If the hi-tech concept of Virtual Reality is whittled down to its essence – then, VR is an illusion that places a person in an alternate 360° situation or place. Thus, the earliest examples of VR could be the 360° murals of earlier centuries, or the flight simulator, first used in the early 20th century. Or it could be the iconic View-Master from the 1940s, that took children (and adults!) into a magical world of alternate realism.
This infographic categorizes and showcases earlier innovations using the VR concept into three chronological levels: Precursor, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality.
The Evolution of Virtual Reality:
Infographic by – Newhouse