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Abstract: This study explores various uses of virtual reality goggles in conjunction with consumer level items: color cameras, video effects, luminance keying and videotape, in an effort to ascertain what is feasible at the present time regarding consumer and industrial applications. As a measure toward eventual home theater display prospects, the viability of keying video into a see-through head-mounted display to form a virtual, wall-sized television will be determined. Another portion of the research will attempt to communicate aspects of the psychedelic experience into electronic form.

“When we apply the power of networking to the VR world, the potential for stretching the limits of human abilities becomes very powerful.” —Jaron Lanier (1)

INTRODUCTION

Virtual Reality (VR), its “newer” cousin Augmented Reality (AR), Enhanced Reality (ER), Simulated Environments (SE), Myron Krueger’s Artificial Reality (2) and other terms each attempt to describe unique sets of experiences and phenomenon that promise to radically alter the process of human communication. It is my belief that these various disciplines will continue evolving parallel with related technologies until a critical mass is achieved, resulting in a coalescence of unprecedented magnitude, which I have termed Ultimate Reality, in deference to Ivan Sutherland’s pioneering efforts described in The Ultimate Display. (3)

Mr. Sutherland’s first head-mounted display (HMD) was in fact a see-through design.(4) Through clever use of half-bright mirrors, a video display was mapped over the user’s field of vision. This was the first implementation of what is now known as Augmented Reality. I contend that this original incarnation will ultimately prove to be more useful to mankind.

1 - Byte, Vol. 22, No. 8, P. 32 “News and Views: Interviews.” (1997). 2 - While Mr. Krueger’s phrasing seems best suited to describe his own unique field of study into “other”environments, I fully believe his early research will prove instrumental in the coming technological convergence, particularly in the areas of telepresence and in making computers “aware” of human beings. Not only that, he constantly reminds us that such experiences should be enjoyable, even fun. This humanizing factor deserves far more attention than it currently receives. 3 - Sutherland, Ivan. "The Ultimate Display." Information Processing 1965: Proceedings of IFIP Congress 65, 2 (New York, May 24-29, 1965): 508. 4 - Pimentel, Ken and Teixeira, Kevin. (1995) Virtual Reality: Through The New Looking Glass. P. 44

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