虚拟现实技术的九大妙用

A year-long study conducted by Duke University discovered huge benefits of virtual reality technology for paraplegics. Patients wearing VR headsets tasked to move through a stadium as a soccer player were able to regain some brain functions associated with moving their legs. Of the eight patients tested， each regained some control and four were upgraded from full paraplegics to partial paraplegics.

Virtual reality technology holds enormous potential to change the future for a number of fields， from medicine， business， and architecture to manufacturing.

虚拟现实技术潜力巨大，将会改变从医疗、商业、建筑到制造业等众多领域的未来。

1. paraplegic [?p?r??pli?d??k] n. 截瘫者；下身瘫痪患者

帮助瘫痪病人恢复身体机能

美国杜克大学开展的一项为期一年的研究发现，虚拟现实技术能给瘫痪病人带来巨大福音。戴上虚拟现实头盔的患者通过模拟足球運动员在操场上奔跑，即可恢复一部分涉及腿脚活动的大脑功能。参加试验的八位患者中，每一位患者都恢复了部分身体机能，其中四位患者从全瘫好转为半瘫。

想象一下，只需戴上一副眼镜，你就可以身临幻境，来一场虚拟却又真实的感官体验。这就是虚拟现实（Virtual Reality，缩写为VR）。虚拟现实技术的发展不仅仅会带来电子游戏方面的变革，更重要的是，它在其他领域也大有用处，将在许多方面改变未来。

To Train Medical Students

Virtual reality provides medical and dental students a safe and controlled environment to practice surgeries and procedures， allowing them to make mistakes without having any impact on an actual patient， and prepare for any unexpected situations. Performing a "hands-on" procedure and being able to interact with a virtual patient lets students develop their skills， which they can later apply to the real world.

To Treat Pain

Doctors are using "distraction therapy" through virtual reality to help people handle pain while they undergo treatments such as physical therapy. A 2011 study on military burn victims revealed that SnowWorld—a VR game that allows users to throw snowballs at penguins while listening to Paul Simon—has proven more effective than morphine2） in pain management.

To Treat Anxiety Attacks

More than 40 million adults in the U.S. experience anxiety. The VR game Deep—"a digital version of a diaphragmatic exercise3）"—looks to help those individuals deal with fear and anxiety with the use of a belt that monitors breathing. The game puts the user into a natural setting and guides them through deep belly breathing exercises—calming users in about five minutes.

To Help Children and Teens with Autism Develop Social Skills

Professors at the University of Texas in Dallas have created a program that uses virtual reality to help children with autism develop social skills. Putting kids， teens and young adults in social scenarios such as job interviews or blind dates4） with avatars5）， they learn how to pick up on6） social cues7） and respond appropriately. By monitoring brain waves throughout the program， professors noticed increased activity in areas connected to social understanding.

To Help in Business

Look out video chat， virtual reality is here. Businesses are beginning to employ virtual reality in a number of ways： to reduce costs， lessen business travel， conduct interviews， give tours， forecast trends and hold meetings. Rather than traveling for a conference or meeting， or interviewing a candidate "face to face"， companies are using virtual conference rooms. Businesses that have dangerous products or are in the early stages are using virtual reality to test safety and functionality without risking the health of employees.

培训医学生

虚拟现实技术能为医学生和牙科学生提供一个安全可控的环境，用来练习手术、熟悉流程。在这样的环境中，他们即便犯错，也丝毫不会殃及实际患者，此外还能学习处理各种突发情况。通过“动手”操作并与虚拟患者进行互动，学生可以提高他们的医疗技能，日后再将其应用到现实世界中。

缓解疼痛

医生们正在借助虚拟现实技术，运用“分心疗法”帮助患者缓解物理治疗等疗法中产生的疼痛。2011年的一项对军队烧伤患者的研究显示，已有证据证实虚拟现实游戏《冰雪世界》（这种游戏的玩法是玩家边听保罗·西蒙的歌，边朝企鹅投掷雪球）对疼痛的缓解效果比吗啡更好。

