We’ve seen tremendous strides made with virtual reality technology over the past decade as it’s established itself into many parts of our everyday lives. And we continue to find new applications for it across a multitude of industries.
While its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, particularly for entertainment purposes, VR technology has been around for more than sixty years.
Early Inventors of VR
In 1956, Morton Heilig, an American inventor and cinematographer created the Sensorama—an “Experience Theatre” which provided an immersive, multi-sensory experience for five short films. The machine triggered different senses, like touch, smell, sound and sight.
Later that decade, with the help of several students, computer scientist and professor Ivan Sutherland developed the first head-mounted display (HMD) for immersive simulation applications, named the Sword of Damacles.
VR Technology Today
As the technology has advanced, its use cases and benefits have become more and more apparent.
And it goes far beyond HMDs. Today we see large-scale VR systems, including powerwalls and caves, used in the workplace across dozens of industries to improve complex processes.
These systems are commonly used for designing and engineering, training and educating, selling and engaging, layout planning, operating and maintaining products and processes, and more.
Larger-scale setups enable groups to collaborate in a shared immersive environment on the same visualisations, improving communication and accelerating decision-making.
VR systems may include a single wall display, or span several walls and the floor. Systems can be fully customised to meet space or budget restrictions, and are designed based on their intended use.
Learn more about VR systems from Virtalis:
ActiveWall
This scalable wall display is ideal for experiencing, sharing and reviewing designs as a group, and training, engaging and educating a larger audience in a safe and flexible environment. ActiveWall provides an immersive and interactive VR experience for better exploration and understanding of complex information and data. This stimulates communication, increases understanding and enables greater collaboration. Walls are available in a range of sizes and may be flat or curved.
ActiveCube
Levelling up from a single wall display, ActiveCube is multi-walled and provides a cave-like environment for ultimate immersion. Ideal for the same use cases as an ActiveWall, ActiveCube displays visualisations in all directions users turn, but without needing to wear a full headset.
Users can better explore and understand information and data in a high-resolution bright and engaging space, but because only 3D glasses are required, they can remain aware of their environment and those around them for optimum communication and collaboration.
ActiveMove
A transportable VR system, ActiveMove is ideal for those who prefer to take their visualisations to different sites and events, or to collaborate remotely with other VR users from anywhere. Like walls and caves, ActiveMove is ideal for understanding, demonstrating, reviewing, training, educating, and more in an immersive environment, but provides ultimate geographic flexibility.
CustomVR
No two VR solutions look the same. All Virtalis systems can be completely customised to meet a client’s exact wants & needs and space & budget requirements. Your project can be brought to life in the way that you imagined it!
Looking for more information on large-scale VR? How about a virtual system walkthrough and an opportunity to hear straight from experts in the field? Catch up on the VR Systems Meetup, Beyond the HMD—How Large-scale VR Systems Make You See the Bigger Picture.