Everything you need to know about the Oculus Rift

Wait, all of this sounds like something I could use at work

The potential for virtual reality extends far beyond games, and Oculus and Facebook are already talking about the technology’s business and social applications.

Maybe you’re an architect who has had to show miniature models to your clients for your entire career. Well, with Rift, you can build something in your drafting software and create a life-sized 3D model that people can explore as if they’re really standing inside of it.

Educators can use the Rift to take students on tours of important historical events. The U.S. Declaration of Independence may have more meaning to someone who actually witnesses the founders signing it.

Above: Kids testing out the Oculus Rift.

Image Credit: Dubit

Games themselves may even change to serve a whole new audience thanks to the immersive quality of virtual reality. Your grandma may use virtual reality to travel the world in simulated versions of Paris or Tokyo. If you don’t like crowds, you could toggle the people in the virtual tour on or off.

Beyond the Rift

The Oculus Rift of today is a cool piece of technology. It’s introducing several new ways for humans to interact with machines, and it finally makes the idea of a VR headset a reality. Oculus VR isn’t going to stop with the Rift, though.

Facebook’s latest subsidiary says it wants to solve all of the problems with putting people in virtual reality. It’s working on vision right now, but it also wants to work on touch, smell, and taste. The idea is to completely remove any barriers between you and full presence in a simulation.

For now, Oculus has its hands full solving the problems involved with sight, but once the Rift finally does debut, the company plans to move on to some newer and potentially grander challenge.