The development of Virtual Immersive Environments (VIEs) began in the mid-20s. One of the earliest examples of this technology was the Sensorama, a mechanical device created by filmmaker Morton Heilig (1962), which was the subsequent creation of VR systems by researchers and commercial companies, including the Virtuality Group and Nintendo.

In 1968, Ivan Sutherland, an American computer scientist considered one of the fathers of computer graphics and virtual reality, created the first head-mounted display (HMD), a critical development in creating immersive virtual environments. However, the high cost of the technology and limited computing power at the time made it challenging to create compelling VR experiences.

In the 1980s, companies such as NASA and the US military began experimenting with VR and VIEs for training. The development of more powerful computer graphics hardware and software in the 1990s led to more sophisticated VIEs, such as the popular game "Myst" and the first-person shooter game "Doom."

The production of the new generation of VIEs started in the mid-2000s, with the release of games such as "Second Life" and "World of Warcraft," which provided players with an immersive and interactive virtual world. More recently, developing new hardware, such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Microsoft HoloLens, has made it possible to create even more realistic and compelling VIEs.

Today, VIEs applications are used in gaming, entertainment, education, and training, to name a few. It will likely significantly impact how we experience and interact with virtual content.

References

Heilig, M. L. (1962). Sensorama simulator, us patent no. 3050870. US Patent and Trademark Office. https://patents. google. com/patent/US3050870A/en.

Class Activities: VIEs Impact Discussion

Each group will pick an application of VIEs, such as gaming, entertainment, education, or training. They will analyze how VIEs have impacted their chosen field and present their findings to the class. This will include a look at specific examples of VIEs in their field, their benefits, challenges, and the future potential of VIEs in that area.