Background Information

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Virtual reality dates back to the 1960s according to Schroeder (1993), “but the origin of VR technologies can be traced back to Ivan Sutherland’s work on interactive computing and head-mounted displays in the mid-1960s” (p. 964). Also Sutherland and his team were the first to build an operational head mounted display in the 1970s (Schroeder, 1993, p. 964). Brey (2005) mentions how VR emerges due to advancement in technology, “Virtual reality technology emerged in the 1980s, with the development and marketing of systems consisting of a head mounted display (HMD) and datasuit or dataglove attached to a computer” (p. 2034). The datasuit and dataglove were used as controllers. Over the years, technology has improved significantly which caused VR to make advancements in the 21st century. VR takes simulations to whole new level because simulations are done in third-person which does not give users the full experience of the simulation due to limited motion and limited interactions; VR uses first-person view which makes a difference in terms of making users believe they are part of the simulations with immersion.