Virtual reality technology first began to be discussed in works of fiction. A 1935 story “Pygmalion’s Glasses” described the principle of modern VR: wearing special glasses, the characters become participants in the movie, feel smells, touch and even talk to the characters.
Perhaps the author was inspired by the stereoscope created in 1838 by Charles Wheatston. Through the stereoscope, viewers looked at a picture that appeared three-dimensional through mirrors. The design principles of the stereoscope are still used today in VR goggle systems for smartphones.
In 1962, the Sensorama machine was invented, playing short films. The viewer was involved in the action on the screen as the device engaged the senses – sight, hearing, smell and touch. Sensorama mimicked tactile effects, such as wind.
There was another significant prototype of modern VR helmets in 1968, the Sword of Damocles. In addition to immersion, the system could track the user’s gaze and head.
Finally, in the 1980s, the term “VR” was created and popularized by scientist Jaron Lanier, who founded VPL Research. His company created several VR devices such as VR gloves and VR glasses.
In the 20th century, VR underwent a series of failures in the mass-market phase, so the technology existed only in the form of concepts. It didn’t gain recognition until 2010, when Palmer Lackey announced the first consumer Oculus Rift helmet. It was the first headset with which virtual reality began to be commercialized, and subsequently actively developed the technology.