The Evolution of Virtual Reality: From Sensorama to Apple’s Anticipated Announcement
By the time Howard Rheingold’s “Virtual Reality” was published in 1991, the Sensorama was already a “slowly deteriorating” relic stashed away in a cabana next to the pool at its inventor’s West Los Angeles home. Rheingold describes awe — even surprise — that the system was still operable almost 30 years after its introduction.
“I was transported to the driver’s seat of a motorcycle in Brooklyn in the 1950s,” the author writes. “I heard the engine start. I felt a growing vibration through the handlebar, and the 3D photo that filled much of my field of view came alive, animating into a yellow, scratchy, but still effective 3D motion picture.”
Virtual Reality: The Next Great Paradigm Shift
The experience described above is immediately identifiable to anyone who has spent time in a modern VR headset. In the early 90s, it undoubtedly felt “a bit like looking up the Wright Brothers and taking their original prototype out for a spin,” as the book describes. At the dawn of the decade that gave us both “The Real World” and “The End of History,” virtual reality seemed to hold the keys to the next great paradigm shift.
The year the book was published, Sega announced a VR peripheral for the Genesis. That October also saw the release of Virtuality’s 1000 Series, a headset that would make its way into arcades with titles like Dactyl Nightmare, a first-person platform shooter that finds the player pursued by an angry pterodactyl. Four years later, Nintendo followed up the wild and enduring success of the Game Boy with Virtual Boy, a headset/console built around (very red) stereoscopic vision.
VR also dominated pop culture, featuring prominently in films like “Johnny Mnemonic,” “Lawnmower Man,” and “Virtuosity.” The technology served as a visually rich shorthand for dystopian cyberpunk fears in an age of rapidly accelerating technology.
Ahead of Its Time: The History of VR
For decades, the technology has felt ahead of its time, beginning with the release of Sensorama in 1962. Considered by many to be the starting point for what we now know as VR, the system looks more like an arcade cabinet than a VR headset. Users were seated in a stool in front of the machine, with their head obscured by a hood.
Morton Helig’s 1962 patent described a system that delivers a realistic simulation for potential work and military training purposes:
“There are increasing demands today for ways and means to teach and train individuals without actually subjecting the individuals to the possible hazards of particular situations. For example, the armed services must instruct men in the operation and maintenance of extremely complicated and potentially dangerous equipment, and it is desirable to educate the men with the least possible danger to their lives and to possible damage to costly equipment.”
Helig’s work would later focus on “Experience Theater” — machines designed to provoke all the senses. In the early 1960s, this system was viewed as a logical next step beyond the film and television of the day. The demo described in the book finds the user riding a motorcycle down a Brooklyn street, with stereoscopic vision, vibrating handlebars, and overwhelming smells. Despite its innovation, cost remained a major obstacle, a theme that persisted throughout the history of VR.
The form factor of VR devices began to evolve in the mid-60s when a team at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory created “The Sword of Damocles.” This system featured a magnetic tracking system and aimed to surround the user with three-dimensional information. Ivan Sutherland, one of the project leads, wrote, “We can display objects which appear to be close to the user or which appear to be infinitely far away.”
The Rise and Fall of Virtual Reality
The 80s brought virtual reality into the popular lexicon and saw important breakthroughs in the space. However, reality once again caught up with the technology as the decade came to an end and the 90s brought disappointments. Sega VR’s launch was delayed and ultimately canceled, while Nintendo’s Virtual Boy was regarded as one of the company’s biggest missteps.
Despite these setbacks, interest in virtual reality continued to grow, leading to the introduction of the Oculus Rift prototype in 2012. This marked a turning point, as technology finally caught up with the concept. Facebook recognized the potential and acquired Oculus in 2014.
Other key players in the VR industry emerged during this time, including Google with Glass and Cardboard, HTC with Vive, and Microsoft with HoloLens. Each made strides in advancing VR technology and contributed to the growing interest in the field.
Apple’s Anticipated Announcement and the Future of VR
Apple is set to join the VR race with an anticipated announcement of its own VR headset. While details are still scarce, rumors suggest that the device may resemble a traditional VR rig rather than the standard glasses-like design envisioned by CEO Tim Cook. The outcome of Apple’s foray into VR remains to be seen, but the company’s track record of successfully revolutionizing existing categories leaves room for excitement and anticipation.
The history of VR is littered with ups and downs, with many innovative companies and individuals encountering challenges along the way. However, the advancements in technology and the increased interest in VR suggest that the industry may finally be ready to fulfill its potential.