Virtual Reality
Content
Virtual Reality
1. What is Virtual Reality
2. Virtual Reality Concepts
3. When was Virtual Reality Invented?
4. How did Virtual Reality Begin?
5. Who Invented Virtual Reality?
6. Who Coined the term “Virtual Reality”?
7. How is Virtual Reality Possible?
8. How is Virtual Reality used?
9. How does Virtual Reality affect us?
10.
Virtual Reality and Ethical Issues
11.
Assessment of Virtual Reality Systems
12.
Human Factors and User Studies
What is Virtual Reality?
The definition of virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definitions for both
‘virtual’ and ‘reality’. The definition of ‘virtual’ is near and reality is what we
experience as human beings. So the term ‘virtual reality’ basically means ‘nearreality’. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific
type of reality emulation.
We know the world through our senses and perception systems. In school we all
learned that we have five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. These
are however only our most obvious sense organs. The truth is that humans have
many more senses than this, such as a sense of balance for example. These
other sensory inputs, plus some special processing of sensory information by our
brains ensures that we have a rich flow of information from the environment to
our minds.
Everything that we know about our reality comes by way of our senses. In other
words, our entire experience of reality is simply a combination of sensory
information and our brains sensemaking mechanisms for that information. It
stands to reason then, that if you can present your senses with madeup
information, your perception of reality would also change in response to it. You
would be presented with a version of reality that isn’t really there, but from your
perspective it would be perceived as real. Something we would refer to as a
virtual reality.
So, in summary, virtual reality entails presenting our senses with a computer
generated virtual environment that we can explore in some fashion.
In technical terms:
Answering "what is virtual reality" in technical terms is straightforward. Virtual
reality is the term used to describe a three dimensional, computer generated
environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person. That person
becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and
whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions.
How is virtual reality achieved?
Although we talk about a few historical early forms of virtual reality, today virtual reality is usually implemented
using computer technology. There are a range of systems that are used for this purpose, such as headsets,
omni-directional treadmills and special gloves. These are used to actually stimulate our senses together in order
to create the illusion of reality.
This is more difficult than it sounds, since our senses and brains are evolved to provide us with a finely
synchronized and mediated experience. If anything is even a little off we can usually tell. This is where you’ll hear
terms such as immersiveness and realism enter the conversation. These issues that divide convincing or
enjoyable virtual reality experiences from jarring or unpleasant ones are partly technical and partly conceptual.
Virtual reality technology needs to take our physiology into account. For example, the human visual field does not
look like a video frame. We have (more or less) 180 degrees of vision and although you are not always
consciously aware of your peripheral vision, if it were gone you’d notice. Similarly when what your eyes and the
vestibular system in your ears tell you are in conflict it can cause motion sickness. Which is what happens to
some people on boats or when they read while in a car.
If an implementation of virtual reality manages to get the combination of hardware, software and sensory
synchronicity just right it achieves something known as a sense of presence. Where the subject really feels like
they are present in that environment.
Why have virtual reality?
This may seems like a lot of effort, and it is! What makes the development of virtual reality worthwhile? The
potential entertainment value is clear. Immersive films and video games are good examples. The entertainment
industry is after all a multi-billion dollar one and consumers are always keen on novelty. Virtual reality has many
other, more serious, applications as well.
There are a wide variety of applications for virtual reality which include:
Architecture
Sport
Medicine
The Arts
Entertainment
Virtual reality can lead to new and exciting discoveries in these areas which impact upon our day to day lives.
Wherever it is too dangerous, expensive or impractical to do something in reality, virtual reality is the answer.
From trainee fighter pilots to medical applications trainee surgeons, virtual reality allows us to take virtual risks in
order to gain real world experience. As the cost of virtual reality goes down and it becomes more mainstream you
can expect more serious uses, such as education or productivity applications, to come to the fore. Virtual reality
and its cousin augmented reality could substantively change the way we interface with our digital technologies.
Continuing the trend of humanising our technology.
Virtual Reality Concepts
The concepts behind virtual reality are based upon theories about a long held human desire to escape the
boundaries of the ‘real world’ by embracing cyberspace. Once there we can interact with this virtual
environment in a more naturalistic manner which will generate new forms of human-machine interaction(HMI).
Beyond the keyboard and mouse
The aim is to move beyond standard forms of interaction such as the keyboard and mouse which most
people work with on a daily basis. This is seen as an unnatural way of working which forces people to adapt to
the demands of the technology rather than the other way around.
But a virtual environment does the opposite. It allows someone to fully immerse themselves in a highly visual
world which they explore by means of their senses. This natural form of interaction within this world often results
in new forms of communication and understanding.
Freedom within the 3D virtual environment
The experience of a virtual world mimics that of a real world scenario but often without many of its constraints.
Virtual reality enables allows someone to do the following:
Walk around a three-dimensional building
Perform a virtual operation
Play a multi-user game
Take part in a theatre of war
Interact with an artwork, e.g. installation
Plus the fact that they can do this in a 3D environment means that they replicate an experience similar to that in
the real world but without many of the dangers.
This is preferable to trying to simulate these experiences in a two-dimensional setting, e.g. a computer desktop.
Find out more about these and other applications in the how virtual reality is used article.
Problem solving with virtual reality
Virtual reality also acts as a problem solving device in that it enables us to explore various options as a means
of finding an answer to a problem.
For example, an engineering company will use virtual reality to produce a prototype which is then tested and
the results fed back to the design team. The advantage of this is that it enables the designers to make alterations
to their design but at far less time and cost.
This is a preferred option to building a physical prototype which is expensive to build and make changes to:
especially if it undergoes several alterations as part of the design process.
