Virtual Reality A Modern Technology Media Essay

Virtual Reality A Modern Technology Media Essay Virtual reality is one of the modern technologies which was introduced a few decades back and has taken an important place in the field of technology in a very short time. it makes use of an artificial environment generated by the computer in which simulates the real environment. Besides gaining an immediate acceptance in the world of computer games, it is now being used in many fields of life including architecture, medicine, military and aviation. Scientists and researchers are expecting to explore a lot in this modern technology than what we know about it today. It is a great leap in the field of 3D and a lot of work is still under progress. The discussion below is an insight into the details of this technology, its uses, advantages, disadvantages and social impacts. The term virtual reality refers to refers to a modern technology providing an immersive, interactive experience using the three dimensional computer based graphic images. This technology creates an artificial environment with the help of computer hardware and software and is presented to the user in way which simulates the real world. The equipment makes use of a pair of special gloves, ear phones and goggles, the three of them being controlled by the computer. In this way, three of the users five senses are receiving and input from the computer. The goggles also act by detecting the eye movements of the user, thereby monitoring his actions. ORIGIN: The idea of virtual reality was first presented in 1930s, when the first fight simulator was invented by the scientists for the purpose of training the pilots. This was in an attempt to prepare them for the actual flight environment before being able to fly a real fighter plane. The invention got improvement in 1965, when Ivan Sutherland, an American, presented his theory of developing a portable virtual world using two tiny television sets, one meant for each eye. His invention worked, but to a very basic level. The images were rough and not clear. Another problem was the weight of the helmet used. It was quite heavy and needed to be supported from the ceiling. But the idea has actually got its base and now needed to be improved. Scientist continued working on this idea until in 1985, Michael McGreevy, from NASA introduced a much improved version of virtual reality. It was light weighted, using motorcycle helmet with mini display screens. It was also provided with the special sensors which were used to detect movements with the help of sensitive computer technology. Finally, during 1986, the invention got its final touch when a computer games programmer named Jaron Lanier introduced a new glove for virtual reality. In this way took the modern form in which we look it today. (Virtual Reality, 2004) TYPES OF VIRTUAL REALITY: There are three main types of virtual reality technology: The first one uses a helmet, ear phones and a pair of special gloves or joy sticks controlled by a computer and assisted by special sound effects and graphic images. The second one makes use of the video cameras. These cameras track the image of the participant in an artificially created virtual world. The participant can even move the objects in this world using virtual technology. The third type makes use of the three dimensional images. The screen used is shaped in a curve. This makes the images closer to the real world. (Nigel W. John, Joanna Leng (2001). CATEGORIES: There are six categories in which virtual reality can be displayed: Desktop displays, Head-mounted displays, Arm-mounted displays, Single screen displays, Surround screen displays and Volumetric displays. (Nigel W. John, Joanna Leng (2001). The head mounted displays are among the most widely used displays for virtual reality. In this device, a pair of display screens is placed right in front of the users eyes. These screens are attached to a helmet which the user wears. The arm mounted displays resemble a pair of binoculars mounted on an articulated arm. The user visualizes the virtual world by means of lenses. His virtual environment is controlled by his movements at an arms length and range of motion. Single screen displays use the Immersive Workbench products. These products mostly make use of a tabletop metaphor where the virtual objects give an impression of lying on the table top. Other types of single screen displays make use of a window metaphor. In this kind of display the image seems to be appearing in a large window opened into a virtual space. Another sort of display is known as CAVE, where the viewer sees the images in the form of multiple screens surrounding him as if he is present inside a large cube. The viewer can explore the virtual world by moving inside the cube. (Nigel W. John, Joanna Leng (2001). USES: Virtual reality is now being used in many professions including architecture, meteorology, military, medical and molecular studies. 1. Architecture. Virtual reality has been now used for long in the field of architecture. It has been used to establish the models of buildings before the construction is started. It has also proved to be helpful to determine how a building may have collapsed and to provide improvements in reconstructing a damaged building. 2. Weather Forecast. Virtual reality has also been used in the weather forecast profession by simulating the images with the data collected from the satellites and radars. 