DESCRIPCIÓN DE ELEMENTOS AUXILIARES

Definition of VIRTUAL REALITY

1. an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one's actions partially determine what happens in the environment 2. the technology used to create or access a

virtual reality

In 1982, the science fiction film, Tron¹, was released in theatres. This was a movie with a main plot that involved a virtual reality world, and it created a wave of enticement and absolute fascination of a concept that integrated the 'real world' and one of 'digital reality'.

During this same time in the early 1980s the video game industry was still in its early stages but already hooking in the young, the techies, and just about everyone else. Arcades were popping up in most malls world-wide. What movies like Tron, and the video game industry offered to the public was a new form of escapism from real life and all its stresses and worries.

Yet, as innocent as it may have seemed, something behind closed doors was in development - and had been for quite some time.

This new idea and how it was being developed, as well as its future potential, would soon take the world by storm by creating a cyber-matrix that humanity had never seen before. It would eventually create a prison for all who fell into its trap of fantasy and unlimited access.

Virtual reality can be interpreted in several ways, with the most

1 Tron, dir. by Steven Lisberger (1982; Walt Disney Productions, 1985 VHS)

common being that it requires the use of both computer hardware and software in order for it to be functional, as per the modern definition. However, if you recall from earlier pages, I gave some examples of other technology and methods used by ancient civilizations, and one example included the Egyptians using mechanized statues that priests would climb into, pretending to be Oracles that people would visit for advice.

The ancient Greeks had the Oracle at Delphi, where a priestess known as Pythia¹ would reside, seated inside a fissure in the side of Mt. Paranussus. This fissure emitted a gas from deep below the surface that caused the priestess to go into uncontrollable convulsions and speak in wild tongue. She would foretell future events that were said to come straight from the Greek God Apollo, predictions including whether or not a King should go to war, among other things.

Other Oracles throughout ancient Greece were utilized in similar ways. This came to be when priests discovered how certain animals, like goats, behaved when exposed to this volcanic gas and decided to capitalize upon it by creating this 'virtual reality' connection between the mortal Oracle, and the Olympian Gods.

Many more examples like the Greek Oracles above can be found in ancient history where tangible tools and natural occurrences were altered into a type of virtual scenario in order to fool and manipulate others for steering control and agendas.

But where do ancient methods end, and where does the more modern development of virtual reality begin?

Finding the modern origin of virtual reality was not as easy as I had initially thought. It has become obvious to me that depending on which source with vested interest in this technology you research, the person given credit for being the

1 Ancient-Greece.org, 'Delphi', http://www.ancient-greece.org/history/delphi.html (accessed 5 Feb. 2011)

original innovator or inspiration for virtual reality (VR) will change. Most sources will tell you that the modern origins of VR began in the 1950s, but some believe it all started in the 1960s, and others, as early as the 1930s.

After a lot of reading and cross referencing to find exactly who may have been the modern source of VR, I have decided not to name a specific 'Father of Virtual Reality' because there simply are too many claims. Instead, I will record how it all developed, who the early modern people were, and how they contributed to its evolution.

Italian architect and painter, Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (1481-1536)¹, created the Sala delle Prospettive², which was a three dimensional art piece that became the inspiration we began to see in the 1860s in 360-degree panoramic murals which gave the viewer the illusion of actually being inside the mural itself. Some say this is the more modern origin of virtual reality, but other sources state that the modern origins come from virtual vehicle simulators in the 1920s that were built for military training.

After an intense search to confirm this, as it is not widely discussed, I finally found one source that gave it verification: a paper by Jim Baumann, titled, Military Applications of Virtual Reality³

1 Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 'Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi', Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldassare_Peruzzi (accessed 5 Feb.

2011)

, from the website for the Human Interface Technology Laboratory of the University of Washington. In his paper, Baumann writes how in the late 1920s and 1930s, the Link Company built training simulators to teach military pilots. They were built in a way to give the pilot the most realistic scenario

2 Roma Interactive, 'Hall of the Perspectives',

http://www.romainteractive.com/eng/guided_tours/villa-farnesina/hall-perspectives.html (accessed 1 Apr. 2011)

3 Jim Baumann, 'Military applications of virtual reality', The Human Interface Technology Lab (HITLab), University of Washington,

http://www.hitl.washington.edu/scivw/EVE/II.G.Military.html (accessed 29 Jun. 2013)

of actually being in the plane during flight. Even though I found this, and was able to verify it as being fact, I still found a pattern of sources giving original credit to different people and early inventions.