When Was Virtual Reality Invented?
Many people assume that virtual reality is a recent arrival on the technological scene, but in fact, it goes back
much further than many of us realise.
There are three separate issues here which will discusse as separate section within this topic. They include:
How did virtual reality begin?
Who invented virtual reality?
Who coined the term virtual reality?
Virtual reality timeframe
These provide a framework for virtual reality which spans a period of more than 70 years. In this time we saw the
development of the first simulation device, the first form of interactive multimedia theatre, and the first head
mounted display (HMD) and the use of virtual reality in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI).
Virtual reality came to the public’s attention in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. This can be attributed to pioneering
computer scientist Jaron Lanier who introduced the world back in 1987 to the term ‘virtual reality’.
Research into virtual reality continued into the 1990’s and that combined with the appearance of films such as
The Lawnmower Man helped to raise its profile.
More information about these can be found in any of the three articles listed above as bullet points.
The re-invention of virtual reality
But the growth in popularity of virtual reality was matched by a growth in public expectations which then over
hyped the abilities of this technology. This led to dissatisfaction with virtual reality in general and a scaling back of
many research activities in this area.
However, virtual reality has not disappeared and has instead been repackaged as virtual environments instead.
This is done to prevent any unrealistic expectations as regards this technology which keeps it in the domain of
science fact and not science fiction.
Virtual reality has re-invented itself into something which fits our vision and expectations of what this technology
can do. One example of this is the development of virtual reality games for the Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox, Mac
and PC.
These games have become popular with children and adults and continue to push the boundaries of gaming
technology.
It looks like virtual reality is here to stay for the time being.
How did virtual reality begin?
This is a popular question: how did virtual reality begin which is often accompanied by who invented it and/or
came up with the term virtual reality.
The issue of who coined the term virtual reality as well as who invented virtual reality is discussed as two
separate articles. This articles looks at where it all began.
Virtual reality is considered to have begun in the 1950’s but early elements of it can be traced back to the 1860’s
and long before the development of digital technology.
Early artistic examples of virtual reality
An example of this is large, 360 degree murals which enabled the observer to engage with the artwork on a
simple level. Further artistic examples could be found in the avant-garde work of French playwright Antonin
Artaud who considered illusion and reality to be one and the same. He argued that a theatre audience should
suspend their disbelief and consider the performance to be reality.
Early simulation device
Fast forward to the 1920’s and the development of the world’s first flight simulator by Edwin Link. This was
designed as a training device for novice pilots.
The Sensorama
This is followed by the first type of multimedia device in the form of an interactive theatre experience, devised by
Morton Heilig, and known as the ‘Sensorama’. This early form of virtual reality was invented in 1957 but was not
patented until 1962.
The Sensorama consisted on the following elements:
A viewing screen within an enclosed booth which displayed stereoscopic images.
Oscillating fans
Audio output (speakers)
Devices which emitted smells
The viewer would sit on a rotating chair which enabled them to face this screen. They would be shown these
stereoscopic images which gave the illusion of depth and the ability to view something from different angles.
The first head mounted display
The first head mounted display (HMD) was developed around this time by engineers at Philco Corporation. This
was entitled ‘Headsight’ and was designed to be used by helicopter pilots who needed to be able to see their
surroundings whilst flying at night.
In 1968 Ivan Sutherland created the Ultimate Display: a head mounted display (HMD) attached to a computer
which enabled the wearer to see a virtual world. But the sheer weight of this display meant that it had to be
attached to a suspension device.
The first interactive map
The 1970’s saw the development of the first interactive map of Aspen, Colorado by researchers at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT). This was an innovative form of multimedia which enabled people to walk through
the town of Aspen.
Virtual reality and HCI
Step forward to the 1980’s where virtual reality was used on projects for NASA as well as research into new
forms of human-computer interaction (HCI). This was carried out by Dr Michael McGreevy – an authority in this
field and several other spheres who developed some innovative virtual reality systems.
Virtual reality in the 1990’s
A further boost to the virtual reality profile came in the form of Jaron Lanier who raised public awareness of this
new form of technology. He along with Tom Zimmerman marketed a range of virtual reality gear in the 1990’s.
Virtual reality continued to be popular throughout the 1990’s but the hype surrounding this technology had an
adverse effect and led to a decrease in its popularity. Many people felt that virtual reality had not delivered on its
early promises and as a result, they started to lose interest.
Virtual reality and the present day
Researchers, technologists and anyone else working in the field of virtual reality is all too aware of the dangers of
hype and as a result, have tended to downplay its capabilities.
They often avoid the term ‘virtual reality’ in preference to ‘virtual environment’ which has a less negative
connotation.
But there are numerous ways virtual reality can be used and to our advantage. These are discussed in a series of
individual articles in the applications of virtual reality. if it undergoes several alterations as part of the design
process.
Who Invented Virtual Reality?
It is difficult to state with any certainty who the father of virtual reality is as like any new invention, it draws upon
many different sources and influences.
More than one person has been involved in the development of this technological system but if we are talking
about the realm of virtual experience then the answer is Morton Heilig.
He produced the first interactive film experience in which viewers were invited to watch a film which would use all
of their senses. This multi-sensory experience was the first ‘3D film’ which was designed for a single viewing only
and enabled the viewer to become part of the film. For example: he used an oscillating fan so that the viewer
could feel wind blowing on their face.
The Sensorama was not widely adopted but the ideas helped to drive future research into virtual reality and the
subsequent outcomes.
Other people who lay claim to this title include:
Jaron Lanier
Douglas Engelbart
Ivan Sutherland
Myron Krueger
Jaron Lanier is credited as the person who coined the term virtual reality but there are others who worked with
various aspects of this technology as mentioned below.
