Virtual and augmented realities have created a special line of toys and games
By Jignasa Sinha
Bangalore, April 11, 2019: Bangalore-based companies are changing the ways of the gaming industry for kids and adults in India. Virtual reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment, used in games and videos.
This interactive media uses feedback from the user and creates the desired environment. Similarly, augmented reality (AR) is also an interactive platform where real-world objects are ‘augmented through a computer-based perception and used to view certain information.’
With new tech start-ups budding in the city, the motive is to use this technology for the betterment of society. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Bangalore has collaborated with Adarsh rehab centre to launch a new VR-platform for disabled kids.
This platform has games with motion sensors that help disabled children improve their physiotherapy regimen. VR-games help in physical rehabilitation, since the games have real-time simulation technology and records gestures of a person.
The interactive game engages the person and makes the patient do mild exercises. Patients undergoing physiotherapy or cancer treatment get motivated to do more exercises and improve their health because of watching VR games.
Dr Rajni Singh, a general physician says “It is difficult to convince people with disabilities or chronic disorders like cancer to exercise. VR has changed that now, and a lot of patients prefer watching videos and exercise over attending physiotherapy sessions at the hospital. This technology is not only helpful for the patient, but also for the doctor since all the gestures are recorded and can be analysed by the doctor later.”
In Bangalore, people are trying to upgrade to a more tech-friendly environment for their kids. A Bangalore-based company, Playshifu, has launched educational AR-toys. These toys are not only more entertaining but also serve learning purposes. Toys like AR animal flash cards, when scanned through a phone will display information like habitat, population, characteristics of that animal; similarly, an AR globe shows all the details of a place through a smartphone. AR is a mix of reality and augmentation and is a great learning tool for kids
Mithila Nanda, a school teacher says “I have noticed students using tablets and phones not to play racing or adventure games, but playing interactive learning games. It is important to induce a learning culture through technology to save kids from playing games and watching content that has no use and averts them from studies.”
