自90年代初以来，虚拟现实一直是一个流行词, but despite becoming an important tool in niche simulation industries, it never quite turned into the mainstream entertainment sensation that many had hoped. Twenty years later this technology is picking up momentum again thanks to devices like the 眼睛的裂痕 – a Kickstarter-funded virtual reality headset that is offering developers the kind of immersion the medium always promised at an attractive price point.

在那些称赞该设备的人中，有 Rob Catto，项目总监 游戏的研究. Rob joined 满帆 in the early 1990s to teach the first course on virtual reality technology, 他是眼睛的裂痕项目的早期支持者. 看了耳机的规格说明后, 尤其是分辨率和与游戏引擎的整合 不真实的 和 团结，他开始思考不同的应用可能性.

“I love virtual reality 和 when I heard about the helmet I realized that it would help me do some of the things that I had always wanted to do,他说. “Hang gliding was actually one of the things I always wanted to simulate when we first had a VR class here at 满帆, 我将其扩展为 动力飞行伞这是我的另一个爱好. Once I got that idea I immediately started working on a prototype 和 drawing together a plan on how to actually do this.”

游戏研究项目总监Rob Catto(左)

Powered paragliding is like a cross between parachuting 和 flying – where you’re secured in a harness with a propeller on your back, 用布做的翅膀悬在空中, 类似于降落伞. The engine propels you forward while the wing keeps you aloft; a series of h和 controls govern your throttle 和 steering. 这是一种难以想象的复杂设置, but Rob took off to his garage 和 broke down the paragliding experience into its core components. 他最终用一个旧引体向上酒吧做了一个金属框架, 给它系上安全带, 然后开发模拟飞行控制和仿真软件.

“Actually putting somebody in a suspended harness was the first step in making it viable, then I tried to build on the immersion by involving as many senses as possible,他说. “I started looking into what I could use to make the brake h和les 和 throttle work the way they should, 然后我加了一个风扇来模拟气流, a bass speaker on the back to recreate the feeling of the propeller, 并得到正确的声音. From there it was a process of fine tuning the 飞行 dynamics until it all felt right.”

结果是 虚拟飞人这是一个不同于你可能见过的任何其他飞行模拟. 绑在机器上，调整好眼睛的裂痕后, the headset comes to life by surrounding your field of vision with a high definition 3D l和scape, 你从空中俯视着它.

It doesn’t take long to forget that you’re still firmly on the ground. Turn your head left 和 the smooth frame rate flows naturally as you look around at the cars 和 building 和 trees below. Jamming your thumb on the throttle increases the rumble of the engine 和 the air blowing in your face, 增加了速度感. 这是一次令人印象深刻的经历, one that even paragliding enthusiasts have said recreates the feel 和 thrill of a real 飞行.

罗布说:“我得到的回应让我感到羞愧. “看到人们体验飞行是一种不可思议的感觉, because it’s as close to the real thing as you can get without going in the air. So many people have had positive things to say about it, 和 are clamoring at me to get one. 下一款Oculus开发套件即将问世, 它只会更有沉浸感和吸引力.”

罗布带着虚拟飞行器参观了科学博物馆, 空气中显示, 技术中心, 和 is currently working on a second model that iterates on a vision he was able to realize thanks to this new technology. 游戏行业资深人士 约翰卡马克 和 迈克尔个 都受到了类似的启发, 加入眼睛的裂痕团队, while Sony is also working their own virtual reality headset for gaming – 项目睡眠.

罗布解释道, 这不仅对开发人员来说是一个激动人心的时刻, but also for those currently studying computer science 和 game programming. New technology means new career paths as virtual reality re搜索 和 implementation continues to grow across different fields. The affordability of these headsets also opens up the long-gestating possibilities of getting virtual reality into the h和s of average consumers.

“Simulation is becoming a bigger part of almost any industry,他说. “有城市模拟, 军事, 医疗, 飞行, 救灾, 然后是游戏和其他娱乐. 这是你看到的整个“全息甲板”场景的尖端 《十大菠菜台子》. The optics are going to get better – your field of view is going to be larger, 帧率和分辨率会更好.”

“真的没有什么比这更好的了, 和 you can see that reaction when someone first tries it – once people put the helmet on 和 look around a big smile comes across their face. 我只能想到虚拟现实的其他可能性.”