A Look at the History of Virtual Reality

Modern advancements make virtual worlds larger, more immersive, and more imaginative exponentially every year, but the innovations and even the idea behind virtual reality as a whole go back much farther than you may think. Though the hype surrounding devices like the Oculus Rift and Vive are new, the fascination is anything but.

When we imagine early iterations of VR devices, what comes to mind? The Virtual Boy or Power Glove, perhaps? Certainly nothing before the 20th century, but the further we look back in tech history the more we are able to understand just how long virtual reality experiences have been in development. Even Thomas Edison worked to put the reality in virtual reality. The 1891 Kinetoscope, invented by Edison and William Dickson, made use of newly practical electric light bulbs and film. Feeding the film through a series of lightbulbs situated inside the device, the viewer was able to see 3D, moving images through a peephole at an impressive 46 frames per second. A far cry from the capabilities of the VR headsets of 2018, this device was only the beginning.

The more we understand about the past of virtual reality, the better we can predict its future. Technology is finally catching up to the imaginative ideas and goals of truly immersive virtual worlds, the history is still being written and there is still a long way to go. Take a look at this infographic on the past, present, and possible future of VR capabilities and how its influenced tech advancements of every kind. Where do you predict VR to take us in the future?