1950s Morton Heiligs Sensorama

In the mid 1950s cinematographer Morton Heilig developed the Sensorama

(patented 1962) which was an arcade-style theatre cabinet that would stimulate all
the senses, not just sight and sound. It featured stereo speakers, a stereoscopic 3D
display, fans, smell generators and a vibrating chair. The Sensorama was intended
to fully immerse the individual in the film. He also created six short films for his
invention all of which he shot, produced and edited himself. The Sensorama films
were titled, Motorcycle, Belly Dancer, Dune Buggy, helicopter, A date with Sabina
and Im a coca cola bottle!

Image source: mortonheilig.com

The video below is an interview with Morton about the Sensorama.

1960 The first VR Head Mounted Display

Morton Heiligs next invention was the Telesphere Mask (patented 1960) and was
the first example of a head-mounted display (HMD), albeit for the non-interactive
film medium without any motion tracking. The headset provided stereoscopic 3D
and wide vision with stereo sound.

1961 Headsight First motion tracking HMD

In 1961, two Philco Corporation engineers (Comeau & Bryan) developed the first
precursor to the HMD as we know it today the Headsight. It incorporated a video
screen for each eye and a magnetic motion tracking system, which was linked to a
closed circuit camera. The Headsight was not actually developed for virtual reality
applications (the term didnt exist then), but to allow for immersive remote viewing
of dangerous situations by the military. Head movements would move a remote
camera, allowing the user to naturally look around the environment. Headsight was
the first step in the evolution of the VR head mounted display but it lacked the
integration of computer and image generation.

1965 The Ultimate display by Ivan Sutherland

Ivan Sutherland described the Ultimate Display concept that could simulate reality
to the point where one could not tell the difference from actual reality. His concept
included:
 A virtual world viewed through a HMD and appeared realistic through
augmented 3D sound and tactile feedback.
Computer hardware to create the virtual word and maintain it in real time.
The ability users to interact with objects in the virtual world in a realistic way

The ultimate display would, of course, be a room within which the computer can
control the existence of matter. A chair displayed in such a room would be good
enough to sit in. Handcuffs displayed in such a room would be confining, and a
bullet displayed in such a room would be fatal. With appropriate programming such
a display could literally be the Wonderland into which Alice walked. Ivan
Sutherland

This paper would become a core blueprint for the concepts that encompass virtual
reality today.

Virtual reality has beginnings that preceded the time that the concept was coined
and formalised. In this detailed history of virtual reality we look at how technology
has evolved and how key pioneers have paved the path for virtual reality as we
know it today.

Early attempts at virtual reality

Panoramic paintings
If we focus more strictly on the scope of virtual reality as a means of creating the
illusion that we are present somewhere we are not, then 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 viewers entire field of
vision, making them feel present at some historical event or scene.
 Battle of Borodino, 181

1838 Stereoscopic photos & viewers

In 1838 Charles Wheatstones research demonstrated that the brain processes the
different two-dimensional images from each eye into a single object of three
dimensions. Viewing two side by side stereoscopic images or photos through a
stereoscope gave the user a sense of depth and immersion. The later development
of the popular View-Master stereoscope (patented 1939), was used for virtual
tourism. The design principles of the Stereoscope is used today for the popular
Google Cardboard and low budget VR head mounted displays for mobile phones.

1838 : The stereoscope (Charles Wheatstone)

1849 : The lenticular stereoscope (David Brewster)
1939 : The View-Master (William Gruber)
Over time mankind has been slowly but surely creating ever richer ways to
stimulate our senses. Things really began to take off in the 20th century, with
advent of electronics and computer technology.

1929 Link Trainer The First Flight Simulator

In 1929 Edward Link created the Link trainer (patented 1931) probably the first
example of a commercial flight simulator, which was entirely electromechanical. It
was controlled by motors that linked to the rudder and steering column to modify
the pitch and roll. A small motor-driven device mimicked turbulence and
disturbances. Such was the need for safer ways to train pilots that the US military
bought six of these devices for $3500. In 2015 money this was just shy of $50 000.
During World War II over 10,000 blue box Link Trainers were used by over
500,000 pilots for initial training and improving their skills.

