Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster Ready Player One depicts a future where VR technology can transport people into a completely realistic alternate universe. But how close is real-life tech to that vision?
Much of the coverage of the movie has delved into the potential impact high-fidelity VR could have on humanity, and whether the film’s dystopian vision of people escaping an imperfect real world to live out virtual fantasies is the logical end point for this technology. But a more pressing question to ask is how close we are to creating such immersive VR experiences.
The technology in the film probably won’t seem that outlandish to most people, as there are real-life analogies for almost all the devices featured. The entry-level kit required to enter the OASIS virtual world where most of the movie’s action takes place is a special visor and a pair of haptic gloves that recreate a sense of touch.
In recent years, VR headsets have become a high-end but solidly commercial product, and while the quality of the graphics depicted in the movie are clearly superior to what headsets like the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive are capable of, this is probably the area where reality is closest.
The big differences between current technology and the movie is how they reproduce images. The OASIS visors supposedly work by beaming low-power lasers directly onto the user’s retinas, while all real-life headsets use stereoscopic displays held just in front of the eyes. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon, but another attractive feature of the film’s headset could be closer.
In the film, the visor is wireless and can be strapped on anywhere, anytime. While the first generation of VR headsets need to be plugged into a high-powered PC, Oculus’ prototype Santa Cruz, due for commercial release next year, will include all the necessary computing power onboard. It will also do away with the need for an external infrared sensor to track head and arm movements, instead incorporating outward-facing cameras into the headset for motion tracking.
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Source: singularity hub