84.9% surveyed say ready to live with VR and AR technologies

Some 85 percent of respondents are looking forward to experiencing the application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies in real life, a survey by China Youth Daily finds.

Virtual realities artificially create sensory experiences, which include sight, touch, hearing, and smell, in a way that allows the user to interact with them. Augmented reality uses computer-generated sensory input to enhance a user's perception of the reality.

In the survey, 84.9 percent said they are ready to embrace VR and AR technologies to change their lives, and 76.8 percent said they pay attention to the development of VR and AR.

More than 78 percent want to try new products that use modified reality technologies. The younger and better-educated the respondent, the more likely they are to be open to new technologies, according to the survey.

Yan Qing, a respondent in the survey, said he bought a VR headset but found the technology not as powerful as he had imagined. However, Yan is still confident VR will bring more vivid and comfortable experiences in the near future.

In terms of expectations of how the technologies could be used, 65.6 percent see the application of VR and AR being useful in tourism and shopping, 61.6 percent in education, and 30.5 percent in the medical sector.

Nearly 70 percent said they worry about online safety and 56.3 percent are concerned about the potential risks posed by immature technology, or being unfamiliar with the use of the technology. About half also worry about the threat of high technology to human beings.

In the survey, 74.2 percent suggested additional courses or training would be useful to improve their technical skills.

Among the 2,001 participants, 21.8 percent were born in the 1990s and 53.2 percent in the 1980s.