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Narrative

            Twenty years ago, virtual reality (VR) would seem like something found in a movie. Often fantasized in sci-fi movies in the 90s and dreams of something from the future. Virtual Reality is no longer a dream, it is now an affordable entertainment option. Before we look at the sophisticated technology of VR, it started with a very simple idea and evolved into what we know today.

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            Some of the very first attempts of VR were Stereoscopic Photos back in 1838. Sir Charles Wheatstone created a device called a “…Stereoscope, a device for observing pictures in three dimensions still used in viewing X-rays and aerial photographs” ("Sir Charles Wheatstone" 2020).  By viewing two photos side by side with a stereoscope, it gave the user the sense of depth and immersion (“History of Virtual Reality”). This type of VR was made popular in the early 80s when View-Master released an adjustable stereoscope with multiple inserts to immerse their consumers in pop culture.

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            The next major step in VR technology was in the 1950s with the Sensorama. Morton Heilig a cinematographer wanted to make an arcade-style cinema cabinet that would entice more than two of your senses. One of the first experiences of the Sensorama was a ten-minute-long motorcycle ride in New York City. The Sensorama “…user would simultaneously experience the corresponding vibrations, head movements, sounds, and rushes of wind” (Media Art Net). There was only a total of 6 films shot for the Sensorama by Morton Heilig, they were title Motorcycle, Belly Dancer, Dune Buggy, Helicopter, and A date with Sabina and I’m a Coca Cola bottle! (“History of Virtual Reality”).

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            A few more developments in VR came in the 60s to make strides towards what we view as VR today. In 1960 the very original head mounted display was made and was made by Morton Heilig, the same man to revolutionize the industry with the Sensorama. Not too long after that, the largest leap towards a modern VR device came from Ivan Sutherland in 1968. The Sword of Damocles was an invention that hooked up to a computer to generate graphics that were bare bone wire frame rooms and small digital objects (“History of Virtual Reality”).

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            Then in the 70s and 80s was when we start seeing VR make more strides towards the modern-day inventions of VR. In 1972, GE built a digital flight simulator to create immersion for a pilot trainee. This simulator would then be adapted by the military to help train their pilots for flight and training. In 1982, an invention called “Sayre” gloves created by Daniel Sandin and Thomas DeFanti, allowed the users to detect finger movement. This is what became known as “Data Gloves” and is an important aspect of early VR. Nintendo Entertainment was the first to make this glove available to the public in 1989 with their Power Glove for the Nintendo Entertainment System (Norman).

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            In the 90s we begin to see that VR would be moving into the arcade market with Virtuality Group Arcade Machines. These machines would allow users to sit and wear a VR goggle and immerse themselves in stereoscopic 3D visuals. “All this being said, it was a novelty, and as an experience, it was a success and managed to do some rather impressive things given the very limited hardware” (Virtuality).

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            Everything changed after 1999, with the release of The Matrix in theaters, we saw a world where characters are living in a fully simulated digital world and they believe its all real. This is the goal for many developers in the next two decades to create new technology to fully immerse you into a virtual world. “On August 1st of 2012, Oculus launched their Kickstarter campaign” (Kumparak), and truly created a device that would set the path for future VR Kits. Between the years 2016 and 2020 there has been a multitude of companies that launched VR Kits like Facebook, Google, HTC, and many more.

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            Today Virtual Reality has become a fun and unique form of entertainment. The future for VR is bright and will only continue to create strides in the industry. It should be interesting to see how VR changes in the years to come especially with big companies like Apple working on new VR projects.

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