Early attempts at virtual reality Panoramic paintings In some cases,a milestone is more about the establishment of an idea, rather than the invention f a specific technology. The technologies are also branched into many different directions. Some of the milestones discussed in this article are therefore also ancestors to other forms of media, such as film. In a historical context then, we have to broaden what is seen as VR or VR-adjacent. While 360-degree video might not be computer generated, it’s functionally no different to a pre-planned non-interactive CG VR experience. The problem with this is that plenty of computer generated VR isn’t interactive at all, yet everyone considers it to be VR. This would differentiate it from things like 3D -movies, 360-degree video and other similar “look but don’t touch” media.

Many definitions also stipulate that VR must be interactive. When we use the word “VR” now, it specifically refers to computer generated imagery and hardware specifically designed to bring those sights and sounds to us in a way that is totally immersive.

There are plenty of definitions of VR today, which all more or less overlap in key areas. Yet, we don’t think of them and virtual reality as being one and the same. It is entirely possible for film and television imagery to influence our sense of reality, at least to a point. While that story may be considered more of an urban legend in modern times, it underscores the problem of defining virtual reality neatly. The people in attendance, having never seen film before, had a reaction to the footage as if it were really a train, than just a picture of one. It showed a train heading straight at the camera. After all, the point of virtual reality is to trick someone’s brain into believing something is real, even when it isn’t.įor example, there’s the famous example of an early cinematic screening. Defining Virtual Realityīefore we can consider the virtual reality development timeline, we have to briefly consider that is that counts as “VR” or should be seen as a precursor to it. 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. Virtual reality has beginnings that preceded the time that the concept was coined and formalised.

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