Page 352 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

Virtual Reality
machines located in dangerous places. People using such a system get
illusions similar to those in theme parks, except that a robot, at some
distance, follows the operator’s movements.Teleoperated robots have been
used for rescue operations, for disarming bombs, and for maintaining
nuclear reactors.
Warfare: Teleoperated robot tanks, aircraft, boats, and androids
(humanoid robots) can be used in combat. One person can operate a
“super android”with the strength of 100 fighting men and the endurance
of a well-engineered machine.Such robots are immune to deadly radiation
and chemicals. They have no mortal fear, which sometimes causes human
soldiers to freeze up at critical moments in combat.
Exercise: Walking, jogging, riding a bike, skiing, playing golf, and playing
handball are examples of virtual activities that can provide most of the
benefits of the real experience.The user might not really be doing the thing,
but calories are burned, and aerobic benefits are realized. There is no
danger of getting maimed by a car while cycling on a virtual street, or
breaking a leg while skiing down a virtual mountain. (However, outdoor
people will doubtless prefer the real activity to the virtual one, no matter
how realistic VR becomes.)
Escape: Another possible, but not yet widely tested, use for virtual
reality is as an escape from boredom and frustration in the real world.
You can put on an HMD and romp in a jungle with dinosaurs. If the
monsters try to eat you, you can take the helmet off. You can walk on
some unknown planet, or under the sea.You can fly high above clouds or
tunnel through the center of the earth.
VR and space exploration
See ROBOTIC SPACE TRAVEL.
Limitations
The field of VR is complex, challenging, and difficult from an engineering
standpoint. Dreaming up uses and scenarios for VR is one thing; putting
them into action at reasonable cost is quite another.
Expense: A top-notch, interactive VR system can cost as much as
$250,000. While a high-end personal computer and peripherals, costing
about $5000 total, can be used for interactive VR, the image resolution
is low and the experience paths are limited. The response is rather sluggish
because of the formidable memory-capacity and processing-speed require-
ments. However, computers are becoming more powerful and less expen-
sive all the time.
Expectation: Computer memory capacity increases by about 100 percent
per year. The latest efforts toward development of single electron memory

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