Key Takeaways VR headsets create the illusion of 3D by giving each eye a slightly different view of the same image. VR and AR are used to train first responders and healthcare staff, enhance issue detection for engineers and create immersive experiences for consumers. Spatial computing, connected flooring and haptic sensors may inform the future of VR.Once a staple of science fiction, augmented reality and virtual reality have become part of mainstream culture. From digital first-down lines during professional football games to AR mobile apps that let users see how furniture would fit in their home or how clothing might look on their body to immersive VR experiences that make it possible for players to live out their dreams of being a wizard or warrior, these mixed-reality options are everywhere.How do VR headsets work? How are AR and VR being applied across different industries, and what comes next for these technologies?VR Headsets: The BasicsWhen you look at something in real life, your eyes view the object at slightly different angles. Your brain processes and combines this visual data to generate a 3D image. This Socratica video shows that virtual reality headsets work in much the same way.A VR headset creates the illusion of 3D by presenting each eye with a slightly different view of the same scene. This is a good starting point, but what really sets VR apart from a good movie theater experience or a typical video game is that the user controls the point of view. When the user turns their head, the image they see changes accordingly.Most commercial VR headsets now offer three degrees of movement freedom: Devices can detect when users turn their heads left or right, look up or down or tilt their heads from side to side. More advanced solutions offer six degrees of freedom, which can help track the movement of your body side to side, back and forward, and up and down. That said, these systems require room-mounted cameras along with headsets and are significantly more expensive.Current Use Cases for VR and ARThe appeal of virtual and augmented reality has become clear, with obvious applications in gaming, tourism and situations where people want to try before they buy. These technologies are also used to safely but realistically train pilots, firefighters, astronauts, police officers, medical students and surgeons.For pilots, for example, virtual reality is paired with a hydraulically operated cockpit, allowing them to operate realistic controls and feel every tilt and turn. Engineers also use virtual and augmented reality to locate design errors and address customer concerns. Teams can convert 3D renderings into VR files and view scale models in extraordinary detail, right down to the treads on bolts, the twists in wires and the labels on components.In addition, VR offers a way to showcase the capabilities of new technologies, such as Northrop Grumman's uncrewed underwater vehicle, the Manta Ray. Using a VR headset, users can see what the Manta Ray sees as it plunges into the seas. For ocean researchers, a real-time VR connection with solutions such as the Manta Ray could let them explore new frontiers without risking life and limb.Welcome to Reality 2.0So, what are the latest developments in AR and VR? One area is spatial computing solutions, such as in the Apple Vision Pro. This headset's 3D camera can enable spatial experiences — apps can be opened by users with their eyes, hands or voice, while video calls appear at life-size scale. Users can also immersively experience previously taken photos or videos as if they were standing where the image was taken.Also exciting are solutions to improve the immersive nature of VR when it comes to movement. One of the biggest limitations of virtual reality environments is that users quickly run out of physical space. While VR devices can track forward or backward movement, users inevitably run into digital barriers or physical walls that prevent them from moving farther.Systems such as Disney's HoloTile may help solve this issue. According to CNET, the HoloTile uses hundreds of round tiles that work as mini, multi-direction treadmills that can also rotate and tilt. A combination of sensors and motors relays the user's position in a VR world to the HoloTile, which adjusts the tiles to mimic desired movements.Consider a user walking down a VR corridor. In the virtual world, it looks like they're moving forward, and as they walk, it also feels like they're moving forward because the HoloTiles are spinning under their feet with each step while keeping them in the center of the floor in real life.Then there are lements to improve overall immersion. As noted by TechCrunch, work by startup Ultraleap is focused on adding haptic feedback to virtual environments. Using ultrasound waves, Ultraleap sensors could track hand movements in VR and provide tactile feedback to the user. The result? VR objects that seemingly have weight and presence in the real world.Both augmented reality and virtual reality are undergoing rapid evolution. Already used for consumer entertainment, product development and staff training, new developments — such as spatial systems, intelligent tiles and haptic sensors — could take this tech to the next level.Curious about AR and VR? See how Northrop Grumman is leading the charge.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality: How Do VR Headsets Work?

Key Takeaways Virtual reality was once a thing of the future, but now it's mainstream. Virtual treatments can offer physical and emotional benefits. VR wellness use cases include helping veterans better manage PTSD, reducing stress for patients with anxiety and improving memory in older adults.Virtual reality (VR) has gone mainstream. According to data from IDC, more than 24.7 million headsets are expected to be in consumers' hands by 2028.While the primary purpose of current-generation headsets is enjoyment through video games or immersive experiences, there's a growing focus on VR wellness and virtual reality stress management. Could virtual technologies reduce stress, improve health or even help address issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans? Here's a look a some of the real benefits offered by virtual treatment programs.VR Wellness Use CasesVirtual reality's capabilities in helping people are promising. Now, VR technology is being leveraged to support wellness and stress management. Instead of immersing themselves in fast-paced video games, users can explore calming natural scenes, such as forests, fields or beaches, for VR stress relief.Research published in the Journal of Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology found that nature-based VR environments "are feasible, acceptable and effective in the short term to promote relaxation and reduce stress, especially for people with anxiety disorders and stress-related problems."There's also a case for using VR to combat loneliness and isolation. Recent results of a controlled VR trial for high-functioning older adults published in JMIR Research Protocols found that VR can stimulate cognitive functions by promoting physical activity and social interaction.Virtual reality also has the potential to help boost patients' memory and recall — long-term memory was improved among participants using VR when compared to those using traditional digital screens, according to an article published by Frontiers for Young Minds.PTSD and Virtual Reality: Can VR Help Veterans?Traumatic experiences during military service can cause PTSD in veterans. According to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 29% of veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Operations Enduring Freedom developed PTSD at some point in their lives.The impacts of PTSD are far-reaching. Patients may experience vivid nightmares, struggle to participate in social situations and have issues with trust, closeness and communication, even among immediate family. Typically, PTSD is treated with exposure therapy — patients are exposed to descriptions, images, sounds and other stimuli that recreate their traumatic memories. However, as noted by Brown University, up to 50% of patients drop out of traditional exposure therapy.Combining PTSD and virtual reality may offer a better — and more accessible — way forward. By providing a completely immersive but fully controllable experience of past events, it may be possible for veterans to work through their trauma more effectively. Recent research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that the use of VR-based graded exposure therapy was beneficial for PTSD, with 95% of participants reporting a positive effect.Digital Words, Physical ChallengesWhile VR offers benefits for PTSD, stress management and memory, it comes with potential drawbacks.Cost is one concern. Although the price of headsets continues to decline as more manufacturers enter the market, high-quality headsets remain prohibitively expensive for patients with limited budgets. There's also a learning curve that comes with VR headsets — for older adults, this can be a significant barrier to adoption.Perhaps the most pressing problem for virtual reality, however, is what's known as VR sickness. Users may experience headaches, dizziness or nausea when using virtual reality headsets. These symptoms often begin within minutes of putting on a headset and can last up to 24 hours. One possible cause is the disconnect between virtual and physical motion. While headsets provide the visual stimuli of movement, users' bodies remain largely still. This can cause an ear/eye disconnect that leads to nausea.VR may also cause what's known as "vergence-accommodation conflict," according to an article published in Scientific Reports. This occurs when there's a mismatch between where a user's eyes focus (accommodation) and where their vision converges (vergence) to produce a single image.Consider a book sitting six feet away on a table. In real life, vergence and accommodation distances are the same. In VR, however, there's a disconnect. When using a headset, the book appears to be six feet away, causing the user's vision to converge at that virtual distance, but there is no book. To resolve the image properly, their eyes must focus on the lenses of the VR headset, which are just inches away. This disconnect can cause significant, persistent discomfort.VR Treatment: The Real DealVirtual reality isn't a perfect mechanism for helping people, but the results speak for themselves. From graded exposure therapy for PTSD and VR wellness and stress relief for mental health to memory-boosting benefits for older adults and more, VR treatments are the real deal.Don't mind us — we're just exploring how VR can change the future of engineering. See how it works.

VR Wellness: Exploring the Real Benefits of Virtual Treatment

Key takeaways Virtual reality in education is changing the way students experience the classroom, especially in STEM fields. Virtual reality and learning can help improve student comprehension. VR is inspiring the next generation of STEM enthusiasts.When used in education, virtual reality (VR) allows students to gain many types of experiences they wouldn't normally have access to in their classrooms. VR allows students to take virtual field trips to places as unusual as the inside of a computer, a fusion reactor and even the moon or Mars.The type of immersive experiences that VR in education can provide to students, especially in STEM fields, is often more exciting and stimulating than what they'd have access to in a conventional learning environment. Another advantage of virtual reality and learning is that it can be effective with children of all ages. That's because VR provides students an opportunity to learn hands-on and may be attractive to students who might not otherwise be interested in STEM. Additionally, VR simulations broaden the assortment of real-world uses students can investigate.Technology to Promote Better Student ComprehensionVR science education can place students in situations that, in a standard classroom, might be difficult to visualize. For example, VR can give students the opportunity to get hands-on experience with especially large sets of data, which are common in STEM subjects such as astronomy, genetics and climate science. It also gives students a sense of already being in real-world work situations.For example, the Simmons School of Education and Human Development uses a chemistry mobile app to help students learn chemistry by allowing them to manipulate physical blocks to create elements. The virtual classroom looks similar to a video game, with student collaborators as the "players." Students learn about geometric shapes and about how angle, speed and gravity impact projectile motion. Similar technology from Google allows students to experience VR expeditions, such as landing on Mars or exploring the inside of a carbon capture lab.This type of technology also provides many learning benefits, such as increased focus, engagement and learner involvement. For example, VR science education makes exploring a coral reef, flying through the bloodstream to learn about cells or testing an engineering prototype easier for students to understand. Students can also experience simulations in fields such as natural history, computer programming, aeronautical engineering or astrophysics. By actually exploring these virtual science worlds, they can gain a greater retention of STEM fundamentals.Since virtual reality and learning use interactive features to help students connect with the curriculum, it has the potential to improve their learning experience and memory, according to research published in Frontiers in Psychology. This is because the immersive nature of the virtual reality experience increases both cognitive and behavioral engagement, so students are better able to understand and remember what they learned in greater depth, which is critical to positive learning outcomes. The type of interactive features that VR in the classroom provides can also increase the ability of students to grasp and retain STEM subjects, and this, in turn, can help build life skills that will prepare them for future professions in STEM.Next Generation STEMAs outlined by Accelerate Learning, another benefit of VR in the classroom is that it supports a wide range of learning styles and impairments with features such as text-to-speech and closed captioning, enabling more students to succeed.In addition to making STEM fun, virtual reality in education encourages analytical and critical thinking and can enhance students' problem-solving abilities. It can also foster more collaboration. With VR, students in different locations can work together on experiments, design solutions with one another or problem-solve as a team.But why isn't VR in all classrooms yet? Namely, costs. One major drawback of using VR in STEM classrooms is the upfront cost of headgear, software and content. STEM teachers also need to be trained on the best practices of how to incorporate VR and learning. There are currently several workshops, classes and events that supply educators with the technical knowledge and skills they need to utilize VR equipment and software in their classrooms. The investment in VR is a long-term commitment to STEM education.Since it's highly likely VR will continue to transform the way students interact with STEM subjects, it will be increasingly important for educators and educational policymakers to supply teachers with the support they need so all students can embrace the full potential of VR in education.Find out more about how engineers at Northrop Grumman are using virtual reality to help visualize what's possible.

