Realizing Virtual Reality

A person wearing a VR device/headset will be able to view the virtual environment, move around wearing it, and interact with items within that virtual environment. Most Virtual Realities are created using a head-mounted helmet or a set of goggles, which are given the generic name: head-mounted display (HMD). HMD is usually connected to a computer or a smartphone, which does all the 3D rendering work, and HMD is just used to display that rendered 3D content. HMD completely covers user's view, by covering both eyes. As a result, the user is completely cut off from the outside world and completely focused on the virtual or digital world.

HMDs basically consists of stereoscopic displays and motion tracking hardware. The way HMDs implement stereoscopic displays is by generating different image for each eye, which results in generating the illusion of depth. Within HMDs, motion tracking hardware mostly consists of a gyroscope and accelerometer to measure motion/position changes. This helps in simulating real-world experiences.