Douglas Engelbart
Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart
Courtesy of Alex Handy
Engelbart’s work with virtual reality helped to shape the future of user interaction via that device which
accompanies a standard computer keyboard – known as the mouse. This also laid the foundation for the
development of modern user interfaces.
Ivan Sutherland
Sutherland created the first head mounted display (HMD) which was attached to a computer system. The HMD
closely resembled a portable television and could not be comfortably worn by a person. It had to be supported by
a series of cables attached to a metal stand which enabled the person to wear this and move around in safety.
Myron Krueger
Myron Krueger worked with computer graphics and audio in the form of a video projection which surrounded a
person within a designated space. Not dissimilar to the modern day CAVE. But there was no interaction between
the person and their environment. They did not wear any form of virtual reality gear such as a HMD or a data
glove (this cam later) but instead, is known for his work with interactive installations as forms of art.
Who Coined the Term “Virtual Reality”?
Jaron Lanier
Courtesy of Allan J. Cronin
The term ‘virtual reality’ was coined by Jaron Lanier in 1987 during a period of intense research activity into this
form of technology. But before then, he had set up VPL Research - a company which pioneered research into
virtual reality and 3D graphics which also sold the first virtual reality gear such as virtual reality glasses, data
gloves and later, the full data suit.
VPL Research patents were later acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999.
Lanier partnered up with Tom Zimmerman – the inventor of the first data glove and together they produced a
range of virtual reality products such as glasses, gloves and a relatively inexpensive head mounted display
(HMD).
Virtual reality became very popular around this time – especially in the 1990’s, but this soon dropped off due to a
yawning gap between public expectations and technological limitations.
How is Virtual Reality Possible?
Virtual reality is possible thanks to developments in interactive technologies by people such as Jaron
Lanier,Douglas Engelbart, Ivan Sutherland and Morton Heilig
These people were pushing the boundaries of technological research and experimented with new forms of input
devices, user interfaces, multimedia and 360 degrees user experience.
Technological advances
Plus advances in film, television and the media also contributed to these developments. This has continued to
this day with the creation of virtual reality gaming for example the Nintendo Wii which uses a handheld controller
as a tracking device. The gamer uses this to interact with objects on the screen in front of them and as a result,
changes the interaction.
This combined with advancements in graphics and video technology and the emergence of virtual worlds such as
‘Second Life’ mean that we can fully engage with these environments in ways which we had never previously
considered.
Find out more in the virtual reality games section.
Virtual reality is currently being used to create virtual environments such as those seen in military applications.
They use these for training purposes for example, flight simulators as well as battle scenarios, e.g. searching for
unexploded bombs.
These and other applications are discussed in more detail in the virtual reality and the military section.
Advances in computing
It is a combination of several things such as an increase in processing speed, bigger and better graphics cards,
advances in interactive technologies, increased interest in virtual worlds and not forgetting, web 2.0 in which the
dominant theme is interactivity.
Web 2.0
The internet plays an important part in all of this. There has been a shift from the idea of the web as a passive
experience to web 2.0 in which we as users play a far greater role. Users generate content which is shared with
millions of others as can be seen in the rise of social media, e.g. Facebook and Twitter.
All of these put users firmly in the driving seat. We control the means of interaction and help to create new and
exciting forms of interaction which will drive future developments in virtual reality.
How is Virtual Reality Used?
There are numerous ways virtual reality can be used which provide enormous benefits to us. These include:
Healthcare/surgery
Military
Architecture
Art
Entertainment
Education
Business
The media
Sport
Rehabilitation/treatment of phobias
The list of applications for VR is endless. Virtual reality may have been considered an overnight sensation but it
has been re-invented under the term ‘virtual environments’ and is proving to be useful in ways which had never
been previously considered.
VR variety of applications
Medicine is one of the biggest beneficiaries with the development of surgery simulation. This is often used as a
training aid and enables the surgeon to perform an operation on a ‘virtual patient’ or to see inside the human
body. It is also used as a diagnostic tool in that it provides a more detail view of the human body compared to Xrays and scans.
Another popular use of virtual reality is aviation: a three dimensional aircraft can be designed which allows the
designer to test their prototype without having to have several versions – which are time consuming and costly.
It is cheaper and easier to make changes to the simulation rather than having to design and build a new aircraft.
Games, surgery and flight simulators are the most well known uses of virtual reality but other, lesser well known
applications include:
Visualisations, e.g. geographical
Study and treatment of addictions
Weather forecasting
Historical, e.g. re-creating ancient civilisations
Data analysis, e.g. financial data
There may be additional applications which we have not heard about.
How Does Virtual Reality Affect Us?
We assume that virtual reality is a benign influence upon our lives and is not likely to cause any problems. But
this is a form of technology which is developing all the time and as a result, can throw up problems which had not
been previously considered.
There are physical problems which are due to poor ergonomics and then there are psychological issues. Then
there are moral and ethical concerns about this technology which are discussed in greater detail in ourvirtual
reality and ethical issues section.
Physical effects of virtual reality
One of the main problems with virtual reality is motion sickness. It is not unknown for people to suffer from
nausea after spending a period of time in a virtual environment which is due to the effects the shift in perception
has on balance. Our balance is affected by changes in the inner ear which results in feelings of nausea often
experienced by people when travelling on a ship or some other form of transport.
Some people are affected by this after spending only 30 minutes in a virtual environment whereas others can go
several hours before they notice any ill effects.
Another name for this sensation is ‘cybersickness’.
Time constraints
Another problem with virtual reality is time: it takes a long period of time to develop a virtual environment which
may not be good news for any commercial enterprise wishing to invest in this technology. Time is money in the
business world.
