Virtual Reality has evolved from a mere sci-fi theme in films to a bright future.

In order for a new industry to develop there must be shifts in the technological ecosystem.

Today, I will discuss with you the technological shifts and advances that make Virtual Reality possible now.

Are you Ready?

Before going forward, let’s understand the past.

Contrary to popular belief, the discovery of virtual reality is not new. In fact, 360-degree field of view panoramic paintings appeared in the nineteenth century. The concept behind virtual reality was first displayed in 1838 with stereoscopy.

Stereoscopic technology was first discovered by Charles Wheatstone. The researcher discovered that the eye can fool the mind to develop a sense for depth of objects. The brain processes two different 2D images from each eye into a single into a single object that can appear 3D.

112 years later the Sensorama is created by cinema expert, Morton Heilig. The Sensorama was an arcade style theatre that featured a small selection of films.

Heilig’s main goal was to create something that stimulated all senses and make the user immersed in the environment.

The Sensorama featured a stereoscopic display, stereo speakers, fans, smell generators and a vibrating chair.

One of the first available virtual reality devices was the Sega VR in 1993. Sega VR was first displayed at CES and was available for the Sega Genesis console.

It featured head tracking, stereo sound and LCD screens for the hardware. Major technical development difficulties forced the device to remain in the prototype phase. Sega dropped the headset because the company could not risk it and the technology was not ready.

Why Virtual Reality is Happening Now

It’s 2017 and now is the best possible time for Virtual Reality to emerge. There have been many prototypes that have hailed due to technological boundaries.

Right now technology boundaries are being crushed by developments and shifts in industries.

This article details all relevant technology and the landscape that enables VR today.

1. Device Availability

Device availability is a large contributor of VR adoption around the world. Immersive VR systems like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive need an expensive and powerful PC. Which may be an obstacle for mainstream adoption.

Google and Samsung are utilizing the technology in everyone’s pocket; the smartphone. This technology strategy is a major key in Google Cardboard’s success. Smartphone-powered VR headsets are available and taking off.

PC’s have also been more widespread as well.

The following graphs showcase the growing mobile VR market.

2. Software Infrastructure

Software standards and infrastructure have developed due to collaboration and web development. Operating systems, SDKs, APIs, QTIs, and other standards allow developers to collaborate projects.

Companies have developed standards for universality and integration across devices and applications. Various standards and integrations are necessary for a prosperous and connected future.

3. Content Creation & Availability

Ubiquitous content has changed the way the world connects. Widespread media is a stepping stone for virtual reality.

We live in a world where anyone can go on YouTube and watch videos and even create them all on the go with a smartphone.

The hardware and software required to create and deploy content on the go is accessible. Think about how easy it is for you to download new content on your phone.

Virtual reality mobile applications are being released on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store everyday. VR is becoming accessible to everyone with a smartphone with a click of a button.

4. Multimedia Technologies

Improvements in multimedia technology had made VR possible. Multimedia defined as displays, sensors, power, and thermal efficiency. What makes virtual reality possible are the graphics, videos, and sound processing that have improved over the years.

For example, every year new video games come out with graphics better than the previous year. According to Moore’s law this trend will continue over the years.

With the recent emergence of 4k TV’s, we already have an high-resolution solution. The current issue that faces developers is the speed and bit size of Virtual Reality technology, but that is presumed to be solved in 2017.

According to AMD gaming scientist Richard Huddy, for a person with 20/20 vision to process photorealistic graphics, 16K resolution is required. That being said, to reach the point where Virtual Reality is indistinguishable from reality, technology would have to reach 16k resolution.

5. Sensor Technology

Past developments for smartphone have added gyroscopes, accelerometers, and even tracking cameras. All these technologies are also used in virtual reality hardware. Tracking cameras have gotten smaller, more precise and have become more affordable.

Sensor technology combined with increased pixel density and visual quality make virtual reality possible.

6. Power & Thermal Efficiency

Architecture innovations, such as heterogeneous computing, have improved power and thermal efficiency.

Integration efficiency has improved due to better transistors and Moore’s Law. Optimized algorithms, such as motion tracking, run better on the hardware.

7. Smartphones -> Mobile VR

Most of these technologies are possible because of the smartphone revolution. All the technology listed, were carried by smartphones. The VR industry will most likely mirror the success of the mobile phone industry.

After looking at the mobile phone industry, you can draw parallels between the two. Factories have had to create phones with the same hardware that is used in virtual reality.

Over one billion smartphones ship around the world every year. As well as the increased adoption rate due to the widespread nature of smartphones.

Rapid design cycles, which bring fast adoption of those cutting edge technologies. Smartphone OEMs have a cadence of shipping an upgraded model every year.

Conclusion

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We’ve seen a tremendous amount of disruptive change coming from the Virtual Reality Industry. It is surely certain that this kind of content will accelerate based on trends in the future.

You most likely have some other VR ideas that can change the world! Share them with us on social media!

Originally published at www.vudream.com on February 25, 2017.