When the Oculus Rift made its Kickstarter debut in 2012, gamers were convinced that this could finally be the gadget that would make virtual reality take off.
Now, two years and a $2 billion acquisition later, the device is being used for much more than video games.
The Oculus Rift, created by Oculus VR, is a virtual reality 3-D headset that uses 360-degree head tracking to make it feel like you're inside a different world.
For example, looking to the left or right will automatically pan the scene in either direction, making it feel as natural as looking around in reality. The eyewear also provides parallel images for each eye, which is the same way your eyes perceive images in the real world.
The company already generated a ton of buzz after its Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded, but the startup really broke into the public eye when Facebook acquired it for $2 billion in March.
Palmer Luckey, the 21-year-old Oculus VR founder, said that the Oculus Rift was made specifically for gaming when it was initially introduced. Today, however, people are using the headset to drive tanks in the military and explore the human body, among other fascinating applications.
To help a dying grandmother walk outside again
Roberta Firstenberg had been battling cancer in April when her granddaughter Priscilla used the Oculus Rift to ease her pain. Firstenberg loved being outside, especially gardening, but her condition restricted her from doing so. After writing a letter to Oculus VR relating the situation, the company sent Priscilla a developer version of the Rift, which allowed Firstenberg to roam around a Tuscan villa.
To fly like a bird
A machine developed by the Zurich University of the Arts uses the Oculus Rift to create a realistic flying experience. The device, called Birdly, uses its motor to translate hand movements from a simulator into the flapping of virtual wings. The Oculus Rift headset provides a virtual bird's-eye view that makes it feel like you're actually soaring.
To see through the eyes of a robot
Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab created a device that would allow the user to see through the eyes of a robot avatar. The device also uses a Kinect to pick up the Oculus wearer's movements, while the goggles provide a first-person perspective from a remote robot's point of view. In the image above, a user is moving his arm while wearing the Oculus Rift to move the robot's arm.
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