Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/589428
26 cgw s e p t e m b e r . o c t o b e r 2 0 1 5 V irtual reality and aug- mented reality were prevalent buzzwords at SIGGRAPH 2015. In a nutshell, if you were not talking about these technol- ogies or showing a demo that involved VR or AR, well, you are already well behind the eight ball, so to speak. These two technologies are hardly new. When I first started attending SIGGRAPH in the '90s, a number of companies were hawking their wares and showing demos involving VR, and then later, AR. Mostly these involved high-level industrial applications for oil and gas exploration, medical research, military training, and so forth. At SIGGRAPH 1998 in Orlando, SGI sponsored a behind-the-scenes look at the then new Disney- Quest, where virtual reality was integrated into entertainment with such attractions as a virtu- al jungle cruise. Over the years, VR and AR applications popped up here and there but didn't seem to grab much attention. Then, bam! Suddenly they were everywhere. At this year's SIGGRAPH, the VR Village – a new addition to the conference – kept attendees busy with 65 curated VR experiences. I really wish I would have had more time to spend there, but I manage to slip in just a few pre- booked appointments, enabling me to bypass the oen lengthy lines of attendees wanting to try out one of the experiences. There were many examples of realistic applications here. I walked across a thin cable strung between the Twin Tow- ers of the World Trade Center, just as high-wire artist Philippe Petit attempted in 1974. (Full disclosure: Unlike Petit, I took one step and was unable to continue this death-defying feat.) The VR experience, called "Can You Walk the Walk?," was created by PlayStation Magic Lab and Create VR, and is generating publicity for the film The Walk, which follows Petit on his quest. In addition, I explored the inside of a pharaoh's tomb, interacting with 3D objects and a fellow VR explorer. In another time-traveling experience, I trekked through prehistoric France, where I encountered ancient elk and mammoths, the subject of long-ago storytelling. And, I floated down the Colo- rado River on a kayak, through a dynamic, fully immersive CG replica of the Grand Canyon. On the show floor, there were similar experiences. Chaos fully embraced VR tech- nology, hosting what it called a "VR Bar," where virtual-reality applications were served up (in lieu of virtual drinks, I suppose). The intent was to show off applications for the company's VR tools by way of architectural and film projects craed for the Oculus Ri, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Cardboard. I experienced Kevin Margo's sci-fi short "Construct," and had the bejesus scared out of me during an encounter (from Legend3D and Mr. X) within Allerdale Hall, a gothic mansion inspired by Crimson Peak, which will be released in October. AMD also gets high marks for its VR demos. I was able to witness the Wright brothers as they took off on that famous first flight from Kitty Hawk, in a realistic experience dubbed "The Story of Wilbur and Orville." At the other end of the VR a Major Reality at SIGGRAPH 2015 BY KAREN MOLTENBREY