The Beginnings of Virtual Reality
March 18, 2021
The Beginnings of Virtual Reality
In its early days, what we now know as VR was far from what we experience today, though it shared the same goal. Today, we want to tell you the full story behind modern virtual reality and its first steps.
The concept of virtual reality was originally linked only to science fiction, until various scientists and inventors decided to give it shape and create viable models.
The first person in the world to take an interest in virtual reality was Charles Wheatstone, who began his studies in 1838 by creating a series of flat images of the same object which, when combined, created the illusion of a 3D environment—what he called stereoscopic drawings.
In 1929, the “Blue Box” was created, designed specifically for military flight training. This device simulated weather conditions and moved according to the pilot’s commands, allowing them to train virtually.
Based on Wheatstone’s stereoscope, William Gruber created the View-Master in 1939, a device that allowed users to view two images simultaneously, creating a sense of depth. However, its functions strayed far from the original intent, and it ultimately became popular as a children’s toy.
Later, in 1956, the Sensorama 3D device was created, featuring major technological advances such as a scent generator, vibrating seat, stereo sound, and 3D imagery. Short films like “I’m a Coca-Cola Bottle” were even produced to be played on the Sensorama.
In 1968, scientist Ivan Sutherland created “The Sword of Damocles,” which he described as “the ultimate display.” This device allowed users to move and change their perspective as the images followed their head movements. Although the project never reached the public due to its heavy weight, it was a great step forward for virtual reality and laid the foundations for augmented reality.
In 1980, Thomas Furness created the “Super Cockpit,” a flight simulator that allowed pilots to control the plane through gestures, eye movements, or voice commands. The device also projected real-time 3D maps to help pilots navigate.
During the 1980s, engineer Jaron Lanier popularized virtual reality, and his company, Visual Programming Lab, sold the first EyePhone headsets and data gloves for $9,000 and $9,400 respectively.
As we can see, the study of virtual reality did not emerge recently; over the years, many people have worked hard to push this field forward and achieve what we now know as VR.
Today, we have major technological advances that make it possible to carry out many projects—something that was lacking in the past and posed a major challenge for development.
This is only the beginning; we are sure there are still many innovations and breakthroughs to come in the world of Virtual Reality, so be prepared—many exciting things are on the way.
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