Virtual Reality and Learning: How VR Is Changing STEM Education

As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, so does healthcare. Basic patient care, the treatment of diseases and medical research are now so intertwined with technology that seemingly every day brings a new discovery that transforms medicine.   Advances in healthcare technology offer patients the hope, and sometimes the very real promise, of solving medical issues that can be debilitating and life threatening. From addiction to chronic pain, technology is changing healthcare. Here is a look at several areas of medicine and patient care that are benefiting from health technology.   Bringing the Doctor to You   Videoconferencing, emails and text messages are virtually bringing healthcare professionals right into the homes of patients. At the very least, telemedicine is convenient, removing the worry of routine checkup travel for infirm patients. But patients also benefit from a steady flow of communication with health professionals who can quickly answer questions about medication, diet and other quality of life issues that can mount when unchecked.   One study shows that more than 70 percent of healthcare providers use some form of telemedicine tools, according to mHealthIntelligence. These tools primary consist of videoconferencing, but experts predict patients will soon share data such as vital signs, genetic scores and microbiome information in real time with their doctors, The Washington Post reported.   Some contend that telemedicine can't deliver the same level of care as face-to-face medical appointments, where doctors can more closely examine patients. But with telemedicine expected to only grow (the federal government recently expanded telehealth coverage in Medicare), there's a larger call for health professionals to be properly trained on how to treat patients remotely. Telemedicine appears to be here to stay.   Treating Addiction and Mental Health   Telemedicine has also become an option for health professionals treating addiction and mental health issues. To battle the opioid epidemic, Congress is working on a bill that would allow health care providers to prescribe anti-addiction controlled substances through telemedicine in limited circumstances, said mHealthIntelligence. This would benefit patients in rural areas who can't immediately seek help at distant and overbooked treatment centers. Similarly, professionals are using videoconferencing to counsel patients with mental health issues, including those in remote locations or in prisons.    Yet, advanced medical care extends beyond videoconferencing. Virtual reality therapy, for one, exposes patients to triggers and stressors, letting them face fears and trauma in the safe environment of a doctor's office. A Vanderbilt University researcher believes that the ubiquity of virtual reality devices will even allow patients to use this therapy at home to quickly stop relapses, according to The Fix.    A search of the Android and iTunes app stores reveals scores of mental health applications that promise to improve people's daily struggles with their mental health. Some apps detect a change in a person's behavioral patterns and offer a notification to consider seeking help. The apps can also quicken communication between patients and professionals, including opening a direct text to a crisis center. Other applications claim to improve crucial thinking skills and memory.    Managing Chronic Pain   Wearable devices aren't just for monitoring heart rate, miles exercised and other wellness signs. Some also promise to relieve chronic pain. As health professionals aim to stop prescribing opioids to treat pain, a new breed of wearables holds the allure of stimulating and modulating the body's pain-regulating mechanisms.   Neuromodulation therapy has existed since at least the 1960s, and patients with pain caused by damaged nerves have long turned to stimulators that have to be implanted via surgery. But, as highlighted by MIT Technology Review, several companies are now offering wearable stimulators to manage chronic pain. These wearables can be used with less invasive, non-surgical procedures. One such wearable was found to relieve shoulder pain more effectively than physical therapy in patients who had suffered a stroke.   The Future of Medicine   This is just the starting point of technology's promise to revolutionize healthcare and make way for advanced medical care. The tool CRISPR-Cas9 holds the promise of repairing or replacing genes with accuracy and, at little cost, tapping the human genetic code in the never-ending quest to cure diseases. Also, the advanced analytical powers of artificial intelligence offer the possibility of diagnosing diseases faster than the minds of the best medical researchers.    Whether it's something as simple as a teleconferenced doctor visit or as surreal as a virtual reality treatment to treat mental health, healthcare technology will continue to shape medical care for the foreseeable future. 

Advances in Healthcare Technology Enhance Medical Care and Treatment

The gaming industry became a juggernaut in the 21st century, and the social restrictions of the COVID pandemic only accelerated that trend. According to the Entertainment Software Association's 2021 report, there are almost 227 million video game players in the United States. Eighty percent of them are over the age of 18, and nearly half (45%) identify as women. Once maligned as the province of kids in their parents' basement, video games are for everyone, everywhere. Games have become ubiquitous in part because there are so many ways to play them. From a console connected to a television, to mobile devices, to multiplayer experiences, there isn't one "right" way to do it. Some people choose to engage with multiple options, while others prefer just one. Here's a breakdown of the different types of video games. Mobile Gaming The rise of mobile gaming has made a huge impact on the gaming industry as a whole; Global Industry Analysts, a market research firm, estimates that the mobile gaming market is worth $20.3 billion domestically, with more growth on the horizon. It makes sense: Unlike many other types of video games, playing on a mobile device has very few barriers to entry. Most people have access to smartphones, and gaming is as simple as downloading an app. The rise of free-to-play games, which allow people to start playing at no cost to themselves, has only added to the popularity of mobile gaming. Video Games on a Computer Whether you have a PC, Mac, or run Linux, you can play video games on your home computer. Services like Steam serve as a marketplace for video games and allow people to browse and purchase whatever they'd like to play. It's important to note that while these types of video are generally more accessible than console gaming (because most people have a computer at home), they can be more complex in some ways because not every game is compatible with every system. Many games only work on certain operating systems — Windows is by far the most popular — and some graphics-intensive games may not play well on a typical home PC. Console Gaming Console gaming is more traditional, to be sure, but it can also be easier to figure out if you want to play the latest games. For the most part, games designed for these systems work as they should without having to tweak settings. (Though that's not always the case, as the infamous case of Cyberpunk 2077 proved.) However, the hardware can sometimes be expensive and hard to find. For example, the PlayStation 5 is still very hard to find in stores over a year after its release. But there's a huge wealth of games to play if you can get your hands on a PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo — even an older model. Virtual Reality (VR) VR hasn't taken off the way some people have predicted, but that doesn't mean that will continue to be the case. Virtual reality headsets are getting cheaper year by year, and the quality is increasing. The problem is that, unlike consoles, VR isn't one size fits all (quite literally — people's heads are different sizes), and it's hard to get the degree of customization people need to be comfortable with the technology. Still, it's getting more and more popular with lower barriers for entry. Virtual Tabletop (VTT) Gaming Tabletop games have increased in popularity significantly over the last few years, and now many people are playing them virtually. There are all kinds of software for playing VTT games, especially RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. Many are web-based, though some involve downloadable software for your computer, and other systems even support VR. Usually, VTT is played in groups, so while the cost of entry is often low, it doesn't make sense unless you're already part of a crew that is playing virtually. Video games are enmeshed in entertainment culture, and their market share is only going to increase over the next few years. As the industry continues to evolve, the question is not whether people will keep playing, but how will they play? Are you interested in all things related to VR and AR? We are, too. Check out Northrop Grumman career opportunities to see how you can participate in this fascinating time of discovery.

