prompter: What are some of the most cutting-edge advancements in virtual and augmented reality?

assistant: Some of the most cutting-edge advancements in virtual and augmented reality include:

Haptic Feedback: Haptic feedback technology is increasingly being used to create a more immersive VR and AR experience. This technology allows users to feel physical sensations, such as touch, pressure, and vibrations, while they are interacting with virtual environments.

Eye-Tracking: Eye-tracking technology is becoming increasingly popular in VR and AR devices, allowing users to control the virtual environment simply by looking at objects.

Spatial Computing: Spatial computing refers to the integration of AR and VR with the physical world. With advancements in AR and VR technology, users can now experience more immersive and lifelike environments that blend virtual and physical elements.

Hand and Finger Tracking: Hand and finger tracking technology allows users to control the virtual environment using natural hand movements and gestures.

AI and Machine Learning: AI and machine learning are being used to create more intelligent and interactive virtual and augmented environments. These technologies can be used to create more realistic characters, environments, and interactions.

5G and Edge Computing: 5G technology and edge computing are allowing for faster and more reliable connections, making it possible to stream high-quality VR and AR content.

These advancements are leading to new and innovative VR and AR experiences that are more immersive, intuitive, and interactive.

prompter: What can virtual and augmented reality be used for other than games? Please give specific examples.

prompter: Could you suggest engines such as Unity or Unreal, or libraries for them, that include functionality for each of these advancements?

prompter: In regards to AI and Machine Learning, I'd like to get to know how these technologies are interfacing with virtual and augmented reality. For instance, what would it look like to use these technologies in the context of environments?

prompter: I heard that many people suffer from headache and nausea when using VR too much, do some of your suggestions help improve this problems? If so, which ones? I am asking this because I care that VR will be accessible to everyone.

assistant: Some of the most recent advancements in virtual and augmented reality include:

1. Improved hardware: Head-mounted displays (HMDs) and controllers have become more advanced, providing a more immersive and interactive experience.

2. Increased realism: Advanced computer graphics and 3D modeling techniques allow virtual environments to become more realistic and life-like.

3. 5G integration: With the increasing prevalence of 5G networks, VR and AR experiences are becoming more seamless and accessible, with reduced latency and higher bandwidth.

4. Spatial computing: The integration of AR into everyday devices such as smartphones, laptops, and smart glasses is allowing for new forms of interaction and communication.

5. Extended reality (XR): A new term that encompasses both VR and AR, XR is becoming a popular buzzword as the two technologies continue to merge and overlap.

6. Social VR: The growth of social VR platforms like VRChat and AltspaceVR are allowing people to connect and interact with others in virtual environments.

7. Enterprise applications: VR and AR are being used in a variety of industries for training, simulation, and visualization purposes, such as in architecture, engineering, and medicine.

prompter: With all the advances in VR and AR, why is there still so little use for them?

assistant: There are many reasons for lack of VR and AR popularity, here are some of them:

1. Hardware cost: HMD are expensive, with Meta Quest 2 starting at $400, and other options usually being more expensive.

2. Poor display quality: most headsets experience a "screen door effect", a visual artifact of displays, where the lines separating pixels become visible in the displayed image.

3. Nausea and motion sickness: Latency in displaying image, low FPS, or a drop in FPS, or jittery movement of displayed objects can cause nausea. Driving or walking in VR, when done by controller rather than by physically moving, is known to sometimes produce motion sickness.

4. Poor realism: In order to archive high, stable framerate, many games choose to trade graphics quality for speed, resulting in simplistic, crude models and environment.

4. Weight: VR and AR HMD are heavy, and uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time.

5. Fashion: AR devices are bulky and unfashionable, and the cameras and sensors required for their work are seen as intrusion into privacy.

6. Content: VR and AR are available at affordable price only since very recently, and therefore are young technologies, with a limited amount of content available for them.

assistant: There are some reasons for that:
1. Hardware: Although advances have been made, HMDs are still too big and uncomfortable to wear for some people. There are problems regarding headaches and some people report feeling motion sickness after not too long. The screen resolution also needs improvement, as does the battery life.
2. Software: Right now, games are the mainly atractive software in this space. It still lacks a more robust software offering, easier to use. There is nothing you can do on VR/AR right now that you can't do on your phone or computer. 
3. Price: the cheapest offerings start from 399 US dollars, which is by no means cheap for a bulky technology with no clear use case yet that can't be achieved with more mainstream technology people are used to.

That might change sooner rather than later with cheaper and smaller hardware coming out to help on one front, while Artificial Intelligence might boost the software and lack of use cases side of the problem.

assistant: Although the technologies are advancing, there are still a few factors limiting their widespread use. First, despite getting better, the hardware is still bulky and expensive. This makes it cost-prohibitive for many individuals and businesses to invest in. Additionally, there is still a lack of content available for the platforms, meaning that there are few compelling applications to use. Finally, even if high-quality content is available, some users may be turned off by the learning curve or the need for a dedicated space for setup.

assistant: Well, there are a few cutting-edge advancements in virtual reality. For example, the capability of moving in space both in reality and in the virtual world accordingly. Furthermore, what might be one of the most cutting-edge advancements in the decade to come would be to allow users to physically feel what they are seeing in the virtual world.

prompter: What companies and/or people are working on advancing said virtual reality technology?