3. Military Training. Now virtual reality has officially been declared a part of the U.S military training. They make use of the environments created using virtual reality in whole rooms where soldiers are provided different experiences. These include the war fields as well as different exercises. 4. Cancer Chemotherapy. Another remarkable use of virtual reality in medical field is as a treatment for the cancer patients. Chemotherapy is a painful procedure for most of the patients, yet it is necessary as many malignant cancers cant be treated but their progression can be stopped by the chemotherapy treatment. It has been shown that if the chemotherapy is provided to these patients while they indulge themselves in some activity using virtual world, the pain felt is quite less that that experienced without it. Many chemotherapy centers are now making use of this technology. It is especially true in case of children suffering with cancerous lesions requiring chemotherapy. They feel the procedure less painful if they are allowed to play games or perform any other activity using virtual world and receiving the chemotherapy at the same time. Researchers explain this by the fact that three of the users senses become occupied while using the virtual world. These include, vision, hearing and touch. Thus the brain is actually distracted from the painful event being carried out. Images also play quite an important role in this treatment. The patient is given the option to select any image of his/her choice, like walking on a beach, or visiting an art gallery or performing deep sea diving etc. 5. Molecular Biology. The molecular biology is also making use of virtual reality in order to study the molecular and cellular structures. It enables the scientists to visit small sections of a molecule and study its properties. 6. Medical Studies. Virtual reality is now being used in medical studies as well. By using virtual reality, the medical students and even doctors can learn complex medical procedures without risking anyones life. In medical field virtual reality has been used in diagnosing various diseases using the images provided by other scans and then merging them using medical technology. (eHow, 2010) 7. Driving Lessons. In many countries now virtual reality has been used for driving tests as well. Apart from the actual on-road driving test, the candidates have to take a virtual reality based driving test as well which simulates the real environment. 8. Disabled Children. Virtual reality has also proven itself to be a blessing for the disabled children. A child who a wheel chair for moving needs around can gain an insight of many of the places which he cannot otherwise visit. He can select the images or environment of choice and go to the virtual world for flight, diving, walking, fighting, driving or many other activities. In this regard it is a great blessing for the bed ridden or wheel chair bound children or individuals. (itgs, 2010) ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES: The main advantages of virtual reality are as follows: Virtual reality provides the diverse types of data available in instant forms. It provides images from many different points of views. It is able to demonstrate the non-visible data to the user like in case of geochemistry. Allows a person to visit the places normally inaccessible to individuals. Provides an experience which can be repeated and revised. It can cover the education and knowledge related to almost all fields of life. Even children as well as adults can get benefit from it. It provides information in an interesting manner preventing the user from getting bored. (Weili Qiu, Tom Hubble, 2006). Virtual Reality 9 A remarkable research being carried out now a day is an attempt to make virtual reality usable by the blind persons in order to enable them to face the real world challenges using modern technology. Although the development of a virtual world can be considered as a great leap in the modern technology, yet a lot needs to be still done in this field. Given below is a chart displaying the possible harmful health effects of virtual reality: (Bing Images, 2010). The progress may be considered as slow mainly because of its complex technology. Other disadvantages include: This technique uses the computer visualization and digital techniques, yet it does not present the true three dimensional natures of objects. Although it is very close to reality, yet is unable to provide the feelings of touch, smell etc. It is still not as beneficial as being really in a field. Visiting a website using virtual reality is difficult and hindered by many factors like the network access, load on network and number of connections etc. Many websites accessed using virtual reality are ephemeral and not permanent. Yet needs much improvement regarding the teaching environment. The user may get lost over different websites, thereby increasing the problem of time management. (Weili Qiu, Tom Hubble, 2006). Some users complain of nausea and vomiting by an excessive and continuous use of virtual reality technology. CAN VIRTUAL WORLD REPLACE THE REAL EXPERIENCE? Virtual world is although quite close to the real world yet it is still unable to replace the feelings of a real world. As an example, the virtual reality technology is now being used for military training as well. But a soldier actually knows that he is not going to get any harm from any bullet coming from an unknown origin or a surprising attack. These feelings can only be experienced while being in an