Hot on the heels of Facebook?s acquisition of virtual reality handset maker Occulus, a new VR startup has emerged from stealth with a solid positioning in the travel industry.
It?s called Jaunt and it promises ?completely immersive, 360-degree 3D video and audio experience? thanks to the company?s proprietary camera technology.
The most obvious applications are in entertainment, for displaying both traditional media and a new form of interactive, choose-your-own destiny content. Yet the immersive content journey has already begun in travel, with startups like Sphere?offering new 360-degree ways to experience travel and destinations.
However, the company is clearly aware of the wider implications of the technology. Some of the team members previously worked at mega-publisher Cond??Nast, and the website says that ?Jaunt will let you travel to far away places, experience breathtaking natural vistas? without having to actually do anything besides slip on a headset.
A new definition of realism
The brand name clearly highlights the means of travel via the handset, defining jaunt as a ?short journey, especially one taken for pleasure.? The brand has several current uses already in travel ? see?Jaunted?- and the origin story has a direct genesis in travel:
The idea for Jaunt originated in early 2013 when one of our founders returned from an amazing experience at Zion National Park. ?What if he could go back there for a brief jaunt, at any time, from any place? The emerging consumer VR industry provides the mechanism to travel to virtual worlds. We aim to put realism back into the virtual reality experience, lending an uncanny sense of presence never before possible with any other technology.
The push towards ?realism? includes a sophisticated sound algorithm that tricks the brain into thinking that it?s present by moving sounds around the ears just like they would be in the real world. The cameras and mikes capture all aspects and angles, ensuring complete realism.
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Source: Nick Vivion (2014). Travel without traveling: Virtual reality is officially the hottest trend of 2014, tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/travel-without-traveling-virtual-reality-officially-hottest-trend-2014/ published Apr 03, 2014. Viewed Apr 04, 2014.