A year-long study conducted by Duke University discovered huge benefits of virtual reality technology for paraplegics. Patients wearing VR headsets tasked to move through a stadium as a soccer player were able to regain some brain functions associated with moving their legs. Of the eight patients tested， each regained some control and four were upgraded from full paraplegics to partial paraplegics.

Virtual reality technology holds enormous potential to change the future for a number of fields， from medicine， business， and architecture to manufacturing.

虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)潛力巨大，將會(huì)改變從醫(yī)療、商業(yè)、建筑到制造業(yè)等眾多領(lǐng)域的未來。

1. paraplegic [?p?r??pli?d??k] n. 截癱者；下身癱瘓患者

幫助癱瘓病人恢復(fù)身體機(jī)能

美國杜克大學(xué)開展的一項(xiàng)為期一年的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)能給癱瘓病人帶來巨大福音。戴上虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)頭盔的患者通過模擬足球運(yùn)動(dòng)員在操場上奔跑，即可恢復(fù)一部分涉及腿腳活動(dòng)的大腦功能。參加試驗(yàn)的八位患者中，每一位患者都恢復(fù)了部分身體機(jī)能，其中四位患者從全癱好轉(zhuǎn)為半癱。

想象一下，只需戴上一副眼鏡，你就可以身臨幻境，來一場虛擬卻又真實(shí)的感官體驗(yàn)。這就是虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)（Virtual Reality，縮寫為VR）。虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)的發(fā)展不僅僅會(huì)帶來電子游戲方面的變革，更重要的是，它在其他領(lǐng)域也大有用處，將在許多方面改變未來。

To Train Medical Students

Virtual reality provides medical and dental students a safe and controlled environment to practice surgeries and procedures， allowing them to make mistakes without having any impact on an actual patient， and prepare for any unexpected situations. Performing a "hands-on" procedure and being able to interact with a virtual patient lets students develop their skills， which they can later apply to the real world.

To Treat Pain

Doctors are using "distraction therapy" through virtual reality to help people handle pain while they undergo treatments such as physical therapy. A 2011 study on military burn victims revealed that SnowWorld—a VR game that allows users to throw snowballs at penguins while listening to Paul Simon—has proven more effective than morphine2） in pain management.

To Treat Anxiety Attacks

More than 40 million adults in the U.S. experience anxiety. The VR game Deep—"a digital version of a diaphragmatic exercise3）"—looks to help those individuals deal with fear and anxiety with the use of a belt that monitors breathing. The game puts the user into a natural setting and guides them through deep belly breathing exercises—calming users in about five minutes.

To Help Children and Teens with Autism Develop Social Skills

Professors at the University of Texas in Dallas have created a program that uses virtual reality to help children with autism develop social skills. Putting kids， teens and young adults in social scenarios such as job interviews or blind dates4） with avatars5）， they learn how to pick up on6） social cues7） and respond appropriately. By monitoring brain waves throughout the program， professors noticed increased activity in areas connected to social understanding.

To Help in Business

Look out video chat， virtual reality is here. Businesses are beginning to employ virtual reality in a number of ways： to reduce costs， lessen business travel， conduct interviews， give tours， forecast trends and hold meetings. Rather than traveling for a conference or meeting， or interviewing a candidate "face to face"， companies are using virtual conference rooms. Businesses that have dangerous products or are in the early stages are using virtual reality to test safety and functionality without risking the health of employees.

培訓(xùn)醫(yī)學(xué)生

虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)能為醫(yī)學(xué)生和牙科學(xué)生提供一個(gè)安全可控的環(huán)境，用來練習(xí)手術(shù)、熟悉流程。在這樣的環(huán)境中，他們即便犯錯(cuò)，也絲毫不會(huì)殃及實(shí)際患者，此外還能學(xué)習(xí)處理各種突發(fā)情況。通過“動(dòng)手”操作并與虛擬患者進(jìn)行互動(dòng)，學(xué)生可以提高他們的醫(yī)療技能，日后再將其應(yīng)用到現(xiàn)實(shí)世界中。

緩解疼痛

醫(yī)生們正在借助虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)，運(yùn)用“分心療法”幫助患者緩解物理治療等療法中產(chǎn)生的疼痛。2011年的一項(xiàng)對(duì)軍隊(duì)燒傷患者的研究顯示，已有證據(jù)證實(shí)虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)游戲《冰雪世界》（這種游戲的玩法是玩家邊聽保羅·西蒙的歌，邊朝企鵝投擲雪球）對(duì)疼痛的緩解效果比嗎啡更好。