A Beginner's Guide to Types of Video Games

Immersive technology known as extended reality (XR) is driving benefits in the design and manufacturing industry. XR solutions encompass virtual, augmented and mixed reality technology, but how could the manufacturing sector utilize extended reality practically?
Here are some of the most realistic ways XR is being used today to transform the industry.
Simplifying Design, Testing and Development
The earlier engineers can catch an issue with a design, the better. Traditionally, engineers review computer-aided design models on their computer screens and then build physical prototypes for design iteration. Now, they can use a Highly Immersive Virtual Environment (HIVE) to test and develop their designs.
Azad Kupelian, systems engineering manager and chair of a Northrop Grumman committee called the XR Community of Practice, explains why this matters: “XR allows us to make those design discoveries earlier and make the changes while everything is still a digital model before anything physical is built.”
The main purpose of HIVE is to study human factors, such as ergonomics and safety. A design can appear perfect on paper (or more likely, in digital form), but the true test comes when humans interact with it. HIVE uses mixed reality — a combination of the physical world and a digital model (e.g., of a spacecraft, rocket engine, satellite, etc.) — to identify design issues before physical prototyping.
It uses a combination of 3D models, which are updated continuously throughout the design cycle, along with Hollywood-style motion capture technology (i.e., computer-generated imagery) to allow people to interact with digital twins of the designs.
“We can put a technician inside of a spacecraft,” says Remy Verdeille, a Northrop Grumman test engineer working on a classified spacecraft nicknamed Sagittarius. “It allows us to get into the virtual world with our spacecraft and then step through some of the operations we’re planning to perform in the future.”
Streamlining the Supply Chain
XR can help connect the teams responsible for components and subsystems, too. As Kupelian says, “It allows the downstream teams to simulate and discover problems in time to influence the design and the upstream teams and give them feedback.”
Traditionally, engineers have to wait for suppliers to deliver subsystems before they can do the testing and integration. Then, if they discover any issues, they have to disassemble everything and start over. But with XR, they can work out any flaws while the design is still in progress, which can help them make decisions without wasting time or physical resources.
The same idea applies to internal teams. Typically, the various teams — from systems engineers and design engineers to manufacturing engineers and beyond — work separately. Doing so can create challenges because design engineers are focused on the program’s requirements, such as weight, size and heat dispersion, while the manufacturing team has to figure out how to assemble it. With XR, any gaps between manufacturing and design can be worked out in a simulation far in advance of the actual assembly of the product.
Accelerating Assembly and Integration
Engineering Manager Oscar Castillo believes the key to digital transformation is creating better work instructions. He explains that, while consumer assembly instructions (for items like IKEA furniture and LEGO sets) use visual aids to explain how to put things together, manufacturing instructions are different. Not only is the end product much more complex, but the designs are also more dynamic and can change at the last minute. As such, instructions are typically just a block of text.
“We can use a digital thread to start and then augmented reality for visual aids,” Castillo says. “Then, when changes are made in the design, it’s updated automatically — and your instructions are updated, as well. That way, you get the best of both worlds: You get the assurance that you’re working with the most up-to-date information, but you’re also getting the right visual aids to do your work correctly and efficiently.”
Extended reality can also help with the integration and test side of manufacturing by enabling engineers to work remotely alongside technicians in hard-to-reach places. The team that built the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), for example, used augmented reality headsets.
“We had to do operations inside the middle of Webb, where we could only fit one person at a time,” says Verdeille. He adds, “A lot of our processes involve having someone witness what the technician is doing and verify that he’s done it correctly before moving forward.”
The technician dropped into the center of the nearly 70-foot telescope while wearing an AR headset with a camera and voice capability. It was as if the design engineer and quality assurance person were with the technician throughout the entire procedure to verify the work.
Reimagining Manufacturing
How could the manufacturing sector utilize extended reality? There are endless ways. Varying degrees of immersion can achieve different goals; whenever a physical product is involved, XR can help. Extended reality also supports a larger industry initiative: digital transformation.
“Company-wide, we’re trying to do everything digitally with a single model of the system,” says Kupelian. This just goes to show the impact ER is already having — and will continue to have — on manufacturing as a whole.


Are you interested in all things related to virtual and augmented reality? We are, too. Learn more about life at Northrop Grumman, and check out our career opportunities to see how you can participate in this fascinating time of discovery in science, technology and engineering. 

How Extended Reality Technology Is Transforming Manufacturing

Politics, pressures and profits aside, the Olympics remain a source of inspiration for athletes and fans alike. From the inception of the modern games in 1896, to the offset of the Summer and Winter Games in 1992, the history of the Olympics is fraught with change, struggle and ultimately evolution. As the Winter Games have grown, so has the sports technology needed to improve athlete performance, enhance audience experience and answer the ultimate question every two years: Who is the best in the world?Timing TechTiming is everything, especially at the Olympics. The games have come a long way from sideline judges holding analog stopwatches. Official timekeeper Omega is rolling out new technologies at Pyeongchang, according to SportTechie, to help viewers at home better understand how close high-level competitors are when it comes to timing and technique. For example, the company's STROMOTION sports technology will capture ski jump athletes' performances frame-by-frame, then overlay previous skiers' jumps to compare technique.Podium-Worthy ProstheticsParalympians have also benefited from the evolution of sports technology. As noted by CNN, the first athlete-focused prosthetics were heavy, clumsy and painful to wear, but new iterations, such as Ottobock's Genium X3, include micro-processors that automatically adjust to users' stride patterns, while companies like Northrop Grumman are developing custom-fit sockets for prosthetics that could help improve overall comfort.Clothing ConsiderationsOlympic athletes' clothing is a highlight of the games. Consider the significant reaction garnered by Team USA's reveal of fringed leather gloves for their entrance into Pyeongchang this year. But according to Scientific American, athlete outwear designer Ralph Lauren is also leveraging technology to help mitigate extremely cold temperatures in South Korea. Using strips of heat-conducting metallic ink composed of silver and carbon, self-warming jackets help American athletes stave off hypothermia during the opening and closing ceremonies.Digging Into DataIn a world dominated by big data, athletes can't afford to ignore critical information that could improve their overall performance. The challenge is finding effective ways to capture and analyze this data. Consider the Winter Olympic sport of curling, which sees both teams sliding granite rocks down a sheet of ice and "sweeping" that ice correctly to maximize speed and rock placement. Traditionally, great curlers relied on technique but lacked ways to measure the efficacy of their sweeping and brushing. Enter the SmartBroom. As noted by the New York Times, each broom contains four sensors that relay stroke force and rate to help analyze performance. This Canadian invention helped both the men's and women's teams sweep gold at Sochi and is now used by professional curlers worldwide.Virtual RealitySeeing is believing, but when it comes to the Olympics, it's easy to miss critical shots or key jumps because the action simply happens too fast. But technology companies are upping the ante at Pyeongchang by streaming much of the games in virtual reality, allowing viewers to see what they want, when they want and from any angle. According to Business Insider, NBC will air more than 50 hours of live VR coverage during the games. South Korean telecommunication companies are also using the Olympics as a test run for lightning-fast 5G networks that could reasonably support real-time VR experiences, said Business Times.The U.S. Olympic team is also using VR to shore up training efforts since they've had precious little time to practice on South Korean courses. Coaching staff hope that virtual reality training simulators will help give American athletes the edge when their moment in the spotlight arrives, said Fast Company.Wearable WinnersAthlete-enabling wearable sports technology is also in development. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have recently developed a line of smart tech that measures the local metabolism of an athlete's muscles using near-infrared spectroscopy. This lets coaches determine how fast athletes are burning energy and provides critical data for athletes recovering after injuries.The history of the Olympics has established the games as a worldwide phenomenon that drives not only evolution in athlete performance but the creation of new technologies to better understand and appreciate the incredible talent on display. With the rise of VR, smart devices and big data, Pyeongchang 2018 promises to be a tour de force.

The History of the Olympics and Sports Technology: Raising the Bar

As humanity's presence in space continues to expand in the coming decades, the nature of space-based operations will become more extensive and complex. Recent advances in virtual reality (VR) systems and teleoperation technologies are exciting for the future of robotic space exploration. "The most recent footprints on the moon are 40 years old, and the next artificial mark on the lunar surface will probably be made by a robot's wheels rather than human soles," said Wired. As our involvement in space grows, there will be an increasing need for systems capable of performing a variety of operations, such as robotic space exploration, surveying, data gathering and much more. There is speculation about whether or not future space operations will involve direct human presence. "Humans can do great things while in space, but having the assistance of a robot can not only advance future exploration, it can also lead to great things back on Earth," said NASA. Remotely-located robots will operate semi-autonomously under human supervision, or be directly teleoperated. Space Jobs for Video Gamers Future space operations will demand more than standard two-dimensional computer displays and interfaces. Advances in VR systems and teleoperation technologies will improve the ability of humans to remotely control a variety of complex robotic operations in space. MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) recently presented a VR system allowing robot teleoperation using an Oculus Rift headset, which "embeds the user in a VR control room with multiple sensor displays, making it feel like they're inside the robot's head. By using hand controllers, users can match their movements to the robot's movements to complete various tasks," according to MIT News. "'A system like this could eventually help humans supervise robots from a distance,'" said Jeffrey Lipton, a CSAIL postdoctoral student. Unsurprisingly, those test users with video gaming experience were much more at ease using the system. It is imagined that gamifying future VR teleoperations will make them more accessible to and usable by future operators, said MIT News.  Enable targeting cookies to view this content. The Challenge of Proximity Consider the difficulty of conducting teleoperated robotic space exploration on a remote planet or moon. Depending on where you are in space, the vast distances involved can make real-time communications and control from Earth impossible. Real-time teleoperations are almost entirely limited by the speed of light and the communications latency resulting from large distances. Commands sent to a Mars rover can take as long as 21 minutes to arrive. As VR and teleoperation technologies continue to advance, NASA is exploring these limits to determine how far an operator can be from a robot and not be significantly impacted by latency. With advanced telepresence, robotic space exploration could be conducted effectively from a distance of many thousands of miles with high human operator cognition. For example, some lunar operations might be controlled by Earth-based users in real time, aided by sophisticated predictive algorithms and displays that will help the users to at least partially overcome the effects of this communications latency. Beyond the Moon What about robotic space exploration beyond the moon? NASA hopes to send humans to Mars in the 2030s, but first they must figure out how to safely transport humans to and from the Martian surface. However, some mission architectures are being explored that would bring humans into orbit around Mars without landing them on the surface, at least initially, and at far less cost. These human teleoperators could safely manage an army of surface robots from Mars' orbit in real time, to explore, survey and build the infrastructure for eventual human settlement. This mission architecture opens up some exciting possibilities. A similar approach could one day be used to explore the extremely inhospitable surface of Venus in real time from orbit, using specially hardened robots designed to operate in its harsh environment.

