Virtual reality

Virtual reality seeks visionaries to speed its change from novelty value to industrial worth. The perception is tat VR is great for games and toys, but the fact is, there are many things we’ll be able to do with this technology – says Bob Voiers, virtual reality guru at EDS, the former general Motors subsidiary that developed the cave. Without having to create clay models; they are crash testing cars without building costly prototypes; and they are creating “factories in a box” – assembly line simulations that can identify bottlenecks and quality control problems. But VR applications extend far beyond the world of the virtual automobile. The technology is also helping medical students improve their surgical skills.