The History of Virtual Reality

Are you also curious about the history of Virtual Reality? We'd be happy to explain it to you! Discover it in this UnboundXR blog!

Virtual Reality (VR) is everywhere around us these days, but have you ever wondered how this technology originated? The history of Virtual Reality goes back many years. In this blog, we're going back in time to take a look at the origins of VR. Read on quickly and discover more!

The origins of VR go back to the 1950s and 60s, when visionaries such as Morton Heilig and Ivan Sutherland laid the foundations of Virtual Reality as we know it today. Morton Heilig created the "Sensorama" during this period. This was a device that allowed you to watch short films while experiencing scent, wind, and vibrations. Below is a photo of the legendary Sensorama.

Around the same time, Ivan Sutherland at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed the very first head-mounted display (HMD) called "Sword of Damocles," which was massive and hung from the ceiling. This device is named after the ancient Greek story of Damocles, who hung a sword above his head. This sword was held up by a single horsehair and stood as a metaphor for constant impending danger.

Sutherland's prototype was quite large and impressive. You can see that in the photo below. The prototype consisted of a complex combination of mechanical and electronic components hanging from the ceiling. The user was literally under this heavy construction, making it resemble Damocles' situation, hence the name "Sword of Damocles".

What made this device so special was the fact that for the first time an image could be projected directly onto the user's retina. This image, of course, did not have the same quality as it does today. The image was still zwart-wit, but it was a huge step forward in the development of VR-technologie.

While VR-technologie was gradually developing, the term "Virtual Reality" first became popular in the 1980s. This was thanks to Jaron Lanier, a pioneer in computer science. Lanier founded ‘VPL Research’, a company that developed VR-hardware and -software. He introduced the term to describe the experience of fully immersing oneself in virtual worlds.

The 1990s brought significant breakthroughs for VR. SEGA launched the SEGA VR-headset, but the use of the headset was limited to arcades and gaming halls. One of the most striking developments was Nintendo's "Virtual Boy". Although the Virtual Boy was not commercially successful, interest in VR continued to grow.

In the 21st century, VR-technologie made a full comeback. A turning point was the founding of Oculus Rift by Palmer Luckey in 2012. Oculus Rift triggered a crowdfunding-gemeenschappen and put VR back in the spotlight. In 2014, the company was acquired by Facebook. This put Virtual Reality back in the spotlight.

Today, Virtual Reality is no longer confined to science fiction or expensive experiments. Companies like Oculus (now Meta), HTC, and Sony have launched consumer-oriented headsets, making VR accessible to millions of people worldwide. Whether you want to explore the wonders of deep space, create virtual art, or dive into breathtaking games, VR offers a range of experiences that were once unthinkable.