Wow! VR might be going places ⋆ Real-life Tarzan? ⋆ How to bend, not break (mental toughness)

Ready to dive into the world of virtual reality? Virtualizing face, advanced haptics, remote presence... Few hops over and you're developing mental toughness. Dig in...

Wow! VR might be going places ⋆ Real-life Tarzan? ⋆ How to bend, not break (mental toughness)
Photo by Laurens Derks
  1. VR might be getting the tech we need
  2. Real-life Tarzan?
  3. How to bend, not break (mental toughness)

Thing 1 - VR might be getting the tech we need

Realistic avatar

Meta is putting Billions into VR (virtual reality) and has recently demoed a way to scan your face and virtualize it.

Results? Jaw-dropping.

Their latest headset already scans your face and can mimic your expressions in real time. With the scanned face, you can meet people in VR and have a very personal experience, with eye contact and all - without getting up from your chair, or putting on your makeup.

This is a smartphone generated photoreal avatar

Haptics - a.k.a. sense of touch

Tencent's Robotics X Laband City University of Hong Kong developed a thin and flexible electro-tactile actuator that can be placed into a finger cot. It has an unprecedented resolution and response rate.

That's a fancy way of saying they made cool tech that makes you feel things better.

And it looks like this:

Super-resolution wearable electrotactile rendering system

Other use cases for haptics

Imagine if you were a diver, a skier, or an astronaut. You wear gloves for protection against the elements.

On the outside there are sensors, and on the inside - haptics.

You can feel what you're touching, while also protected from the harmful influence of your environment.

The Peripheral

Consider this a bonus thing. It's an Amazon prime show built around high-fidelity VR experience, remote presence, and other fun stuff I talked about before.

I've only seen an episode or two so far but it seems very well done.

(source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4)

Thing 2 - Real-life Tarzan?

Leo Urban spends his time in nature, jumping from tree to tree and doing all kinds of other stunts.

Unlike other parkour artists, the more I watch Leo, the more relaxed he looks. His moves are very graceful and natural - reminds me of a gorilla.

If you're surprised by this comparison, you've never observed how precise and controlled gorillas move above the ground.

Check out Leo's Instagram for more monkey business.

Thing 3 - How to bend, not break (mental toughness)

Photo by Khamkéo Vilaysing
Mental toughness is often portrayed as determination and persistence, but it can also be flexibility and adaptability.

- I can be happy anywhere
- I can work with what I have
- I can have a good day with anyone

You are tough when your mood is not dependent on your conditions.

- James Clear

I'd go a step further. Determination and persistence require flexibility and adaptability.

If you're determined, you go after your goal and keep going - persisting - no matter the circumstances.

Things change. If you're not flexible and adaptable, you'll get stuck, you'll stop going, because the circumstances changed.

Adapt and persist 💪

Cheer, Zvonimir