By Mark Pesce
Cyberspace, one of my friends writes, is where no one can hear you type. And that's the trouble – it's lonely out (in?) there.
There is another way – rather than injecting yourself into the synthetic world, why not place it around you, like wallpaper, and create a space that's more than just between your ears. It's possible, finally, thanks to the US military (who funded development) and the very clever folks at VRex. Their VR-1000 allows you to display cyberspace anywhere you can cast an overhead projection. The VR-1000 projects a full-color, full-motion 3-D image, an illusion so compelling it must be seen to be believed. Like all 3-D systems, special viewing glasses are required; unlike others, these are cheap "passive" glasses (no flicker shutters to cause headaches), so an entire room full of people can cruise around cyberspace together, for the price of a single headmounted display.
VR-1000 is intended to be a complete 3-D display system, and it can accommodate a live video image as easily as computer-generated data. The display can play back from a stereo video source; this could prove invaluable to surveyors, or architects, or anyone who needs to get a feel for the shape of the landscape, real or simulated.
VR-1000 3-D Stereoscopic Projection Panel: US$8,995. VRex Inc.: +1 (914) 345 8877.
STREET CRED
VR Means Voice RecognitionJust Zap It!
Sharing Cyberspace
