The Sword of Damocles
Encyclopedia
The Sword of Damocles is widely considered to be the first virtual reality (VR)
and augmented reality (AR)
head-mounted display (HMD)
system
. It was created in 1968 by hall of fame computer scientist Ivan Sutherland
with the help of his student Bob Sproull
. Before he began working toward what he termed "the ultimate display", Ivan Sutherland was already well respected for his accomplishments in computer graphics (see Sketchpad
). At MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory
beginning in 1966, Sutherland and his colleagues performed what is widely believed to be the first experiments with head-mounted displays of different kinds.
and realism
, and the graphics
comprising the virtual environment were simple wireframe rooms. Sutherland’s system displayed output from a computer program
in the binocular
display. The perspective
that the software showed the user would depend on the position of the user’s gaze
—which is why head tracking was necessary. The weight of Sutherland’s HMD, and the need to track the head movements necessitated the HMD being attached to a mechanical arm suspended from the ceiling of the lab. The formidable appearance of the mechanism inspired its name. While using The Sword of Damocles, a user had to have his or her head securely fastened into the device to perform the experiments. At this time, the various components being tested were not fully integrated with one another.
—which would make these the components of the first virtual reality machine as we know them today. The unit was partially see-through, so the users were not completely cut off from their surroundings. This translucence combined with the other features in their infancy is why the system is often cited as a precursor to augmented reality technology as well.
in 1961. Their system used a head mounted display to monitor conditions in another room, using magnetic tracking to monitor the user’s head movements. The Philco HMD displayed actual video from a remotely mounted camera. The position of the camera was moved according to the tracked head movements, creating a sense of telepresence
.
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
and augmented reality (AR)
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
head-mounted display (HMD)
Head-mounted display
A head-mounted display or helmet mounted display, both abbreviated HMD, is a display device, worn on the head or as part of a helmet, that has a small display optic in front of one or each eye .- Overview :...
system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
. It was created in 1968 by hall of fame computer scientist Ivan Sutherland
Ivan Sutherland
Ivan Edward Sutherland is an American computer scientist and Internet pioneer. He received the Turing Award from the Association for Computing Machinery in 1988 for the invention of Sketchpad, an early predecessor to the sort of graphical user interface that has become ubiquitous in personal...
with the help of his student Bob Sproull
Bob Sproull
Dr Robert F. Sproull is an American computer scientist, who works for Oracle Corporation where he is director of Oracle Labs in Burlington, Massachusetts .- Biography :...
. Before he began working toward what he termed "the ultimate display", Ivan Sutherland was already well respected for his accomplishments in computer graphics (see Sketchpad
Sketchpad
Sketchpad was a revolutionary computer program written by Ivan Sutherland in 1963 in the course of his PhD thesis, for which he received the Turing Award in 1988. It helped change the way people interact with computers...
). At MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory
Lincoln Laboratory
MIT Lincoln Laboratory, located in Lexington, Massachusetts, is a United States Department of Defense research and development center chartered to apply advanced technology to problems of national security. Research and development activities focus on long-term technology development as well as...
beginning in 1966, Sutherland and his colleagues performed what is widely believed to be the first experiments with head-mounted displays of different kinds.
Features
The device was primitive both in terms of user interfaceUser interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
and realism
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
, and the graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
comprising the virtual environment were simple wireframe rooms. Sutherland’s system displayed output from a computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
in the binocular
Binocular vision
Binocular vision is vision in which both eyes are used together. The word binocular comes from two Latin roots, bini for double, and oculus for eye. Having two eyes confers at least four advantages over having one. First, it gives a creature a spare eye in case one is damaged. Second, it gives a...
display. The perspective
Perspective (graphical)
Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface , of an image as it is seen by the eye...
that the software showed the user would depend on the position of the user’s gaze
Gaze
Gaze is a psychoanalytical term brought into popular usage by Jacques Lacan to describe the anxious state that comes with the awareness that one can be viewed. The psychological effect, Lacan argues, is that the subject loses some sense of autonomy upon realizing that he or she is a visible object...
—which is why head tracking was necessary. The weight of Sutherland’s HMD, and the need to track the head movements necessitated the HMD being attached to a mechanical arm suspended from the ceiling of the lab. The formidable appearance of the mechanism inspired its name. While using The Sword of Damocles, a user had to have his or her head securely fastened into the device to perform the experiments. At this time, the various components being tested were not fully integrated with one another.
Development
When Sutherland moved to the University of Utah in the late 1960s, work on integrating the various components into a single HMD system was begun. By the end of the decade, the first fully functional integrated HMD system was operational. The first display application was a cube suspended in the air in front of the user. The system itself consisted of six subsystems: a clipping divider, matrix multiplier, vector generator, headset, head position sensor, and a general-purpose computerComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
—which would make these the components of the first virtual reality machine as we know them today. The unit was partially see-through, so the users were not completely cut off from their surroundings. This translucence combined with the other features in their infancy is why the system is often cited as a precursor to augmented reality technology as well.
Philco HMD
Kalawsky contends that the first HMD fieldwork was conducted by PhilcoPhilco
Philco, the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company , was a pioneer in early battery, radio, and television production as well as former employer of Philo Farnsworth, inventor of cathode ray tube television...
in 1961. Their system used a head mounted display to monitor conditions in another room, using magnetic tracking to monitor the user’s head movements. The Philco HMD displayed actual video from a remotely mounted camera. The position of the camera was moved according to the tracked head movements, creating a sense of telepresence
Telepresence
Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via telerobotics, at a place other than their true location....
.
External links
- Dr. Ivan Sutherland's bio at Sun Microsystems
- VR Lecture Materials by Professor Wayne E. Carlson, Ohio State