From all my research into the modern origins of VR, I found two names mentioned the most as the originators of this technology. Each did indeed have a huge part in making virtual reality what it is today, and, in my opinion, they certainly both deserve equal credit. The first of the two is Morton Heilig¹, who, in the 1950s, developed the Sensorama. Heilig was awarded a patent for his device in 1962, and built the first prototype. The simulator gave the viewer the ability to experience sight, sound, smell, and touch during the course of the movie. It was a big and bulky machine that had the resemblance of a 1980s era arcade video game. It was considered quite the advanced innovation in its time, and certainly was an inspiration for the future of virtual reality.

Then, in 1965, computer scientist, Ivan Sutherland², who is considered the 'Father of Computer Graphics', wrote, Ultimate Display³, which was about the potential of 3-D computer modeling, in order to create immersive artificial environments.

Sutherland would later on, with assistance, create what is widely considered the first HMD (head-mounted display) system that created a virtual reality as well as an initial form of 'augmented reality'. However, as with most technologies, once you peel back the layers you do find other claims of credit for contributions into advancing the technology's development, just as I found pertaining to VR/AR.

1 The Father of Virtual Reality – Morton Heilig, http://www.mortonheilig.com/

(accessed 28 Jun. 2013)

2 Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 'Ivan Sutherland', Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Sutherland (accessed 28 Jun. 2013)

3 Ivan Sutherland, 'The Ultimate Display', Proceedings of the IFIP Congress, 1965, pp. 506–508, http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.136.3720 (accessed 28 Jun. 2013)

It was in 1961 that the Philco Corporation¹ engineers developed, as other sources claim, the first HMD, known as the Headsight. This helmet consisted of a video screen that had a tracking system incorporated into it. While the Headsight was worn, the device was linked to a closed-circuit camera system.

It would later be developed further for use by helicopter pilots to aid them while flying in the dark.

It would appear that the development of technology in the field of virtual reality, or augmented reality, was a cooperative development even if the individuals and corporations were not working hand in hand. All the development that was conducted in the first half of the 20th century only assisted in the acceleration of this technology that reached new heights over and over again from the mid-1970s up to present time. All one needs to do is type into their search engine, 'virtual reality' or 'augmented reality', and you will find enough data to keep you busy for years.

Both virtual, and augmented reality, whilst not the same, are from the same 'family' and you could consider them sister technologies as they have the same origins with slight differences. One definition of AR that I consider to be the best comes from, Augmented Reality: An Overview, Chapter 1 by Julie Carmigniani and Borko Furht². They define augmented reality as:

"[A] real-time direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment that has been enhanced/augmented by adding virtual computer-generated information to it. AR is both interactive and registered in 3D as well as combines real and virtual objects. [...]"

1 Michael Marano, 'A comprehensive timeline of virtual reality up to Ron Moore’s Virtuality', Blastr, 24 Jun. 2009,

http://www.blastr.com/2009/06/a_comprehensive_timeline.php (accessed 28 Jun. 2013)

2 Florida International University, Partnerships for International Research and Education, 'Journals', http://pire.fiu.edu/publications/ (accessed 28 Jun. 2013)

Basically, what they have explained, is that augmented reality differs from virtual reality because with AR you have a mix of real and virtual objects at your disposal during the simulation, and with virtual reality, it is entirely computerized.

Both VR and AR have swept the world of technology, reaching every industry, from cell phone companies, to the entertainment industry, and on to the military, and elsewhere. Universities have laboratories solely devoted to its research and development, and powerhouses like DARPA have been involved since day one. Medical companies have been spending money in development of this technology for purposes that could be interpreted as being of some value, but then we see how the entertainment industry and virtual reality games have not only fractured people mentally, but caused a new pandemic globally that is taking over people in mind, body, and even spirit.

