The idea of Virtual Reality began well before the advent of the computer,
but in dealing only with the VR in the sense in which we know it, all
its history has occurred over the past 40 years.
 |
Virtual Reality pioneers such as Ivan Sutherland, Michael Noll, and Myron Krueger all had their parts to play in the creation of 'modern-day' VR. Popular culture and the science fiction genre both have also had profound effects on research as to the social implications of VR. |
Below is a list of key dates and people who have made their mark on the virtual reality historical timeline. Text that links from names link to that person's email address. Links from movies link to that movie's website.
Year |
Person(s)
Responsible |
Accomplishment |
Why
it was important |
| 1965 | Ivan Sutherland | Ultimate Display | The beginnings of VR |
| 1977 | Dan Sandin, Richard Sayre and Thomas Defanti | The first dataglove | Interaction through body movement |
| 1982 | Bonnie MacBird (Writer) | Tron | The first computer- generated movie |
| 1983 | Myron Krueger | Videospace | First virtual environment |
| 1984 | William Gibson (His assistant) | Neuromancer | The term 'Cyberspace' |
| 1987 | Michael Piller (Writer) | Star Trek - The Next Generation | The Holodeck, idea of immersive VR |
| 1992 | Stephen King (Official Website) | Lawnmower Man | A look at the possible negative side of VR |
| 1995 | Silicon Graphics | VRML 1.0 | Virtual Reality Modeling Language |
| 1999 | Larry and Andy Wachowski | The Matrix | Virtual Reality movie grosses $750M worldwide |
This site was published for Communication Studies 380 at the University of Calgary, March 26, 2004
