The Evolution of Virtual Reality
Reality is like words set in stone. Permanent, unavoidable, and constantly trying to be broken by mankind. We have slowly chiseled away at the unbreakable substance of reality, hoping to do the impossible. For centuries men have dreamed of flying, immortality, super speed, super strength, etc. These dreams have been considered completely impossible, but with the new advanced technology of virtual reality headsets, we can finally break the stones of reality.
The Origin
In 1935, the first man in history experienced virtual reality, Dan Burke. Except he didn’t experience it as you and I would have thought he did.
He experienced virtual reality in the imagination of Stanley G. Weinbaum, who translated his thoughts of virtual reality into a science fiction novel called the “Pygmalion’s Spectacles”. Stanley was the first person to think of virtual reality, and from there on people have been trying to develop what his imagination did so many years ago. In 1962, Howard Rheingold invented a machine called the Sensorama. The Sensorama had 5 featured short films made by Rheingold that stimulated the five senses. Furthering virtual reality technology. In 1966, Thomas A. Furness III introduced virtual reality to the air force in the form of a visual flight simulator. In 1968, Ivan Sutherland created The Sword Of Damocles. This was considered the true first virtual reality and augmented reality head-mounted display system. This is the first virtual reality that slightly resembles the modern virtual reality system. The headset was so heavy that it even had to be suspended from the ceiling. After 1968, much research has been done but another advancement in technology won’t be seen until 1991, when Sega announced its Sega VR headset. This headset tracked the user’s head movements, opening the door for modern day virtual reality.
Modern Day Virtual Reality
In recent years, programmers and engineers have been trying to get virtual reality sold in stores to the public around the world. Finally, a man named Palmer Luckey in 2010 developed a headset called the Oculus Rift which has set the record for one of the most influential inventions involving virtual reality. The news of the Oculus Rift made crowds go wild, wanting to see this new invention in stores. It was a relatively small headset that one could place on their head and then experience their video game in a whole new dimension. And the final news to reach the web about virtual headsets is this; the moment we all have been waiting for has arrived. It has been announced that multiple Virtual Reality Headset companies will have a large release to the public in this year, 2016. So don’t give up hope yet, the search since 1935 is finally coming to an end.
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