Development

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear real, giving the user a sense of immersion in their surroundings. This environment is perceived through a device known as a virtual reality headset or helmet. VR allows us to immerse ourselves in video games as if we were one of the characters, learn how to perform heart surgeries or improve the quality of sports training to maximize performance.

While this may seem extremely futuristic, its origins aren't as recent as we might think. In fact, many people think that one of the first virtual reality devices was called the Sensorama, a machine with a built-in seat that played 3D movies, emitted smells, and created vibrations to make the experience as vivid as possible. The invention dates back to the mid-1950s. Subsequent technology and software developments in the following years brought with them a progressive development of both the devices and the interface design.

Despite being a technology that emerged decades ago, many people are still unfamiliar with the concept of virtual reality. The term virtual reality is also often confused with augmented reality.

The main difference between the two is that VR builds the world we're immersed in through a specific headset. It's fully immersive and everything we see is part of an environment artificially constructed through images, sounds, etc. On the other hand, with augmented reality (AR), our own world becomes the frame in which objects, images or the like are placed. Everything we see is in a real-world environment and wearing a headset may not be essential. The clearest and most general example of this concept is Pokémon Go.

However, there is also a combination of both realities, which is called mixed reality. This hybrid technology makes it possible, for example, to see virtual objects in the real world and build an experience where the physical and the digital are virtually indistinguishable.