VRHeads Q&A > General VR Discussion Ok, so when I think of Virtual Reality I think of the Holodeck on Star Trek. I know that this might be ahead of what is out there now but when you are in a VR program, do you interact with the AI as if they were real people? I know that smells and touch might be a few years off.
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There was actually a very compelling discussion on this very topic at GDC this year:
GDC 2016 | Session Scheduler | Escaping the Holodeck: Storytelling and Convergence in VR/AR
It also raises some interesting questions aorund peoples subconcious decisions and wants in the virtual reality space... For example, do you want to see someone elses body when you look down? Or do you want to see your own body transposed in another persons clothing?
I think VR is the first big step. And one challenge we are all being faced with is the Swayze effect - where the user feels "ignored" when non-player characters aren't recognizing them. This is relatively unique to VR, because we are so immersed, that without one-to-one recognition, we actually start to become disconnected form the environment.
What do you think? Do you think we are getting closer?
1 I own an HTC Vive and it does feel like a miniature "holodeck" experience. Though I haven't had a very convincing experience with AI, I do find myself overly aware of objects within the VR environment. More than once I have tried to rest on tables and chairs that aren't actually there.
75 That will have to be like version 5 of a haptic suit.. "New Feature: Built in weight support". Where it has a series of "something"s in them to support your weight in empty air when you are leaning on something in VR.
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16 We are getting closure but I think we are a ways off to get the cost down on a fully immersive experience.... The complexities of being able to walk and physically interact with AI's within the experience.
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75 I strongly suspect the locomotion issue is compound. On one hand, I think its because our size doesn't automap to fit our character's size exactly. So the stereo base for 3D viewing is off a little. And the drag doesn't match right to our virutal head size. Also, I suspect because our heads are not exactly/perfectly round (like a ball), there is a difference in how our eyes track compared to just rotating within a field of view.
323 Yeah I agree it's a compound issue. Visually I think there are som issued to work out but I think it will get there sooner then later. For our movements though I don't think we will ever be able to duplicate motion ina way that feels compelling to an end user using simple hardware tricks like treadmills and harnesses. There is simply too much a human does to maintain balance while moving for us to trick. But who knows one day we probably will figure out something. Maybe like a neckbrace with magnets that trhows off our balance in a way that makes us feel like we are moving.
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