Good news for the geek inside you all: Shanghai just got its very own VR Entertainment Park. Ever wanted to pretend you're on a spacecraft, or face-off against some sci-fi villains in weird outfits? Now there’s a place for you.
VR (virtual reality), was popularized in the 80s by American computer scientist Jaron Lanier. Basically, it’s a high-tech, immersive multimedia system that “replicates an environment that simulates a physical presence in places in the real world or an imagined world, allowing the user to interact with that world.” (Thanks, Wikipedia). The computer-simulated reality has been amply used in architecture, interior design and arts. Over the last decade, its usage has been extended to the film, gaming and entertainment industries as well, and received extremely positive feedback from consumers across the globe – so much so that the VR market is expected to become an USD80 billion a year industry by 2025.
Shockingly (well, not really), China has started to embrace the technology full on. Though still in its early stages, there are already dozens of Chinese companies working on VR and AR (augmented reality) hardware, 360-degree content/games and specialty cameras to capture immersive videos.
If you go to Bridge 8 Industrial Park on Jumen Lu, there’s now a whole entertainment center dedicated to showcasing this new technology. The VR space, which opened early this year, is the first virtual reality park in the country and the third one worldwide. Put on futuristic goggles (more like Teletubbies headpieces, actually) and light-capture gloves as you go in, and you’ll suddenly find yourself on the Phoenix spacecraft as a soldier on a mission to find a new human habitat while fighting off rebels and villains in the process.
The whole thing feels pretty darn real, just like a 3D movie with you starring as the main character. A transformer says hi as he walks towards you, while airplanes fly over your head.
Via sound, 360° vision and interacting with a bunch of machines, you first get to launch various devices, then begin shooting hostile airplanes down. We don’t want to reveal too much, but it’s cool and you should check it out.
Expect it to be the first VR space of many: the virtual world will start to get real and spread everywhere sooner than you think.
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