defining virtual reality using psychological concepts

Virtual reality is an artificially-generated object, objects, or entire world inside which multiple people interact as if it were genuine. One can seek to make this definition more concrete by specifying the base-line technical features needed for one to computer interaction to be Virtual Reality (VR). One can specify field of vision, degree of resolution of the visual display, and the range of human hand, head, and body motion to which the computer reacts. However, these technical parameters will shift with additional improvements in computer power and new equipment for interaction between humans and computers. For these reasons, a psychological definition based on requisite involvement of human cognition gives a more stable definition of virtual reality. CMU SCS OZ Project also has further VR information.

Human beings connect with computing systems in a multitude of ways. For example, just watching a screen and typing is an interaction, but absent the enveloping, engaging, and high-performance characteristics described above, these connections fail to meet the standards for virtual reality. The site on Virtual Tours Cincinnati, Ohio deals with these concepts as well.

For related material, please see Virtual Dating .