Plus many virtual reality companies or researchers use and adapt other forms of technology from other sources
which means that they are reliant upon these. If one of their suppliers goes out of business then this will delay the
work by a considerable period of time.
The more realistic a virtual world the longer it will take. It takes an inordinate amount of time to create an
environment which is indistinguishable from the real thing, for example, a 3D walkthrough of a building which can
a year or more to complete.
Early forms of virtual reality included blocky looking graphics and crude renderings which did not take long to
produce but would not meet today’s ever increasing demands. People want faster, smoother and lifelike
scenarios which make greater demands on processing speed, memory and rendering time.
There has to be a balance between hyper-realism and production time.
Virtual Reality and Ethical Issues
There are a few ethical issues in regard to virtual environments which need to be addressed. These are related to
human behaviour and motivations and are also a concern for the gaming industry.
They include:
The problem of ‘desensitisation’
Virtual criminality
The desensitisation of virtual reality
Concerns have been raised about a possible relationship between virtual reality and desensitisation. This refers
to virtual reality games in which there are high levels of violence or training exercises for the military in which
soldiers engage in simulated combat scenarios which include killing.
Desensitisation means that the person is no longer affected by extreme acts of behaviour such as violence and
fails to show empathy or compassion as a result. In some situations they actively seek out this type of scenario
for the adrenaline rush and sense of power.
This has been noticed with gamers, especially those who play first person shooters or role playing games which
involve a high degree of immersion.
Another issue related to this is ‘cyber-addiction’. There are people who become addicted to virtual reality games
and as a consequence, start to blur the boundary between real and virtual life. They spend increasing amounts of
time in the virtual environment which has a detrimental effect on their real world life.
Virtual criminality
It is hard to imagine but what happens if someone commits a criminal act but within a virtual environment? A
potential situation is one in which several people are immersed within a virtual environment but one of these
participants becomes injured or traumatised due to the actions of another person in that situation.
The question is whether it is possible for someone to suffer an injury or mental distress as a result of a violent
action carried out in a virtual environment. And if this does happen is the perpetrator punished in a similar way to
someone who commits this action in the real world?
What may be argued is whether a virtual reality participant can experience pain, distress or other emotions
associated with a criminal act?
This is an ongoing issue.
The disadvantages of virtual reality described above are minute in comparison to the wide benefits of virtual
reality as a whole but it is very important that these issues are addressed.
Assessment of Virtual Reality Systems
There has been an increased interest in virtual reality which has led to some exciting new developments for
society as a whole. This technology is viewed as a serious contender rather than something which belongs in scifi films and games only.
Virtual reality has a wide range of applications which range from gaming and entertainment through to medicine,
engineering, military training, scientific visualisation and business.
But as with any technology, there are issues regarding the usability of this system. How ‘user friendly’ is virtual
reality and how is it assessed?
Usability is discussed in more detail in the Human factors and user studies article.
Virtual reality relies upon interaction which is done via an input device such as a data glove, wand, joystick or
other type of controller. In this sense, VR can be viewed as a form of human-computer interaction (HCI) in which
information flows between the user (person) and the technology. But the aim with HCI is to enable people or
users to use the technology to achieve a goal easily and effectively.
How to measure effective virtual reality systems
Does virtual reality do this? Does it fit into the category of ‘ease of use’ and how do we measure its
effectiveness?
The problem is that existing usability guidelines are designed for standard user interfaces such as a desktop
computer in which the user interacts with information in a two dimensional space.
But virtual reality is a 3D system which enables users to interact with objects with a computer generated
environment, often utilising their senses as well. The aim is to generate an experience which is indistinguishable
from the real world.
The issue is that of developing usability guidelines for virtual reality systems which ensure that they are easy to
use, effective and efficient. Virtual reality has its own particular issues which require a different approach to that
used for other interactive systems.
Human Factors and User Studies
This article discusses human factors issues surrounding virtual reality and how these might be addressed. One of
the main problems with virtual reality is motion sickness brought on by poor design or ergonomics which affects
people in different ways.
This motion sickness occurs when the person views an interactive display but their head remains still at all times.
Many VR systems use a tracking device which records head movements made by the person and adjusts the
images accordingly.
Cybersickness
But any disruption to these causes disorientation, dizziness and feelings of nausea which are known as
cybersickness. This condition affects everyone differently with some people only experiencing this after a several
hours whereas others are affected within a few minutes.
A time lag or latency is one of a couple of reasons for this sensation. Another is the equipment used such as a
head mounted display (HMD) and lenses which cause affect the balance as well as causing tiredness. This is a
particular feature of CAVE fully immersive systems also leads to cybersickness.
Usability of virtual reality systems
User studies need to be carried out to determine the exact cause of this condition and ways of dealing with the
symptoms. This is important as there needs to be guidelines in place regarding the safe use of virtual reality
systems and things to be aware of when doing so.
But there are principles which can be assessed with virtual reality that are used in standard usability testing.
These include:
Performance, e.g. task effectiveness
Satisfaction
Error rate
Error tolerance
Utility
Observation and questionnaires have been used which are standard usability techniques for a range of
interactive systems. But there are noticeable differences between VR and other types of user interfaces.
One response is to conduct testing with users in which they are given a set of tasks to perform within different
virtual reality set ups, e.g. non-immersive and fully immersive. The data is recorded and interviews conducted
following a period of observation.
The aim is to determine if user performance is boosted by use of virtual reality: is the equipment suitable for their
needs and does the choice of input device, e.g. glove, joystick etc, have a bearing on the outcome.
Further research is needed to determine the usability or otherwise of virtual reality systems.