Robotic Space Exploration Enhanced by Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that most people today associate with immersive video games, examining planned structures before construction starts or safely practicing complex tasks.But VR has more surprising applications. Alongside other technologies from videoconferencing to big data analytics, VR is even finding a place in providing returning veterans with treatments for PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.Looking Fear in the EyeSoldiering has always been stressful. And people have known for ages that the traumatic effects of battle do not always end when a soldier comes home. A hundred years ago, World War I called new attention to this hazard, first referred to by soldiers as "shell shock". During World War II, Life magazine artist Tom Lea created the unforgettable portrait of a shell shocked marine after the battle of Peleliu. The haunting image further raised America's awareness of the condition and impact of war on their returning veterans.After the Vietnam War, the condition came to be known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and intensive research began into helping veterans overcome its effects. And since the 1980s, technology has been enlisted to provide treatments for PTSD.Researchers discovered that familiar old sayings — facing down fear, or looking fear in the eye — reflect a basic truth about the human mind. Reliving a terrifying experience might seem like the very last thing that would help you get past it. But it turns out that one of the most powerful ways that the mind's innate healing powers can overcome traumatic experiences is by recalling them in a controlled — and safe — way, literally looking at terrifying memories.A basic technique for doing so involves describing the experience while a clinician monitors a vet's eye movement, a technique now known as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR.Virtually Back to the BattlefieldEMDR has now acquired a powerful ally in defeating PTSD. When virtual reality technology was developed, defense researchers knew that it could be used to help train service members to face tomorrow's threats. But more surprisingly, VR can also help veterans by allowing safe recall of traumatic experiences.Using VR technology, clinicians can create immersive experiences that reproduce a traumatic experience such as an ambush or dealing with an improvised bomb. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), this is an application of the general principle known as exposure therapy. Virtual reality, says the NCBI, "creates fictitious, safe, and controllable situations that can enhance emotional engagement and acceptance" of a traumatic experience.VR therapy for PTSD survivors is still in the developmental stage, says the NCTI, and larger-scale studies must be carried out to determine its strengths and limitations, and how best to deploy it. But it is already playing a part in helping veterans complete their return home.Making Contact With Friendly ForcesTechnology is also playing a more indirect role in providing veterans with treatments for PTSD. One of the greatest challenges these vets face is that the very characteristics that helped them survive on the battlefield — such as cultivating the stiff upper lip and a self-conception as tough — can make it harder to defeat PTSD.The VA and veterans' organizations are thus enlisting allies such as the internet and videoconferencing technology to connect with veterans who may find it difficult to talk openly about PTSD and their experiences or who simply live a long ways from clinical support.And while PTSD was first identified among returning warriors, they are not the only ones who can benefit from new technologies that provide treatments for PTSD. First responders such as police and firefighters, and survivors of rape and other traumatic experiences, also battle its effects, and may soon benefit from these technologies.Northrop Grumman is committed to working with military veterans transitioning to a new career.

Virtual Reality May Really Help Treatments for PTSD

Emerging technology and the new normal of work are converging to define the future of work. The aerospace industry is in the middle of a digital transformation, adopting new processes and tools for every stage of engineering. From initial design to testing and production, every step of the job is now approached with a digital-first mindset. All this innovation is creating a new work environment. Northrop Grumman is developing technologies that could transform employee processes and the way businesses operate. So, what does this mean for employees and business outcomes? A New Way of Working "We have a whole host of new technologies continuing to burgeon between AI, big data and analytics, hypersonics and cyber technology," says Peter Brooks, vice president of talent acquisition for Northrop Grumman. "The skills that were mainstream 20 years ago are not going to sustain into the future." All the exciting technological advancements that are propelling the next industrial revolution — often called Industry 4.0 or smart manufacturing — are changing the workplace. Here are some ways technology is changing the future of work in aerospace manufacturing:   Designs were previously done with pencil and paper. Then, when computers were introduced to the industry, a digital copy of the design was created online. Now, engineers from different disciplines and in different locations work together in an interactive and comprehensive 3D computer model.  With a DevSecOps approach, development, security and operations work on parallel paths throughout the entire product life cycle so that any potential issues are resolved early in the design process.  Computer simulation ensures that every product is tested extensively before it even goes into production.  Advanced tools such as virtual reality and augmented reality provide an extra layer of testing, even in places humans previously struggled to reach, such as the top of an aircraft, inside a space station or inside an avionics system where tiny screws are used.  Now, robots can help to build products and even conduct inspections by automatically detecting anomalies in the finished goods.  The types of products and services in the industry are rapidly expanding to include cutting-edge technology, such as upgrading existing equipment with new sensors and connectivity (the Internet of Things, IoT), incorporating artificial intelligence software into defense systems and using data analytics to gain new insights such as predictive maintenance.  Constant Learning For many years, manufacturing careers involved a prescribed set of skills. For example, previous generations learned COBOL, a programming language that prevailed for 40 years. Now, technology is changing at such a rapid pace that engineers need to constantly keep up with the latest tools and programming languages. This means learning is no longer a linear path; it's now a continuous endeavor. "We need to make sure that our team and potential candidates out in the market are constantly honing and rediscovering the latest and greatest technology," says Brooks. In some instances, this means a formal education path. At the same time, many employees are learning on the job, participating in technical training programs at work and using Northrop Grumman's employee portal to take courses and tutorials online. "Sometimes, you need to be so prescribed in terms of transitioning your skill set that you go to a graduate program for a couple of semesters or you take a certification class," Brooks explains. "Other times, you just need to do some quick learning in the moment, and it could be a 30-minute tutorial or a two-hour webinar. The key is to make sure that we have all of those arrows in the quiver for our employees." New Opportunities for Success Northrop Grumman is a collaborative workplace with critical in-person face time with colleagues, especially in the manufacturing environment. Work for customers like the Department of Defense and NASA typically requires heightened levels of security that often require working on-site in a closed network that external people cannot access. Still, recent events have pushed leaders across the company take a hard look at every aspect of work — including virtual and remote work for certain roles. "Our employee safety needs to be paramount, and we need to leverage technology in ways that enable us to work virtually or in hybrid ways when possible," Brooks says. An Office That's Out of This World Northrop Grumman credits this ability to adapt with helping the company push forward with ground-breaking technology even with challenges in the world. Including the challenge of what it's like to work on other planets. The company continued to develop and test the new Habitat and Logistics Outpost, HALO, which will house astronauts during lunar missions, throughout 2020 and 2021. "One of the reasons the HALO remains on schedule is because we use digital models and virtual reality to transport engineers to the moon and the harsh environment of space," says Brooks. "And of course that's predicated on the talent and the commitment of our team, but that digital transformation enables some pretty radical advancement in terms of program support." Check out Northrop Grumman career opportunities to see how you can participate in this fascinating time of discovery in science, technology, and engineering.

Future of Work: How Emerging Technology Is Transforming the Workplace With Innovation and Efficiency

 The military is no stranger to virtual reality (VR) technology. As noted by Wareable, the U.S. Army uses a combination of custom-made controllers and VR headsets to effectively mimic field-of-battle scenarios and have new soldiers perform various tasks under pressure, while the BBC reports that researchers in the United Kingdom are developing bomb-disposal training which is 90 percent cheaper and much safer than current training systems. But with VR systems coming down in price as they ramp up in quality, action-based virtual reality gaming is quickly becoming the norm — are kids just having fun, or can advanced game tech help potential recruits master the military mindset?Live Action or Living Room According to GeekWire, the HoloLens technology from Microsoft, which can display real-time battle data or help conduct training scenarios, has now "joined the military" to help Marines conduct training scenarios and researchers study the potential effects of IEDs. But as noted by Engadget, game-based VR such as the "Jackal Assault" space combat simulator — part of the incredibly popular "Call of Duty" franchise — is now available to all PS4 owners who also have a PlayStation VR headset. The verdict? It's immersive, fun and adrenaline-filled, marking common ground between commercially available game tech and some cutting-edge devices used by the military. VR is also making its way into the world of quick decision-making with the advent of realistic driving games. As noted by Michael Addabbo, Systems Engineer in Modeling and Simulation for Northrop Grumman: "Sometimes I'll go home and race in virtual online racing using a VR. The cars and race tracks are so accurate, professionals use them to practice, and I've found myself racing online with professional racing drivers practicing using VR." The ability to mimic real-world scenarios such as combat situations or high-speed racing puts VR on the path to significantly influence military technology — not only are gamers interested in what military operations look like from the inside, virtual reality games establish the foundation for effective skill-building.All Fun and Games? Of course it's easy to dismiss shoot-em-up games, even in virtual reality, as a poor imitation of actual military encounters. It makes sense; the violence depicted can be over-the-top or entirely too real without context, giving rise to worries that gamers who play combat-based simulators could develop issues such as increased aggression or decreased empathy. Recent research, however, paints a different picture. As noted by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), new studies show that action games may boost cognitive abilities thanks to "improvement in perceptual templates, which help subjects understand their surroundings." In addition, researchers found that these benefits lasted for months after the initial experiment concluded, suggesting a net positive effect for gameplay. Psychology Today, meanwhile, reports that combat games which focus on working within teams suggests "a strong potential value of cooperative play in developing social behavior and curbing antisocial thoughts and behavior." In other words, being part of a tight-knit unit improves emotional resilience. And VR itself has come a long way from low-res imitations of the real world; now, accurate modeling and object physics help users apply skills learned in virtual simulations to the real world. Consider aviation — according to Addabbo, "with today's level of realism in VR, we're able to completely replicate the modern cockpit virtually. Every switch and knob works just like the real aircraft. Currently we're prototyping concepts in VR before we commit to fabricating real parts. We can explore things in VR and let real pilots try them out before we fabricate real parts saving time and money."Super Soldiers Consider: What's the ideal personality profile for military personnel? Individuals with strong communication skills, solid team-building experience, exceptional chaos and stress management and the ability to react quickly if situations change or hostile threats emerge. Current games provide the foundation for improved cognitive ability, communication and team work, while virtual reality gaming may help take the experience to the next level by introducing a kind of controlled chaos — gamers are immersed through visual, auditory and even tactile stimuli and must then respond to chaotic situations such as a pitched battle, nighttime air assault or virtual bomb defusal. Real-world results back up the potential benefits; as noted by Azad Kupelian, Lead Systems and Software Engineer for Northrop Grumman: "We're not just seeing cognitive gains through VR, but we're modeling the efficiencies of how people interact with machines and each other. Through the use of VR for factory design, we're able to more accurately predict how teams will work together on a floor before we even break ground, and also foresee how a part's design affects our ability to manufacture it much earlier in the development process, when changes cost less." Combined with the right outreach programs from military agencies, it may be possible to leverage VR gaming as an effective way to reach better-than-average recruits who can more easily transition into tech-savvy military roles. VR is now a reality for combat organizations worldwide. But augmented gaming may offer a new way to leverage this technology and seek out potential members with an above-average military mindset.

Virtual Reality Gaming: Mastering the Military Mindset?

