The History of Virtual Reality

Our Programmer Emmanuel shared with us The History of Virtual Reality starting in 1850 all the way to modern day Virtual headsets.  Check out the write up and timeline below!

Invention of Stereoscope

​The history of ‘Virtual Reality’ begins with a device developed in the 1850s called the stereoscope. It is a device that allows you to view a stereoscopic pair of separate images, which means the left eye view is different from the right eyes. This tricks your brain into believing you are viewing a 3D image.

Sensorama

​In the mid 1950s, the Sensorama was developed by Morton Heilig, which is a machine that integrates a stereoscopic film with fans, odor emitters, stereo-sound system, and a motional chair. This Sensorama is one of the earliest known examples of immersive, multi-sensory technology.

Headsight

Later in 1961, two Philco Corporation engineers developed the first precursor for the head-mounted display as we know it today, the Headsight. The Headsight had a video screen for each eye and a magnetic motion tracking system, which was linked to a closed-circuit camera, and not computer generated. This technology was used by the military to allow remote viewing of dangerous situations.

Super Cockpit

Then, in 1986, an Air force project known as the "super cockpit" was born.  It was a simulator designed for training that featured computer generated graphics and movement tracking.

1990 Golden Age of VR

An explosion of the wildest VR developments had been made. Virtuality made a set of VR systems along with a stand-up arena to go with a game called Dactyl Nightmare. Nintendo made the Virtual Boy. Sega made the Sega VR. Virtual I/O made the I-Glasses. Forte Technologies released the VFX-1. Sony releases the Sony Glasstron.

Oculus

​Skip ahead to 2010, the Oculus is prototyped by a man named Palmer Lucky. He created a VR kit that anyone can make. Later on, he and computer programmer John Carmack team up to make the first prototype for the Oculus Rift. In 2013, The Oculus Rift DK1 was released.

Modern VR Commercialization

Fast forward to 2016, VR has become mainstream. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive lead the way for VR, and many other companies are following behind. Eventually other major companies will release the VR Projects we have today, such as the Oculus Quest, HTC Vive Pro, PlayStation VR, and Samsung Odyssey.