1. What is Virtual Reality
2. Virtual Reality Concepts
3. When was Virtual Reality Invented?
4. How did Virtual Reality Begin?
5. Who Invented Virtual Reality?
6. Who Coined the term “Virtual Reality”?
7. How is Virtual Reality Possible?
8. How is Virtual Reality used?
9. How does Virtual Reality affect us?
10.
Virtual Reality and Ethical Issues
11.
Assessment of Virtual Reality Systems
12.
Human Factors and User Studies
What is Virtual Reality?
The definition of virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definitions for both
‘virtual’ and ‘reality’. The definition of ‘virtual’ is near and reality is what we
experience as human beings. So the term ‘virtual reality’ basically means ‘nearreality’. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific
type of reality emulation.
We know the world through our senses and perception systems. In school we all
learned that we have five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. These
are however only our most obvious sense organs. The truth is that humans have
many more senses than this, such as a sense of balance for example. These
other sensory inputs, plus some special processing of sensory information by our
brains ensures that we have a rich flow of information from the environment to
our minds.
Everything that we know about our reality comes by way of our senses. In other
words, our entire experience of reality is simply a combination of sensory
information and our brains sensemaking mechanisms for that information. It
stands to reason then, that if you can present your senses with madeup
information, your perception of reality would also change in response to it. You
would be presented with a version of reality that isn’t really there, but from your
perspective it would be perceived as real. Something we would refer to as a
virtual reality.
So, in summary, virtual reality entails presenting our senses with a computer
generated virtual environment that we can explore in some fashion.
In technical terms:
Answering "what is virtual reality" in technical terms is straightforward. Virtual
reality is the term used to describe a three dimensional, computer generated
environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person. That person
becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and
whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions.
How is virtual reality achieved?
Although we talk about a few historical early forms of virtual reality, today virtual reality is usually implemented
using computer technology. There are a range of systems that are used for this purpose, such as headsets,
omni-directional treadmills and special gloves. These are used to actually stimulate our senses together in order
to create the illusion of reality.
This is more difficult than it sounds, since our senses and brains are evolved to provide us with a finely
synchronized and mediated experience. If anything is even a little off we can usually tell. This is where you’ll hear
terms such as immersiveness and realism enter the conversation. These issues that divide convincing or
enjoyable virtual reality experiences from jarring or unpleasant ones are partly technical and partly conceptual.
Virtual reality technology needs to take our physiology into account. For example, the human visual field does not
look like a video frame. We have (more or less) 180 degrees of vision and although you are not always
consciously aware of your peripheral vision, if it were gone you’d notice. Similarly when what your eyes and the
vestibular system in your ears tell you are in conflict it can cause motion sickness. Which is what happens to
some people on boats or when they read while in a car.
If an implementation of virtual reality manages to get the combination of hardware, software and sensory
synchronicity just right it achieves something known as a sense of presence. Where the subject really feels like
they are present in that environment.
Why have virtual reality?
This may seems like a lot of effort, and it is! What makes the development of virtual reality worthwhile? The
potential entertainment value is clear. Immersive films and video games are good examples. The entertainment
industry is after all a multi-billion dollar one and consumers are always keen on novelty. Virtual reality has many
other, more serious, applications as well.
There are a wide variety of applications for virtual reality which include:
Architecture
Sport
Medicine
The Arts
Entertainment
Virtual reality can lead to new and exciting discoveries in these areas which impact upon our day to day lives.
Wherever it is too dangerous, expensive or impractical to do something in reality, virtual reality is the answer.
From trainee fighter pilots to medical applications trainee surgeons, virtual reality allows us to take virtual risks in
order to gain real world experience. As the cost of virtual reality goes down and it becomes more mainstream you
can expect more serious uses, such as education or productivity applications, to come to the fore. Virtual reality
and its cousin augmented reality could substantively change the way we interface with our digital technologies.
Continuing the trend of humanising our technology.
Virtual Reality Concepts
The concepts behind virtual reality are based upon theories about a long held human desire to escape the
boundaries of the ‘real world’ by embracing cyberspace. Once there we can interact with this virtual
environment in a more naturalistic manner which will generate new forms of human-machine interaction(HMI).
Beyond the keyboard and mouse
The aim is to move beyond standard forms of interaction such as the keyboard and mouse which most
people work with on a daily basis. This is seen as an unnatural way of working which forces people to adapt to
the demands of the technology rather than the other way around.
But a virtual environment does the opposite. It allows someone to fully immerse themselves in a highly visual
world which they explore by means of their senses. This natural form of interaction within this world often results
in new forms of communication and understanding.
Freedom within the 3D virtual environment
The experience of a virtual world mimics that of a real world scenario but often without many of its constraints.
Virtual reality enables allows someone to do the following:
Walk around a three-dimensional building
Perform a virtual operation
Play a multi-user game
Take part in a theatre of war
Interact with an artwork, e.g. installation
Plus the fact that they can do this in a 3D environment means that they replicate an experience similar to that in
the real world but without many of the dangers.
This is preferable to trying to simulate these experiences in a two-dimensional setting, e.g. a computer desktop.
Find out more about these and other applications in the how virtual reality is used article.
Problem solving with virtual reality
Virtual reality also acts as a problem solving device in that it enables us to explore various options as a means
of finding an answer to a problem.
For example, an engineering company will use virtual reality to produce a prototype which is then tested and
the results fed back to the design team. The advantage of this is that it enables the designers to make alterations
to their design but at far less time and cost.
This is a preferred option to building a physical prototype which is expensive to build and make changes to:
especially if it undergoes several alterations as part of the design process.
When Was Virtual Reality Invented?
