From: pathak@mbunix.mitre.org (Pathak)
Subject: Re: Consumer Markets for VR
Date: 13 Dec 90 13:46:29 GMT
Organization: The MITRE Corp., Bedford, MA



In article <12868@milton.u.washington.edu> rick@pangea.Stanford.EDU (Rick Ottoli
ni) writes:
>
>Interactive informations seem to be a dud in the United States.
>Several years ago there were these information service kiosks all
>over the San Francisco area, but they have mostly disappeared.
>The user interface left much to be desired-- slow, and deep menu
>hierachies.  I'm skeptical about the commericial potential of VR
>in information services.


As you said, the user interface left much to be desired.  One of the problem
with much of the computer industry is that many "techies" don't consider
the need of the "non-techies" when they design there products.  The 
prevailing attitude is:  They will use the product because it is a great
product.  In the real world, many people feel uncomfortable with high tech
equipment or even worse are actually afraid of it.

For commercial VR to work, it has to have a very natural interface (sorry
no datagloves and 3D goggles), relatively cheap ($2000 tops), 
and fill a clear cut need.

Someone will have to design a Lotus 123 of VRs, a product that people just
have to have.  In the early days of the PC, business managers would say
that they want a Lotus 123 for there office.  They didn't care about the
equipment it ran on, they wanted the software because it filled a very vital
need.

An interesting model for commericial VR can be found in Ray Bradberry's 
"Varanda??".  The story is a bit gruesome, but the VR set is basically a room
that changes at you set different scenes.  The kids (it was basically a 
playpen) could interact with the objects just as they would interact with
real world objects.  That is what VR should be.

Heeren Pathak
pathak@mitre.org
Disclaimer:  The views expressed are my own and in no way reflect those
of my employer.