the growing market for virtual reality

Virtual Reality is already a huge commercial sector with uses in entertainment, information processing, design, medicine, automation, commerce, navigation, military, real estate, travel, dating, sports and instruction. Multiple factors will probably speed up growth in elementary VR applied science and expand its application to these and other industries. Gradual and ground-breaking (e.g. nanocomputing, holotechnology computing, living and quantum computing) progress in computing will improve the quality and decrease the price of Virtual Reality systems available commercially and the general public. Breakthroughs in computer-assisted sight and computer-brain connections will probably lead to advanced image projection systems absent shutter glasses and accompanying nausea. Progress in the area of telerobotics will increase the need for top-quality VR-based interfaces for human users. Link to SIGGRAPH provides further information about VR.

Virtual reality is also a strong tool for three-dimensional design. Design is central to applied science, new product development and prototyping, architecture and construction, biotechnology and nanopharmacology, biochemistry and modeling molecules, medicine and bionics, the apparel sector, the fine arts, and also other areas. With virtual reality and an advanced kinesthetic interface, people can use Virtual Reality: to handle three-dimensional simulated molecules or living structures; to design computer chips; to sculpt "virtual clay" into forms for entertainment or functional purposes; and for many other design uses. When developmental product models are both designed and tested virtually, then the entire product formation cycle is accelerated. Link to Virtual Tours Vancouver, Washington provides more information.

The site on Virtual Trade provides more perspective.