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j a n u a r y . f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 6 c g w 4 7 and to test for buildability and user access. However, they used flat screens, and sometimes CAVEs, and were limited to the view provided by the driver of the simulation. VR also has been used to train surgeons and medical students. Surgeons, using MRI 3D models, practice an oper- ation before cutting open the patient. Knowing where vital organs or damaged portions are without having to explore in real time saves operating time and is less stressful for the surgeons and the patient. A surgical operation is intri- cate and intimate by nature, and a lack of space and vision of the operation by anyone other than the surgeon is oen difficult, so students usually do not get a good view of the procedure. This is es- pecially the case in crowded operating rooms where surgi- cal trainees perform multiple duties. Using a VR headset and a specially developed app, trainee surgeons can gain close-up, 360-degree views of a surgical procedure. Industrial, scientific, and engineering examples abound, as well as training and maintenance applica- tions. One of my favorite examples of training is for welding. Welders are trained to wear a mask, so what better tool to train them than a VR headset. However, with the advent of Facebook-backed Oculus and competitors, VR is no longer just the preserve of large cor- porations and research centers. The ability to use parts that have been reduced in cost for mobile phones (like acceler- ometers and small high-res- olution displays) has reduced the barriers to entry, and as a result, VR technology has become democratized. As cost goes down, demand will go up, and if the content is delivered, and meets user expectation, then VR will definitely be a component of our lives for quite some time. ■ Jon Peddie (jon@jonpeddie.com) is president of Jon Peddie Research (JPR), a Tiburon-CA-based consultancy specializing in graphics and multi- media that also publishes JPR's "TechWatch." VR WAS A BIG TOPIC AT SIGGRAPH 2016. ©2016 Harris Fogel These are some of the exciting topics that will be covered in the March/April 2016 issue of Computer Graphics World magazine. ¢ CG CHARACTERS – Elevating computer-generated characters on screen. ¢ VIRTUAL REALITY – Making VR the next big thing. ¢ TV EFFECTS – Taking broadcast visual effects to new heights. ¢ TRANSMEDIA TECHNOLOGY – Transmedia Technology is spawning a new genre of multimedia storytelling. ¢ EDUCATION – The impact of students in the classroom and beyond. ¢ SPECIAL REPORT – The buzz drones are making in our industry. FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM MARI KOHN, DIRECTOR OF SALES 818. 291.1153 | mkohn@copcomm.com LISA NEELY, CORPORATE MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE 818.660.5828 | lneely@copcomm.com WILLIAM R. RITTWAGE, PRESIDENT/CEO 818. 291.1111 | brittwage@copcomm.com next issue