Virtual reality was not invented by one person in one day. It is the result of the work of several generations of engineers and artists who gradually moved towards the idea of full immersion.

From Sensormap to the First Helmet

The first step was Morton Heilig, often called the father of virtual reality. In 1957, he created the sensormap — a bulky device resembling an arcade game machine. It affected all the senses: it showed a 3D image, vibrated, blew wind, and even sprayed scents. Heilig also patented the telesphere mask — a precursor to the modern VR headset.

However, the real breakthrough was made by Ivan Sutherland. In 1968, he, along with his student Bob Sproull, created the Dymaxion helmet — the world's first VR headset connected to a computer. It was so heavy that it had to be hung from the ceiling. It was Sutherland who formulated the key idea: the computer screen is not just a monitor but a window into the virtual world.

Term and Commerce

The term virtual reality only appeared in 1987. It was coined by Jaron Lanier, the founder of a company involved in the development of equipment. He, along with Tom Zimmerman, created the first commercial VR goggles and the famous glove that allowed hands-on interaction with virtual objects.

This way, the path to virtual reality began with optical illusions of the 19th century, passed through Heilig's sensory simulators and Sutherland's computer helmets, and took shape as an industry thanks to Lanier.

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