actual war field where all of a soldiers instincts are fully active in order to prevent him from any unknown danger, as he knows that it is real and he can even loose his life if he gets distracted from this actual environment. (Science Clarified, 2010) Similarly, it was found many years back that the pilots trained by using the flight simulators make mistakes while flying the actual plane. This occurs because of the actual differences found between the virtual and the real world. As for example, a flight simulator is unable to present the affects of simulation that a pilot feels during an actual flight. Thus, when he gets into a real flight, he faces confusion while experiencing the new sensation. Yet, this is a temporary problem and is resolved by allowing the pilots trained by flight simulators to fly a plane, only after twenty four hours have passed. These problems are although temporary, but they have raised questions about whether a long term use of virtual reality able to bring about permanent changes, especially in children, whose brains are still under developing stage and can easily be modified as compared to the grown ups. Some psychologists believe that a long term and frequent use of virtual reality is going to change the way, people are used to perceive the real world. According to some psychiatrists, a prolonged use of virtual world can make people avoid real life problems instead of trying to solve them. WORLDWIDE ACCEPTANCE: Although virtual reality technology can be still described to be in its initial stages, yet there are now about 61,000 commercial companies all over the world which are using the virtual reality technology to produce different products. Even at this basic stage, now virtual reality has become a part of the educational training at about 3,600 educational institutes all over the world. (authorSTREAM, 2010) There can be no doubt in saying this that the use of virtual reality has now increased to a great extent than the time when it was introduced initially, all over the world. Given below is a graph showing an increase in the use of virtual reality over the period of years. (Google images, 2010) CONCLUSION: Virtual reality can be described as one of the most important inventions of the modern world. Initially when computer was invented, it did not have much uses. With time, many improvements were made and computer started taking an important place at offices, homes and industries. Development of internet was a remarkable addition and it made the computer a necessity for every work place as well as homes. Likewise virtual reality was developed initially with a very basic knowledge. But now, it has started taking an important place at many work places especially those professions which are related to computer and technology. Still studies are being carried out in order to make further improvements in it, and we can predict its importance in the upcoming time mainly because of the reason that the virtual reality enables a person to visit any place or environment where it is sometimes practically impossible to go in person. One can visit the internal body, the space, the molecular structure s, deep sea, buildings, sky, planets or whatever one can think of. Science is amazing and the computer world is giving the mankind an experience of a totally new world which could not be imagined some decades back. Thus, virtual reality can be easily described as one of those inventions of science, which carry a great elasticity in them and with the research work going on in this field, we can hope to get even better results expected to bring great changes in almost every field using computer technology.

Chemistry uncertainty conical flask Essay

The conical flask was weighted with the balance and the value was recorded. 2) The beaker was filled with distilled water and the water was added into the conical flask up to the 60 mL mark. The dropper was used when water level was approaching the 60 mL mark. 3) The weight of the conical flask containing water was recorded. 4) The mass of water was found by subtracting the weight of conical flask from the weight of conical flask with water. 5) The volume of water was found from the mass of water . 6) Steps 1) to 5) were repeated ten times. 7) 60 mL was subtracted from each of the calculated volume of water. 8) The data obtained from step 7) were compared with each other and the largest value was taken as the absolute uncertainty of the conical flask. -The volume of water poured into the conical flask was being decided while the uncertainty of the conical flask, calculated from the experimental  volume subtracting theoretical volume of water, was being investigated. -The same conical flask and electronic balance was used throughout the experiment to ensure the results were not to be affected by the difference in apparatus used. -The volume readings were taken from the bottom of the meniscus of liquid and it was made sure all the liquid was emptied to ensure accurate reading of volume. – A dropper was used when the water level approached 50 mL mark of the conical flask to prevent solution from overflowing the mark and to ensure accurate reading of volume of solution. -Only distilled water was used in the experiment to access fair results in all rounds of experiments. -The uncertainties of the balance were neglected because the value ( ±0.0001g) was too small and has very little effect on the results. -10 sets of data were taken into account for more accurate results. -The