 Humans are obsessed with technology. According to CNN, 80 percent of teens now check their phones hourly for updates and 72 percent feel the need to immediately respond if they receive a text. More than half of adults put themselves at risk by checking phones while they're driving and almost as many make regular efforts to "cut down" the amount of time they spend on their device. Meanwhile, advances in future technologies like VR and augmented reality make it easier than ever for users to lose themselves in virtual worlds or change their perception of reality. So it's worth considering: What's the next step? Here's a look at five technologies from season three of terrifying sci-fi series "Black Mirror" — could they really exist, and what's the potential public impact?1) "San Junipero": Eternal Life Let's start with arguably the most hopeful episode of the series: San Junipero. It's simple: The titular town is actually a VR construct which houses the consciousness of the dead or dying and allows them to enjoy a kind of eternal life as their younger selves. The living are allowed to "visit" five hours per week and those on their deathbed can choose an upload to San Junipero or a natural demise. Could it happen in real life? Possibly. MMOs (or Massively Multiplayer Online) are massively popular and advancements in VR now make it possible to see, hear and feel in virtual space. Neurological progress is also being made — for example, researchers may have discovered a way to give amputees direct control over artificial limbs with better neuron readings. Simply put, don't expect to see eternal life advertised next week but don't rule it out. Potential problems? People ending their lives early to enjoy paradise, or a server failure that "crashes" eternal life consciousness.2) "Nosedive": Continual Person-to-Person Ratings What if social media had bigger teeth? That's the idea behind the future technologies in "Nosedive," which imagines a world where everyone rates everyone else and these ratings directly inform social status, allowing highly rated people access to medical treatments and better living conditions. In reality, this tech already has legs: Consider controversial app Peeple, which lets users write "reviews" of other human beings. Not surprisingly, the creation of the app caused an online ratings backlash for the creator — who was oddly surprised by this effect — and already there's talk of letting people pay to access everything that has been written about them. The potential impact? Social judgment on an entirely new scale.3) "Hated in the Nation": Artificial Bees With the bee population at critical levels, an episode involving artificial insects was timely. But the problem didn't stem from pollination — instead, the bees were given kill-commands using facial-recognition technology to seek out "hated" targets as judged by social media. While current robotics don't match this level of sophistication, the notion of co-opting cybernetic devices for nefarious purposes isn't new and big companies like Google are shoveling money into better facial recognition.4) "Men Against Fire": Augmented Reality In "Men Against Fire" soldiers have their strength, speed and senses enhanced with a device called the MASS. As it turns out, the device changes the way they see potential targets, making regular humans seem like monsters and therefore easier to attack. Military desensitization training isn't exactly new, but consider the social implications: Already, tech like Snapchat and its Spectacles let you apply filters to faces in real time; what if this became commonplace, allowing users to see who and what they wanted to see, when they wanted to see it? Not only could this make for some awkward interactions — but if devices were hacked, the results could be disastrous.5) "White Christmas": The Z-Eye It's not from season 3 but it deserves a mention on the list of future technologies — the Z-Eye tech from "White Christmas" which lets users "block" others and appear as nothing more than white static. It works in a few different ways: as a kind of restraining order which prevents one of the main characters from seeing his estranged girlfriend or their daughter, and a government-imposed whiteout for another "peeping tom" who sees everyone as white static while they see him as red. Sure, mandatory implants aren't on the docket just yet but wearables are on the way up and given the connection obsession prevalent worldwide, it's not hard to imagine a world where social tech is used to restrict interaction based on personal preference or as punishment for crimes. The concern? Extremes — for instance, what happens in the case of a wrongful conviction or device malfunction? Whiteouts seem harmless enough but what happens when being part of an overly social world means you're entirely alone? Technology isn't inherently good or evil. As evidenced by "Black Mirror," it's our interpretation and implementation of new devices which ultimately determines their public impact.

5 Future Technologies From Black Mirror and Their Potential Public Impact

Strap on an Oculus Rift headset and find yourself in another world. Immersive experiences are great for games and even business applications, but what about health? Researchers are now examining the benefits of virtual reality for both mental health, overall well-being and relaxation techniques. A New Mass Medium VR technology has been around for decades, but only in recent years has it become a form of mass media, with headset shipments topping 1 million units for the first time in 2017, according to Canalys. Manufacturers, meanwhile, have introduced devices that are ever more eye-popping. HTC's latest VR video player, Vive, for instance, has dual OLED displays with 78 percent greater resolution than the previous model, The Verge reported. As VR becomes more powerful and ubiquitous, its potential for supporting health increases. One possible application is treating post-traumatic stress disorder. As reported in Psychological Medicine, researchers reviewed 285 studies in which VR technology was used to treat mental illnesses such as anxiety and schizophrenia. The authors noted that VR treatment can reduce anxiety using relaxation techniques (soothing music, for example), and concluded that "VR has the potential to transform the assessment, understanding and treatment of mental health problems." The Great Outdoors If the benefits of virtual reality are seen in mental health treatment, what about overall wellness? It's long been established that going outdoors can boost well-being. For example, a 2016 University of Queensland study in Scientific Reports found that people who visited green spaces had lower blood pressure and lower rates of depression. Software developers are taking advantage of this link by creating VR environments that can relax users with music, animations and real or simulated natural environments. For instance, exVRience relaxation takes users through live-action 360-degree shots of Australian beaches, lagoons and waterfalls; Perfect offers a range of simulated mountain, sea and winter landscapes; and Nature Treks VR allows users to create their own relaxing simulated natural environments. The Drawbacks of VR  There are some potential issues, however, when it comes to VR technology and nature. One is the lack of clinical data showing that VR experiences can be as effective as actually being in natural surroundings; this may come in the near future as application use is studied more. Another concern is whether or not people will replace taking a walk in the woods with strapping on a VR headset. Photographer and panoramic filmmaker Thomas Hayden thinks that isn't a real worry because he sees VR as something that will inspire people to eventually seek out real nature, just like nature documentaries have done for nearly a century. "VR places the viewer into an experience," Hayden told Sierra. "It's an incredible use of technology to inspire people who might never get to see Mount Everest or the Grand Canyon to realize that our natural areas need protecting."  Anyone for Virtual Tennis? Aside from de-stressing in the virtual outdoors, headsets could benefit users by getting them to exercise. Developers are taking a cue from Nintendo's Wii Sports — which allows gamers to play simulated tennis and other sports — by using VR to create more immersive sports game environments. Workout and sports apps such as BOXVR, Knockout League and Sparc challenge players to move their bodies to defeat virtual opponents or complete an exercise regimen. Zwift is a popular interactive cycling simulator in which players use indoor trainers in front of video screens, and it has also teased a VR edition. So while VR headsets have often been pigeonholed as gaming devices, they're becoming powerful therapeutic, relaxation and fitness tools. If you haven't tried one out yet, there's no time like the present. 

Relaxation Among the Many Benefits of Virtual Reality

Virtual and augmented reality are becoming so integrated into modern life that we often take them for granted. When watching football games on TV, fans intuitively look for the yellow "first-down line," which marks how far the offensive team needs to go to gain additional opportunities to score. First introduced in 1998, this computer-generated line requires a huge amount of effort to ensure that it always appears in the correct place as the TV broadcast zooms in and out and switches from camera to camera, as explained by HowStuffWorks. In Olympic swimming broadcasts, lanes may be marked similarly, with each swimmer's name, flag and speed in meters per second shown. More recently, programmers have developed phone apps that can guide you to a specific address, camera filters that allow you to attend online meetings as a cat, and websites that will put a specific couch in your living room so that you can see how it fits. These are all examples of augmented reality, which is firmly anchored in reality but enhanced with digital input. In contrast, virtual reality (VR) aims to immerse the user in a completely different world — perhaps a famous city, a faraway planet, the insides of a living animal, or a fantasy world limited only by the creators' imagination. Virtual reality starts with a head-mounted display that blocks out all surrounding light and replaces it with a digital world that the viewer can explore. How Do Virtual Reality Headsets Work? When you look at something in real life, your two eyes are viewing it at slightly different angles. Your brain processes these slightly different images to generate a 3D image. You can enhance your understanding of the 3D world by moving your head and viewing objects from different angles. So how do virtual reality headsets work? A virtual reality headset creates the illusion of 3D by presenting each eye with a slightly different view of the same scene. This is a good starting point, but what really sets VR apart from a good movie theater experience or a typical video game is that the user controls the point of view. When the user turns their head, the image they see changes accordingly. In an ideal virtual reality situation, the user can move 360 degrees around an object and interact with the environment in real time: touch things, feel things and move things around. The technology isn't there yet, but it is steadily progressing. Currently, a mid-level virtual reality system allows you to explore VR environments with three degrees of freedom. This means that the system can detect when you turn your head left or right, look up or down, or tilt your head from one side to another. The system cannot detect when you change the position of your entire body by walking around or sitting down, for example. The best virtual reality systems currently available enable you to explore VR environments with 6 degrees of freedom. In addition to tracking head movements, these systems also check your position within the physical room — forward and backward, left and right, and up and down. This allows for complete freedom within the VR environment, while also allowing for safeguards to prevent the user from crashing into a physical object like a wall. This high degree of accuracy typically requires installing cameras and sensors in the room, making it more expensive. Adding stereo sound provides an even more immersive experience, since humans hear in three dimensions. For example, sounds that originate from a person's right side will reach the right ear slightly before reaching the left ear, which helps with locating the source of the sound. VR developers use spatial audio to provide the illusion of 360-degree sound. This works by controlling volume, using left/right delay to convey direction, using head tracking to map auditory space, and manipulating reverberation and echo to simulate environmental factors. This amplifies the VR experience because humans normally respond more quickly to sound cues than to visual cues. For example, one might turn quickly to investigate the sound of a creaking door. Upcoming Advances While VR has made steady progress, it doesn't yet provide a fully immersive experience because the technology is still slower than the speed at which humans process visual information. Frames need to move at a fast pace within a VR headset to mimic what we see in real life. Experts believe that the human eye can handle up to 1000 frames per second, but not all of that information goes to the brain, according to XZ Today. The available evidence suggests that humans can discern frame rates up to 150 frames per second (FPS). Anything less than 60 FPS for VR tends to cause disorientation and nausea, so many developers are currently aiming for 90 FPS, with a longer-term goal of 120 FPS. In addition to fast frame rates, VR requires fast processing speeds. If it takes more than 20 milliseconds for a user's actions to produce an appropriate visual and audio response, the user's brain is unlikely to believe that the VR experience could be real. Increases in computing power will therefore aid in producing true, immersive VR experiences. Machine learning and AI advancements will also contribute to a more realistic experience. A graphics technique known as foveated rendering delivers ultra-high definition images only where the eye is focused and can significantly lower the computing power required to create an appropriate image. Finally, humans have more senses than just vision and hearing. Efforts are well underway to more fully incorporate the sense of touch through wired gloves for tactile stimulation. Other options include wearing bodysuits and adding smells and changes in heat intensity. Current and Future Applications The appeal of virtual and augmented reality has become clear, with obvious applications in gaming, tourism and any situation where people want to "try before buying." These technologies are also being used to safely but realistically train pilots, firefighters, astronauts, police officers, medical students and surgeons. For pilots, virtual reality is paired with a hydraulically operated cockpit that allows them to operate realistic controls and feel every tilt and turn. Virtual reality is also being used to treat chronic pain and help patients overcome anxiety disorders, including phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, as reported in Neurotherapeutics. Virtual and augmented reality may also help individuals recovering from stroke or traumatic brain injury, as Brain Science notes. As the technology continues to improve, virtual and augmented reality will undoubtedly become even more integrated into modern life, assisting with tasks as simple as watching sports and as complex as learning about faraway planets. Are you interested in all things related to VR and AR? We are too. Check out Northrop Grumman career opportunities to see how you can participate in this fascinating time of discovery.