 

Left: Edward Link, Right: The Link Trainer

1930s Science fiction story predicted VR

In the 1930s a story by science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum (Pygmalions
Spectacles) contains the idea of a pair of goggles that let the wearer experience a
fictional world through holographics, smell, taste and touch. In hindsight the
experience Weinbaum describes for those wearing the goggles are uncannily like
the modern and emerging experience of virtual reality, making him a true visionary
of the field.

Image source: sffaudio.com

1950s Morton Heiligs Sensorama

In the mid 1950s cinematographer Morton Heilig developed the Sensorama
(patented 1962) which was an arcade-style theatre cabinet that would stimulate all
the senses, not just sight and sound. It featured stereo speakers, a stereoscopic 3D
display, fans, smell generators and a vibrating chair. The Sensorama was intended
to fully immerse the individual in the film. He also created six short films for his
invention all of which he shot, produced and edited himself. The Sensorama films
were titled, Motorcycle, Belly Dancer, Dune Buggy, helicopter, A date with Sabina
and Im a coca cola bottle!
Image source: mortonheilig.com

The video below is an interview with Morton about the Sensorama.

 
 1960 The first VR Head Mounted Display
Morton Heiligs next invention was the Telesphere Mask (patented 1960) and was
the first example of a head-mounted display (HMD), albeit for the non-interactive
film medium without any motion tracking. The headset provided stereoscopic 3D
and wide vision with stereo sound.

1961 Headsight First motion tracking HMD

In 1961, two Philco Corporation engineers (Comeau & Bryan) developed the first
precursor to the HMD as we know it today the Headsight. It incorporated a video
screen for each eye and a magnetic motion tracking system, which was linked to a
closed circuit camera. The Headsight was not actually developed for virtual reality
applications (the term didnt exist then), but to allow for immersive remote viewing
of dangerous situations by the military. Head movements would move a remote
camera, allowing the user to naturally look around the environment. Headsight was
the first step in the evolution of the VR head mounted display but it lacked the
integration of computer and image generation.

1965 The Ultimate display by Ivan Sutherland

Ivan Sutherland described the Ultimate Display concept that could simulate reality
to the point where one could not tell the difference from actual reality. His concept
included:

A virtual world viewed through a HMD and appeared realistic through augmented 3D
sound and tactile feedback.
 Computer hardware to create the virtual word and maintain it in real time.
The ability users to interact with objects in the virtual world in a realistic way

The ultimate display would, of course, be a room within which the computer can
control the existence of matter. A chair displayed in such a room would be good
enough to sit in. Handcuffs displayed in such a room would be confining, and a
bullet displayed in such a room would be fatal. With appropriate programming such
a display could literally be the Wonderland into which Alice walked. Ivan
Sutherland

This paper would become a core blueprint for the concepts that encompass virtual
reality today.

1968 Sword of Damocles

In 1968 Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull created the first VR / AR head
mounted display (Sword of Damocles) that was connected to a computer and not a
camera. It was a large and scary looking contraption that was too heavy for any
user to comfortably wear and was suspended from the ceiling (hence its name).
The user would also need to be strapped into the device. The computer generated
graphics were very primitive wireframe rooms and objects.
1969 Artificial Reality
In 1969 Myron Kruegere a virtual reality computer artist developed a series of
experiences which he termed artificial reality in which he developed computer-
generated environments that responded to the people in it. The projects named
GLOWFLOW, METAPLAY, and PSYCHIC SPACE were progressions in his
research which ultimately let to the development of VIDEOPLACE technology. This
technology enabled people to communicate with each other in a responsive
computer generated environment despite being miles apart.

