In the 1960s a group of Harvard University scientists developed a virtual helmet whose
visor carried three-dimensional images. It was a genuine technological revolution. Even though the invention did not take off at the time, it was the basis for developing a myriad solutions to real life via an invented reality.

A highly-developed project
In 1968 another team from the University of North Carolina came up with a glove that simulated tactile reactions. This was the origin of tele-immersion in artificial spaces, a phenomenon which may currently be seen in simulators and video games where the user can become a Formula 1 driver or a football star competing in the best teams.

Later, dynamic and realistic virtual universes were created which completely replaced the outside world complete with animation and user interaction. Anyone can enter this artificial world via sound and vision devices.

There are also those that enhance the reality that surrounds us by introducing compvter images and multimedia information into real surroundings. In these cases mixed vision helmets are used to help users to visualise the real world and computer generated virtual images at the same time. Examples of this mixed reality are combat pilots who can observe maps and computer-generated images in the visors of their helmets or the flight deck of their cabin as they fly.

Development support
Pompeii or Herculaneum are testing grounds for the latest virtual reality applications. These have been used to ascertain that the houses were decorated with murals, which represented the scenarios of ancient Roman theatres. These investigators have recreated these frescos in three dimensional computer images to discover the painting techniques used by the Romans.

In the future virtual reality will take us to the times of the ancient civilizations and enable us to admire historic monuments or archaeological sites in all their splendour. This is the work undertaken by a group of investigators aiming to reconstruct, explain and interpret the information discovered in the Atapuerca archaeological site. Its virtual recreation will clearly add more than a grain of sand to the renaissance of the national heritage of Spain.

In the future virtual reality will take us to the times of the ancient civilizations and enable us to admire historic monuments or archaeological sites in all their splendour. This is the work undertaken by a group of investigators aiming to reconstruct, explain and interpret the information discovered in the Atapuerca archaeological site. Its virtual recreation will clearly add more than a grain of sand to the renaissance of the national heritage of Spain.

A walk through the Cordoba of El Andalus
Virtual reality allows you to walk through the Cordoba of El Andalus, for example, or the Parthenon guided by Plato. Using some light mixed vision glasses and pressing a button in the interactive glove covering the hand, the life and customs of the period come to life and historical aspects are revealed.

A solution for phobias
Virtual reality can also be an efficient tool in the fight to overcome phobias. After acauses of the problem, virtual reality can help sufferers overcome their phobia. After a powerful computer to process 3D images and sounds related to the phobia, the sufferer is placed into virtual situations which he must overcome by making decisions. The aim of the treatment is to emotionally control the fear caused.

The phobia can usually be overcome in six to eight sessions, depending on the seriousness of the problem and how effectively the tools are used. The patient will then continue using these tools in a habitual manner, thus contributing to his capacity to find solutions in the future. Anorexia, bulimia, fear of storms, fear of flying, fear of small animals, these are some of the phobias that can be cured using virtual reality.