One specific entity I have written about before was featured in part one of a documentary I recommend, called, Visions of the Future: Part 1 The Intelligence Revolution¹. In the documentary, Theoretical Physicist, Futurist, and Transhumanist spokesperson Michio Kaku², takes the viewer deep into the world of virtual and augmented reality. One specific focus is the online world of Second Life³

1 Top Documentary Films, 'Visions of the Future',

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/visions-future/ (accessed 9 Feb. 2011)

. Second Life is a virtual online role playing game where people can create their own alter cyber-persona with an Avatar. They can do whatever they choose in this world, like dating, shopping, and even marrying and having virtual children. You will be blown away by how much of an impact Second Life has had. People have become so sucked into it, that they live almost an uninterrupted sedentary lifestyle. Children have jumped into it fully, and now research and independent studies are showing

2 Welcome to Explorations in Science with Dr. Michio Kaku, http://mkaku.org/

(accessed 29 Jun. 2013)

3 Second Life, Linden Research, Inc., http://secondlife.com/ (accessed 6 Apr. 2011)

that both the young and adults are losing, exponentially, basic social skills, and the loss of want for physical interaction.

There are a number of dangerous side-effects due to continuous use and interaction in virtual reality worlds like Second Life, such as obesity; poor diet; lack of sunlight; lack of exercise;

becoming withdrawn from society in the real world; loss of sexual appetite; loss of social skills; and, the inability to participate in (or the conscious choice of avoiding) real life, altogether - to name a small few. This technology has been put into the faces, and desires of so many people using propaganda with flashy advertising, and the strong arm of influence by the mega-octopus entertainment industry.

Today, just about every movie that is released - and specifically those aimed at children - is made in 3-D. Televisions are marketed specifically with 3-D technology and even 'Smart' phone companies are looking to incorporate VR and AR technology for the next supposed great thing. There are many companies who do nothing but develop and sell VR/AR hardware and software for gaming, medical, and military use.

What ever happened to tangible real world experiences? Social engineering by multinational corporations, the entertainment industries, and Google, do not want people away from the theatres, televisions, 'Smart' devices, or video games, because then they would become obsolete and not be able to control the masses of 'transhuman sub-humans', who have been engineered to consume and interface within the worlds of VR and AR.

I am not going to play the role of the supporter of this technology by giving possible examples of how it could benefit civilization, because with EVERY single paper, study, documentary, and publication I have read, or watched, I have seen far more cons than pros.

Take a look at those who attend technology conferences, or frequent big box stores who promote the latest electronics, and observe those who work in the departments selling

entertainment products. Ask yourself if they appear healthy, and question whether their misshapen bodies are due to eating GMO fast food, or from other things, because cooking and learning healthy eating habits takes time away from 'virtual reality fun' - a result of which becoming fat quickly ensues when their only 'exercise' might be in the form of controlling a virtual character in a virtual daze.

Technology crowds often have glazed looks in their eyes, but not resulting from any disease like glaucoma - rather, their 'distance' stems from something much like staring at a computer screen for an average of 6-8 hours a day (or more). Could their almost sociopath-like behavior be attributed to an unhealthy childhood, or could it be more accurately described as the result of losing basic social skills due to interfacing through a virtual 'un'-reality world?

These are questions I ponder, and you should consider them as well. Life used to be all about going to the beach; having a get-together on the weekends with family and friends; social interaction at the local pub, enjoying a pint and a game of Pool;

exploring a national park, or ghost town, just because; and, all the while getting fresh air and good exercise. Life is supposed to be about getting outside and enjoying our planet for all her wonders and possibilities.

I see nothing wrong with those who utilize computers as a powerful tool for obtaining the worlds knowledge at one's fingertips, to assist in the growth and education of our current and next generations, and those who use technology for the purposes of communication. But knowing that there are cons that are always lurking behind such technologies, particularly when regarding them in terms of Transhumanism, is something that we must respect. There is a clear and present danger of H+

taking us over, and so we must maintain a healthy balance by getting outside and living REAL life.

Personally, I stay away from VR and AR, which I believe has led to a part of me staying strong physically, as well as

mentally. I do not fall prey to consumerism and technology propaganda; and to truly be categorized as a human and not a sub-human, you must try and do the same. Whilst people might need their 'toys', it is when the people and the toys begin to interface to the point of no return that the person becomes swallowed up and integrated into the bio-cyber matrix world of Transhumanism, becoming 'ruled over' by a network that turns their freedom into a virtual or augmented 'reality'.

ENTITIES LARGELY