A Brief History of VR By Steven Schain For a summer history lesson like no other, enjoy a look at how Virtual Reality tools have advanced over the years. stereoscopic, the panoramic views allowed the viewer to gain a larger perspective than that of a standard portrait view of the world. With their sweeping vistas and wide panoramic scenes, these images created a visual experience that could be considered immersive, at least for the times. VR… Virtual Reality… The technology that allows you to explore vast virtual worlds, or real- time visualization that you can literally step into! Virtual reality as we know it today is a computer- generated, stereoscopic, immersive visual experience that takes the user into the 3D world of the creator. From military simulations to games, VR is capturing the imaginations of millions of users. But to really understand the power and potential of VR, you have to know how the technology has evolved over the years. Panorama of the Bosphorus and Golden Horn, late 18th Century, Antoine de Favray, Pera Museum, Istanbul From painters to photographers, the 1800s saw the invention of stereo viewing to create a 3D immersive viewing experience. This was based on the idea of stereopsis, described by Charles Wheatstone in 1838, that we see depth because we have two eyes. This led him to invent the Stereoscope that same year. By using two images, one viewed by each eye, the viewer saw a single image that was fully three-dimensional. Early Attempts at Immersive Displays Believe it or not, to really understand the history of VR, you have to go back a couple hundred years. In the 1800s and before, traditional painters would attempt to draw their viewers into the image by creating expansive landscapes. While not truly 24 www.cadlearning.com Wheatstone mirror stereoscope, Charles Wheatstone, 1838