No one can blame you if you’re a virtual reality enthusiast. It can be entertaining more than a regular computer and television can do. It creates an environment that is not real but is like real. It can jump you into a world you have never been before, or you want to be.
Virtual reality started way back you would never imagine it already existed. In 1838, Charle’s Wheatstone research demonstrated that the brain processes two-dimensional images from each eye into a single object of three-dimensions. Viewing a photo through stereoscope can give it depth and immersion. This discovery later evolved into View-Master stereoscope which was used for virtual tourism.
Thanks to this discovery, Google and other low-cost VR head mounted displays were able to pattern the technology after it. Virtual reality has been predicted in a 1930’s sci-fi story written by Stanley G. Weinbaum. The story contains an idea of a man wearing a pair of goggles that lets him experience a fictional world through holographic, taste, smell and touch. In the year 1950, a cinematographer named Morton Heilig developed an arcade-style theater cabinet he called Sensorama. It stimulates the senses of the viewers not only through visuals but also through sounds and environment. It has speakers, a stereoscopic 3D display, fans, smell generators and a vibrating chair.
Since its development, no one can name it until Jaron Lanier, founder of the visual programming lab (VPL) popularized it as “virtual reality”. In 1991, public had an access to virtual reality devices when Virtuality Group launched a range of virtual reality arcade games and machines. Players would wear VR goggles which are connected to a gaming computer. In 1993, SEGA announced a new VR glasses which is a wrap-around prototype glasses composed of LCD screen, stereo sound and head tracker. Unfortunately, this device flopped. Then in 1995, Nintendo had released its Virtual Boy gaming console that could display true 3D graphics. This device didn’t stay long in the market because of its many issues like lack its lack of software support.
Over the years, VR technology has been slowly progressing in to be more advance in scope. It was in the 21st century when it began to really take place in the industry alongside with the coming of computers and electronics technology. The rise of smartphones made it possible for VR to penetrate the industry. The rapid technology development exploded many possibilities for virtual reality.
Companies like Google and Samsung have taken the concept of using virtual reality in giving its users the one-of-a-kind out-of-this world experience. Aside from the head mounted displays, these companies are producing technologies that could make virtual reality experience a lot more engaging and real. They are developing technologies like gesture controller, eye tracker and body tracker. It seems that virtual reality industry will track more miles than it was before. People nowadays are more knowledgeable with the technology and more accepting. There is no doubt why big technological companies are competing on which of them can give more advance VR experience.
