Virtual reality is becoming a versatile tool in society; although it is a well-known tool for gaming, VR has been shown be beneficial in various fields from education to sports. That being said, virtual reality has so much potential to achieve great things, this includes making a positive and potentially long-lasting impact on society. This week, virtual reality powerhouse company HTC has announced this week that it would be partnering with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to advocate for the future of the VR/AR For Impact initiative.
According to the press release, as part of the terms of the newly-found partnership, HTC will focus on designing and creating innovative experiences to foster the use of VR/AR technologies to help educate and benefit humanity. Initially unveiled at last year's World Economic Forum, the VR/AR For Impact is a $10 million program, designed to push VR/AR content and hardware in order to create a positive impact on the world.
Additionally, the company announced that it would be providing demonstrations for a slew of VR/AR experiences, which are specifically designed to teach consumers and provide solutions to humanity’s most prominent global issues. Several displays available this week include a VR application that allows current prosthetists and orthoptists to get hands-on experience within a virtual environment and a VR experience that sheds light on the effects of deforestation.
Of course, HTC is no stranger to promoting and growing virtual reality as a whole. This month at the annual CES convention, the company announced an upgraded version of the current virtual reality gaming headset.