Most of us may think of goggles and earpieces when thinking about virtual reality (VR). However, VR is deeper than that and has many variations. One ever-popular variation of VR is the 9D VR, although not many people are familiar with it. What is 9D virtual reality?
9D virtual reality (VR) is a variant of VR combining multiple sensory inputs with traditional 3D computer-generated imagery and head-mounted display. These additional inputs include, but are not limited to, temperature, wind, and vibration. These additional inputs help to create a more realistic and engaging experience.
This article discusses what 9D virtual reality is, the gears used, and what makes it better than other VR variants.
What Is 9D Virtual Reality?
9D virtual reality is a relatively new technology that gives an immersive experience for users than traditional VR. It combines VR with additional sensory stimulation, such as motion, temperature, smell, and wind. 9D is expected to grow in popularity, supplanting other VR types.
In a 3D or traditional VR, users often wear a headset and earpiece to simulate the experience. However, this means users are limited to 3-dimensional visuals and audio stimulations.
In a 9D VR system, however, you put on more gear. Aside from the VR headset and earpiece, you also sit or stand in a motion platform that simulates physical movement, such as the feeling of walking, driving a car, or flying a plane.
This motion platform can also generate other sensory inputs, such as temperature and the feeling of a cool breeze or a warm sun. Furthermore, 9D VR often includes wind and vibration effects to enhance the sense of immersion. There may also be other simulations, such as smell.
What Are The Gears Used To Simulate 9D Virtual Reality?
To simulate 9D VR, gears such as VR headsets, earpieces, platforms, and olfactometers may be used to stimulate all human senses. Combined, they provide a very immersive experience for you.
To simulate a 9D VR, you may need to strap yourself to a number of gears. These gears will help to produce the sensory input required to give you that deep, immersive experience 9D VR gives.
The gears include, but are not limited to:
VR Headset
A VR headset is typically worn similarly to a goggle, with a strap on the back of the head securing it. A VR headset’s job is to provide a 3D visual stimulation to the world, allowing your eyes to ‘see’ a simulated environment.
VR headsets may come in different configurations and may have different resolutions. Some VR headsets are also part of a set, with earpieces and controllers. Some of the more popular VR headsets include Meta Quest 2, or HTC Vive Pro 2, explore these options in depth by clicking on the respective VR headsets.
Earpiece
Earpieces are similar to earbuds, worn on the ear. The main objective of an earpiece is to provide auditory stimulation for you. Earpieces could be headphones with earmuffs or earbuds that you wear on your earholes.
Higher quality earpieces may have surround sound technology, where what you see may also translate into sound. For example, if in your virtual environment, you see something coming to you from your right side, you may hear the sound louder in your right ear.
Many earpieces tend to come with your VR headset, so check if your VR headset comes with them before you go out and order an earpiece for yourself.
Controller
Controllers often serve as a way for you to control and navigate yourself within the VR environment. They often come as hand-held controllers and may have buttons similar to the controllers on the gaming console.
When you move the controller around, you may see your hand reacting similarly in your VR world. Controllers allow further simulation of your touch sensories as you navigate your VR environment.
Platform
A platform provides further opportunities for makers to provide sensory input. Depending on how you interact with the VR environment, you may use a different platform.
For example, if you are using VR to play a first-person shooter (FPS) game, you may use a standing platform with wheels to run and walk while staying in the same spot.
However, suppose your VR experience is watching a movie or flying a jumbo jet. In that case, you may be sitting on a chair-type platform.
These platforms often come with temperature control and vibration functions to provide more sensory stimulation to your skin and muscles.
Olfactometer
Some higher-end VR may also come with an olfactometer. This gadgetry releases smells to stimulate your nose and help you go even further into the VR environment.
Other Gears
Some VR environments are unique, which means specific VR gear needs to be created to allow the most immersive experience. This may include a long stick with weight at the bottom to simulate a golf club or footwear to simulate walking or running.
What Makes 9D VR Better Than Traditional VR?
9D VR is better than traditional 3D VR because it provides a more lifelike experience. It can also be used in more ways, allowing a more genuine simulated experience. Finally, 9D VR can be a cost-effective way to train certain skills, such as first aid, flight training, and more.
9D VR may be new, but it is becoming increasingly popular. Many industries and users see benefits and how it is better than traditional 3D VR.
Immersive Experience
9D VR provides sensory input in much more ways than traditional 3D VR. Instead of simply visual and audio, 9D VR goes much further, providing movement, temperature, smell, and even skin sensory inputs.
As a result, 9D VR is much more immersive and may provide a more real and believable virtual environment. This should lead to a more meaningful, engaging, and real experience.
Variety of Applications
Due to 9D VR’s high realism, it has been used in many ways across the entertainment, education, and training industries.
For entertainment, viewers can watch a movie in a more immersive experience and get better enjoyment. Students can put on 9D VR kits in education and be transported to a virtual learning class. There, they can learn with a teacher, as in the teacher right in front of the class.
Finally, in training, 9D VRs may be used to allow training for new staff, where they practice skills that may not be suitable to be practiced live. This may include first aid, surgery, fire evacuation or flight training.
3D VRs can also be used in these applications, but not as well as 9D VRs.
Cost Effective
Finally, 9D VR can be a cost-effective way to provide training, entertainment, or interactions. As a result, 9D VR is used extensively in these areas.
For example, instead of having to look for a corpse and have an operation room set up for surgery training, a 9D VR can simulate the experience more cost-effectively. Plus, if the trainee surgeon makes a mistake, it is not done on an actual body.
This same concept can extend into first aid or pilot training, where mistakes cannot be made in real life.
In business, rather than flying executives on expensive flights just to attend a meeting, a 9D VR kit can be used. A virtual meeting room can be set up for face-to-face meetings, saving costs and employee downtime.
You can do the same with a 3D virtual environment, but in any case, the realism may not be as good as a 9D, which means the training experience will not be as real.
Create Flexible, Immersive Virtual Environments Easily
Finally, 9D VR can also help to create a very immersive virtual environment. This can help you avoid spending money to build an actual physical environment.
For example, you can easily create a virtual environment rather than trying to build a modern, spacious meeting room that may cost a lot. In fact, feel free to spruce up your meeting room to look like the oval office or even a spaceship.
For places such as medical or law schools, you do not need to build a training surgery room or a mock courtroom. Instead, you can save a lot more money by setting up a 9d virtual environment.
These virtual environments are also very immersive since they are 9D. This means they should provide a high degree of realism and help the users to feel as if they are real. Your 9D virtual environment should be better than the ones you can create on a traditional 3D VR.
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