The year was 1891 and Thomas Edison along with William Dickson have introduced their singular invention. The Kinetoscope took advantage of newly practical electric light bulbs; this machine was able to produce images to the viewer via a peephole at 46 FPS. A design and idea well ahead of its time, it would inspire even modern projects to develop. Through the 19th and 20th centuries, these creative endeavors continued. Scientists were looking for more ways to capture realistic experiences in manufactured spaces and relied on ingenuity with a little trial and error.
It wasn’t really until the mid-20th century, however, that the technology really began to take off. Scientists were no longer content with just vision based experiences and sought ways to include all the senses for a truly immersive virtual reality experience. Morton Heilig, a pioneer of early VR development, made strides with his modern designs. The 1962 creation called the Sensorama and Motorcycle Simulator is exactly what it sounds like, plus some extra bells and whistles. This virtual reality booth produced sights, sounds, physical sensations, and even smells to give an immersive experience of riding a motorcycle through New York City. Let’s see your Oculus Rift do that.
Though the excitement for VR can be attributed to modern leaps and bounds, none of it would be possible without the scientific endeavors of the past. Take a look at this infographic for a timeline of VR development and see where it all began and where it will take us in the future.
Source: History Degree
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Brian Wallace is the Founder and President of NowSourcing , an industry leading infographic design agency based in Louisville, KY and Cincinnati, OH which works with companies that range from startups to Fortune 500s. Brian also runs #LinkedInLocal events nationwide, hosts the Next Action Podcast , and has been named a Google Small Business Advisor for 2016-2018.
