Random Weird Things You Didn't Know Virtual Reality Was Being Used Fo (13 items)

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  (#13) To Practice Saving Kittens

  Want to save that poor cat in the tree branch, but you're too afraid of heights to do it? Well, now you can conquer that fear and practice your cat-saving technique all at the same time! Namco Bandai has created a virtual reality program that has people easing their way out onto a plank hanging off the edge of a rooftop to scoop up a digital kitten that's stranded on its end. Now, don't be a pussycat. Save that kitten!
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  (#1) To Simulate The Experience Of Death

  As death anxiety is common in terminally ill patients, designer Frank Kolkman created a virtual reality device meant to roughly simulate the experience of dying. Based on both testimony regarding near death experiences and the clinical process of dying, Kolkman device incorporates actual video footage of real life surroundings to help those suffering fatal illnesses feel at peace with death. 

  To use the device, users stand in front of a robotic head while cameras play a live video stream that allows user to look around their own surroundings. An automatic hammer helps mimic the sound of a heartbeat, making the experience more physical. A user's face and body is reflected back at them. This is meant to mimic out of body sensations that are a common aspect of near death experiences. 

  Kolkman hopes his invention will ease anxiety for patients near death. He also hopes to start a more direct, open conversation about the topic of death in hospitals. 
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  (#5) To Give Yourself a Migraine

  Ever wish you could experience the intense pain of a migraine headache at will? Yeah, me either. Keep reading anyway.

  The brilliant minds at Excedrin have created a VR experience that simulates the bright lights, disorienting sound, and general unpleasantness of having a migraine. The purpose is to show non-sufferers what it's like for those who do suffer the affliction. The purpose is NOT, of course, to develop a way to create migraines in more of the population in order to sell more Excedrin. Where do you come up with these ideas??
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  (#2) To Make an Old Rollercoaster Feel Like a New One

  Got an old rollercoaster that you're bored with, but just can't bring yourself to demolish? Virtual reality has got you covered! As Six Flags Over Texas has done with the Shockwave, riders are given a VR headset that provides an entirely new experience during the ride. In the case of the Shockwave (re-dubbed The New Revolution), the VR playback makes riders feel as though they're piloting jet fighters in an aerial battle with invading space aliens.
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  (#8) To Swap Bodies with the Opposite Sex

  You know that one immature male friend you have that insists that if he were a woman, he would just stay home and play with his breasts all day? Well, he soon may be able to do just that!

  On a more serious note, the Gender Swap experiment by the good people at BeAnotherLab uses virtual reality to allow men and women to experience one another's bodies. The process entails both male and female users equipping a VR helmet that inputs the sensory perception of the other person. By synchronizing movements, it would appear to each of them that they've swapped bodies.
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  (#9) To Learn Not to Piss Yourself on Stage

  A relatively simple, but brilliant virtual reality application already on the market allows those afraid of public speaking to overcome that fear. Created by VirtualSpeech, the Public Speaking app places the user in an environment where they are front and center, with an audience of realistic virtual beings listening to their every word. With practice, the user can become comfortable in front of both virtual and flesh-and-blood spectators.

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