Shawn Payne project proposal

The idea of virtual reality has taunted people for over a century through fiction reading and sci-fi movies. Though some large expensive forays in to VR such as flight simulators have been around since the 90s, the newest equipment has started to take VR to the mainstream population. Simulation technology from companies like Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, are the platform for interacting in multi-player platforms. Star Trek: Bridge Crew allows fans to collaborate for missions on a Federation Vessel. Social VR games like Second Life and Sansar allow you to build your own world in which you can be anything or go anywhere. In fact, these types of social based games that have players purchase virtual “land” and virtual objects like cloths and furniture, have the possibility of being used as platforms for online business offices, classrooms, or join friends and family to build your own world (Metz 2017). My project will identify the current technology’s abilities and consider the possible physically isolating effects on social interaction that this type of increased VR saturation may result in. I will balance this against the current technological limitations and the effects other current technology has had socially.

Metz, Rachel. “Remember Second Life? Its Creators Are Back with a Virtual Reality Platform.” MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 3 Feb. 2017, www.technologyreview.com/s/603422/second-life-is-back-for-a-third-life-this-time-in-virtual-reality/.