the things I do for my job

[orangerful]

(if you click through, you can see the video)

For some reason our head of Virtual Services is obsessed with VR. I'm not really huge on it, which is kind of funny because I do like shiny toys and such but I haven't seen anything that made me want to own a headset (well, maybe the Star Wars VR...but I've learned that there should be at least TWO things before I drop over $100 for something).

ANYWAY, she managed to get funding for a PS4 VR kit for the library. I have a school visit on Thursday and I was supposed to take our Google Expedition Kit, which I had used last year and the kids went crazy for it. But for some weird reason the schools past a rule that Android devices are not allowed on their network or even NEAR their networks. We thought all hope of the library coming and being COOL were lost, but no, the PS4 VR kit was just put together and happened to be ready to go!

Of course, before I venture off campus to do something, I test it out to make sure it all works. I mean, I HAVE TO! And then I have to call everyone else over and make THEM try it.

My job, it is just so rough. :P

This was a deep sea diving VR adventure with a shark attack and when I gave the headset to the next person, the shark came on screen LOL. I felt bad, like I had tricked her!! I didn't know where that shark was!

This was cool, but I'm still not sold on VR, partially because, well...look at me! I look like an idiot. It's so weird and so...lonely. You can hear everyone around you, talking about what is on screen and you're just sort of in your own little VR world. I just don't know if they will ever get far enough to make it what I want (which I guess would be like Ready Player One immersive LOL)

We also have a VIVE but that is a project to set up with the lights and sensors. Much cooler VR because it is full body detecting but also not something I want to deal with when there are 100 kids around me.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

As someone who hasn't tried out VR, does it ever induce motion sickness? I get that now from some camera moves in video games.

[orangerful]

I definitely feel wobbly with VR and I don't ever get motion sick from video games. Something about it surrounding my vision and not being able to see my feet, when movement happens it feels very confusing to my inner ear. :| This program wasn't so bad, it was mostly standing and letting the creatures come to you, but I tried one of the games and almost lost it.

[yourlibrarian]

I suspected as much since there's no good way of grounding yourself the way you can by looking out a window in a car or the horizon in a boat. And I imagine that moving one's head around a lot would make that worse.

My video game playing is pretty limited but I have difficulties with camera motion that tends to yaw around and sometimes with the different perspectives in split screen play. So I figured VR had to be worse in that respect.

[thenewbuzwuzz]

I'm glad you had fun ^^