The potential applications of virtual reality for the disabled are almost limitless. The complexities of medical VR go beyond the mere technological issues. The associated ethical issues will also be compellingly significant. The accuracy of the representations created by the computer, the skill of the designer, and the preferences of the physician are all limiting factors in the validity of the reality that is possible. Although the patient may have a choice among several virtual reality environments, that choice is likely to be more accommodating than in daily life.
Virtual reality is also a valuable tool in the development of therapeutic drugs.
During this process, researchers look for targets or areas on proteins where molecules of a specific drug will attach themselves. Imagine trying to find the right molecular key to fit into a unique molecular lock. If a chemical can be found that makes such a fit on the protein found on a tumor cell or a pathogenic bacterium, then that chemical is potentially useful in drug development. Virtual reality techniques allow the experimenter to create computer- generated models of the receptor sites within a human protein while another model represents the atoms of a potential drug. A researcher then manipulates the two models, moving the drug around the protein until it binds with it.