Ryan Wright Professor Hunter ENG 1201.A50 15 February 2018 Virtual Reality Research Proposal My decision to investigate Virtual Reality Technology comes from my natural curiosity and interest in video game technology. This would serve two purposes by allowing me to learn and then use the knowledge to convince my family that the time and money I spend can actually be learning experiences for my future. Last year, I worked hard and saved up my money to purchase the Playstation VR for my Playstation 4. After opening the packages and reading the setup manuals, I was ready to embark on my first VR journey. My family was standing by, waiting to see how long it would take finish setting up all of the cords. Once everything was connected, I was finally ready to step into the game. I thought I knew what to expect, as I had read blogs and talked with others about the quality of the Playstation VR and even viewed online videos. Then I turned on the power and instantly exceeded my expectations as I experienced VR. It is difficult to describe the amazement I felt as I was able to turn my head and continue to see and hear sights in a virtual world. Then, I began moving my arms and head. As I moved, I was able to see more and more around me. It was incredible! I convinced my family to put on the headset and experience what I couldn’t quite describe to them. One after the other, they transported to the virtual world in amazement. Virtual reality has recently been a topic of interest as game developers continue to create VR headsets and gaming experiences for the general population, but the technology has been in existence for many years in other fields of study. I know that many television and movies now depict virtual technology as unrealistic cinematic situations, but there are actual uses in many fields. I even had a chance to use it on a roller coaster at Cedar Point last summer. VR is a technology that is rapidly advancing and being used in more mainstream applications. Going beyond my limited experiences with current VR equipment as an entertainment experience to research how the technology has evolved into a useful workplace reality was eye opening. Learning to trust and develop VR systems to assist with training individuals for medical procedures, military responses, business applications, and entertainment shows some of the ways VR is going to impact much of society. There will always be some barriers or challenges to changes in otherwise set routines. I believe that most of the general public believe that VR is a very recent video game trend. I don’t think many people take the time to understand the financial and time impact on society that virtual reality has been able to impact and will in the future for such areas as education, medicine, business, and entertainment. I am interested to find out how the continued development and use of virtual reality technology may impact society as I research the professional implications, such as cost efficiency and training capabilities. My research will explain why Virtual Reality technology advancements have the current potential to successfully expand into mainstream culture.