shutter glasses and head mounted displays

Shutter glasses are one mechanism to present different pictures to one's eyes. These glasses first block the image to one eye and then to the other eye, in synchronization with two different perspectives alternatively shown on a screen. When the alternating perspective pictures are shown in sufficiently quick order, then the brain puts together them into a single 3D image. head mounted displays usually have some type of shutter glasses inside a helmet and screen displays that are relatively near to one's eyes. The close screen displays make it easier to span most of the span of vision (e.g. over 60 degrees), but requires very high-clarity imaging. The head device may be: part of an armature for tracking head motion; or physically unconnected with head movement tracked by optical, magnetic, or ultrasonic monitors. Further, Journal of Virtual Reality and Broadcasting includes coverage of this VR material.

Virtual reality is an extremely useful interface for telerobotics (human operation of a robot from a distance). Telerobotics can be used in dangerous or adverse worlds such as: outer space; radioactive areas; chemically or biologically poisonous areas; war zones; bomb hazard areas; under the earth; or in under the sea. For instance, telerobotics with a VR interface was used to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. For uses in which work should be done on a scale which is either too large or too tiny for unaided human direction, virtual robotics can also span the scale barrier. Human movements can be virtually magnified to operate heavy hardware for mineral extraction, excavation, or construction. An operator's manual inputs can be virtually reduced in scale for microsurgical operations, genetic engineering, molecular modeling, or nanoscale manufacturing. Use of virbots in software or artificial intelligence may be next. Also, Virtual Tours Grand Rapids, Michigan deals with this material.

See also: Virtual Reality Memory discusses different developments.