We’ve all seen or heard about those old “VR” concepts and movies, of which TRON is the best known. Of late a number of products claiming “VV”, or Virtual Vision, have been popping up on the technological scene. These products and the popular VR movie fodder of yore pointed to a concept of “full experience” in addition to the more traditional “vision-based” system of entertainment / experience.

The current status of this concept is not so encouraging, as it has fallen by the wayside and replaced by ever-improving products in the vision and sound group (HD, Dolby, Multi-chennel sound, Multi-speakers, Bigger screens, thinner screens, etc.) There’s been movement though, on Virtual Reality – but from a totally different direction.

                                             The Matrix is based on the concept of virtual reality.

The Nintendo Wii made waves with its innovative control system based on the Wii Remote, popularly called the Wiimote, which employed gyros and sensors to determine movement and convey it into the game being played. Nintendo has further refined this system into something that can already be called “Virtual Reality” – and it does not look remotely “techy” or “future-ish”.

                                             A simple, plastic board.

The Wii Fit is an add-on to the Wii that extends the interactibility concept of the Wiimote to new levels. The device is basically a pressure-sensitive board that can be attached to the Wii, and can be used in various applications and games. It can primarily be used for activities like yoga, aerobics, exercise games and other similar activities.

                                             Taking a cue from the majority of Wii users.

Combined with the Wiimote, full-body movement as applied to games is possible, bringing into comparison the old VR idea of a full-body suit with sensors studded all around. This is something that will be seen in family environments and fun gaming activities, so it seems a bit incongruous to compare it to the uber high-tech VR concept. But it’s definitely a start.