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SPRING 2018
5
Virtual Reality is the Next Big Thing
The dream of virtual reality technology
is that in addition to providing entertain-
ment, which is its primary function now,
it could allow you to experience virtually
whatever is possible in the real world.
For instance, you could check out the
view from the top of Mt. Everest, visit
Tahiti, tour the Louvre Museum, or even
walk on the Moon. While you can see
many of these places online now, the vir-
tual reality versions would enable you to
feel as though you were actually there.
Granted, the technology has a way to go
before it reaches that point. But it can
currently allow you to do some pretty
cool things—such as invite friends to
join you in a virtual cinema so you can
watch movies together, or let you virtu-
ally attend live concerts and TV show
tapings. Other apps are being developed
including 360-degree photos, movies,
and business programs. Media outlets
such as
The New York Times
,
The Wall
Street Journal
, and the Associated Press
have released their own virtual reality
content as well.
With the potential for so many fascinat-
ing uses, there’s no telling which virtual
worlds we may be able to enter next.
In 2012, Oculus VR initiated a Kickstarter campaign to fund development
of the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset. The campaign raised $2.5
million for the company, which was 10 times its fundraising goal.
In 2014, Facebook purchased Oculus VR for $2 billion. These figures
demonstrate excitement within the general public and Silicon Valley
about virtual reality technology, and there’s a lot to be excited about.
A Look Back at Virtual
Reality’s Beginnings
The concept of virtual reality in vari-
ous forms has been around at least
since the 1800s, when visual artists
created large 360-degree paintings
to immerse viewers in the world
depicted within. An early version of
the virtual reality machines we have
today was created by Morton Helig;
his Sensorama presented films that
provided input to the viewer via sight,
sound, smell, and touch.
The term“virtual reality”was popular-
ized in the 1980s by field pioneer Jaron
Lanier, whose company VPL Research
developed several early virtual reality
devices. Since that decade, the technol-
ogy has continued to develop through
uses in gaming, space exploration, mar-
keting, and other virtual experiences.
Meanwhile, popular culture has also
reflected the notion of virtual reality.
For example,
The Veldt
, a 1951 Ray
Bradbury story, takes place within a
virtual nursery. Later, author William
Gibson wrote
Neuromancer,
which
also involves characters acting within
a virtual world.