experiment was done in room temperature and in an environment of same wind speed to prevent the experimental results from being affected. -The exterior and the upper 1/3 part of the interior of the conical flask was wiped dry with tissue paper before every set of experiment was carried out to assure accurate measurement of the mass of water contained. -The density of water is assumed to be 1 g/dm ³. The result of the experiment has shown that the uncertainty of a 100mL conical flask is 2mL. Comparing to a 100 mL volumetric flask, which has absolute uncertainty of 0.08mL, a conical flask is rather uncertain and will give inaccurate results. This explains why a conical flask is usually used for holding chemicals (for example in titration, it is used for containing the solution being titrated against and the indicator) instead of used for giving measurements. In this experiment, an observation was that the value displayed on the balance fluctuated within 0.0004 g. This observation was noted as it implied that even though the wind speed was kept constant around the environment (for example fans and air conditioner turned off), the movements generated by man or usage of balance had minor effect on the accuracy of the result. The effect of these small errors on the result can be eliminated by carrying out more rounds of the experiment, or by repeating with different electronic balances. Further investigation could be done on finding the values of uncertainty of different sizes and grades of conical flasks. By repeating the experiment with different sizes and grades of conical flasks, we can gain understanding in different instruments and the result might be used as reference in future experiments involving conical flasks.

Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

As a business grows and expands, eventually the goal of a business is to transform from company into a corporate powerhouse. Once the goal of a company turned corporate is met a corporation is to operate eventually internationally within other countries. With the ability to operate a business internationally this will enable a corporation access to several features. These features are more revenue income, acquire and disperse domestic and international stocks, capital expenditures in the forms of resources and manpower in foreign countries. These features also spell the recipe for creating more jobs within those foreign countries a corporation plans to operate within. Culture Issues Affecting Corporations Actions Outside the United States The well known jean clothing company known in the retail business as Levi’s operates under the business name of Levi Strauss and Company. Levi Strauss and Company is located in the heart of Northern California’s Bay Area city of San Francisco. Levi Strauss and Company operates and own its factories of clothing internationally in 110 countries (Levi Strauss & Company, 2012). With the business growth and years in operation Levi Strauss and Company also have been put under extreme scrutiny because of business practices and business ethics. Most of the examinations and criticizing of the company business practices have been from various groups and individuals ranging from employee unions, stock market companies and individual, even from external companies associated with Levi and Strauss. One of the reasons for criticism was the attention brought onto Levi and Strauss operating two of the corporation’s factories in Bangladesh, India. What the assessment of Levi and Strauss Company found was that its resources also included the employment of children working within the factories. Many of these children working within the two factories working under the minimum age limit. This had put Levi and Strauss into a bad business situation. With the United States the minimum age limit to work legally in non-hazardous areas is 14 years of age (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). In India the children working at two of Levi Strauss and Company were under the age of 14 years of age. With many of these children working there most of the wages were used to help support their families who depended on their child’s wages. Levi’s implemented into its Terms of Engagement that any child working under the minimum age limit would have his or her salaries covered while paying for his or her full education (Levi Strauss & Company, 2012). Ethical Perspectives Of Levi and Strauss Company Global Organization Levi Strauss and Company have ethical perspectives are in agreement with the majority view of operating as an ethical global business entity. Levi Strauss and Company operates under a Worldwide Code of Business Conduct, and a Global Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy (Levi Strauss & Company, 2010). Under the Worldwide Code of Conduct Levi’s operates its business affairs with good responsibility and integrity. The Code of Conduct also encourages the corporation’s employees base business decisions under the corporation’s ethical values. Operating under anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy, Levi’s operates under each country’s specific laws and regulations, in addition, these policies are put into effect to help the company’s employees be able to identify any potential business scenarios and avoid situations, which can put the company’s ethical policies at risk (Levi Strauss & Company, 2010). While operating in 2008 Levi Strauss had received pertinent information regarding its factories in the country of