InfoSearched
Published -
- October 23, 2019
- 12:00 pm
‘Walk the Plank’ in VR
Would you be brave enough to have a go?
How can VR be used to enhance training programs for athletes?
We Got Fulham Players to ‘Walk the Plank’ on VR and They Nearly S–t Themselves: A Firsthand Account
Virtual Reality (VR) is quickly becoming the next big thing in entertainment and technology. From gaming to education, VR is changing the way we experience the world. Recently, we had the opportunity to introduce some Fulham football players to VR, and the results were both hilarious and heart-stopping.
Our VR experience involved a simple but effective concept- Walking the Plank. The premise is straightforward enough: put on a VR headset and walk across a wooden plank suspended dozens of stories above the ground. The trick, of course, is that while in VR, the plank feels real. The brain is tricked into thinking that what you’re seeing is actually happening, and the potential consequences- falling to your death- are equally real.
If you’re scared of heights, this experience is probably not for you. And that’s exactly what we discovered when we introduced some Fulham players to the world of VR. We won’t name names, but suffice to say, there were more than a few players who could barely make it a few steps into the experience before panicking and ripping off the headset.
We had some good-natured fun with the players, encouraging them to take “just one more step” or “look down and see how high you really are.” The reactions were priceless- yelps, screams, and even some colorful language. But underneath the laughter, there was also a sense of awe at how immersive the VR experience was.
As someone who has tried similar VR experiences before, I can attest that Walking the Plank is one of the most visceral VR experiences out there. When you’re in the headset, you really do feel like you’re dozens of stories above the ground. And while some might dismiss the experience as simply a prank or a way to scare people, I think it’s worth considering how VR can be used for more than just entertainment.
In fields like architecture and engineering, VR can be used to give clients and stakeholders a more realistic sense of what a building or bridge will look like. In medicine, VR can be used to train doctors on procedures or to help patients cope with chronic pain. And in sports, VR can be used to enhance training programs and help players develop new skills.
So while we had some fun with the Fulham players and their reactions to Walking the Plank, it’s worth remembering that VR is more than just a novelty. It has the potential to transform the way we work, learn, and play. And who knows- maybe next time we introduce the players to VR, they’ll be a little less scared and a little more excited about the possibilities.