Many people assume that virtual reality is a recent arrival on the technological scene, but in fact, it goes back
much further than many of us realise.
There are three separate issues here which will discusse as separate section within this topic. They include:
How did virtual reality begin?
Who invented virtual reality?
Who coined the term virtual reality?
Virtual reality timeframe
These provide a framework for virtual reality which spans a period of more than 70 years. In this time we saw the
development of the first simulation device, the first form of interactive multimedia theatre, and the first head
mounted display (HMD) and the use of virtual reality in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI).
Virtual reality came to the public’s attention in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. This can be attributed to pioneering
computer scientist Jaron Lanier who introduced the world back in 1987 to the term ‘virtual reality’.
Research into virtual reality continued into the 1990’s and that combined with the appearance of films such as
The Lawnmower Man helped to raise its profile.
More information about these can be found in any of the three articles listed above as bullet points.
The re-invention of virtual reality
But the growth in popularity of virtual reality was matched by a growth in public expectations which then over
hyped the abilities of this technology. This led to dissatisfaction with virtual reality in general and a scaling back of
many research activities in this area.
However, virtual reality has not disappeared and has instead been repackaged as virtual environments instead.
This is done to prevent any unrealistic expectations as regards this technology which keeps it in the domain of
science fact and not science fiction.
Virtual reality has re-invented itself into something which fits our vision and expectations of what this technology
can do. One example of this is the development of virtual reality games for the Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox, Mac
and PC.
These games have become popular with children and adults and continue to push the boundaries of gaming
technology.
It looks like virtual reality is here to stay for the time being.
How did virtual reality begin?
This is a popular question: how did virtual reality begin which is often accompanied by who invented it and/or
came up with the term virtual reality.
The issue of who coined the term virtual reality as well as who invented virtual reality is discussed as two
separate articles. This articles looks at where it all began.
Virtual reality is considered to have begun in the 1950’s but early elements of it can be traced back to the 1860’s
and long before the development of digital technology.
Early artistic examples of virtual reality
An example of this is large, 360 degree murals which enabled the observer to engage with the artwork on a
simple level. Further artistic examples could be found in the avant-garde work of French playwright Antonin
Artaud who considered illusion and reality to be one and the same. He argued that a theatre audience should
suspend their disbelief and consider the performance to be reality.
Early simulation device
Fast forward to the 1920’s and the development of the world’s first flight simulator by Edwin Link. This was
designed as a training device for novice pilots.
The Sensorama
This is followed by the first type of multimedia device in the form of an interactive theatre experience, devised by
Morton Heilig, and known as the ‘Sensorama’. This early form of virtual reality was invented in 1957 but was not
patented until 1962.
The Sensorama consisted on the following elements:
A viewing screen within an enclosed booth which displayed stereoscopic images.
Oscillating fans
Audio output (speakers)
Devices which emitted smells
The viewer would sit on a rotating chair which enabled them to face this screen. They would be shown these
stereoscopic images which gave the illusion of depth and the ability to view something from different angles.
The first head mounted display
The first head mounted display (HMD) was developed around this time by engineers at Philco Corporation. This
was entitled ‘Headsight’ and was designed to be used by helicopter pilots who needed to be able to see their
surroundings whilst flying at night.
In 1968 Ivan Sutherland created the Ultimate Display: a head mounted display (HMD) attached to a computer
which enabled the wearer to see a virtual world. But the sheer weight of this display meant that it had to be
attached to a suspension device.
The first interactive map
The 1970’s saw the development of the first interactive map of Aspen, Colorado by researchers at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT). This was an innovative form of multimedia which enabled people to walk through
the town of Aspen.
Virtual reality and HCI
Step forward to the 1980’s where virtual reality was used on projects for NASA as well as research into new
forms of human-computer interaction (HCI). This was carried out by Dr Michael McGreevy – an authority in this
field and several other spheres who developed some innovative virtual reality systems.
Virtual reality in the 1990’s
A further boost to the virtual reality profile came in the form of Jaron Lanier who raised public awareness of this
new form of technology. He along with Tom Zimmerman marketed a range of virtual reality gear in the 1990’s.
Virtual reality continued to be popular throughout the 1990’s but the hype surrounding this technology had an
adverse effect and led to a decrease in its popularity. Many people felt that virtual reality had not delivered on its
early promises and as a result, they started to lose interest.
Virtual reality and the present day
Researchers, technologists and anyone else working in the field of virtual reality is all too aware of the dangers of
hype and as a result, have tended to downplay its capabilities.
They often avoid the term ‘virtual reality’ in preference to ‘virtual environment’ which has a less negative
connotation.
But there are numerous ways virtual reality can be used and to our advantage. These are discussed in a series of
individual articles in the applications of virtual reality. if it undergoes several alterations as part of the design
process.
Who Invented Virtual Reality?
It is difficult to state with any certainty who the father of virtual reality is as like any new invention, it draws upon
many different sources and influences.
More than one person has been involved in the development of this technological system but if we are talking
about the realm of virtual experience then the answer is Morton Heilig.
He produced the first interactive film experience in which viewers were invited to watch a film which would use all
of their senses. This multi-sensory experience was the first ‘3D film’ which was designed for a single viewing only
and enabled the viewer to become part of the film. For example: he used an oscillating fan so that the viewer
could feel wind blowing on their face.
The Sensorama was not widely adopted but the ideas helped to drive future research into virtual reality and the
subsequent outcomes.
Other people who lay claim to this title include:
Jaron Lanier
Douglas Engelbart
Ivan Sutherland
Myron Krueger
Jaron Lanier is credited as the person who coined the term virtual reality but there are others who worked with
various aspects of this technology as mentioned below.