Uzbekistan. Levi Strauss and Company had gone under pressure to investigate about the working conditions of forced child labor to harvest cotton in Uzbekistan. With inquiries from the company’s external stakeholders, environmental nongovernmental organizations, socially based firms, and internationally based retailers, the company addressed the issue of forced child labor to harvest the cotton in that country. What Levi’s did was ban the cotton harvested in Uzbekistan (Levi Strauss and Company, 2010). From the part of 2008 through the middle of 2009 the company brought the issue to the United States Government and engaged the country of Uzbekistan government to resolve the situation of the country forcing children to harvest the cotton within that country (Levi Strauss and Company, 2010). Levi’s Ethical Perspectives Across Cultures Levi Strauss and Company faces different challenges operating in different countries and abiding by various cultural ethical differences. While operating in different Asian countries Levi and Strauss took part in The Asia Foundation to help support the end of corruption that is common in many Asian countries (SUPPORTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN ASIA, 2012). the Asia Foundation helps with funding from Levi Strauss and Company develop programs which are to enable a better life for many people in Asian countries. With helping to end corruption Levi and Strauss has taken a pro-active approach to end this dilemma that is still in many of the Asian countries. In working internationally Levi and Strauss has addressed the issue of women’s rights in countries such as Egypt. In other countries the humane rights of women are equivalent to almost nothing putting women down at the bottom of the social pyramid. Levi and Strauss has partnered with Business for Social Responsibility to run a program also known as the HERProject-for Health Enable Returns that is meant to help women in educating women about health reproduction and access to get health services (Jill Nash , Vice President, Levi Strauss & Co. Corporate Affairs, 2010). With regards to operating in international countries Levi and Strauss must be able to handle each challenge differently and adapt policies for each specific region. One solution may work in one country but may not work effectively in an another country. Levi and Strauss operate under a high standard of ethics and code of conduct within the United States, which is far higher when compared to other foreign countries. Operating business in a high ethical standard is something Levi and Strauss have been innovating as the corporation ventures to operate in foreign countries. With each country come challenges, which may be similar and different from other countries, which are unique to each region. In conclusion businesses are either currently or entering into the global market as the realization of more income revenue is abundant. When companies look to grow with expansion into other countries sometimes the earnings of revenue will tend to take a company’s focus of concentration away from dealing with cultural aspects and challenges unique to those specific country regions. When the distraction on not learning about the different cultures and ethnicity conducts business do companies create mistakes that can have a major ethical issue in the public view. The best result would be to conduct business research on how business conduct operates in each country to avoid any potential ethical dilemmas.

Business Ethics - 1611 Words

Business Ethics – Assignment 1 1. The Sales Rep. A sales representative for a struggling computer supply firm has a chance to close a multimillion-dollar deal for an office system to be installed over a two-year period. The machines for the first delivery are in the company’s warehouse, but the remainder would have to be ordered from the manufacturer. Because the manufacturer is having difficulty meeting the heavy demand for the popular model, the sales representative is not sure that the subsequent deliveries can be made on time. Any delay in converting to the new system would be costly to the customer; however, the blame could be placed on the manufacturer. Should the sales representative close the deal without advising the customer†¦show more content†¦2. The Research Director. The director of research in a large aerospace firm recently promoted a woman to head an engineering team charged with designing a critic component for the new plane. She was tapped for the job because of her superior know ledge of the engineering aspects of the project but the men under her direction have been expressing resentment at working for a woman by subtly sabotaging the work of the team. The director believes that it is unfair to deprive the woman of advancement merely because of the prejudice of her male colleagues, but quick completion of the designs and the building of a prototype are vital to the success of the company. Should he remove the woman as head of the engineering team? - Above is an example of gender discrimination that commonly happens in the business world. It is widely known that many a times women do not have the same opportunity as men for education and meaningful careers. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) does state that â€Å"all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and right†. This therefore brings us to a conclusion that gender discrimination is obviously, unethical. 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