You’ve probably heard a lot about light field technology and how it could bring about a new level of realism in VR. Now, though, you can actually see what it’s all about for yourself.
Google this week released Welcome to Light Fields on Steam. It’s a free app for your Rift, Vive or Windows VR headset that actually demonstrates what the tech can do. You get three environments to look around, each with various spots that jump between.
The app starts off with a virtual tour that includes an explanation of exactly what light field technology is before transporting you to the Smithsonian for a tour of a space shuttle among other locations. It’s quite amazing; light field capture makes the experience feel like stepping into a photo with the ability to lean around to a limited degree. You’ll be able to notice reflections in mirrors shifting as you move your head and even block out the sun by moving locations. It’s a pretty spectacular journey. You can get a taste of it in the video below.
Light field capture works using special cameras that capture information about the rays of light surrounding it rather than taking a standard 360 degree photo. This allows creators to bring this data into a digital environment, recreating scenes with photorealism. It’s also not an intensive process; Welcome to Light Field’s recommended specs are the base specs for running any VR headset. With further development, it could become a major part of VR’s future.
Promisingly, Google says it’s using this tech to “power its next generation of VR content”, which suggests we’ll see some actual experiences utilizing light field soon.
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