Virtual and Augmented Reality: How Do Virtual Reality Headsets Work?

Today's technologies are revolutionizing the way we build everything from microchips to fighter jets. The fourth industrial revolution, often called Industry 4.0, is happening right now in factories worldwide. Artificial Intelligence (AI), smart factories and the Internet of Things (IoT) are no longer flashy demonstrations at trade shows or aspects of theoretical factory utopias. They are essential tools that manufacturers are using to keep up with their competition. In a Deloitte survey of 2,000 international business leaders, 70% of C-suite executives said that long-term business success requires the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into their operations. How Did We Get Here? Many technologies have matured in recent years, and early adopters are reaping the rewards. While it may seem like smart factories popped up overnight, the evolution has been gradual.   The first industrial revolution, centered in 18th century Britain, introduced water and steam power to early factories.  Around a century later, manufacturers experienced a historic boost with the second industrial revolution of assembly lines, telephone communication and new power sources (oil, gas, electric).  Then in the 1970s, computers, advanced telecommunications, data analysis and basic digitization stimulated the third industrial revolution.  Today, we're surrounded with 21st-century advancements. Sensors and robotics are simultaneously better and cheaper than they were just a few years ago. And cloud computing has made it practical and relatively easy for machines to communicate with us and each other. This fourth industrial revolution, as TechTarget defines, is "the cyber-physical transformation of manufacturing." Driving Technologies of Industry 4.0 Many of the same inventions that underpin today's popular consumer technology also contribute to the transformation of smart factories. Here are the biggest drivers of the current industrial revolution.   IoT: Machines are now equipped with sensors with an IP address, so they can connect to the internet. Supervisors can see information about the whole machine, its subsystems and even individual components. This helps with quality control, increasing productivity and predictive maintenance. Now, instead of waiting for something to break — which can cause a whole production line to shut down unexpectedly — supervisors can use data to optimize a maintenance schedule to keep everything running as efficiently as possible.  Artificial intelligence: Increased automation is a hallmark of the industrial revolution. Robots and software automation take over tasks that are dirty, dull or dangerous, so people can do other tasks such as strategic planning. Previous generations of robots did the heavy lifting and repetitive tasks. Now, they also collect data, move freely around factory floors and inspect goods to identify defects.  Cloud computing: Cloud computing enables nearly all driving technologies. Previously, computers used servers that were located on-premise. Now, you can use the internet to store and access data and software applications on off-site servers run by service providers. This gives companies access to more computational power with increased flexibility. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) explains that cloud computing can save manufacturers time and money.  Additive manufacturing, augmented and virtual reality, big data, simulation and system integration: These additional technologies are helping to push factories into the future. The list continues to grow as industrial leaders continue to embrace new technologies and modern approaches to streamline their businesses.  The real magic happens when technologies combine, and machines and software programs communicate with each other. "Even higher value is created when data from production operations is combined with operational data from ERP, supply chain, customer service and other enterprise systems to create whole new levels of visibility and insight from previously siloed information," according to IBM. More Sensors, More Problems? All these technological advancements bring incredible benefits to manufacturing environments. Industrial professionals now have more visibility into what's happening on factory floors, even when they aren't physically present. Machines are assisting technicians with physical tasks. And behind the scenes, software is reducing human mental load by making sense of all the data that sensors collect so that humans can make data-informed decisions. But nobody said revolutions were easy. Significant changes come with new problems. Along with its many benefits, Industry 4.0 also comes with challenges. First, new technologies usually require an initial investment, and not every industrial employee can have the latest and greatest tools at their disposal. Cybersecurity is a major concern. As machines, systems and individual components become "smarter," they also become vulnerable to threats such as malware, hackers and viruses. Therefore, cybersecurity must go hand in hand with all the other driving technologies. There are inevitable challenges, but the benefits of a new approach to manufacturing are so enormous that they can't be ignored. Are you interested in science and innovation? We are, too. Check out Northrop Grumman career opportunities to see how you can participate in this fascinating time of discovery.

21st Century Technology Drives Industry 4.0

"I didn't think a human could experience that much pain," Greenport, New York, resident Bob Jester says in a video from the website Immersive Health. In August 2016, Jester fell from a rooftop and broke 19 bones, mainly in his back and legs. After multiple surgeries, he found himself with several rods and 16 bolts in his back and was facing excruciating pain that kept him awake at night. That's when he started using virtual reality therapy as part of how to treat chronic pain.  Each day, when he felt as though he needed to pop another pain pill, Jester would put on virtual reality (VR) goggles and become immersed in a world that distracted him from his pain. It would take his attention away from the pain, he says, and soon he learned to train his brain to do that same thing for an hour or two after he used the technology. A year later, Jester had stopped using opioid pain medication and, although some doctors have told him that he will never walk again, he can now move his left leg. Chronic pain affects 50 million people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But virtual reality therapy is beginning to show results, reports a 2018 research review in the medical journal Current Pain and Headache Reports. The immersive experience distracts patients from pain enough to help them cope. For instance, a 2016 study published in PLOS One found that almost all of the 30 burn patients who used a five-minute VR application called "Cool!" reported a decrease in pain from the beginning of the session to the end. Ten said they felt no pain at all during the session. Findings like these are making virtual reality therapy a viable treatment for chronic pain. How to Treat Chronic Pain These medical approaches and other distraction-related VR therapies are based on the "gate control" theory of pain, which was first introduced in 1965, according to Pain-Health. The theory says that as pain messages travel through the nervous system, they encounter "gates" in the spinal cord. Some pain messages get through and reach the brain, while others do not. Distraction therapy gives the brain a chance to send a signal down the spinal cord and close the pain gates before the signal arrives at the brain. Several healthcare companies are merging medical theory and technology to develop chronic pain treatments that use VR. Los-Angeles-based AppliedVR is one of these providers. Since 2015, the company has developed solutions for more than 250 hospitals and 20,000 patients in eight countries globally. A variety of VR modules cover a different topic such as relaxation, breathing techniques, mindfulness meditation and positive thinking. Patients can not only learn to cope with chronic pain, anxiety or stress but also practice prepping for childbirth or an MRI scan. The Silicon Valley-based firm CognifiSense wants to pair VR with psychological therapies to address so-called maladaptive neuroplastic changes in the brain. These are changes that occur in the brain when the nervous system responds to an injury by establishing new nerve connections or altering the strength of existing ones. Sometimes these changes drive chronic pain; in theory, retraining them could reduce that pain. Virtual reality therapy is a relatively new kind of chronic pain treatment plan. But early results show that it may be effective. In a world where the overuse of opioid medications has led to addiction, overdose and death, finding new alternatives to dealing with pain is a priority. Relatively inexpensive and with no serious side effects, VR could offer an effective alternative.

How Virtual Reality Can Treat Chronic Pain

 The deadliest killer of American soldiers on the modern battlefield is not enemy artillery or sniper fire, or even improvised explosive devices (IEDs) such as roadside bombs. Instead, the deadliest killer is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — the overwhelming effect that sudden, shocking events combined with endless uncertainty can have on the human mind. In recent and ongoing wars, more U.S. service members have lost their lives to suicide than in combat. PTSD research has thus become a major focus of investigation by the defense and health communities. Recently, here at Now we looked at the role that technologies such as virtual reality (VR) are playing in therapies that help returning veterans overcome the effects of PTSD.From Recovery to Prevention But PTSD research is also taking the challenge to its next level, seeking to harness virtual reality not only to aid recovery from PTSD, but to prevent it from arising in the first place. This research effort starts from a reality of the battlefield that is known from ancient times: Training makes a profound difference. As Matthieu Aikins of Popular Science writes about seasoned troops operating in Afghanistan, they "had done this so many times during training that they were operating from muscle memory. The surge in stress sharpened their attention, heightened their performance." Preparing soldiers for the unexpected is a familiar role of military training. But research into using VR to help soldiers deal with horrific past experiences also pointed to the possibility that it could help prepare them for such experiences beforehand.Training for Trauma Albert "Skip" Rizzo of USC has played a leading role in these efforts, through a program known as STRIVE, which stands for Stress Resilience In Virtual Environments. As Roxanne Palmer writes in International Business Times, STRIVE is a "video game" that exposes its players to experiences that are left out of typical arcade games: Thus, in the STRIVE environment, "a soldier becomes virtually immersed in missions that will force him or her to confront emotionally challenging experiences: the deaths or injuries of civilian children, the deaths of fellow soldiers and handling human remains." To maximize the immersive effect, PTSD research is drawing on technology tools such as Northrop Grumman's Virtual Immersive Portable Environment (VIPE) Holodeck. In its broader training role, as Allen McDuffie writes in Wired, VIPE provides the fully immersive environment that effective training requires. Says Brig. Gen. Michael Lundy, "for us to be able to execute realistic training — good training — we have to be able to bring that operational environment" into a virtual reality world. This remains true even when that training involves learning to cope with the worst horrors of combat.Operating in Multiple Dimensions Working with virtual-reality tools through VIPE and STRIVE represents only one dimension of the ongoing battle against PTSD and its effects on service members. The tools of the information and intelligence battlefield, such as Big Data analytics, have also been enlisted to fight PTSD. For example, as Patricia Kime reports at Military Times, researchers at Northrop Grumman teamed up with the Defense Personnel and Security Research Center and the University of Utah National Center for Veterans Studies to investigate "suicide cues" — warning flags of potential suicide efforts — that can appear in social media posts. While the immediate focus of these efforts is safeguarding service members and veterans against the effects of battlefield PTSD, they will also help first responders, such as police, firefighters and paramedics, who are at risk from sudden exposure to horrific experiences. Ultimately these tools will help us to understand and protect against traumatic effects of stress that can arise in all walks of life.