1987 Virtual reality the name was born

Even after all of this development in virtual reality, there still wasnt an all-
encompassing term to describe the field. This all changed in 1987 when Jaron
Lanier, founder of the visual programming lab (VPL), coined (or according to some
popularised) the term virtual reality. The research area now had a name. Through
his company VPL research Jaron developed a range of virtual reality gear including
the Dataglove (along with Tom Zimmerman) and the EyePhone head mounted
display. They were the first company to sell Virtual Reality goggles (EyePhone 1
$9400; EyePhone HRX $49,000) and gloves ($9000). A major development in the
area of virtual reality haptics.
1991 Virtuality Group Arcade Machines
We began to see virtual reality devices to which the public had access, although
household ownership of cutting edge virtual reality was still far out of reach. The
Virtuality Group launched a range of arcade games and machines. Players would
wear a set of VR goggles and play on gaming machines with realtime (less than
50ms latency) immersive stereoscopic 3D visuals. Some units were also networked
together for a multi-player gaming experience.

1992 The Lawnmower Man

The Lawnmower Man movie introduced the concept of virtual reality to a wider
audience. It was in part based on the founder of Virtual Reality Jaron Lanier and his
early laboratory days. Jaron was played by Pierce Brosnan, a scientist who used
virtual reality therapy on a mentally disabled patient. Real virtual reality equipment
from VPL research labs was used in the film and the director Brett Leonard,
admited to drawing inspiration from companies like VPL.

1993 SEGA announce new VR glasses

Sega announced the Sega VR headset for the Sega Genesis console in 1993 at
the Consumer Electronics Show in 1993. The wrap-around protoype glasses had
head tracking, stereo sound and LCD screens in the visor. Sega fully intended to
release the product at a price point of about $200 at the time, or about $322 in
2015 money. However, technical development difficulties meant that the device
would forever remain in the prototype phase despite having developed 4 games for
this product. This was a huge flop for Sega.
1995 Nintendo Virtual Boy
The Nintendo Virtual Boy (originally known as VR-32) was a 3D gaming console
that was hyped to be the first ever portable console that could display true 3D
graphics. It was first released in Japan and North America at a price of $180 but it
was a commercial failure despite price drops. The reported reasons for this failure
were a lack of colour in graphics (games were in red and black), there was a lack of
software support and it was difficult to use the console in a comfortable position.
The following year they discontinued its production and sale.
1999 The Matrix
In 1999 the Wachowski siblings film The Matrix hits theatres. The film features
characters that are living in a fully simulated world, with many completely unaware
that they do not live in the real world. Although some previous films had dabbled in
depicting virtual reality, such as Tron in 1982 and Lawnmower Man in 1992, The
Matrix has a major cultural impact and brought the topic of simulated reality into the
mainstream.

Virtual reality in the 21st century

The first fifteen years of the 21st century has seen major, rapid advancement in the
development of virtual reality. Computer technology, especially small and powerful
mobile technologies, have exploded while prices are constantly driven down. The
rise of smartphones with high-density displays and 3D graphics capabilities has
enabled a generation of lightweight and practical virtual reality devices. The video
game industry has continued to drive the development of consumer virtual reality
unabated. Depth sensing cameras sensor suites, motion controllers and natural
human interfaces are already a part of daily human computing tasks.

Recently companies like Google have released interim virtual reality products such
as the Google Cardboard, a DIY headset that uses a smartphone to drive it.
Companies like Samsung have taken this concept further with products such as the
Galaxy Gear, which is mass produced and contains smart features such as
gesture control.

Developer versions of final consumer products have also been available for a few
years, so there has been a steady stream of software projects creating content for
the immanent market entrance of modern virtual reality.

It seems clear that 2016 will be a key year in the virtual reality industry. Multiple
consumer devices that seem to finally answer the unfulfilled promises made by
virtual reality in the 1990s will come to market at that time. These include the
pioneering Oculus Rift, which was purchased by social media giant Facebook in
2014 for the staggering sum of $2BN. An incredible vote of confidence in where the
industry is set to go. When the Oculus Rift releases in 2016 it will be competing
with products from Valve corporation and HTC, Microsoft as well as Sony
Computer Entertainment. These heavyweights are sure to be followed by many
other enterprises, should the market take off as expected.