5 Virtual Reality Applications for Artists

Virtual reality (VR) is probably the most used oxymoron of this century, and it is only in recent days that people have started to get their heads around the breadth and scope of this technology. Virtual reality is dream like. In fact, it is a dream but with the added fact that you are conscious about your presence in it. While virtual reality will affect everyone’s life in one way or another, it is the painters who will see the most colourful side of it. If you are someone with slightest interest in painting, here are five VR applications to take things to the next level.

1.     Tilt Brush

If there is one tech giant that seems to push technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence to the next level, it’s Google. Google’s Tilt Brush is a perfect example of how the company wants to bring something fresh and dazzling to the table every time. This VR application lets you create 3D paintings in a virtual world.

You don’t need a canvas in this world – draw anything anywhere. You can take a walk around the art you create and use a variety of brushes and other options to create a world that you had only imagined in your dreams before. Keep in mind that Tilt Brush is only compatible with HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

2.     CoolPaintrVR

It has been some time since Google’s Tilt Brush has been out. It was about time when someone stepped up and took this idea to the next level. CoolPaintrVR from WildBit Studios is just that. Enter the dreamlike world of CoolPaintrVR, which is compatible with PSVR, to satisfy the artist in you. Once you enter the application, you are in a world that’s nothing less than a dream.

You can create your masterpieces using the various brush types and colours that are available. You don’t have any limitations on where you can draw and where you can’t. The world is yours and your creations are only limited to your imagination.

CoolPaintrVR3.     Gravity Sketch

This is yet another amazing application that’s not only for entertainment but productivity as well, and it runs on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Just like CoolPaintr VR, you can enter the virtual world to create 3D objects. Once you have created the objects, you can even print them out. The best thing about the application is that it lets you sketch professional object models as well. You can be in the virtual world joining various geometrical shapes to create your new futuristic car using this application.

Gravity Sketch4.     Kingspray Graffiti Simulator

Just like Gravity Sketch, Kingspray Graffiti Simulator works only on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. As cool as graffiti looks, drawing it can be quite a daunting task. You can’t use other people’s walls and vehicles to try your spray painting skills.

As soon as you do that, there will be police ready to take you behind the bars. However, this art must be shackled and to let your graffiti artist free you have Kingspray Graffiti simulator. Draw whatever you like and wherever you like without ever fearing that the police will approach you from somewhere. It is all legal and in fact, much more fun than drawing in reality because of its dreamlike atmosphere.

Kingspray Graffiti Simulator image 15.     Graffiti Paint VR

You are going to love this one because it is not limited to only a particular headset. It runs on Android, so any VR headset that can accommodate your Android phone is perfect to play this game. Keep in mind that this application will not work if you don’t have a VR controller or at least an action button on your VR headset.

Once you are in the application interface, you can use the tilt of your head to pick the colours and draw whatever you want in the form of graffiti. The addition of a colour picker is intelligent so you can pick and draw with any colour you can imagine. You can change the radius of your spray, save your images and load them later to continue working on your old ideas.

Here you go. These are some of the best VR applications for creatives that can let you create your own worlds. As the time passes, you might see even more advancement wherein you would create a moving world around you and never want to feel like coming out of it.

Immersively Affordable: 5 VR Headsets You Can Buy For Less Than £80

Once an attraction in sci-fi movies, virtual reality (VR) has now become a reality of today. (No pun intended.) The technology has become so accessible that you can buy an affordable VR headset, stow your smartphone in it and explore virtual worlds like you were a part of them. Here is a list of 5 VR headsets you can purchase without breaking the bank. Please note: Prices are accurate as of the end of May 2018.

Merge VR

They are made out of flexible foam for the comfort of your face when you wear them for a long time. You can conveniently use this headset with any Android or iOS-powered device. The weight is just 340 grams, and what makes them special is their shock and water resistance.

You can clean them with a piece of cloth, use left and right buttons for input, and adjust lenses according to your needs. You can find them in special offers for as low as under £50 (GBP). The Field of View (FOV) for this device is 96o.

Merge VR HMD
Google Daydream 2

The second version of the Google Daydream is a huge improvement from the first iteration of these headsets that were only compatible with the Google Pixel lineup of smartphones. They weigh 261g and the main material they are made from is fabric. You place a smartphone in the headsets to make them work. The device features a homemade VR interface, which allows you to download content and apps from Google Play. You can navigate through the system while wearing your headset.

Furthermore, the VR headset can be controlled via a remote. The FOV of the Google Daydream 2 is an upgrade on the initial iteration – 100o compared to 90o. The headset is compatible with almost all Android smartphones. While the device is expensive, you can find it in some stores for under £60.


