The Reciprocation of Technology and Personal Injury: Oculus Rift
Part 2 of 3 on new technology entering the personal injury world.
Oculus Rift: Bridging Reality and Virtual Worlds
Oculus Rift is a wearable headset that takes the user out of the real world and into a virtual one. At this present stage, Facebook’s $2-billion project is primarily a virtual gaming device bringing video game scenarios to life.
The Affordable Virtual Reality: Oculus Rift’s Development Kit
You are now the quarterback throwing the ball, or Mario jumping over mushrooms. Gone will be the age of the controller. The product is on the market for a few hundred dollars as part of a development kit for content producers to code and develop its platform. The future applications of this device scope endless possibilities: video games, films, athletics, education, to name a few of the ways it will change the world. But what are the legal issues in the virtual world?
When you purchase an Oculus Rift, it comes with an array of warnings. When entering the virtual world, users forget their interactions within the real world, which can cause injuries and damage to their surroundings. One Oculus Rift game “Hydra Cover Shooter” actually had to warn users not to interact with objects in the game as users often found themselves leaning on posts and structures within it and subsequently falling down.
Potential Risks and Side Effects of Oculus Rift Use
Oculus Rift is full of potential risks and users might experience nausea, disorientation, and involuntary movements. It is still too soon to see what kind of product liability will immerse, but warnings of all sorts must be included as we move further into the virtual world and the inevitable injuries that will incur this year.
Injuries in the Virtual World: A Call for Legal Consultation
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall this winter, contact our office for a free, no obligation consultation at +1 (613) 233-4529, or ask for a free copy of an “Injured Victim’s Guide to Fair Compensation.”
