口ByYuanYuan
Thoughpopulartoday,virtualrealityalsohasitsdarkside
Idon’twantmykidtostayinavirtualworld.Nomatterhowgooditis,itwouldgiveheraverylimited[understanding]oftherealworld.
TongDawei,Chineseactor
Theonlineshoppingboomhaschangedthe
buyinghabitsoftensofmillionsfromgoingtotraditionalbrick-and-mortarstorestousingtheircomputersorsmartphones.AndnowTaobao,China’slargestonlineshoppingplatform,isplanningtopushcustomersbacktoshops.
Butthereisadifference.Theseareinteractive3D“shops.”Afterputtingon3Dvirtualreality(VR)glasses,customerscanstepinside,touchproductsandtryonclothes.
OnApril1,Taobaoannounceditwouldlaunchthenewshoppingmethod,Buy+,infourmonths’time.Avideowasreleasedtoo,showcasingthenewconcept.
LiuGuangyu,a30-year-oldBeijingresident,isabigfanofJapanesecosmetics.Whatexcitedherwastheabilityofthe3DglassestoinstantlytransporthertoTokyo’sshoppingmalls.“IamafraidIwon’tbeabletostopbuying,”sheexclaimed.“Itlooksthrilling!”
Howitstarted
VRhasfloodedChinawithproductsandentertainment.However,itisnotanentirelynewconcept.VRappearedinsciencefictioninthe1950s.Itwasthendevelopedformedicaluse,flightsimulationandmilitarytraining.
The1990sfilmTheMatrixhasasceneinwhichpeopleenteranentirelyconvincingsimulationoftherealworldbypluggingtheirownbodiesintomachines.
China’sVRmarketfollowedsoonafter.“ChinastartedtopayattentiontotheVRindustryfrom1995.Atthattime,mostoftheresearchanddevelopmentwasfocusedonbusiness-to-businesssectorsorprofessionalprojectsintheindustry,”WengDongdong,anassociateprofessorattheCenterforResearchonOptoelectronics,InformationTechnologyandColorEngineering,BeijingInstituteofTechnology,toldChinaNewsService.“Itwasnotuntilthelasttwoyearsthattheindustryhastappedthebusiness-to-consumerssectors.”
FiguresfromtheiiMediaResearchGroup,whichspecializesindataminingandanalysis,showthatin2015,whentheVRindustrysawrealopportunityinChina,itsmarketvaluewasreportedtobe1.54billionyuan($162million).Thisyear,itisexpectedtobe5.56billionyuan($855million),andin2020,jumptoover55billionyuan($8.46billion).
ChenZhaoyang,CEOofShanghai-basedLeXiangTechnology,adomesticVRmanufacturer,hasbeenworkingintheindustryfor10years.In2006,whenChenintroducedVRtopotentialclients,hehadtocarryabigcentralprocessingunitandadisplayscreen.Whiledemonstratingcomputergameswithsuchequipment,heoftenhadtofaceawkwardmomentsasthegameswouldn’talwaysrunproperly.
“Nowitistotallydifferent,”ChentoldIfeng,anewsportal.“Thefasthi-techdevelopmenthasloweredthecostofVRequipmentandVRhasfinallyintrudedintoreality.”
Abraver,newerworld
Evenso,thetechnologyisstillatthethreshold.
MaJiesi,VRManageratHTCVive,whichmanufacturesVRheadsets,saidatanonlineforuminMarchthatVRisjustthefirststepinawholesetofvisualworlds.“AfterVR,wewillhaveAR,augmentedreality,andthenMR,mixedreality.”
HealsosaidVRandARequipmentwillbethecomputingplatformofthefuture.“Wecangoasfarassayingthatitmightbethelastgenerationofcomputingtechnology,replacingsmartfacilitiesincludingcomputersandsmartphones,”Masaid.“TheeraofMRwilldefinitelyarrive,butitwilltakealongtime.”
Thisyear,calledthe“FirstYearofVR,”witnessedtheemploymentofthetechnologyattheannualsessionsofthe12thNationalPeople’sCongress,China’stoplegislature,andthe12thNationalCommitteeoftheChinesePeople’sPoliticalConsultativeConference,thecountry’stoppoliticaladvisorybody,inMarchwithanarrayofVRcamerastoreporttheevents.VRwasalsoahottopicattheBoaoForumforAsiameetheldafewweekslaterinHainanProvinceinsouthChina.
“IbelieveVRwillbethenextwavefollowingtheInternet,”saidTanZheng,CEOofANTVR,astartupfocusingonVRdevelopment,attheBoaoForumforAsia.“Nowmanyindustriesareexploringthepossibilityofconnectingtheirbusinesswiththiscoolnewtechnology.”
HundredsofVRclubshavesproutedupinChina.Spendinglessthan100yuan($15.15),customerscanexperiencea“wholenewworld”byjustusingaheadset.Realestatecompaniescanalsoadoptthetechnology,enablingpotentialbuyerstoviewnewhomesfromtheothersideoftheworld.TheStrawberryMusicFestival,oneofChina’smostpopularannualeventsheldinBeijingonMay1,hasannounceditwilluseVRtechnologyduringthisyear’sshow.
Unrealworld,realconcerns
“Thegoalofthisindustryistomakethevisualworldasrealaspossible,untilitfeelsexactlyliketherealworld,”MaJiesi,VRManageratHTCVive,saidatanonlineforum.Partofthemarket,accordingtoMa,liesinthedissatisfactionmanypeoplehavewiththeirlives.Theywantavirtualoneasanalternative,andcomputers,tabletsormobiledevicescannotprovidethisescape.
Still,SongFei,whoisinchargeoftheVRDepartmentofLeTV,avideoportalinChina,iskeepingacoolhead.“ToviewVRvideos,viewersmustwearheadsetsorglasses,butthequalityofsuchproductsisarealconcern,”SongtoldChinaNewsAgency,addingthattheremustalsobeabundantvideocontent.
ThedroppingbusinessinmanyVRclubsisprovingthatSong’sconcernisnotgroundless.Aftertheinitialmonthsofcustomersflockingin,businessisdippingascurrently,thenumberofvideosincirculationislimited.
ZhaoXueyan,arealestateagentwhohasbeenworkinginBeijingformorethan10years,saidthoughVRdemonstrationscanattractmorecustomers,ahousebyitselfisjustasmallpartoftheconsiderations:“Youalsoneedtoknowthewholeenvironment,includingneighbors,transportation,etc.Thosecan’tbeshowninVRvideos.”
TongDawei,apopularChineseactor,isconcernedaboutthesocialandpsychologicalaspects.“AlthoughVRtechnologyisfascinating,itcan’tbecomparedtoreallife,”hesaidattheBoaoForum.“Idon’twantmykidtostayinavirtualworld.Nomatterhowgooditis,itwouldgiveheraverylimited[understanding]oftherealworld.”CA