Literature Review On Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality: The Evolution Literature Review

1.1 Abstract

Virtual Reality got into our lives many years ago with an increasing demand throughout the years. This paper illustrates the evolution of Virtual Reality and explains the importance of using Virtual Reality in different fields. Also, it analyses the stages of improvement and the history from the creation of VR, with a main focus on the benefits and the disadvantages that it has. This paper is not another “game revolution” report, but it focuses on medicine, education, architecture and it also analyses the benefits of VR, but also the disadvantages that is has been said to have. In order to do that, this

However, this VR was not interactive by the user (Gervautz & Mazuryk, 1996). Moreover, a few years later in 1961, Philco Corporation created the “Headsight”, which was a helmet, including a video screen fitted with a tracking system linked to a camera. This helmet has been used from helicopter pilots, in order to have better visibility in the dark (Virtual Reality Organisation, 2009). According to Biocca & Levy et al (1995), in 1965 a computer scientist, Ivan Sutherland, created the “Ultimate Display.” This device allowed the users to imagine the virtual world, similarly to the real world by adding the sense of smell, taste and sound. In addition, during 1966 Sutherland builds a human-computer interaction system, which provided a framework for virtual reality with the first form of multimedia interactive theatre with the creation of the first head mounted display (HMD) with head

This can be attributed to the pioneering computer scientist Jaron Lanier who introduces the term of “Virtual Reality” to the world in 1987. In 1982, Thomas Furness created and advanced a flight simulator at US Air Forces, which allowed the user to see through the head mounted display (HMD) flight and targeting information. In addition, in 1985 VLP company creates the “DataGlove” and also in 1988 the “Eyephone” HMD (Gervautz & Mazuryk, 1996). Also, in 1992 they created the CAVE, an automatic Virtual Environment with a scientific visualization system, which projects stereoscopic images on the wall of a room, which assures high resolution display images comparing with HMD. At the end, an augmented reality technology (AR) was created, which enriches the real world, for example, by adding new objects in the real one by using superior Head Mounted Display (HMD) (Gervautz & Mazuryk, 1996). The next chapter will analyze the uses and the benefits of VR in different fields.

4.1 Benefits of Virtual Reality

Several benefits could be gained when having Virtual Reality in our lives. Virtual Reality gives the opportunity to users to achieve many impossible tasks, which makes it possible to provide to users the sensation of transfers in other dimensions through Virtual Machines Equipment. In addition, VR can lead to new analysis and revelation of different areas, which could have a huge impact