The spot is one in a series of Visa-bashing ads that helped
actor Raymond O'Connor, the hapless Visa user, land a role in the film
My Giant (1998).
To reproduce a ballroom dancing experience in VR is, interestingly, very complex and challenging, possibly more so than surgery assistance applications:
Vision: VR technologies have several severe limitations when it comes to syncing locations. The computations needed to calculate both dancers' coordinates quickly would require a massive CPU/GPU system which in turn would require a cable from the headset and this could also affect the feasibility of engaging in dancing.
Haptics (Touch): Very weak and will need to progress much before the contact experience can get communicated and maintained in a dynamic setting.
Sound: A person's hearing senses that have evolved to become very sophisticated. VR technology has focused a lot on visuals and due to the gaming bias, the VR sound, even stereophonic, is mostly about explosions and short duration bursts. During VR-based ballroom dancing, the sound profile for what the player hears needs to be dynamically adjusted without a lag. This is "spatial" management of sound and also technologically very compute-intensive.
Vision: VR technologies have several severe limitations when it comes to syncing locations. The computations needed to calculate both dancers' coordinates quickly would require a massive CPU/GPU system which in turn would require a cable from the headset and this could also affect the feasibility of engaging in dancing.
Haptics (Touch): Very weak and will need to progress much before the contact experience can get communicated and maintained in a dynamic setting.
Sound: A person's hearing senses that have evolved to become very sophisticated. VR technology has focused a lot on visuals and due to the gaming bias, the VR sound, even stereophonic, is mostly about explosions and short duration bursts. During VR-based ballroom dancing, the sound profile for what the player hears needs to be dynamically adjusted without a lag. This is "spatial" management of sound and also technologically very compute-intensive.
All of the parts that would make virtual reality ballroom dancing a realistic experience include:
Good haptic (touch/force) feedback. Most VR haptics are based on vibration, just like a smartphone. This is (a) lousy, (b) lacks subtlety and (c) typically fails to mimic anything other than something that vibrates (shocker!). There are prototypes that use different approaches, everything from ultrasound to magnetic fluids to electrical shocks (I kid you not), but none of them would convincingly create a feeling of holding someone in your arms. This also means that it would be impossible for you to read any cues from your virtual dance partner.
Spatial awareness. While systems like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are very immersive, you cannot maintain a sense of spatial awareness while wearing one. A person's natural sense of direction gets completely overruled.
And possibly the biggest: Proprioception. This is the sense you have of your own body and balance e.g. where your arms and legs are and how they are moving. This simply doesn't exist in VR and right now, people have no idea how to create it.
Good haptic (touch/force) feedback. Most VR haptics are based on vibration, just like a smartphone. This is (a) lousy, (b) lacks subtlety and (c) typically fails to mimic anything other than something that vibrates (shocker!). There are prototypes that use different approaches, everything from ultrasound to magnetic fluids to electrical shocks (I kid you not), but none of them would convincingly create a feeling of holding someone in your arms. This also means that it would be impossible for you to read any cues from your virtual dance partner.
Spatial awareness. While systems like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are very immersive, you cannot maintain a sense of spatial awareness while wearing one. A person's natural sense of direction gets completely overruled.
And possibly the biggest: Proprioception. This is the sense you have of your own body and balance e.g. where your arms and legs are and how they are moving. This simply doesn't exist in VR and right now, people have no idea how to create it.
Angelica Bridges wore a burgundy colored, high neck midi, spaghetti strapped gown with a thigh slit. She also sported black, sheer pantyhose and black, suede cross-strapped pumps.