Virtual Reality has been around for decades and the excitement around the possibilities that the technology holds has always captured the imaginations of people from around the world. The technology driving virtual reality today compared to years past is incomparable. Many industries are using this new technology to give consumers a glimpse into how their products look and feel like. There is no industry more suited for virtual reality than the architecture and design industries.
With new technologies like Oculus Rift and more recently Google Cardboard, architects and designers have new ways of conveying a given space. While the Oculus is a bit more cumbersome, Google Cardboard makes it easy for anyone who owns an Andriod phone to access it’s possibilities. At twenty dollars for Google Cardboard, a client can now experience what their space will look like even if they are half way around the world. The architect or designer can send the program directly to a client making it convenient for the owner to experience their planned space. Utilizing the Oculus on the other hand, might be better for client meetings when a client is coming to the office.
As many architects, designers and home automation professionals have become very good at showing what a space might look like in a 2 dimensional rendering, many have fallen short on demonstrating how a space will feel like. This is where virtual reality comes into play.
Google Cardboard
Google Cardboard in Architecture from Josh Pabst on Vimeo.
What do you need to get started with Google Cardboard?
At the base level, you’ll need a phone that runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or newer. And you’ll also want the free Cardboard app, which includes various VR demos and serves as a hub for any compatible apps. Beyond that, there’s a lot of variance between which devices work with which versions of the headset, as well as which are fully compatible and which are only somewhat compatible.
Helpful Links
Purchase your variant of Google Cardboard
Load a Photo Sphere onto your phone.
Create CGI Photo Spheres in 3Ds Max.
Oculus Rift
What do you need to get started with Oculus?
To get started with Oculus for architecture and design you will need a development kit. Below are a few links to companies that can assist with the development.
The word virtual reality has come into, and out of, the collective consciousness time and time again. It would be natural to dismiss virtual reality, because we’ve all done so several times. The difference now is that the technology has finally caught up with the concept.