Total Immersion

Virtual Reality – a term that, to me, conjures up images of the 1992 movie Lawnmower Man, but couldn’t it be argued that the term has a far earlier reference?

The suspension of reality, the immersion of the stage, perhaps the theatre is the original example of virtual reality. People have always wanted a distraction from the real, but with reference to real life events.

From the 1964 book Simulacron 3, to more modern explorations, such as the Matrix and Existenz fiction and film have explored the concepts of total immersion. Our fascination with virtual worlds has found a place in modern life as we explore and build avatars in games such as The Sims, Second Life etc.

What is the next step? Will we see a future where divisions between real life and the virtual will become blurred?

Interesting developments can be seen in the work of the French company, Total Immersion. Below is an example of "augmented" reality software - an opportunity to create real time, immersive elements into live shows and performances.