Author Topic: Whatever happened to virtual reality? (Read 306 times)

TPIguy · « **on:** May 14, 2003, 12:55:50 PM »

I remeber seeing the movie "The lawnmower man" about ten years ago. I remember thinking that in a few years we'd all be playing games with VR headsets. But here we are ~ten years later playing on basically the same old monitors. Yes they are larger, sharper and cheaper. But still basically the same thing we had 5-10 years ago.

I know there have been attempts at VR helmets and 3D glasses etc... But, it seems none of them ever caught on. Why is that? It seems to me playing a game like AH or any FPS would be MUCH more fun in VR than on some flat screen that only shows 45deg. of the action.

So, what ever happened to virtual reality?

Dowding · « **Reply #1 on:** May 14, 2003, 12:58:52 PM »

I remember the VR headsets at the arcade. It was a really poor FPS shooter and the damn thing made me sea-sick and dizzy.

udet · « **Reply #2 on:** May 14, 2003, 12:59:20 PM »

you can get 3D glasses fairly cheap, but they're not the same as a VR headset. I think it will take more time than expected for VR to catch on. It was the same with DVDs, they were really hyped, then for a while nobody used them, and look where we are now

Dowding · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2003, 01:04:28 PM »

DVDs look good. VR headsets didn't. It was like looking at the TV screen from an inch away.

When I was a student, my masters thesis concerned polymeric semiconductors. I was messing around with poly-pyridine/metal sandwiches but I came across some research others were doing during my background reading. They were using plastics to display information (or at least that was an application). I bet they will use that technology for VR one day - it's light and doesn't require lots of power if I remember rightly.

TPIguy · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2003, 01:13:16 PM »

I'm not up on the latest technology, but I would think it exists. I remeber seeing VR helmets back in 95-96. They may have sucked, but I'd think by now they could have been refined quite a bit.

Maybe there is just no demand for such a thing yet?

AKIron · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2003, 01:17:58 PM »

5 or so years ago I read about a company experimenting with motion simulation by creating motion sensation with sound waves applied though ear phones. Sounded pretty cool, never heard any more on it.

udet · « **Reply #6 on:** May 14, 2003, 01:37:36 PM »

that does sound cool AKIron..it would make flight simulators 'real'

devious · « **Reply #7 on:** May 14, 2003, 03:18:15 PM »

Yeah, like puking all over the `puter in a 7G rolling scissors while the keyboard arm unknowingly knocks over a bottle of Pils