Virtual Reality

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Term Paper Title	Virtual Reality
# of Words	3243
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	12.97

Virtual Reality

Imagine  being able  to point into  the sky and  fly.  Or
perhaps  walk through space  and connect molecules together.
These  are  some  of  the dreams  that  have  come  with the
invention  of  virtual reality.    With the  introduction of
computers,  numerous  applications  have  been  enhanced  or
created.  The newest technology that is being tapped is that
of  artificial  reality, or  "virtual  reality" (VR).   When
Morton   Heilig  first  got  a  patent  for  his  "Sensorama
Simulator"  in  1962, he  had no  idea  that 30  years later
people  would still be  trying to simulate  reality and that
they  would be doing it so  effectively.  Jaron Lanier first
coined  the phrase "virtual reality" around 1989, and it has
stuck  ever  since.   Unfortunately,  this  catchy  name has
caused   people  to  dream  up   incredible  uses  for  this
technology including using it as a sort of drug. This became
evident  when,  among  other  people,  Timothy  Leary became
interested  in  VR.    This has  also  worried  some  of the
researchers  who are trying to create very real applications
for  medical, space,  physical, chemical,  and entertainment
uses among other things.

In  order to create this  alternate reality, however, you
need  to find ways to create  the illusion of reality with a
piece of machinery known as the computer.  This is done with
several   computer-user  interfaces  used  to  simulate  the
senses.   Among these, are  stereoscopic glasses to make the
simulated  world look  real, a  3D auditory  display to give
depth  to  sound, sensor  lined  gloves to  simulate tactile
feedback, and head-trackers to follow the orientation of the
head.     Since  the  technology   is  fairly  young,  these
interfaces  have not  been perfected, making  for a somewhat
cartoonish simulated reality.

Stereoscopic   vision  is  probably  the  most  important
feature  of VR because  in real life,  people rely mainly on
vision   to  get  places  and  do  things.    The  eyes  are
approximately 6.5 centimeters apart, and allow you to have a
full-colour, three-dimensional view of the world.
Stereoscopy,  in itself, is not a very new idea, but the new
twist  is trying to generate  completely new images in real-
time.   In 1933,  Sir Charles Wheatstone  invented the first
stereoscope  with  the same  basic  principle being  used in
today's  head-mounted displays.   Presenting different views
to  each eye  gives the illusion  of thr...

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