VR

Move over, quantum dots – quantum rods could be the next big display technology. These tiny sticks could improve 3D displays for VR headsets, and now engineers at MIT have overcome a logistical hurdle by arranging them onto a scaffold made of DNA.

A research team from the UK's Nottingham Trent University, the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales Canberra has developed a display prototype that could replace the LCD panels common to many of today's big-screen TVs.

VR app company Bigscreen is moving into hardware with the launch of the Beyond headset, which is claimed to be the world's smallest – coming in at less than an inch at its thinnest point and said to weigh in six times lighter than other VR devices.

A first-of-its-kind study has found adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities may experience improvements to symptoms of anxiety and depression after using specially designed virtual reality sensory rooms.

Using a newly developed VR game, researchers believe they have created a tool that can objectively diagnose ADHD. The system tracks a user's eye movements and has also been proposed as a way of monitoring the efficacy of certain therapeutic interventions.

While technology is making strides in absorbing our eyes and ears in virtual worlds, it’s harder to engage senses like touch. Engineers have now developed WeTac, a thin, wearable electronic "skin" that provides tactile feedback to users in VR and AR.

In Meta's ongoing quest to make the nebulous "metaverse" a virtual reality, it has already released two of the most amazing all-in-one, untethered VR headsets we've ever seen. Now, meet the Meta Quest Pro, a next-level headset with no expense spared.

A fascinating trial has reported virtual reality immersion can reduce the amount of sedatives needed during certain types of hand surgery. The trial found patients using VR could get through an entire surgical procedure with only local anesthetic.

A pair of unassuming psychedelic researchers have proposed a radical paradigm shift to the way psychotherapy is conducted, presenting a unique protocol for incorporating virtual reality into the still-experimental model of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

The West Japan Rail Company has released video of its new humanoid heavy equipment robot. Mounted on the end of a crane, this gundam-style robot torso mimics the arm and head motions of a human pilot, who sees through the robot's eyes via VR goggles.

Haptic feedback can give virtual experiences an extra dimension, but it’s hard to achieve. Tech startup Emerge has now unveiled the Emerge Wave-1, a device that pairs with a VR headset and emits ultrasonic waves that let users feel virtual objects.

Continuing its drip feeding of details about the PlayStation VR2, Sony has finally revealed what the next-gen headset will actually look like. Turns out it looks a lot like the original, finished in the contoured white-and-black design of the PS5.