Virtual Reality: Through the New Looking Glass

In their introduction to the new field of virtual reality, Kevin Teixeira and Ken Pimentel begin with an informative, yet refreshingly nontechnical, overview of the field. They explain what VR is and how it works, how it has evolved from early post-war flight simulators to today's widely diverse research efforts, and what cultural and ethical questions are posed by the implementation of computer-simulated worlds. The book focuses, however, on practical applications that will soon be available to the general public. The potential of PC-based VR systems for transforming society is also examined in detail, with a discussion of how VR technology can benefit education, business, medicine, architecture, science, entertainment, and other fields. Finally, readers get a behind-the-scene look at the next generation of VR tools for personal computers, including microprocessors that will be available to the VR community in the 21st century.