For many emerging new technologies, the introduction of a permanent exhibit for that technology at the Tech Museum in Silicon Valley is a sign that the technology in question has ‘made it’. Though by most metrics virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are still in their infancy, they too have received the honour of a permanent exhibit at the Tech Museum showing off many of the cutting-edge technologies available right now.
The new exhibit was built using help from industry partners who provided much of the hardware on display. The exhibit opened on 26th March, 2017 and features a host of software and hardware from the AR and VR industries, which the museum has grouped under the label of XR.
Most of the VR experiences at the exhibit are limited to visitors ages 13 and over. Among the experiences available are Birdly, an immersive experience that includes laying on a wing-like board while wind from a strong fan blows in your face to more accurately simulate what is is like to be a bird.
Also available is Google’s TiltBrush, a popular room-scale VR experience that allows users to paint using VR motion controllers. In a similar vein is Medium on the Oculus Rift, which allows users to create ornate sculptures in VR without the need to buy expensive materials, or worry too much about making a mistake. 360-degree videos are also included, with a 360-degree walkthrough of the new Nvidia corporate headquarters. AR is covered in a display that shows how various area of the internet are connected and users can see how ‘close’ each area is, such as Facebook relative to Twitter.
The exhibit has been titled Reboot Reality and can be found at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, which is open daily from 10am until 5pm.
VRFocus will continue to report on developments in VR and AR technology.