Foreword
Walking onto the Holodeck
Airplanes to Arcades: The Development of Virtual Reality
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote these words about twenty-four hundred years ago. He used the striking image of the prisoners in the cave to illustrate his belief that what human beings thought of as real objects were merely poor imitations of "ideal" forms that could only be imagined.
Goggles, Gloves, and CAVEs: The Technology of Virtual Reality
If viewers could look inside Star Trek's Holodeck, they would probably find advanced versions of the same kinds of equipment and software that virtual reality systems contain today. The heart of the system would surely be a powerful computer with programs that produce complex, three-dimensional images.
The Virtual Classroom: Virtual Reality in Training and Education
Video games are not the only military training tools that use virtual reality. The U.S.
Custom-Made Worlds: Virtual Reality in Science and Business
Meteorologists (scientists who study weather and climate) would like to step into a hurricane to find out how the winds inside it behave—and come back out alive. Chemists and drug designers would like to examine the shape of complex molecules and build new ones, atom by atom.
Arcades to Avatars: Virtual Reality in Art and Entertainment
Aviewer floats through a mysterious, semitransparent landscape, like a diver underwater. Breathing in, the person rises through the bare branches of a huge tree.
Which World Is Real? The Future of Virtual Reality
Someday, every home may have its own Holodeck. If that happens, how will virtual reality change people's lives?