Evolution of Virtual Reality
The reality, existing in parallel with the usual way of life, was described in numerous science fiction novels and films of the 20th century. However, earlier attempts were made to look at familiar things from the other side. In 1838, physicist Charles Wheatstone described the principle of denoting the perception of depth and three–dimensional structure – stereopsis. The scientist created the first stereoscope based on his discovery – a device designed to perceive volumetric images. Wheatstone used a pair of mirrors positioned at a 45-degree angle to the viewer’s eyes. The physicist proved that the brain combines images of objects obtained from different points, making the object appear three-dimensional.
In 1935, science fiction writer Stanley Weinbaum published the novel Pygmalion’s Glasses. He talks about a particular device that made it possible to perceive an image with the help of eye contact and feel fictional objects to feel their taste and smell. In essence, Weinbaum describes something similar to modern virtual reality headsets. 
The idea that people can communicate with each other without being physically in the exact location was thrown up by artist Myron Kruger in 1975. He founded the Video place laboratory where the user was placed in an interactive environment. A camera behind him recorded a person’s movements and immediately transmitted them to the projected silhouette. It gave the observer a sense of presence even without direct tactile feedback.
Having paid attention to the promising industry, IT giants began to offer their innovations in the field of VR. Facebook, which had no significant products in 2014, acquired Oculus for $ 2 billion. It is believed that Mark Zuckerberg became interested in virtual reality around this time, which he would later propose to insert into the concept of the metaverse.
Users often confuse virtual reality with augmented reality. Augmented reality is created as an overlay of virtual objects in the real world. It can complement three-dimensional objects or create new ones based on them. As a rule, augmented reality or AR exists about a specific object, terrain, or position in space.
Examples of AR are the display of the flight path of the puck in hockey broadcasts and 3D visualization of furniture in the room using a smartphone camera. In 2016, the popularization of the technology was facilitated by the release of the game Pokemon Go, in which gamers using a smartphone could project fictional animals – Pokemon – into the urban landscape.
Virtual Reality Perspective
According to futurist Bernard Marr, virtual reality is the key to turning information into experience. It’s no coincidence that so much has been said about games because they are one of the driving forces behind the industry. Many people are ready to spend money on the most impressive and exciting entertainment. It is confirmed by data from Goldman Sachs analysts, who estimate that the virtual and mixed reality market will be valued at more than $ 30 billion in 2025.
At the same time, the lion’s share of the money – about $ 12 billion – will be circulated in the gaming industry. As the founder of the Sandbox VR start-up, Steve Zhao, notes, users will believe in the video games of the future, as if everything shown is happening in reality. It will allow gamers to experience their moments in games for real and to interact even more with other people.
Virtual reality will change communication since, for a full-fledged contact, you will not need to be direct with the interlocutor in the exact location. VR chats and equipment will scan users, record their movement and speech, and transmit them over long distances. The need for the live presence of employees at the workplace will disappear since they can always be gathered in one virtual room. Design, architecture, and modeling projects can be visualized and transferred into a virtual 3D format.
The development of technology will necessarily be associated with new problems. There may be a risk of hacking the user while he is in the virtual space. There are fears that the interaction with virtual reality will be so vivid and memorable that users will not want to return to the real world.
Also, Marr gives a downright dystopian example in which people are constantly connected to machines that paint them a rosy picture while the world – as in the “Matrix” – is engulfed in war. The futurist believes that alternate reality will have pitfalls, but the potential benefits outweigh all the disadvantages.
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