New PTSD Research Aims at Prevention

In space, no one can hear you sleep — but it's possible that alarms could one day wake astronauts on alien worlds hundreds or thousands of light years away. This is the promise and potential of suspended animation, sometimes called human hibernation or "cryosleep." While it's still (mostly) the stuff of science fiction, new advancements in snooze-related science could turn this into a tired-and-true method for space exploration.   So settle in, grab a pillow, and let's get started.   Getting Up to Speed   The best thing about the universe? It's huge. There's always something new to discover, from cotton candy planets to six-star solar systems and supermassive black holes.   The worst thing? It's massive. Consider the star nearest to us, Proxima Centauri. While it's just around the corner in galactic terms — a mere 4.25 light years away — do the math and you'll discover it's more than 40 trillion kilometers from Earth. According to NASA, the Voyager 1 spacecraft, now traveling at 17.3 km/s, would take more than 73,000 years to reach the Proxima Centauri system. At the speed of light, the journey would still take almost four and a half years.   For astronauts, this is daunting. A review in the Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin notes that, even with faster propulsion systems, there are a host of problematic physical and psychosocial effects associated with long-term space exploration that could negatively impact mission outcomes. But what if there was another way?   Suspended animation could be an alternative to traditional travel. Controlled reduction of humans' overall body temperature could effectively send space travelers into a state of hibernation, allowing for significantly reduced consumption of resources while simultaneously avoiding some of the negative effects of long-term cohabitation in cramped crew quarters.   The Science of Sleep   Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have begun preliminary research into cryosleep solutions. But how exactly would this suspended snooze-fest work?   It all starts with torpor, a hypermetabolic state already seen in animals such as hummingbirds that significantly reduces their body temperature and, in turn, the amount of energy required to keep their bodies alive. While torpor bears similarities to true hibernation, including lowered body temperatures and slowed processes, torpor cycles typically require daily food foraging. Meanwhile, hibernation relies on increased resource consumption prior to deep sleep but is associated with much longer periods of reduced activity. Successful snooze-based solutions for astronauts are about splitting the difference.   "If we were able to reduce an astronaut's basic metabolic rate by 75% — similar to what we can observe in nature with large hibernating animals such as certain bears — we could end up with substantial mass and cost savings, making long-duration exploration missions more feasible," notes Dr. Jennifer Ngo-Anh, a research team leader for the ESA study. If humans could be put into a state of controlled torpor that reduced consumption needs without requiring the massive pre-feed to sustain hibernation, it could be our ticket to the stars.   The good news? This idea isn't just science fiction. Controlled hibernation has been used to help improve recovery after serious events, such as gunshot wounds, and reduce the risk of brain damage during surgery. In practice, this requires the slow decrease of internal body temperature. "Slow" is the operative word here. If cooling happens quickly, the human body registers the change as hypothermia and fights hard to get back to a baseline temperature states. Shivering is one of the most common methods to help achieve this equilibrium but causes skin and nerve damage — not exactly ideal for explorers. Controlled cooling that uses tools such as ice packs, IV solutions and water pads can to help encourage a more sustainable state of suspended animation.   Cold Comfort   The not-so-good news? Best efforts have managed to keep bodies cold for just three days before baseline instincts take over. This isn't enough for intrepid explorers; to make long-term space travel possible, astronauts would require low-temperature torpor that lasts for months or years without damaging their bodies.   This raises another critical point: getting old. While the term "suspended animation" sounds like a moment frozen in time, it can't avoid the aging process. This means that a suspended animation adventure to Proxima Centauri is probably out of the question at current speeds — while the 73,000 year-old crew would still be cold on arrival, it would have nothing to do with technology or torpor. They'd simply be long dead of old age.   There is a theoretical workaround here, but it's not ideal. It's called vitrification, and it requires the removal of all bodily fluids, which are replaced by antifreeze. Bodies are then frozen solid and thawed out upon arrival, with the antifreeze drained and replaced by blood and other necessary liquids. This would effectively stop the process of aging — and since antifreeze doesn't crystallize like common bodily fluids, astronauts could be reanimated without damage.   The downside? Death is required to start the process, and if something goes wrong during the wake-up cycle, the ship effectively becomes a cryo-coffin. So far, vitrification remains an operational outlier. While it's often touted as a way to live forever by pseudo-scientific cryostasis companies, they only have half the process down. They can kill you and fill your body with antifreeze, but the technology required for effective unfreezing doesn't exist, meaning you could be waiting a while (or forever) for your wake-up call.   Spaced Out   The biggest "waste" of space on exploratory craft? Crew quarters. From beds to toilets to food storage and enrichment activities, more astronaut accommodations mean more weight for the spacecraft and more time spent getting the ship up to speed.   According to New Atlas, new research around magnetic thrust drives offers some promise of a faster future, but the type of rocket technologies slated for use in upcoming missions depend on small, sustained thrust over time that eventually gets explorers where they're going. By putting crew members into a state of hibernation and reducing the footprint needed for quarters, it's possible to solve two exploratory problems with one cold stone. Lower weight means faster travel, and the crew (hopefully) won't be stir-crazy by the time they arrive.   This prospective change in capacity planning also has several knock-on effects for crew safety, specifically when it comes to interstellar radiation. One of the biggest challenges with galaxy-wide travel? No sun. Once astronauts are out beyond the heliosphere and into the true darkness of space, they lose any protective benefits conferred by our sun and are fully exposed to high-energy radiation. While material shielding on spacecraft can help to reduce the radioactive effects, long-term exposure is cumulative — which means the more time it takes for explorers to reach their destination, the greater the chance they'll be permanently harmed.   However, with collective cryosleep, the radiation risk could be more effectively managed. As an article in Life Sciences in Space Research suggests, hibernation states offer greater protection against damaging radiation. Also, by putting the crew in more tightly packed "pods" instead of typical crew quarters, it's possible to surround astronauts with naturally protective barriers — such as water containers, per the ESA — that could help to limit overall radiation exposure.   Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go)   Crews in cryosleep also face the critical challenge of waking up. If ships reach the red planet, Proxima Centauri or other systems deeper into the galaxy but the crew can't get of bed, we've got a problem.   Even with better torpor-including technology, it may not be possible (or advisable) to keep crews in suspended animation for the entire trip. Instead, it's more likely that astronauts will need to be woken on regular schedules to ensure they're still healthy and address any issues that emerge on the spacecraft itself. If there's one thing that space faring films have taught humans as a species, it's that something inevitably goes wrong with the ship when humans are in cryosleep. Maybe it's an asteroid. Maybe it's a sudden systems failure. Or maybe it's a sneaky alien invasion. No matter the issue, no one wants to get stuck drifting millions of kilometers off course after a century or so in hibernation.   Trial Run   While we probably won't be jetting off to the Centauri systems anytime soon, ongoing advancements in suspended animation and spacecraft propulsion could possibly lead to a torpor trial run to a local destination, such as Mars or Jupiter's moon Europa. With trips measured in high months or low years rather than decades or centuries, handling potential problems becomes challenging rather than impossible.   As space agencies around the world gear up for the next phase of interstellar exploration, suspended animation might just be the wake-up call we need. 

