When asked what piece of science fiction technology would you like to see become a reality, one of the top answers will invariably be the Holodeck, a virtual reality world that will recreate worlds and experiences with but a simple voice command. That technology may not be too far off. University of Southern California’s Games program has unveiled Project Holodeck.
Using the Occulus Rift and other consumer ready devices, USC has created a virtual reality game that immerses the players in these synthetic world. Their implementation may be clumsy compared to what was envisioned in Star Trek, but the demonstration makes one hopeful that the future is very close at hand. The proof of concept is there; everything else is a matter of miniaturization.
Now the question to speculate on: Will the advent of the holodeck be a harbinger for an increase in STEM learning and or a decrease in productivity?