Douglas Engelbart
Dr. Douglas C. Engelbart
Courtesy of Alex Handy
Engelbart’s work with virtual reality helped to shape the future of user interaction via that device which
accompanies a standard computer keyboard – known as the mouse. This also laid the foundation for the
development of modern user interfaces.
Ivan Sutherland
Sutherland created the first head mounted display (HMD) which was attached to a computer system. The HMD
closely resembled a portable television and could not be comfortably worn by a person. It had to be supported by
a series of cables attached to a metal stand which enabled the person to wear this and move around in safety.
Myron Krueger
Myron Krueger worked with computer graphics and audio in the form of a video projection which surrounded a
person within a designated space. Not dissimilar to the modern day CAVE. But there was no interaction between
the person and their environment. They did not wear any form of virtual reality gear such as a HMD or a data
glove (this cam later) but instead, is known for his work with interactive installations as forms of art.
Who Coined the Term “Virtual Reality”?
Jaron Lanier
Courtesy of Allan J. Cronin
The term ‘virtual reality’ was coined by Jaron Lanier in 1987 during a period of intense research activity into this
form of technology. But before then, he had set up VPL Research - a company which pioneered research into
virtual reality and 3D graphics which also sold the first virtual reality gear such as virtual reality glasses, data
gloves and later, the full data suit.
VPL Research patents were later acquired by Sun Microsystems in 1999.
Lanier partnered up with Tom Zimmerman – the inventor of the first data glove and together they produced a
range of virtual reality products such as glasses, gloves and a relatively inexpensive head mounted display
(HMD).
Virtual reality became very popular around this time – especially in the 1990’s, but this soon dropped off due to a
yawning gap between public expectations and technological limitations.
How is Virtual Reality Possible?
Virtual reality is possible thanks to developments in interactive technologies by people such as Jaron
Lanier,Douglas Engelbart, Ivan Sutherland and Morton Heilig
These people were pushing the boundaries of technological research and experimented with new forms of input
devices, user interfaces, multimedia and 360 degrees user experience.
Technological advances
Plus advances in film, television and the media also contributed to these developments. This has continued to
this day with the creation of virtual reality gaming for example the Nintendo Wii which uses a handheld controller
as a tracking device. The gamer uses this to interact with objects on the screen in front of them and as a result,
changes the interaction.
This combined with advancements in graphics and video technology and the emergence of virtual worlds such as
‘Second Life’ mean that we can fully engage with these environments in ways which we had never previously
considered.
Find out more in the virtual reality games section.
Virtual reality is currently being used to create virtual environments such as those seen in military applications.
They use these for training purposes for example, flight simulators as well as battle scenarios, e.g. searching for
unexploded bombs.
These and other applications are discussed in more detail in the virtual reality and the military section.
Advances in computing
It is a combination of several things such as an increase in processing speed, bigger and better graphics cards,
advances in interactive technologies, increased interest in virtual worlds and not forgetting, web 2.0 in which the
dominant theme is interactivity.
Web 2.0
The internet plays an important part in all of this. There has been a shift from the idea of the web as a passive
experience to web 2.0 in which we as users play a far greater role. Users generate content which is shared with
millions of others as can be seen in the rise of social media, e.g. Facebook and Twitter.
All of these put users firmly in the driving seat. We control the means of interaction and help to create new and
exciting forms of interaction which will drive future developments in virtual reality.
How is Virtual Reality Used?
There are numerous ways virtual reality can be used which provide enormous benefits to us. These include:
Healthcare/surgery
Military
Architecture
Art
Entertainment
Education
Business
The media
Sport
Rehabilitation/treatment of phobias
The list of applications for VR is endless. Virtual reality may have been considered an overnight sensation but it
has been re-invented under the term ‘virtual environments’ and is proving to be useful in ways which had never
been previously considered.
VR variety of applications
Medicine is one of the biggest beneficiaries with the development of surgery simulation. This is often used as a
training aid and enables the surgeon to perform an operation on a ‘virtual patient’ or to see inside the human
body. It is also used as a diagnostic tool in that it provides a more detail view of the human body compared to Xrays and scans.
Another popular use of virtual reality is aviation: a three dimensional aircraft can be designed which allows the
designer to test their prototype without having to have several versions – which are time consuming and costly.
It is cheaper and easier to make changes to the simulation rather than having to design and build a new aircraft.
Games, surgery and flight simulators are the most well known uses of virtual reality but other, lesser well known
applications include:
Visualisations, e.g. geographical
Study and treatment of addictions
Weather forecasting
Historical, e.g. re-creating ancient civilisations
Data analysis, e.g. financial data
There may be additional applications which we have not heard about.
How Does Virtual Reality Affect Us?
We assume that virtual reality is a benign influence upon our lives and is not likely to cause any problems. But
this is a form of technology which is developing all the time and as a result, can throw up problems which had not
been previously considered.
There are physical problems which are due to poor ergonomics and then there are psychological issues. Then
there are moral and ethical concerns about this technology which are discussed in greater detail in ourvirtual
reality and ethical issues section.
Physical effects of virtual reality
One of the main problems with virtual reality is motion sickness. It is not unknown for people to suffer from
nausea after spending a period of time in a virtual environment which is due to the effects the shift in perception
has on balance. Our balance is affected by changes in the inner ear which results in feelings of nausea often
experienced by people when travelling on a ship or some other form of transport.
Some people are affected by this after spending only 30 minutes in a virtual environment whereas others can go
several hours before they notice any ill effects.
Another name for this sensation is ‘cybersickness’.
Time constraints
Another problem with virtual reality is time: it takes a long period of time to develop a virtual environment which
may not be good news for any commercial enterprise wishing to invest in this technology. Time is money in the
business world.