Nap Quest: How Suspended Animation Could Fuel Space Exploration

Virtual reality seems to get all of the attention. But there's another technology that's just as captivating and perhaps more practical: augmented reality (AR). Unlike how virtual reality creates a new sensual environment, AR uses digital tools to offer an interactive experience that is grounded in reality. This perspective helps. With users still partially in their realities — a hospital floor, shopping aisle or even Mars — AR gives professionals practical training experience that's not too far from the real world. It has also started to provide consumers with an advanced, contextual look of a product even if the product is not there. That's why the future of augmented reality looks bright, even though it is sometimes viewed with less excitement than virtual reality. Maybe that's because right now consumer-based virtual reality applications outnumber those for augmented reality, but it might not be long before consumers join working professionals in seeing the value of an augmented viewpoint. Lucas Stephane, an assistant professor at the Human Centered Design Institute at Florida Institute of Technology, neatly summarizes the potential adoption of augmented reality by comparing it with how people view any new technology. "If it's going to be useful, then I will use this stuff," he said. From Pokemon to Surgery Virtual reality (VR) requires the complete use of equipment, either through goggles or a helmet, for users to fully immerse into the virtual experience. While AR can involve the projection of images onto clear glasses, the more widely used form places an overlay of images or information — or both — over the live view that also appears on a smartphone or tablet. Because of its accessibility, it is easier to use in work environments and often cheaper than VR. VR gets a fair share of acclaim probably because it allows people to truly escape. If you haven't yet worn a big VR headset that looks like a bit like a stripped-down welding helmet, you might have seen people in arcades or video game stores making wild gestures in the air. They're deep into an imaginary world, possibly fighting medieval armies or flying a plane. VR is for more than just games, though. Industrial companies use VR-based training to show employees how to navigate occupational dangers without getting hurt. And militaries take advantage of the relative safety of a VR battlefield to give soldiers hands-on combat training. AR has made headlines mostly through cultural appreciation. Who can forget the Pokemon Go craze of 2016? With Pokemon characters appearing over real images of streetscapes on smartphones, players walked city streets and actually walked off cliffs as they played the AR-based game. Snapchat filters are now all the rage, as app users benefit from AR trickery to make themselves look younger or become a virtual animal. But augmented reality isn't all about fun and games. It has also found a foothold as a training device in several professional fields: manufacturing, medical, military and education, to name a few. Not that organizations are dismissive of the benefits of VR, but they tend to like AR because it overlays internal information and other digital aspects over a real-world perspective, said Tim Bajarin, a technology consultant and analyst. Trainees are thus grounded in reality while enjoying the act of learning through augmented features. Right now, the AR market is a snapshot of many separate vertical niches — the industries that use the technology for training — but it largely lacks consumer use cases, he said. Still, training applications have been a profitable endeavor for AR manufacturers. The applications revitalized traditional and often stale training methods. For example, in manufacturing, safety officers and technicians examine and repair equipment with the help of AR, Bajarin said. Training and instruction manuals are fed through the AR headset or electronic tablet, giving workers an augmented viewpoint of how a repair should proceed while they get to touch equipment. It's a hands-on experience with a high-tech touch of virtual assistance. Airline mechanics "used to have to bring out giant printed manuals and had to use a magnifying glass to see the print," Bajarin said. That's not exactly conducive to training, and many other mechanics in other fields can undoubtedly attest to balancing a printed material with actual repair work. Now, AR displays on the device the "expectations of what it will look like when you fix it and shows you how to fix it," Bajarin added. Doctors in training can't consult manuals while operating, but they do need to practice surgery without harming a patient. The medical industry long had a work-around solution by having new doctors practice on cadavers. But, Bajarin said, fewer people are donating their bodies to science and doctors are having trouble finding cadavers. The medical field might have found a solution, not just to overcome the lack of cadavers but to also give budding and experienced medical professionals a better sense of medical procedures while also providing in-the-moment data on patients. As outlined in Harvard Business Review, several universities are prototyping AR applications for medicine. They envision a surgeon someday seeing, for example, a hovering display of an echocardiogram with vital signs and data on the characteristics of a patient's aneurysm directly above the surgical field. With an AR headset, the surgeon won't have to look away from the patient to interpret the information. Enhancing the Retail Experience Consumer brands also have their eyes on integrating AR into the shopping experience, and some have already started to dabble with this new dimension. Brent Leary, a customer relationship management consultant, remembers being impressed at this year's Adobe Summit by a demonstration of an AR-supported shoe rack. It showed all shoes for a particular size and in all available colors and, when used in a store, would eliminate the "traditional back-and-forth of the salesperson running to the stockroom," he said. AR will help brands convey information more quickly to consumers, enabling them to make faster decisions and thus not look to another brand, he added. In 2017, the furniture retailer IKEA introduced an AR shopping experience on its mobile app, allowing a shopper to "see" a piece of furniture in their homes by holding out their smartphones. IKEA recently upgraded the feature and now fills up an entire virtual room with furniture. Leary believes AR-enhanced support will take time to develop in retail, though. "Retailers will need to see what kind of phones customers have and see if it will be easy to leverage this stuff and be able to build it onto a customer's technology," he said. "Some of this stuff is way out there, maybe so far out that it yet can't be achieved." Indeed, there are hurdles for AR to clear. Perhaps the biggest challenge for AR is that its data needs to be rendered in the moment so that information and images flow without lagging. "You'll need to stream all of these types of content," said Florida Institute of Technology's Stephane. "The larger the content, the better the communication link needs to be, whether it will be 5G or enhanced bandwidth." Also, Bajarin contends consumers won't want to deal with the high cost or "geeky" appearance of bulky AR headgear that mirrors those that support VR. It will most likely be a simple set of eyeglasses, with a smartphone as the support base, that delivers more advanced consumer-based AR applications, he said. AR for training, however, should continue apace because workers are "more than willing to use goggles that make you look like a geek," Bajarin said. Form apparently trumps fashion when it's related to work. Another Technology to Embrace Stephane has high hopes for the future of augmented reality. He believes that if the technology improves, AR will become an accepted part of life and work. He would know; he's a researcher for a NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium project that aims to use AR to continuously monitor astronauts' health while in space. The idea is to visualize the information taken from biosensors on astronauts so that mission leaders can easily observe health data in real time. AR and VR have stirred occasional debate about whether leaving reality for something that's not entirely real could lead to unknown psychological and social consequences. Quoting the Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan, Stephane believes the "medium is the message," meaning how information is relayed is more important than the information itself. "When computers came, there were all of these debates about learning with people saying computers are not good for education and that we need to stay with books. But books went digital and now there's online education," Stephane said. "Every new technology enhances what we already have."

The Future of Augmented Reality Blends Virtual With Real-life Perspectives

Virtual reality (VR) is transforming the remote work world and opening up new possibilities for employers and employees alike — employers now have a bigger pool of possible candidates, and employees receive a better work/life balance.
One of the significant advantages of a virtual work environment is that employees can now simulate a shared physical space that emulates a real-life office, despite being miles apart. This sense of community helps remote workers collaborate more effectively and feel less disconnected from their colleagues. Meanwhile, employees still reap the benefits of remote work, including flexibility, cost savings, time savings, and more.
Calling on the Metaverse
That's where the metaverse — that brave new immersive, digital world of augmented reality (AR), VR, graphical whimsy and video — might come in handy. Writing in Entrepreneur magazine, David Nelson, COO of web content provider WordAgents, suggests that the metaverse could fundamentally transform the way remote workers live, work and collaborate. It could also help them and their employers regain the sense of team connectedness that's been blunted by pandemic-induced protocols."
"The metaverse will allow its users to work, play and stay connected with friends through everything from concerts and conferences to virtual trips across the globe," he predicts.
AR for Work
So who owns this virtual work environment and how does it work?
Innovative technology companies such as Spatial have developed 3D AR software tools that allow companies to design, build and customize their own virtual work environments. Remote employees will be able to "meet" and collaborate in real-time with colleagues in this new workspace, just as if they were all sitting around a conference table. All they need is a powerful personal computer — think high-performance graphics card and lots of memory — and the relevant software.
For a truly immersive experience, each employee could also wear an AR or VR headset, which would allow them to "see," manipulate and present in real-time other graphical or video elements "stored" in the work environment. Remote workers will also be able to create and personalize an avatar to represent how they look and move in this environment to add a more personal touch to their virtual interactions with others.
More Engagement, Better Training
Clearly, VR tools can support real-time collaboration among remote workers.
David Roe reports in the online journal Reworked that remote workers are now using VR tools to collaborate on projects from different parts of the world. VR also enables remote teams to better communicate ideas to clients, using three-dimensional drawings for example.
The immersive technology of VR enhances all of the benefits of remote work by creating a digital environment free of distractions that better allows colleagues to connect.
Keeping it Real
A virtual work environment also promises to be an effective way, for remote workers and companies alike, to recreate the logistic and emotional benefits of offsite team-building exercises.
Writing in Forbes magazine, Vestigo CEO and founder Marshall Mosher notes that cultivating workplace culture, maintaining team morale and enhancing collaboration among remote teams require real, connective experiences that are just as powerful as the in-person team development opportunities that defined the pre-pandemic workplace.
He imagines, for example, a virtual ropes-course-style challenge that empowers team collaboration and communication to solve complicated physical challenges despite everyone present being physically disconnected across the world. In this way, VR will allow teams to transcend their comfort zones, spur innovation and pursue collective growth.
"VR can help you build better connections by allowing your teams to register both an experience and the emotion of that experience, creating psychological effects that are vastly more memorable and impactful," Mosher observes.
In other words, explains Nelson, immersive, team-oriented VR experiences can also increase collaboration and team cohesion.
"In my experience," he says, "individuals who are part of a cohesive team tend to focus on the entire group more than themselves. They are more motivated to work toward team goals."
Trusting the Process
Ultimately, the virtual office environment is a powerful concept, but one that is still evolving as a reality for remote workers. Technologically, it promises a quantum redefinition of what we call work — how it's done, when it's done and where it's done. VR promises to help unlock growth, collaboration and innovation for hybrid teams in this brave new world of remote work.
 
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How VR Is Boosting Team Collaboration and Cohesion in the Virtual Work Environment

Buried under the news of ski jumps, half-pipe competitions and triple salchows at the Pyonghchang Winter Olympics in South Korea was the debut of 5G, a new high-speed fifth-generation wireless network. Organizers of this year's Olympic Games used 5G to power systems that emitted rays, gases and fake tiger roars to ward off wild boars, according to Fortune. 5G and IoT — the Internet of Things, i.e., networks of devices — will dramatically change the way we interact with technology. What is 5G? The most salient benefit of 5G is speed. It is estimated that 5G will be up to 1,000 times faster than 4G, and users will be able to download an entire HD film in about one second, according to 5G.co.uk. That speed will be a boon to mobile-based media, augmented reality, virtual reality and IoT devices. To get a sense of how 5G might change mobile-based media, consider how the introduction of 4G has helped to hasten the spread and introduction of streaming services like Netflix and Spotify. Nelson Granados, a professor at Pepperdine University, posited in Forbes that 5G will allow customers to download media rather than stream it. Meanwhile, live streaming will become more of an option on 5G since the platform offers lower latency and will avoid the buffering that can make watching video on a mobile device so annoying. Another disruptive element of 5G is that it can conceivably replace a wired broadband connection, whether cable, DSL or fiber optic, which can potentially entice more consumers to cut the cord. Will 5G Benefit AR and VR? The lack of a need for a wired connection and 5G's low latency also mean that consumers will be able to easily use mobile augmented reality and virtual reality. For instance, a 5G network will allow for support for richer images for AR interfaces in a store environment. Using their phone or smart glasses, a shopper can use AR to identify the items that they are looking for in-store and point them to products that are on sale, Forbes said. Mobile VR, meanwhile, will allow consumers to virtually attend events (picture grandparents virtually experiencing their grandchild's first steps, for instance) and allow for immersion into mobile-based VR experiences like live sporting events, concerts, meetings and games. What Is The Future of IoT? 5G and IoT are inexorably linked; the introduction of 5G coincides with the rise of IoT. Approximately 8.4 billion IoT devices existed in 2017, according to ZD Net. 5G will make IoT devices ranging from smart parking meters to household devices to autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles work better because they can send and receive data much faster, USAToday noted. For that reason, 5G and IoT will be a potent combination. Coming Soon USAToday reports that AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon aim to rollout 5G networks by 2019. Of course, 5G's success isn't assured. The service will likely be expensive, so many consumers might stick with 4G for a while. It's possible that 5G won't work as well as promised. Barring consumer indifference or unsolvable tech glitches, 5G is likely to make a big splash and usher in a new wave of wireless usage in the 2020s. So, what is 5G? Soon enough you won't even have to ask. 

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