Virtual reality describes a human-computer interaction that is more than just a multimedia interactive [Page 613]display as the user experiences a sense of presence or immersion in the virtual environment. To illustrate the importance of a sense of presence, imagine seeing a photograph of the Grand Canyon or even a videotape of it. One can get a sense of it but wouldn't feel present at the Grand Canyon. With virtual reality, one feels present in the virtual environment.

The setup for most virtual reality uses includes a computer to run the program and some viewing system. We use desktop computers now that the computing power is so great. Although some virtual reality systems use a series of large screens ...