Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Samsung Australia/YouTube

Samsung decided to livestream a birth using virtual reality

It was for the father only, mind.

VIRTUAL REALITY IS still a long way from reaching its potential, but while the immediate applications may be for gaming, it opens up the doors for more intimate moments.

In this case, it was livestreaming a birth to a father that was based almost 4,000km away from his family.

The catch was instead of watching it through a webcam, the event was displayed through a virtual reality device, Samsung’s Gear VR, allowing the father to witness the birth of his third son.

The reason why he was unable to attend is because he works as a electrical engineer who must take a ‘fly in, fly out’ contracts to support his family. This means he’s away from home for months at a time and where Samsung decided to come in.

While this is a way promote Samsung, the idea is still there. Many people work from afar for months at a time and end up missing out on moments like this. VR could be a way of bridging the gap between the two and allowing people to immerse themselves in moments they may not be physically present for.

It’s not a perfect solution – chances are those on the receiving end would only have a camera or see the father with a headset on and it doesn’t beat being there in person – but as a way to show off the non-gaming potential of the technology, it gets its message across.

Samsung Australia / YouTube

Read: Dyson could hold the key to doubling your smartphone’s battery life >

Read: The government is making fewer Facebook data requests, but more are being granted >

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Author
Quinton O'Reilly
View 11 comments
Close
11 Comments
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
    JournalTv
    News in 60 seconds