Development of the virtual environment
Explain the virtual environment and discuss the soft issues associated with a virtual organization. Defend
your answer with support from the readings or other outside material. The paper should be 2-4 pages in
length and in APA format. Your paper must include (cite and reference) at least one current peer
reviewed article about your selected topic.
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The development of the virtual environment is driven by the need to match visual display
technology with cognitive and sensory abilities of a human being. The displays are interactive,
offering the viewer an illusion of displacement to a different space (Bombari, Schmid Mast,
Canadas, & Bachmann, 2015). The technology has been used widely in the media and for
scientific research. This essay seeks to define the concept and the soft issues associated with it. It
is affirmed that further development of the virtual environment technology is crucial because it
will help different sectors to achieve efficiency and effectiveness.
The term virtual environment became commonly used in the 1960’s. The technological
development took place at the time focused on vehicle simulation and teleoperations. Coelho and
Verbeek (2014) explain that the earliest developments of the technology covered 3-D cinematic
experiments and stereoscopic views. The first virtual environment was known as the sensorama.
While it lacked the interactivity feature, it provided a basis for further developments. Today, it
has been developed well to the extent that various sectors rely on it to achieve efficiency and
effectiveness. This is inclusive of the medical, entertainment, educational, and media sectors.
Various terms are used to define the illusion associated with it including artificial reality and
virtual reality.
Three types of hardware are used to create the illusionary technology. First, sensors are
used to detect body movements. The second type is the effectors. They simulate the senses of the
operator (Bombari, Schmid Mast, Canadas, & Bachmann, 2015). Third, special purpose
hardware is used to link the effectors and sensors with the aim of creating an experience that
resembles the physical environment. The software utilized in the environment focuses on the
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shapes and kinematics of the objects. It is also designed to ensure that the objects interact
accordingly.
Generally, there are two types of virtual environment users. The first one category uses
the technology to advance their career. For instance, the doctors have used it to conduct
surgeries with precision in mind. In education, the tutors can create the ideal demonstration of
concepts. The second category of users makes efforts to develop the technology. The latter is
expected to research to come up with software and hardware that can enhance the user’s
experience. Kraemer et al. (2017) indicate that fully developed virtual environments should offer
users a sense of consistency so that they can interact with the environment effectively. This can
only be achieved when the developers remain focused enough to complete a project and make
updates when necessary.
The collaborative virtual environment has become important in many sectors. It connects
two users in such a way that they can interact and participate in the environment. They view the
world from a different point and space (Bombari, Schmid Mast, Canadas, & Bachmann, 2015).
This development aims to provide an experience where the participants can have the same
illusion of a face-to-face meeting while at the same time accessing the relevant information.
Scientists can work on a project while in different locations. It is also appealing for the
entertainers who create fantasy figures in a theater. The audience can interact with them
accordingly.
Several aspects can be used to advocate for the use of virtual environment technologies.
First, it helps to increase a sense of self-awareness amongst the users. The customized human
avatars allow the user to reflect on their attitudes and emotional well being. It will further impact
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the capacity of humans to engage in teamwork. Users are also able to enhance their social bonds.
They are provided with space where they can share their experiences and ideas conveniently.
Soft Issues in Virtual Environments
Notably, the virtual environment technology is not developed enough to accomplish
complicated tasks in different sectors. It needs to be developed so that it moves from a
conceptual demonstration phase to the practical use of the concept to accomplish a task (Schill,
2017). Even so, the costs of making such developments are high. The researchers do not have
sufficient resources to experiment on the technologies and apply them in different situations.
Moreover, the application of the technologies in a real-life situation is often difficult and
tedious. Experts are required to ensure that the projects are completed successfully (Schill,
2017). The experts may not fully understand the performance of these technologies and will,
therefore, shy away from trying different solutions. Still, the technical world is dynamic. The
concepts that may have been used to come up with a solution can become outdated and irrelevant
before the implementation process. It is, therefore, essential to solving the issues by availing
cheaper technologies and offering the developers the necessary support.
Indeed, virtual environment technologies should be developed further to help the users
achieve effectiveness and efficiency. The technologies have created solutions in entertainment,
education, and medical fields by creating an illusion of an actual environment to the users. It
helps humans to create bonds and increase a sense of self-awareness. Even so, the resources
needed to create solutions in the dynamic technical world are limited.
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References
Bombari, D., Schmid Mast, M., Canadas, E. & Bachmann, M. (2015). Studying social
interactions though immersive virtual environment technology: Virtues, pitfalls, and
future challenges. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 869.
Coelho, J. C. & Verbeek, F. J. (2014). Pointing task evaluation of leap motion controller in 3D
virtual environment. Creating the Difference, 78, 78-85.
Kraemer, D. J., Schinazi, V. R., Cawkwell, P. B., Tekriwal, A., Epstein, R. A. & Thompson-
Schill, S. L. (2017). Verbalizing, visualizing and navigating: The effect of strategies on
encoding a large-scale virtual environment. Journal of Experimental Psychology-
Learning, Memory and Cognition, 43(4), 611.
