The scope of virtual reality is wide - from an interesting arcade-style games, where you can sit behind the wheel of a car to be an airplane pilot, to race down a mountain or hunt the dinosaur - to teaching physicians the intricacies of surgery.
Two sides of the coin
The idea of virtual reality began in the 30-ies, when scientists worked on the development of the first simulator - a flight simulator for training pilots. To reinforce the illusion on the screen of the simulator reproduced frames of the runways.
In 1965 the American Ivan Sutherland unexpectedly came up with an idea which he published in the article titled "Perfect display". Was it to create a portable or personal virtual world through the use of two tiny television sets, one for each eye. For the realization of ideas Sutherland has also developed displays, was fixed on the head. Despite the fact that his invention worked, the images were too crude and unsophisticated. No less a problem was the helmet. It was so heavy and bulky that I had to hang it from the ceiling. Yes and it cost too much. In subsequent years, scientists undertook the revision of the original idea of Sutherland, and their efforts met with great success. Subsequently, in 1985, Michael Macgraw from NASA has developed a significantly cheaper and lighter the helmet, using a standard motorcycle and priladiv to him a miniature display screens, as well as special sensors that react to the movement of the head and were connected with computers of great power and sensitivity.
In 1985 another developer BP, Myron Krager, opened at the science Museum of Connecticut, the so-called "Diaplays". In General, "Deepless" was a series of spaces, in which (besides even in different), visitors were able through the mediation of an interactive graphics system to plunge into the same virtual space, juggling different objects together to dance and draw.
The last hardware component is a glove. A prototype was developed back in the early 80's, but in the modern view of virtual reality appeared in 1986 p., when the programmer Jaron LENR invented a new variant of the glove. So for the first time there was a uniform kit consisting of a VR-helmet and gloves. Its name -"virtual reality" new technology should actually Lenro.
Three types of BP
There are three main forms of virtual reality. The first of these, probably the most well known. The kit it consists of a helmet equipped with small TV screens and earphones, and gloves (some systems instead use a joystick or a "magic wand"). Helmet and glove are connected to computers that are programmed with special sounds and graphics that change depending on the purpose of the system: if it is used by designers or architects, it will likely be buildings or panoramas. Next, the images are played back on the TV screens inside the helmet. To create a three dimensional effect each TV screen placed at some ideal angle. When you put on a virtual reality helmet, the images on the TV screens completely cover your field of vision and you are immersed in the virtual world. And headphones can hear all the sounds corresponding to the visible images.
And helmet, and glove (or joystick) equipped with special sensors that allows the computer to capture all the movements of the head and hands If you turn your head to see around, the computer changes your viewpoint - as if you are really within the image. Everything happens in real time (at the same speed and at the right moment, as it could be in the real world). A glove allows you to "touch" virtual objects and "take" them to the hands. Using it, you can even modify the virtual world by moving the virtual objects.
Cameras and screens
In other varieties of BP to track the image of the user in the virtual world, where you can also pick up or move objects, use a video camera. Both systems give BP the opportunity to operate for several people.
In the latter species BP assigned play three-dimensional images on a large curved screen. This form helps to strengthen the user the feeling that he is in the virtual world. An additional effect of presence is created by using special three-dimensional points.
You probably are most familiar with BP. that applies to video games in the halls of slot machines ("arcades") and theme parks of Europe, USA and Japan. Now there are many VR-games in which both attended by a few persons.
In 1991, the market appeared a game called "Knightmare Dactyl". In her virtual world for the first time could simultaneously pursue each other and take the shooting of two participants.
Such "arcade" was only the beginning. With improvements in technology BP began to emerge theme parks. In this Park co-existence of several virtual worlds: their "residents" can participate in various games in the genre of "fantasy", and to create its own atmosphere reproduced speech corresponding electronic votes.
"Arcade" and theme parks - great fun but a lot more needs to know the impact they have on players. Many after VR-game complains about poor health - mainly headache and dizziness. It is also proved that in some people this game is addictive, the risk of which should be carefully investigated.
Despite these challenges, BP has many obvious advantages. It gives people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in normally inaccessible activities. People confined to a wheelchair, in the virtual world can move freely, which they lack in the real world. Not everyone can afford to buy the BP system. But with technological advances, lightweight helmets and more powerful computers will soon bring BP in the house of man.
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