Can you imagine strapping on a HTC Vive virtual reality headset and heading underwater for a weightless virtual reality experience? It will soon be possible thanks to Stephen Greenwood and Allan Evans. The two virtual reality pioneers have developed a custom virtual reality headset that can be used at varying depths below water. The possibilities for this technology range from intense underwater virtual reality workouts to exploring weightless virtual environments. It is sure to be a hit with those looking to stay slim as well as those who are keen on adventure.
Underwater Workouts in Virtual Reality
Water exercises are unique in the fact that one is required to push quite hard in order to move. This exertion works muscles to the max. More importantly, underwater exercise works all of the body’s muscles rather than just the arms or the legs. Everything from the core to the shoulders, calves, biceps and beyond must work in tandem in order for one to move through the water as intended. The problem with swimming laps is they become monotonous. Underwater virtual reality is here to change that.
Virtual reality pioneers have long struggled to master player movement. Greenwood and Evans have made considerable progress in this long-standing stumbling block with the development of their custom underwater VR headset. Users don the headset, head on into the water and engage in a taxing workout of their choice. Underwater VR participants can do anything from explore sunken ships to replicating a virtual reality instructor’s swimming motions. The experience combines the weightless sensation of being in the water with alluring video and audio. This way, the participant can select from a myriad of underwater workout routines, choose his preferred visuals and audio and put his body to the test in the water. The captivating combination of audio and visual stimulation combined with the underwater environment will make this VR workout quite intriguing, especially to those who have grown tired of traditional workouts.
VR Water Workouts Have Unlimited Potential
Virtual reality workouts in the water will be as dynamic as it gets. This is the perfect way to sculpt a body, boost stamina and enjoy an immersive virtual reality experience. Everyone from fitness aficionados to couch surfers looking to shed weight, physical therapy patients and scuba diving students will gravitate to this innovative technology. The beauty of working out in the water is its pressure and natural resistance force one to exert himself to a higher degree than necessary in a conventional non-water workout. This high level of intensity is what has attracted countless professional athletes and others to water workouts.
It is likely that the next half-decade will bring a flurry of immersive underwater workouts ranging from virtual water swimming races to video-game oriented treasure hunts through virtual sunken ships, virtual water-based physical therapy sessions and beyond. Look for this breakthrough technology to be “gamified”, in order to make those grueling water workouts that much more enjoyable and rewarding. It might even be possible to engage in a virtual underwater race in real-time against a fellow VR user in another location.
