Today’s virtual reality (VR) technology started upon ideas that dates back to the 1800s. In 1838, the first stereoscope photos and viewers were invented, using twin mirrors to project a single image that later developed into the popular View-Master stereoscope, patented in 1939 and still used today.

1929 - Edward Link created the Link Trainer, patented in 1931, the first flight simulator

1930s - Science fiction writer, Stanley G. Weinbaum, predicted VR

1950s - Cinematographer Morton Heilig developed the Sensorama, patented in 1962, an arcade-style theatre cabinet that would stimulate all the sense

1960 - Morton Heilig next invention was the Telesphere Mask, patented in 1960, the VR head mounted display (HMD)

1961 - Comeau and Bryan developed the first precursor to the HMD, the Headsight

1965 - Ivan Sutherland described the "Ultimate Display" concept

1966 - Also known as the grandfather of VR, Thomas Furness is credited with kick starting the development of modern flight simulator technology

1968 - Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull created the first VR/AR HMD (Sword of Damocles) that was connected to a computer

1969 - Myron Kruegere, a virtual reality computer artist, developed a series of experiences which he termed "artificial reality"

1972 - General Electric produced a computerized flight simulator

1975 - Krueger's VIDEOPLACE was the first interactive VR system, though it did not feature any sort of headset

1977 - MIT created the Aspec Movie Map

1979 - The McDonnel-Douglas HMD (Vital Helmet), the first proper example of a VR HMD, used outside of the lab

1982 - Finger tracking gloves for VR called "Sayre" gloves were invented by Daniel Sandin and Thomas DeFanti

1985 - VR pioneers Jaron Lanier and Thomas Zimmerman found VPL Research, the first ever VR company to sell HMDs and gloves

1986 - Furness invented the Super Cockpit

1987 - Virtual Reality: the name was born

1989 - NASA got into VR and created Project VIEW

1991 - Virtuality Group launched a range of VR arcade games and machines

1991 - A NASA engineer Antonio Medina developed VR Mars Rover

1992 - The Lawnmover Man movie introduced the concept of VR

1993 - Sega announced the Sega VR headset

1994 - Release of the Sega VR-1

1995 - The Nintendo Virtual Boy (originally known as VR-32) was the first ever portable 3D gaming console

1997 - Georgia Tech and Emory University collaborated to use VR for the treatment of PTSD in war veterans

1999 - The Matrix movie brought the topic of simulated reality into the mainstream

2007 - Google enhanced its maps service with street-level 360-degree images

2010 - Google Street View went 3D and the Oculus was prototyped

2012 - Palmer Lucky creator of a kit VR headset that anyone can make, launched a Kickstarter to fund the Oculus and developed is prototype headset, the Rift

2014 - Facebook bought Oculus and Sony announced their VR project

2016 to 2017 - The year that everyone unleashed VR products that were ready for primetime

2018 - Oculus showed off a new HMD prototype known as the "half dome"

2018 - Standalone VR was on the rise while mobile VR dying

2019 to today - VR is shifting rapidly

For full article: History Of Virtual Reality - Virtual Reality Society (vrs.org.uk)

Credit to Virtual Reality Society

Author Name: Team D-Virtual Park Bangi