VPL Research was one of the first companies that developed and sold

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

products. It was founded by computer scientist

Jaron Lanier Jaron Zepel Lanier (, born May 3, 1960) is an American computer scientist, visual artist, computer philosophy writer, technologist, futurist, and composer of contemporary classical music. Considered a founder of the field of virtual reality, La ...

in 1984. "VPL" stood for "Virtual Programming Languages". In 1990, VPL Research filed for bankruptcy and in 1999 all of its patents were bought by

Sun Microsystems Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, the ...

Products

The DataGlove

This device originally started as an input system for computers. It was later used for virtual reality systems. Thomas Zimmerman invented the prototype of the DataGlove and began looking for other people to help work on it. The device used 6502 microcontrollers. Zimmerman met

Mitch Altman Mitch Altman (born December 22, 1956) is a Berlin-based hacker and inventor, best known for inventing TV-B-Gone, as featured speaker at hacker conferences, as international expert on the hackerspace movement, and for teaching introductory electr ...

and asked him to join VPL part-time because Altman knew how to program the microcontrollers. The system was wired to a computer. It was interactive and contained fiber-optic bundles to track movements and orientation. That data would then be transmitted to the computer so that the information could be duplicated virtually. It allowed for people to manipulate and re-orient virtual objects. Applications for this wearable device centered on input computer control, gaming, and also the potential for remote surgery.

The EyePhone

This was a head mounted display (HMD) that was meant to immerse users into a computer simulation. It could track head movements. The headset used Fresnel lenses.

The DataSuit

The DataSuit was a full-body outfit with sensors for measuring the movement of arms, legs, and trunk.

Team members

;R&D team *

* Thomas Zimmerman * Chuck Blanchard * Steve Bryson * Young Harvill – In his spare time, Harvill created a program called Swivel 3D which was used for creating computer art. It gave the users the ability to generate virtual worlds on a Macintosh computer. He licensed that software to VPL. Shortly after, Harvill joined VPL as their fourth employee in 1985. During his time there, he worked on a project called "Reality Built for Two (RB2)" which was the first VR system at that time. He also helped with the Data Glove as well. * Jeff Wright – Worked with Lanier and Blanchard on the Embrace visual programing language from 1988 to 1991. In his Dec. 1989 Computer Graphics World article "Altered States: a software developer's vision of the future of virtual reality" he asked, "What would it mean for people to be able to choose and create their own reality?" speculating that it would "... make people aware of the fact that they already do that, whether or not they realize it, in the natural construction of ordinary reality." * David Levitt * Marc deGroot * Mark Oberman ;Management *

* Jean-Jacques Grimaud - Co-founder, President, VP of Engineering ;Associated people *

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

– When Leary got out of jail, he was interested in finding legal ways to explore consciousness which led him to working with individuals at VPL.

In popular culture

*The Data Suit and EyePhone were featured in the 1992 science fiction film ''

The Lawnmower Man "The Lawnmower Man" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the May 1975 issue of ''Cavalier'' and later included in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot summary Harold Parkette is in need of a new lawn mowing service. Th ...

''. *Based on VPL's $10,000 Data Glove,

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

rushed its $90

Power Glove The Power Glove is a controller accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Power Glove gained public attention due to its early virtual reality mechanics and significant marketing. However, its two games did not sell well, as it was ...

to market, becoming "one of the hottest gift items of the 1989 holiday season" and selling 1.3 million worldwide, but disappointed buyers with its lack of functionality in video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

References

{{Mixed reality Virtual reality pioneers Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area Technology companies established in 1984 1984 establishments in California