The Remarkable Evolution of Virtual Reality – From Its Inception to the Present Day

Over the last few years, virtual reality has been seamlessly entering many aspects of our day-to-day life. Most notably, people seem to enjoy this form of technology as a tool for entertainment and escapism. But it goes much deeper than that. Let’s break down the history of VR.

The first Virtual Reality Headset was launched in the 1960s by Morton Heilig. This 3D device was called the ‘Telesphere Mask.’ The headset came with features such as true stereo sound and wide vision capabilities.  However, the credit for the technology does not go to one single person.

Efforts and innovation by several people over time have contributed to the growth and development of VR. Some of these names are: Morton Heilig, Douglas Engelbert, Ivan Sutherland, Jaron Lanier, and Myron Kreuger.

Even though Virtual Reality is commonly associated with entertainment and gaming, the technology is so much more. Virtual Reality is an important enabler in industries like healthcare to treat nicotine addiction, depression, PTSD, anxiety, and autism.

Virtual Reality can also integrate with artificial intelligence to conduct activities that could be detrimental to human health or life. Monitoring hazardous areas with toxins or surveying nuclear power plants becomes easier with the help of VR.

Virtual Reality Travel allows people to experience places they might otherwise not be able to. For instance, the technology can transport people from one city to another in seconds. In 2015, Marriot publicized travel from London to Maui in 90 seconds with the Oculus VR.

The iconic PlayStation VR headset by Sony was a product of a collaborative tinkering session by the company engineers. What’s even better? The creative process was open-source from start to finish without official executive direction from Sony.