Plus many virtual reality companies or researchers use and adapt other forms of technology from other sources
which means that they are reliant upon these. If one of their suppliers goes out of business then this will delay the
work by a considerable period of time.
The more realistic a virtual world the longer it will take. It takes an inordinate amount of time to create an
environment which is indistinguishable from the real thing, for example, a 3D walkthrough of a building which can
a year or more to complete.
Early forms of virtual reality included blocky looking graphics and crude renderings which did not take long to
produce but would not meet today’s ever increasing demands. People want faster, smoother and lifelike
scenarios which make greater demands on processing speed, memory and rendering time.
There has to be a balance between hyper-realism and production time.
Virtual Reality and Ethical Issues
There are a few ethical issues in regard to virtual environments which need to be addressed. These are related to
human behaviour and motivations and are also a concern for the gaming industry.
They include:
The problem of ‘desensitisation’
Virtual criminality
The desensitisation of virtual reality
Concerns have been raised about a possible relationship between virtual reality and desensitisation. This refers
to virtual reality games in which there are high levels of violence or training exercises for the military in which
soldiers engage in simulated combat scenarios which include killing.
Desensitisation means that the person is no longer affected by extreme acts of behaviour such as violence and
fails to show empathy or compassion as a result. In some situations they actively seek out this type of scenario
for the adrenaline rush and sense of power.
This has been noticed with gamers, especially those who play first person shooters or role playing games which
involve a high degree of immersion.
Another issue related to this is ‘cyber-addiction’. There are people who become addicted to virtual reality games
and as a consequence, start to blur the boundary between real and virtual life. They spend increasing amounts of
time in the virtual environment which has a detrimental effect on their real world life.
Virtual criminality
It is hard to imagine but what happens if someone commits a criminal act but within a virtual environment? A
potential situation is one in which several people are immersed within a virtual environment but one of these
participants becomes injured or traumatised due to the actions of another person in that situation.
The question is whether it is possible for someone to suffer an injury or mental distress as a result of a violent
action carried out in a virtual environment. And if this does happen is the perpetrator punished in a similar way to
someone who commits this action in the real world?
What may be argued is whether a virtual reality participant can experience pain, distress or other emotions
associated with a criminal act?
This is an ongoing issue.
The disadvantages of virtual reality described above are minute in comparison to the wide benefits of virtual
reality as a whole but it is very important that these issues are addressed.
Assessment of Virtual Reality Systems
There has been an increased interest in virtual reality which has led to some exciting new developments for
society as a whole. This technology is viewed as a serious contender rather than something which belongs in scifi films and games only.
Virtual reality has a wide range of applications which range from gaming and entertainment through to medicine,
engineering, military training, scientific visualisation and business.
But as with any technology, there are issues regarding the usability of this system. How ‘user friendly’ is virtual
reality and how is it assessed?
Usability is discussed in more detail in the Human factors and user studies article.
Virtual reality relies upon interaction which is done via an input device such as a data glove, wand, joystick or
other type of controller. In this sense, VR can be viewed as a form of human-computer interaction (HCI) in which
information flows between the user (person) and the technology. But the aim with HCI is to enable people or
users to use the technology to achieve a goal easily and effectively.
How to measure effective virtual reality systems
Does virtual reality do this? Does it fit into the category of ‘ease of use’ and how do we measure its
effectiveness?
The problem is that existing usability guidelines are designed for standard user interfaces such as a desktop
computer in which the user interacts with information in a two dimensional space.
But virtual reality is a 3D system which enables users to interact with objects with a computer generated
environment, often utilising their senses as well. The aim is to generate an experience which is indistinguishable
from the real world.
The issue is that of developing usability guidelines for virtual reality systems which ensure that they are easy to
use, effective and efficient. Virtual reality has its own particular issues which require a different approach to that
used for other interactive systems.
Human Factors and User Studies
This article discusses human factors issues surrounding virtual reality and how these might be addressed. One of
the main problems with virtual reality is motion sickness brought on by poor design or ergonomics which affects
people in different ways.
This motion sickness occurs when the person views an interactive display but their head remains still at all times.
Many VR systems use a tracking device which records head movements made by the person and adjusts the
images accordingly.
Cybersickness
But any disruption to these causes disorientation, dizziness and feelings of nausea which are known as
cybersickness. This condition affects everyone differently with some people only experiencing this after a several
hours whereas others are affected within a few minutes.
A time lag or latency is one of a couple of reasons for this sensation. Another is the equipment used such as a
head mounted display (HMD) and lenses which cause affect the balance as well as causing tiredness. This is a
particular feature of CAVE fully immersive systems also leads to cybersickness.
Usability of virtual reality systems
User studies need to be carried out to determine the exact cause of this condition and ways of dealing with the
symptoms. This is important as there needs to be guidelines in place regarding the safe use of virtual reality
systems and things to be aware of when doing so.
But there are principles which can be assessed with virtual reality that are used in standard usability testing.
These include:
Performance, e.g. task effectiveness
Satisfaction
Error rate
Error tolerance
Utility
Observation and questionnaires have been used which are standard usability techniques for a range of
interactive systems. But there are noticeable differences between VR and other types of user interfaces.
One response is to conduct testing with users in which they are given a set of tasks to perform within different
virtual reality set ups, e.g. non-immersive and fully immersive. The data is recorded and interviews conducted
following a period of observation.
The aim is to determine if user performance is boosted by use of virtual reality: is the equipment suitable for their
needs and does the choice of input device, e.g. glove, joystick etc, have a bearing on the outcome.
Further research is needed to determine the usability or otherwise of virtual reality systems.
