A mobile virtual reality kit – the fast forward lane to the future

Virtual Reality (VR) used to be the stuff of science fiction, but is now making its way into mainstream gadgetry, with the smartphone at the centre of what would be the next phase of innovation to hit the industry.

Because of the ubiquitous presence of the smartphone, VR advocates believe it is the perfect platform to develop the technology and make it accessible to a greater majority of the public. But what’s the hype all about? The technology is not yet fully developed, and the virtual world experience is far from being a perfect simulation of the real world.

Yet, there has been a lot of excitement about VR, stemming mainly from its potential to be used for a variety of purposes. Being able to play a game virtually takes the gaming experience to a new level, no matter how rudimentary the graphics may be. VR has been used extensively in the sporting world to simulate and improve the ‘winning’ athletic performance. NASA has also used VR to train astronauts to conjure the experience of being in ‘alien’ territories. In medicine, a surgeon can simulate a surgery before actually performing it; an architect can create a virtual building as part of the design process. Students can potentially go on virtual field trips and explore the world without the leaving their classrooms.

On a more personal note, anyone can attend a family gathering and be in the middle of celebrations even from a far, away location. “The possibilities are endless, for any number of uses. You can create anything in the virtual world, even those that can’t be possible in the real world. And the prospects of being able to take the VR experience anywhere through the smartphone, instead of being confined to a PC or a traditional VR set up, is driving the mobile industry to a whole new direction,” says Mr. Yong Geun Choi, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE.

This is probably why at the recent Mobile World Congress, where the smartphone is supposed to be the biggest star, something else shared the spotlight – VR. LG basked in the limelight in both as it launched its modular smartphone, the LG G5, and a suite of modular components the company calls LG Friends. Interestingly, one of the components that can be attached to the G5 is the LG 360 VR, which tethers to the smartphone via a USB cable.

The LG 360 VR offers a potentially ‘immersive’ experience for the smartphone user, it being compatible with 360 images as well as Google Cardboard content; but with a sharper display – a 960 x 720 resolution and 649 pixels per inch - it offers a distinctive mobile VR experience. Experts say the technology will advance at a rapid pace, with user-generated content being a key differentiating factor; but the LG G5, along with the 360 VR, promises an exciting, new peek at the future of smartphones.