Having the odd pot plant in the office is known to make for happier and more productive workers – so imagine how much difference an entire natural vista could make. Breakroom is VR app that lets people escape the fluorescent lights of the office for a more pleasant environment.

While virtual reality remains best known for its applications within entertainment, it’s now found a use in healthcare too. At the Zhejiang Provincial Rehabilitation Management Bureau, it’s being used to assist former drug users with their rehabilitation programmes.

2015 will see an avalanche of virtual reality devices appear in the mass market, with the likes of Sony, Google, Facebook and Microsoft targeting gamers across the globe. The technology may now be an attainable reality, but will it be used for anything beyond video games?

Have you ever wanted to experience a beauty tutorial as if you were in a blogger's bedroom? Or watch a compilation of funny cat videos and see them scampering around your feet? Now you can; YouTube has introduced virtual reality with a newly released update to its Android app.