Samsung Gear VR 2

2017’s upgraded black Samsung Gear VR 2 might be a stylish VR headset but it is, perhaps surprisingly, among the heavy ones at 420g. It has a 96o FOV and easy to use control panel on the right side of the headset. It also features backward compatibility, but unfortunately it is compatible only with smartphones produced by Samsung. These too are among the more expensive VR headsets on the list but you can search for a special offer to get them for under £79.99.

New Samsung Gear VR and Controller
iVROX

Well, it would be pretty silly not to mention ourselves now, wouldn’t it? iVROX VR headsets are also among the cool-looking ones (if we do say so ourselves) due to their stylish design. Like other headsets, the iVrox is powered by smartphones. Eye strain is minimal due to the anti-glare lens combined with a 103o field of view. The VR headset is compatible with iOS and Android, allowing you to enjoy the wide variety of apps available on the App Store and Play Store.

You can of course also access iVROX’s own VR Store. They have a design compatible with almost any smartphone, provided the screen size is between 4 and 6 inches. You can also use the Bluetooth compatible remote control for a seamless VR experience. Get your hands on great deal to get them at under £49.99.

ZEISS VR ONE Plus

The highlight of these headsets is the ZEISS optics. They are eyeglass compatible and the head strap can be removed too. VR ONE Plus supports any smartphone between the screen size of 4.7-inch to 5.5-inch. It has a nearly 100o FOV. It is made of foam that you can detach when it wears out. These headsets are among the cheaper ones that you can conveniently get them at under £79.90.

Zeiss VR ONE PlusThese are some of the most affordable VR headsets on the market that offer an authentic virtual reality experience without disturbing your budget. While there are many other gadgets out there, with these you get the best bang for your buck.

 

How Virtual Reality Can Transform Language Teaching

In the connected world that we live in, having command on multiple languages can be a great plus for anyone. In some countries, learning English serves as a way for people to find jobs in foreign countries to achieve financial stability. However, these people are often faced challenges when it comes to grasping command on other languages. Their language training is often missing the vital elements that help a person learn a language quickly. Virtual Reality (VR) might be on the verge of changing that completely. VR technology is quickly penetrating into educational landscapes and transforming the way students learn.

Learning / EducationBefore talking about VR’s role in language learning, let’s take a look at the common challenges faced by students while learning other languages.

Common Challenges When Learning a Language

Non-Practical Learning

In most language classes, teachers end up teaching language like any other theoretical subject. They teach grammatical rules and help students dissect sentences, eventually enabling them to make sentences without external help. However, these sentences are often very “literary” i.e. they don’t fit in day-to-day conversations. Consequently, the student is able to make sentences but has a hard time “conversing” in a real-life situation.

No Exposure To Native Speakers

It can help a student big time to be able to talk to a real person who speaks the language the student is learning. However, the student has to talk to other students who are not very good at speaking the language themselves. The teacher, on the other hand, does not have enough time to converse with every student individually. Such lack of exposure to native speakers makes learning difficult for the student.

Non-Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is when a student can be a part of the situation and learn from it. Classrooms are classrooms, no matter how much you change their settings. Mimicking a real-life situation is close to being impossible in a classroom. As a result, a student is never fully able to experience a situation and loses to the pressure of a real-life situation causing him/her to choke while trying to speak another language. Did you know retention rate is up to 90% for experiential learning as compared to only 5% for traditional learning?

Boring And Monotonous

The whole idea of treating language learning like any other subject makes the whole experience quite boring for most students. They get to listen to 45-minute lectures, read from small booklets and convert sentences just like they do in any other subject’s class. The boredom causes lack of motivation and non-interest affects learning negatively.

How VR Is Overcoming These Challenges

VR can provide a solution to every issue that existing language learning system has today. Students can become a part of a world using virtual reality – a world in which they can interact with life-like characters. For them, it will be like talking to native speakers. Furthermore, learners will be able to walk into real-life situations, which is as close to reality as it can get. Some companies have already created such applications for language learning and the Mondly VR app is a great example of that. This application has been designed for language learning and it allows students to be in real situations for experiential learning.

Second Life is a virtual world that allows people to have real-life experiences and get exposure to things that might otherwise appear boring on textbooks. Another language learning platform Alelo has also added VR to its web-based learning.

The Challenges in Implementing VR for Language Learning

Since VR in education is in its early stages, there are many challenges that it has to overcome with the passage of time. Some of the common issues that VR implementation faces in learning languages are as follows:

  • The technology needs to be more prevalent than it is right now. At the moment, there are very few companies with VR applications that are specifically for language learning.
  • VR headsets have to be affordable too because language institutes in under-developed countries cannot afford to invest in expensive technologies no matter how useful they are. There are some companies with products like our own iVrox VR, Merge VR or Freefly VR that are trying to provide high-level VR experience at affordable prices.
  • The teachers with old-school approach have to embrace the technology rather than pushing it away due to the fear that it might take away their jobs.

