On stage at TED 2016, Vrse founder Chris Milk conducted what the company is calling “the largest simultaneous virtual reality experience in history.” Using a dedicated app and Cardboard VR viewers handed out at the session, 1,200 attendees peer into the virtual world together.
On stage during his TED presentation, Chris Milk visited the theme of virtual and augmented reality being ‘the last medium’.
“VR is going to play an incredibly important role in the history of mediums,” Milk said. “In fact, it’s going to be the last one. I mean that because it’s the first medium that actually makes the jump from our own interpretation of an author’s expression of an experience, to us experiencing it firsthand. In all other mediums, your consciousness interprets the medium. In VR, your consciousness is the medium.”
Vrse created the Vrse @TED2016 app for Android and iOS devices specifically for the mass VR experience. Google Cardboard headsets were handed out to attendees of the session and remote viewers equipped with the app and suitable headset were able to tune in at the same time.
As the countdown timer on the app reached zero, the whole of the audience witnessed a montage of Vrse’s VR film content. For those that missed it, Vrse currently hosts their VR content for free through the Vrse app on Android, iOS, and Gear VR. You can also view in 360 degrees through their site if you don’t have a VR headset.