Ever since Facebook purchased Oculus Rift for 2 billion dollars, I have been waiting for applications of the virtual reality technology that made sense. Of course, gaming as always been a target, but to justify that kind of money, virtual reality must become mainstream, so to speak.
As Zuckerberg said himself, “Immersive virtual and augmented reality will become a part of people’s everyday life. History suggests there will be more platforms to come, and whoever builds and defines these will shape the future and reap the benefits.”
The application above demonstrates a digital sculptor making a few designs; a face, a spider, etc.. and it seems to make a lot of sense. You can imagine that this technology could be combined with a 3D printer to create a seamless design pipeline.
In this case, the artist is using a Razer Hydra
as the controller, but I think some sort of Power Glove would be much cooler (and easier to learn). I am now realizing that the Oculus Rift can potentially be a very useful tool and not just a gaming fad.
If you have any interest in playing around with the Oculus Rift or giving virtual reality sculpting a try, there is a Development Kit
available now, although you’ll have to shell out some serious cash (~$800)
-RSB
