The future of virtual environments : the development of virtual technology

Although the application of virtual technology is experiencing an exponential growth during the last three to four decades, researchers still did not catch up with a clear development direction of virtual technology. There is an urge to seek the direction of virtual technology development in the future. Based on previous studies of VR and the virtual technology development process, this study aims to investigate: (1) if the direction of virtual technology development changed throughout the long process or it remained consistent over time; and (2) if there was predictable direction of virtual technology development. To understand the phenomenon, this research studies the events of virtual technology development process diachronically from 1950s to present. Our team presents findings from the development process describing four periods of virtual technology development, namely telepresence, interactivity, connectivity and synthesis. The four period of development could describe the condition of the virtual technology development. These relationships are situated within the historical contexts of the virtual technology development. With the analysis of virtual technology development in historical context, this article forecasts the future of VR development. The findings will contribute to future creation of stereoscopic virtual worlds.