Virtual Reality (VR) could be defined as an environment in which real-looking objects and places give the sensation of being immersed in them through the use of different devices such as headsets or glasses.
The origins of VR
Although the term itself was coined by the American Jaron Lanier in the 1980s, the historical origins of Virtual Reality go back further.
As with robotics, for example, there is a relationship between technology and literature. The word robot was first used in its current sense in 1920 by the writer Karel Čapek, curiously derived from a Czech word meaning servitude or forced labour: robota.
In the case of VR and its link to the arts in general and literature in particular, the connection is even older.
Back in the 19th century, in 1838 to be precise, an optical device recreated a three-dimensional illusion from flat drawings using mirrors placed at 45º angles: the so-called Wheatstone stereoscope.
Almost 100 years later, in 1935, the science fiction story Pygmalion’s Spectacles, written by Stanley Grauman Weinbaum, described a pair of glasses that allowed the user to be transported to fictional worlds, considered the first literary reference to what would later be called Virtual Reality.
The history of VR has evolved throughout the 20th century with such diverse uses as aviation simulators in the Second World War in the United States Army, the development of Sensorama (a machine created in 1957 by Morton Heilig to offer multisensory experiences, considered the first recreation of VR) and the patents in the 1960s for masks or helmets—rudimentary by today’s standards—that used stereoscopic images and surround sound to immerse users in different experiences.
Characteristics of VR
Back to the present day, let’s look at the main characteristics that define Virtual Reality and its ability to create the realistic and immersive digital experiences that some scientists and writers dreamed of decades ago.
- Sensory immersion. The use of devices such as helmets, visors or glasses helps to block out the real world, making the sensory immersion of VR total thanks to the reception of sounds and images and even haptic or tactile sensations.
- Interactivity. Controlling elements of the virtual environment (such as manipulating objects or exploring scenarios) thanks to sensors or controllers allows users to interact.
- 3D graphics in dynamic environments. Virtual Reality environments are expressed through three-dimensional graphics that generate realistic and immersive visualisation, which, combined with dynamism and interactivity, enables users to act in real time.
- Isolation from the physical environment. Unlike other technologies, as we will see later, Virtual Reality completely isolates users from the physical world.
Types of VR
There are three types of Virtual Reality:
- Non-immersive Virtual Reality. This type of VR does not require specific devices, only standard devices and screens. This means that, as no investment in peripherals is required, it is more accessible from an economic perspective. Another advantage is that it does not cause feelings of temporary disconnection or dizziness, which some people experience with total immersion.
- Mixed or semi-immersive Virtual Reality. Used in sectors such as education and industry, it allows interaction with information without completely abandoning the real world.
- Immersive Virtual Reality. This is the best known and most widely used type of VR—some even say that the two previous types are not strictly VR—and requires a range of equipment for proper use, such as glasses, headphones, helmets, and other more sophisticated peripherals such as haptic sensors. Immersive VR has a high degree of realism through advanced motion tracking techniques and high-quality 3D graphics, creating 360-degree experiences that transport users to three-dimensional digital environments.
Are Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality the same thing?
Although some people may mix up or confuse these two terms, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (AR), while similar, are not the same thing.
The main difference is that VR is a totally and absolutely immersive world in which everything users see is part of an environment that has been artificially generated using sounds, images, etc.
In AR, on the other hand, the physical world becomes a ‘support’ on which artificial objects or images are superimposed, and the use of additional devices may not be necessary.
