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The definition of virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definitions for both virtual and reality. The definition of virtual is near and reality is what we experience as human beings. So the term virtual reality basically means near-reality. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific type of reality emulation. Virtual reality is the term used to describe a three-dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person. That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions. The person wears a head-mounted display (HMD) or glasses which displays three-dimensional images as part of their experience. Some systems enable the person to experience additional sensory input, e.g. sound or video which contributes to their overall experience.
The last item is an important one. Training is easier if the experience is pleasant or enjoyable which means higher level of engagement and understanding. Time and money are also important factors. Training is necessary to ensure that people are able to perform their jobs or learn a subject in order to be fully productive. But the costs can be prohibitive, for example, developing a series of prototypes. Virtual reality removes the needs for repeated prototyping and/or implementation which we know can be expensive. What it does instead is to replace this with a single model which can be used time and time again. Plus it can be accessed from different locations. Both of these save time and money.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of VR are numerous. The hardware needed to create a fully immersed VR experience is still cost prohibitive. The total cost of the machinery to create a VR system is still the same price as a new car, around $20,000. The technology for such an experience is still new and experimental. VR is becoming much more commonplace but programmers are still grappling with how to interact with virtual environments. The idea of escapism is common place among those that use VR environments and people often live in the virtual world instead of dealing with the real one. This happens even in the low quality and fairly hard to use VR environments that are online right now. One worry is that as VR environments become much higher quality and immersive, they will become attractive to those wishing to escape real life. Another concern is VR training. Training with a VR environment does not have the same consequences as training and working in the real world. This means that even if someone does well with simulated tasks in a VR environment, that person might not do well in the real world.