Let me begin by saying when I first understood virtual reality history or it’s possibility of developing modern ways of experiencing virtual reality was through a movie titled “The Matrix” which was a storytelling component on how virtual reality can be viewed in future and I never took cognisance of this concept and it’s early beginnings that preceded the time that the concept was coined and formalised.
Computer version of the matrix program
The matrix took me through a journey of understanding the history of virtual reality in it’s revised editions such as The Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolution portraying a story of how men can walk, touch, feel and interact within a computer program called The Matrix through inserted cable components at the back of their heads that land them inside a computer program.
In the movie virtual reality is displayed in the form of binary, a computer language in a sequence of zeros and one’s which could give a clear idea on the development of virtual reality and augmented reality equally. It also shows the similar characteristics of humans and machines.
The history of virtual reality on The Matrix Online virtual reality game
Now the matrix online virtual reality game is an actual pilot project of how the history of virtual reality has been integrated and developed to show how computer programs are designed by mastermind programmers and architects of virtual reality technology to possess a more human form in ultimate virtual reality gaming such as the matrix online and others.
However the above explanations provide as far as my understand was before I could really understand the history of virtual reality.
The following paragraphs will draw insight from the earliest pioneers of the history of virtual reality.
Below is a man named Hugo Gernsback the man who invented VR Goggles way too soon for it’s time and is also one of the primary contributors to the evolution of the history of virtual reality to date.
According to IEEE Spectrum, After the idea for this handy, pocket-size portable TV set occurred to him in 1936, he was forced to dismiss it as impractical, however today every business requires such goggles which have a latter term “Virtual Reality Headsets” which are custom designed to provide the user with a high-end visual and audio simulation of immersive virtual reality experiences however modern VR headsets are slightly less geeky looking compared to Gernsback’s..
An insight of the history of virtual reality about Hugo Gernsback- The first inventor of VR goggles
According to virtual reality society the history of virtual reality dates back to beginnings that preceded the time the concept was coined and formalised. This detailed history of virtual reality looks at how technology has evolved and how key pioneers have paved the path for virtual reality as we know it today.
I think paying more attention on the scope of virtual reality as a means of creating the imagination that we are present somewhere we are not except in the mind, then according to the history of virtual reality the earliest attempt at virtual reality is surely the 360-degree murals (or panoramic paintings) from the nineteenth century. These paintings were intended to fill the viewer’s entire field of vision, making them feel present at some historical event or scene.
History of virtual reality in Panoramic painting of ancient Rome
A more revised insight on the development of the history of virtual reality was when Charles Wheatstone’s researched and discovered that the brain processes different two-dimensional images from each eye into a single object of three dimensions.
History of virtual reality in a two dimensional image of a congregational church
History of virtual reality in revised versions of stereoscope
Since then the history of virtual reality has been revised and better versions of virtual reality headsets were designed and developed to give the user a more visually immersing experience of virtual reality. It has also paved the way to look at society and develop efficient means of travelling, marketing and business and making life easier with modern virtual reality technology.
The 20th century has seen the take off of high-end virtual reality technology and therefore modifying the history of virtual reality technology.