治療焦慮癥

美國有4000多萬成年人受到焦慮癥的困擾。虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)游戲《深海》是一種數(shù)字化的腹式呼吸訓(xùn)練，它試圖借助一條可以監(jiān)測呼吸的腰帶來幫助這類人群應(yīng)對(duì)恐懼和焦慮。游戲會(huì)將玩家?guī)нM(jìn)一處以自然景色為背景的環(huán)境中，引導(dǎo)他們進(jìn)行深度的腹式呼吸練習(xí)——大概不到五分鐘就會(huì)讓玩家平靜下來。

幫助自閉癥兒童和青少年提高社交技能

美國得克薩斯大學(xué)達(dá)拉斯分校的教授們開展了一個(gè)項(xiàng)目，利用虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)幫助自閉癥兒童提高社交技能。他們將兒童、青少年和年輕人置于設(shè)有虛擬人物的社交場景（比如求職面試或相親）中，讓他們學(xué)習(xí)如何識(shí)別社交暗語并做出適當(dāng)?shù)幕貞?yīng)。通過對(duì)該項(xiàng)目參與者全程進(jìn)行腦電波監(jiān)測，教授們發(fā)現(xiàn)這些自閉癥患者與社交認(rèn)知相關(guān)的大腦區(qū)域變得更為活躍。

輔助商業(yè)運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)

視頻聊天要小心了，虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)來了！很多企業(yè)正開始多方位利用虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)：降低成本、減少差旅、組織面試、安排參觀、預(yù)測趨勢、召開會(huì)議等等。一些企業(yè)已經(jīng)用上了虛擬會(huì)議室，企業(yè)人員不必長途跋涉去參加大小會(huì)議或是“面對(duì)面”面試求職者。經(jīng)營危險(xiǎn)品的企業(yè)或是初創(chuàng)企業(yè)正在借助虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)測試產(chǎn)品的安全性和功能狀況，而無需危及員工的健康。

To Better Model Architects&apos； Designs

Virtual reality will benefit key players in the construction space such as architects and designers. The tool allows a user to virtually inhabit spaces in three dimensions. Computer-generated images will replace hand-drawn renderings8）—ultimately reducing time spent reworking layouts and drawings， effectively reducing costs and increasing safety.

Simulating9） the real world will not only allow designers to more easily create buildings and spaces—from lighting to flooring10） to foundations—but it will also let designers test out environments before actually building them. For example， they can realistically understand how quickly someone is able to exit the building in the case of an emergency.

To Test Car Safety and Drive Sales

Virtual reality gives cars engineers the ability to test the safety of vehicles in a virtual setting before actually manufacturing them. Aside from11） the building process， large car companies such as Ford， Volvo and Hyundai use virtual reality in sales as well by having potential customers use a VR headset to test drive vehicles.

To Plan Your Next Vacation

You&apos；ll soon be able to "try before you fly" destinations through virtual reality. Travelers looking to book their next trip can observe a destination， hotel or city to see what it has to offer. For example， patrons12） in a U.K. mall were able to experience a helicopter flight around New York City or a boat ride around the Statue of Liberty.

幫助建筑師改進(jìn)設(shè)計(jì)

虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)將惠及建筑領(lǐng)域的重要從業(yè)人員，比如建筑師和設(shè)計(jì)師。通過虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)，用戶可以體驗(yàn)一下在三維空間居住的感覺。電腦制圖將會(huì)取代手工繪制的透視圖，最終減少對(duì)設(shè)計(jì)和繪圖進(jìn)行修訂所要花去的時(shí)間，同時(shí)有效降低成本，增加安全性。

模擬現(xiàn)實(shí)世界不僅能讓設(shè)計(jì)師更加方便地設(shè)計(jì)建筑和空間（包括照明、地板、地基等），還能讓設(shè)計(jì)師在項(xiàng)目真正動(dòng)工之前考察多方情況。例如，他們可以實(shí)際了解在緊急情況下人員可以多快地撤離建筑物。

測試汽車安全和試駕銷售

虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)能讓汽車工程師在汽車實(shí)際生產(chǎn)前就在虛擬環(huán)境中測試車輛的安全性。除生產(chǎn)環(huán)節(jié)外，諸如福特、沃爾沃、現(xiàn)代等大的汽車企業(yè)還可在銷售中引進(jìn)虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)，讓潛在客戶戴上虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)頭盔進(jìn)行試駕。

規(guī)劃旅行

用不了多久，你就可以通過虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)“試游”一下度假目的地了。打算出游的朋友可以借助虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)視察一下目的地、酒店或城市，看看那里都提供什么。例如，在英國一家購物中心，顧客就能“乘直升機(jī)”暢游紐約或是“坐船”觀賞自由女神像。