games make the gamer feel as if they are actually watching or controlling a real person. I can see, in that aspect, how someone can become addicted. I just don't understand what can make a person think that video games should be their number one priority. I can buy a brand new game and play it for a few hours, maybe 4 or 5 at most but I would eventually get tired or bored of it and need a break.
I understand that some video games have a lot of objectives and can take many hours (sometimes days) to finish but I don't understand what the rush is.
I can see how someone can get hooked on a video game or new form of technology, I just don't understand how they can let it affect their health and their lives. I couldn't imagine dropping out of school because I feel that a video game is more important then my education.
This image shows my report on 3D printing before I began revising it.
The first part of this blog post contains images of revisions and additions to my report on 3D printing. The first image is a screenshot of my report before I made any revisions. The next six images show various revisions and additions to different parts of the report and the last image is a screenshot of my entire report after the revisions and additions
The second part of this blog post contains images of revisions and additions to my report on virtual reality. The first image is a screenshot of my report before I made any revisions. The next six images show various revisions and additions to different parts of the report and the last image is a screenshot of my entire report after the revisions and additions.
The third part of this blog post contains images of revisions and additions to my report on holograms. The first two images are a screenshot of my report before I made any revisions. The next five images show various revisions and additions to different parts of the report. The last two images are screenshots of my report after my revisions and additions.
The fourth and final part of this blog post contains images of my revisions and additions to my report on robotics. The first two images are screenshots of my report before I made any revisions. The next 6 images show various improvements I have made to my report.
Today, technology companies are constantly surprising consumers with new and unexpected advancements. The newest creation by some of the technology field's biggest companies are virtual reality devices. HTC created the Re Vive, Microsoft has created the HoloLens, and Samsung has created Samsung VR. In this blog post I will summarize what these devices are and what makes them different from each other.
The first VR device I will discuss is the HTC Vive. HTC teamed up with gaming company Valve to create the Vive. The Vive consists of a VR headset, two hand-held controllers, and a base station. The feature that makes the Vive unique from the other VR devices I will discuss in this post is its ability to track a persons physical motions. In other words, you can control the movements of a character in a game just by moving your body. This is a huge advancement in the VR field and definitely sets the Vive apart from the others. One negative aspect of the Vive is that it attaches directly to a computer so their are cables that may sometimes get in the way. Although this is a negative, it can also be considered a positive because it allows the Vive to have greater processing power and it will overheat less.
The next VR device I will discuss is the Microsoft HoloLens. The Microsoft HoloLens consists of a small headset that looks like a pair of tinted glasses with a head band attached. HoloLens is different from the HTC Vive and the Samsung VR because it is an augmented-reality device rather then a VR device. What this means is that it combines VR with the real world using holographic technology. The HoloLens contains motion sensors that allow you to use your hands to complete tasks using the device. A few pros of the HoloLens are that it is a rather small, stand alone headset, it blends the real world with holograms, and its motion-sensing capabilities make it more interactive then other devices. The one con for the HoloLens is what it will be used for. That remains a rather important question for Microsoft. Some consumers are comparing it to Google Glass in a sense that people weren't really sure what to do with it. I think the HoloLens is a huge advancement from Google Glass but what it will be used for still remains in question.
The last device I will discuss is the Samsung Gear VR. The Gear VR is consists of a headset that you connect your Samsung phone into. One pro of the Gear VR is that it doesn't require any cables, so you are free to move around a room or your house without worrying about cables. It is a VR device, so although you have the freedom to walk around, you wouldn't be able to see around. The Gear VR runs off of a Samsung Galaxy phone so it uses Android. Another pro of the Gear VR is that you can watch 3D television and movies. Although the Gear VR is a great idea, it does have a few cons. One such con is that you have to have one of the right phones. I believe it only works on two versions of the Samsung Galaxy. Another con is that it is not interactive like the HTC Vive and the Microsoft HoloLens. One last con is that you have to use your hands to click buttons on the headset when going through menus or playing games. This can be kind of a hassle since you'll basically have to have your hands up on the head set at all times like you're looking through a pair of binoculars.
All of these devices are great advancements in technology. Although some of there uses are in question I believe they will all be successful. To find out more information about these devices go to http://immersiveeducation.org/buzz.
Step 1: In order to create a list you first need to click your profile picture in the upper right hand of the main news feed. When you click the image, the drop down menu appears. Once the menu appears, you click the "Lists" option.
Step 2: When you click the "Lists" option in step 1, this window appears. When this window appears, you click "Create new list."
Step 3: Once you hit "Create new list" the window, shown here, appears. You then name your list, give it a description in 100 characters or less, and chose whether you want it to be public or private. Then click the "Save list" option shown in the bottom of the above image.
Step 4: In order to add people to your list(s) you can go to you "Following" page on your profile. Once there, you can look at your followers (as shown in this image). You then click the gear icon which makes this window appear. Once the menu appears you click "Add or remove from lists..."
Step 5: The following window will appear once you click the "Add or remove from lists..." option. You then click the empty box to the left of your list name. Once you click, the box fills with light blue and a white check mark indicating you have successfully added that person to your list.
This last image shows some of my classmates that I have added to my list so far.
In the above image you can see I went to lists I am a member of. When this image was taken I had not yet subscribed to the list. All one has to do to subscribe to a list is click the subscribe button.
In this image, you can see what use to say "Subscribe" now says "Unsubscribe from list" indicating that I have successfully subscribed to this list.
