Ive been here before.
Im standing on a treeless plain; behind me are massive boulders streaked with moss.
A stiff wind rustles tufts of grass, and seabirds wheel overhead against a low gray sky.
But somethings different, starting with the small yapping robot dog running around.
The dog bounds away.
To enter this world, you need gear.
Virtual reality, or VR, is a technology that has been promised for decades.
Virtual reality has been joined by two closely related technologies augmented reality and mixed reality.
Thats a leap of faith: So far, the most avid VR explorers are video game enthusiasts.
(See the recent Steven Spielberg filmReady Player Onefor a modern interpretation.)
The military conducted some of the earliest experiments in the 1960s and 70s.
It boasted 3-D computer-generated images projected inside the pilots helmet, complete with sound effects.
Early attempts at consumer-facing VR didnt go far.
After leaving the military, Furness adapted his Super Cockpit display into a unit called Virtual Vision.
People liked it, says Furness.
But then they said, What do I do with it?
The downsides of the technology also started to emerge.
But virtual reality didnt go away.
Engineers kept refining the technology, which found plenty of military and industrial applications.
Virtual reality was back, more real than ever.
VR gear
The current gear is much improved.
Five years ago it would have required a $10,000 headset to do what they do.
The first and still dominant answer is, play games until your head hurts.
you could walk (carefully) around while tethered via cables to a very hardworking PC nearby.
A pair of controllers function as your hands.
Gaming in VR is also somewhat physically draining.
Some of the most impressive VR-based experiences use the technology for a very different end: to make journalism.
TheNew York TimesVR app, for example, allows viewers to experience the brutal conditions of Syrian refugees.
