|
In this article:
- What is Virtual Reality
- Evolution of Virtual Reality
- Challenges before Virtual Reality
What is Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment. Virtual reality environments are basically visual experiences which are either displayed on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays. Some simulations may also have some other sensory information that maybe conveyed through other means (such as sound through speakers or headphones). Tactile information is also a feature now-a-days which is better known as force feedback. To experience virtual reality, a user can interact with a virtual environment by using standard input devices (eg. keyboard and mouse), or through multimodal (i.e., that have multiple modes) devices such as a wired glove, the Polhemus boom arm etc. The environment so created maybe very close to real world as in pilot training simulations differ from reality, as in VR games. As of now, it is not possible to build a high-fidelity virtual reality experience which is due to technical limitations on processing power, image resolution and communication bandwidth.
History of Virtual Reality
The origin of the term virtual reality is not known but it is usually credited to The Judas Mandala, a 1982 novel by Damien Broderick, though the concept in the novel is somewhat different. The VR developer Jaron Lanier claims that he coined the term. A similar term was coined by Myron Krueger as "artificial reality".
In the 1950s, Morton Heilig described of was called an "Experience Theater" that could encompass all the senses in an effective manner, thus drawing the viewer as being a part of the onscreen activity. A prototype was built by him and named Sensorama in 1962. Five short films were also developed to be shown in it. These films engaged multiple senses (sight, sound, smell, and touch). However, contrary to the present digital concept of Virtual Reality, Sensorama was a mechanical device. Ivan Sutherland, helped by student Bob Sproull, created what is widely considered to be the first Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (AR) Head Mounted Display (HMD) system in 1968. However, it was primal as far as the user interface and realism goes. Also, the HMD that was to be worn by the user was very heavy and had to be ‘hung’ from the ceiling. The graphics that made up the virtual environment were simple wire frame rooms. It was so ‘peculiar’ that it came to be known as The Sword of Damocles. Another early VR system was the Aspen Movie Map, which was made in 1977 at MIT. The program was basically a virtual simulation of the city of Aspen in Colorado in which users could wander the streets in one of three modes: summer, winter, and polygons. The first two modes were based on photographs. These photographs were taken by the researchers using every possible movement through the city's street grid in both the afore-mentioned seasons. The third mode was a 3-D model of the city. Jaron Lanier, who popularized the term Virtual Reality in the 1980s, founded the company VPL Research (VPL being an abbreviation "Virtual Programming Languages") in 1985, which developed the seminal "goggles n' gloves" systems of that time.
Challenges before Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has faced widespread criticism and has been seen as an inefficient method for navigating non-geographical information. The Virtual Reality systems of today are far from ‘real’. One can easily tell the difference when it comes to Virtual Reality based games. However, other systems such as that used for simulating training environments for combat plane training are more closer to reality. Virtual reality is still miles apart from what is called simulated reality. The concept of simulated reality aims at developing systems that cannot be distinguished from their real-world counterparts. The direction in which virtual reality is directed towards is presenting the users with a fully immersive and integrated experience, essentially indistinguishable from the real world. Virtual Reality is still to make its way into the day-to-day lives of people where it can be taken for granted. Virtual Reality, hence, has a long way to go and a great distance to cover.
|
