Immersive worlds - How virtual reality is shaping our future

The history of virtual reality can be traced back as far as the 1960s, and even predates digital computing. Wanting to make theatre into a multisensory, immersive experience, Morton Heilig – often referred to as the father of virtual reality – used his skills as a cinematographer to develop a prototype called the Sensorama. The mechanical device was able to display stereoscopic 3D images in a wide-angle view, as well as stereo sound, wind, and aromas to match the short films that it played.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that the term ‘virtual reality’ (VR) actually gained popularity, by which time gigantic headsets and power gloves were its hallmarks. Due to the high cost however, it remained on the periphery, confined largely to upmarket gaming arcades and computer science labs. But the past couple of years have seen VR undergo something of a renaissance. Initially funded via a Kickstarter campaign, Occulus Rift development kits became available in 2012, making VR accessible to pretty much anyone with a PC and a few hundred quid. Facebook purchased Occulus for $2bn in 2014, and a consumer version of the headset is due to hit the shops early next year.