治疗焦虑症

美国有4000多万成年人受到焦虑症的困扰。虚拟现实游戏《深海》是一种数字化的腹式呼吸训练，它试图借助一条可以监測呼吸的腰带来帮助这类人群应对恐惧和焦虑。游戏会将玩家带进一处以自然景色为背景的环境中，引导他们进行深度的腹式呼吸练习——大概不到五分钟就会让玩家平静下来。

帮助自闭症儿童和青少年提高社交技能

美国得克萨斯大学达拉斯分校的教授们开展了一个项目，利用虚拟现实技术帮助自闭症儿童提高社交技能。他们将儿童、青少年和年轻人置于设有虚拟人物的社交场景（比如求职面试或相亲）中，让他们学习如何识别社交暗语并做出适当的回应。通过对该项目参与者全程进行脑电波监测，教授们发现这些自闭症患者与社交认知相关的大脑区域变得更为活跃。

辅助商业运转

视频聊天要小心了，虚拟现实来了！很多企业正开始多方位利用虚拟现实技术：降低成本、减少差旅、组织面试、安排参观、预测趋势、召开会议等等。一些企业已经用上了虚拟会议室，企业人员不必长途跋涉去参加大小会议或是“面对面”面试求职者。经营危险品的企业或是初创企业正在借助虚拟现实技术测试产品的安全性和功能状况，而无需危及员工的健康。

To Better Model Architects&apos； Designs

Virtual reality will benefit key players in the construction space such as architects and designers. The tool allows a user to virtually inhabit spaces in three dimensions. Computer-generated images will replace hand-drawn renderings8）—ultimately reducing time spent reworking layouts and drawings， effectively reducing costs and increasing safety.

Simulating9） the real world will not only allow designers to more easily create buildings and spaces—from lighting to flooring10） to foundations—but it will also let designers test out environments before actually building them. For example， they can realistically understand how quickly someone is able to exit the building in the case of an emergency.

To Test Car Safety and Drive Sales

Virtual reality gives cars engineers the ability to test the safety of vehicles in a virtual setting before actually manufacturing them. Aside from11） the building process， large car companies such as Ford， Volvo and Hyundai use virtual reality in sales as well by having potential customers use a VR headset to test drive vehicles.

To Plan Your Next Vacation

You&apos；ll soon be able to "try before you fly" destinations through virtual reality. Travelers looking to book their next trip can observe a destination， hotel or city to see what it has to offer. For example， patrons12） in a U.K. mall were able to experience a helicopter flight around New York City or a boat ride around the Statue of Liberty.

帮助建筑师改进设计

虚拟现实技术将惠及建筑领域的重要从业人员，比如建筑师和设计师。通过虚拟现实技术，用户可以体验一下在三维空间居住的感觉。电脑制图将会取代手工绘制的透视图，最终减少对设计和绘图进行修订所要花去的时间，同时有效降低成本，增加安全性。

模拟现实世界不仅能让设计师更加方便地设计建筑和空间（包括照明、地板、地基等），还能让设计师在项目真正动工之前考察多方情况。例如，他们可以实际了解在紧急情况下人员可以多快地撤离建筑物。

测试汽车安全和试驾销售

虚拟现实技术能让汽车工程师在汽车实际生产前就在虚拟环境中测试车辆的安全性。除生产环节外，诸如福特、沃尔沃、现代等大的汽车企业还可在销售中引进虚拟现实技术，让潜在客户戴上虚拟现实头盔进行试驾。

规划旅行

用不了多久，你就可以通过虚拟现实技术“试游”一下度假目的地了。打算出游的朋友可以借助虚拟现实技术视察一下目的地、酒店或城市，看看那里都提供什么。例如，在英国一家购物中心，顾客就能“乘直升机”畅游纽约或是“坐船”观赏自由女神像。