About Virtual Reality

Do you have questions about virtual reality (V.R.)? You are not alone. With the huge presence of virtual worlds online and the use of virtual reality in online gaming many people want to know exactly what is virtual reality.

A virtual world is described as a 3D computer generated environment that allows users to interact in real time. V.R. can tap into many of your senses – touch and hearing can both be activated in a virtual environment. Technology is currently being tested that will bring other senses such as taste and smell to the virtual world.

A Short History

To learn about virtual reality it is important to understand how far virtual environments have come since their meager beginnings. The very first virtual world is thought to have been Pliny, a mechanical sensorama. Maze War was the first 3D, multi-player virtual game. In the 1970’s this game made its debut on Imlac computers. Click here to learn about V.R. websites. To learn more click here

Other computer and software developers soon caught on to this new trend. CompuServe’s Dreamscape and Lucas Film Games were among the many environments based in “primitive” virtual world.

In the 1990’s V.R. began to be used by online gamers and internet users. It was not only used for gaming. Virtual chat rooms became very popular on the ‘net and businesses used virtual environments to advertise their products. Click here to read about virtual reality games and online gaming.

Virtual Reality Today

To learn about virtual reality today you might want to ask a teenager. Today’s teens have grown up with V.R. as a part of their everyday life. At school V.R. is used in teleconferencing and in online learning environments. At home, computer games or other gaming systems use it. Even books read by teens sometimes focus on characters existing in a virtual world. Click here to learn what is a virtual world. if you want to learn about the world of virtual reality click here.

Computer users can easily interact in free virtual reality online games. To get started you will need access to the internet and a mouse or keyboard. More advanced users add joysticks, helmets, gloves and other input devices to their computers to improve their virtual experience.

V.R. is also used in the medical community. Therapists use V.R. to treat phobias and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. Physical therapists use virtual simulations to help their patients reach treatment goals.

Other applications of V.R. are: Simulations for pilots training, product design and prototyping, replica development of natural and human built locations: landscapes, ancient towns, archaeological monuments. Click here to learn about Immersive virtual reality. V.R. is also extensively used nowadays in the most sophisticated theme park attractions and even at fine arts.

The Future of Virtual Reality

There are no limits to the future of virtual reality. Every day it is becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives. The popularity of communication through virtual realms is the main reason it is so important to know about Virtual reality. As we become more familiar and comfortable operating in virtual worlds we will see a steady migration of many aspects of our lives to virtual reality.

There is also a push in the medical community to use V.R. in new and unique ways to treat patients. Psychiatrists are studying ways to change behavior patterns using virtual reality. Direct brain manipulation with beams of ultrasonic waves could be used to simulate the 5 senses.

The Future of V.R. seems to be mostly directed towards the medical, training and engineering fields.

As our knowledge about V.R. increases it will have more of an effect on the entire world. V.R. will affect cultures, economies, and the world views of many people and many nations. Click here to learn more about how V.R. works. If you want to learn about virtual reality games, click here.