Most people acknowledge virtual reality can transport users to all kinds of different locations. Standing on the tallest building in the world and jumping off of it is one option to explore. This new collaboration between HTC and Burj Khalifa sounds thrilling, but also pretty scary. It is not for everyone, although Mission 828 is a very interesting contraption regardless.
Conquering Fear of Heights With VR
Scientific research has proven virtual reality can be used to help people overcome their fears and phobias. Although a lot more research is needed in this regard, the opportunities are virtually limitless. Mission 828, a co-creation between HTC and Burj Khalifa, seemingly wants to help people deal with their fear of heights.
Or that is what one would expect, at least. This mission takes users to the top of Burj Khalifa to intercept a satellite and jump down. It sounds simple on paper, were it not for the realistic environment and genuine feeling of depth one gets when looking down. Your mind knows it is in VR, yet your body will genuinely tremble at the thought of jumping down.
Judging by the video below, the experience is very immersive. Users ride the elevator to the highest floor possible and then climb to the top on the outside of the building itself. It feels very Mission Impossible-like. although we are not Tom Cruise by any stretch of the imagination. People with a genuine fear of heights might not go through with this ordeal until the end. for obvious reasons.
The big question is which purpose Mission 828 serves. It is a very interesting experience, although one that not everyone will feel like trying. Even so, it does show what VR technology is capable of at this stage. The visual quality of this experience is pretty impressive, and the queasy feeling in our stomach is more than genuine. Unfortunately, we still fear big heights, perhaps even more after going through this experience.
Header image courtesy of Shutterstock
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