Final Thoughts

There should not be a hint of doubt that VR can play a revolutionary role in transforming not just language learning but the entire existing education system. With more and more companies realizing the changing landscapes of education sector, you can expect the technology to improve fast and become affordable and accessible to everyone around the world.

 

Immersive Learning: How VR Is Changing The Nature Of Education

Teaching is about exciting the imagination of students, opening the door for further exploration and developing their understanding of the world around. It’s a journey each of us go on from a young age and an experience that can leave an indelible mark on us as we move forward throughout our lives. The methods used to facilitate this process of discovery vary from teacher to teacher, from class to class. However, what is ubiquitous across all forms of education, is the desire to impart wisdom, to intrigue young minds and send them off on their own voyages of discovery.

Titanic VR model shot 3Technology has always played a part in this process but now, with the proliferation of low cost virtual reality (VR) solutions, the classroom experience is beginning to enter a whole new realm of interactivity, crafting experiences never seen before. VR technology allows for a complete reconceptualization of the relationship between the student and what he or she is taught. No longer do teachers have to simply describe what life was like on say, the Titanic; now students can explore it for themselves. No longer do teachers have to rely solely on description and video media to explain the inner workings of the human body; simply put on a headset and you’re off swimming alongside red blood cells.

Ever since the inception of VR technology in its current form, some have been doubtful if headsets could get into the hands of students on a truly large scale. VR units have historically come at a high cost – with products such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive coming in at the steepest sum – hindering the ability for VR newcomers to fully understand the impact it could have on the teaching process. For headsets to move out of gaming space and truly find the mass audience required to influence other aspects of everyday life, developers have created lower cost solutions i.e. headsets able to work with compatible smartphones. In the context of education, this small but significant step spells the difference between one VR unit per class and one per student, opening the possibility for shared classroom experiences using low cost solutions and creating a culture of VR use. (Rather than individual cases, unable to maintain the adoption rate needed to foster belief in new technologies.)

There are ways significant effects VR could have on teaching. First, as has been established, the realm of possibility for the types of experience offered within the classroom environment would grow exponentially. The exploration of distant planets would become commonplace; an exciting safari just before lunch would become the norm. But another aspect could be even more significant: students may connect with otherwise “stale” subjects, in ways they never thought possible, through the implementation of technology. Now, we all had subjects we liked and didn’t like back in school but imagine the implications of a young student today, using VR to explore the wonders of say, chemistry. The form of that experience could excite his/her mind in new ways, precisely because VR goes beyond mere words, facilitating interactivity and creativity by drawing upon a growing range of software programs.

Low cost apps such as Unimersiv allow for a range of experiences, from a fully animated journey into the human brain to an exploration of Ancient Rome, whilst Google Expeditions allows for VR field trips to over one hundred locations worldwide from the comfort of your average classroom.

Experiences such as these are changing the nature of education, allowing for greater freedom, creative expression and immersion, opening whole new avenues for students to explore.

Searching For Mobile VR: Places You Can Get Apps Easily On Android And iOS

If you have just picked up a virtual reality (VR) headset or even put together your first Google Cardboard you may be interested to know where you can find all the best VR applications available right now. There are millions of apps available in the app stores across Android and iOS, but sorting out the ones that are VR apps can be a big challenge.

Works With Google CardboardRather than sorting through thousands of results it could be easier to browse through VR apps in a single place through the use of categories. Going to a single VR store that only contains VR apps instead of the other generic apps on the App Store and Google Play Store could save you a lot of time.

Comparing three VR apps platforms available on Android and iOS:

Some of the best places to simplify your search is with the help of apps like WearVR, the iVROX VR Store and the Google Cardboard app. Rather than using the App Store or the Google Play, these are stores that can display only the latest in VR apps from both major marketplaces. Downloading these VR stores will eliminate all of the generic applications and ensure that you can quickly find VR apps compatible with your device.

We did a quick comparison between these three to help you choose your favourite VR app platforms available right now:

WearVR

The WearVR marketplace is a listing of over 1000 VR games and experiences. It was founded in 2014 in Atlanta, USA and in Leeds, UK. WearVR offers a wide range of great experiences including 360°. This app stands as one of the leading independent reality application stores available right now. It features apps of almost every type including social apps, horror apps, immersive VR games, multiplayer experiences and more. If you want to try out a series of immersive worlds this is an application with massive compatibility and all the latest apps that can be added to the system as soon as they are launched.

WEARVRCardboard App

Cardboard is a Google product and it’s created to help you source apps that are VR compatible. The app was launched in 2014 with the Google Cardboard VR system by Google California. By installing the cardboard app libraries, you can sort through a wide range of content that’s compatible with your VR device. The app sends out notifications for new VR apps which could suit your interest. Some of the most popular applications that are available on Cardboard include Exhibit, Arctic Journey, Photo Sphere, Tour Guide and Earth. As Cardboard is a Google product however, it doesn’t offer the best support for iOS devices.

Google Cardboard AppiVROX VR Store

This VR Store is designed to help you discover the best in video contents and VR apps that can work with any VR device powered by Android or iOS. It was developed by iVROX in 2017 under this Franco-British company specialised in VR. Through this platform, you can find hundreds of games, 360° videos and VR apps all compatible with your smartphone. Rather than sorting through thousands of listings, the VR store by iVROX puts them all at your fingertips and simple to download on your device.

The categories available in this platform include a top 20, action, horror, simulation, social, camera apps, video players and more. The store is consistently adding new experiences. The iVROX VR Store that gets updated quite often features an astounding number of videos and apps that can lead to hundreds of hours of VR exploration.

iVROX VR StoreGetting started with these stores just means finding and downloading any one of these VR stores from the App Store or the Google Play Store. They can look somewhat similar to the typical stores, only that they will display just VR compatible applications. With so many different categories available you can have the same wealth of choice that you did in a classic app store but without having any apps that might be incompatible or not in VR.

One of the best parts about using these new app listings is that there is no need for the complicated sorting and going through the other app markets.

With a market that can install just as easily as any other app on the smartphone, these stores remain one of the easiest ways to find the best VR content for your device with a compatibility rating on the VR experience. Ultimately, when it comes to having better VR experiences on any smartphone device, using a specific VR store function for finding apps remains one of the best paths to take. Check out Wearvr, the iVROX VR store and the Google Cardboard app to start improving your VR experience in finding new applications.

VR Film: A Cinema Inside Your Head

When many people think of virtual reality (VR) applications, their thoughts return to the idea of videogames or immersive experiences like simulations. VR headsets utilise some of the best in display technology today and what many VR users are discovering, is these devices can be excellent for creating a home theater experience even on a budget.

VR headsets are changing the way that people are viewing video content. Not only is there a wealth of unique streaming content available for VR devices, like up close and personal views on sporting events, but many users are even plugging in their VR headsets for applications like Netflix and regular content streaming.

VR headsets can be extremely immersive for watching any type of video. Just like with the simulation programs that bring you right into the action, a VR headset can help to play any 2-D film on a screen that is so immersive it’s like being at the theater. With the high quality sound or a pair of surround sound headphones, it’s possible for users to get virtually the same experience that they would in the theater all with a VR headset that is considerably cheaper to set up.

Building a cinema screen with surround sound in your home could be a dream of yours but with the cost of a high quality speaker system, a large screen television and then a device capable of offering quality surround sound and picture, you could be spending hundreds if not thousands of pounds more. You could equip yourself and even a guest with a high-quality virtual screen for a cinema experience on VR.

Why should you watch films on a VR device?

It can truly feel like being at the theater:

When you go to the theater you expect to see a giant screen that fills your entire field of view. A VR device is designed specifically to fill an entire field of view with an HD screen that is generally even better than a theater experience. The screen on a VR device can be just like sitting in an IMAX film and with an even higher quality picture.

The sound can be immersive:

Using a high-quality video file and a pair of high definition headphones, you can get the same results that you would experience from a theater surround sound system. The sounds of the films can easily offer a premier cinema experience, especially when paired with VR or a VR headset that has high definition sound included.

Watching VR films is quite easy:

With a digital movie that you download or pay for from a company like iTunes, you can perform quick conversions using some applications to have zero issues with watching VR films on a mobile phone VR headset. Converting files into a VR/SBS format has become easier than ever before through apps like iVROX VR player, Go VR and Moon VR that you can download for free on Google Play Store or App Store.

It is like having a full theatre on the go:

A VR headset can often be paired with a gaming console, used with a smartphone or even used with a desktop computer. This is far more portable than bringing along a full sized home surround sound system and a big-screen television wherever you may be. You can get the same cinema quality experience with items that could easily fit along with you on holidays or as you travel.

As you can see, watching video content on VR headsets can be one of the best ways to get an immersive entertainment experience today. If you have a VR headset and you haven’t watched a feature-length film, you should give it a try today!