VPL Research: Difference between revisions

'''VPL Research''' ('''Virtual Programming Languages''') was one of the first companies that developed and sold [[virtual reality]] products. It was founded by [[computer scientist]] [[Jaron Lanier]] and inventor [[Thomas G. Zimmerman]] in 1984.<ref name="wikipedia">VPL Research - Wikipedia</ref> The company pioneered commercial VR hardware and software during the 1980s and was the first firm to design, build, and sell integrated VR systems.<ref name="latimes">The New, Improved Reality - Los Angeles Times</ref> VPL Research played a pivotal role in the early development of virtual reality, with Lanier often credited with coining or popularizing the term "virtual reality".<ref name="vrs">VPL Research Jaron Lanier - Virtual Reality Society</ref>

VPL Research was founded in 1984 in a corner of Jaron Lanier's cottage in [[Palo Alto]], a city in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]].<ref name="vrs"/> The company quickly moved to offices on Bair Island Road in [[Redwood City]], California.<ref name="latimes"/> The acronym "VPL" stood for "Virtual Programming Languages," emphasizing the company's philosophy of treating human motion as a programming language.<ref name="proto">A Hero Behind the VR Headset - proto.life</ref>

The company filed for [[bankruptcy]] in 1990 due to chronic cash-flow problems and the high cost of complete VR systems.<ref name="wikipedia"/> During Chapter 11 proceedings, VPL pledged more than 20 patents as collateral, which were sold at discount to French defense contractor [[Thomson-CSF]] in 1992.<ref name="wired1993">Jaron - Wired Magazine</ref> In February 1998, [[Sun Microsystems]] announced it had acquired the patent portfolio and other technical assets of the former VPL Research Inc. from Thomson CSF and Greenleaf Medical.<ref name="sun">Sun buys VPL research - jaronlanier.com</ref> Under the agreement, Sun acquired the worldwide rights to more than a dozen key patents related to networked computer interaction, datagloves, computer wearables, image rendering, and VR programming standards, which were integrated into Sun's Java 3D API.<ref name="sun"/>

| '''[[EyePhone]]''' || Head-mounted display (HMD) || • Color LCD displays (320×240 per eye)<ref name="vrcompare">VPL EyePhone: Full Specification - VRcompare</ref><br/>• 108° field of view<ref name="vrcompare"/><br/>• 30 Hz refresh rate (5-6 fps in practice)<ref name="wikipedia"/><br/>• Used Fresnel lenses<br/>• 3-DoF head tracking capability || $6,000 (headset only)<ref name="virtualrealityshop">The Complete History of VR - VPL Research Inc - EP-01</ref>

| '''[[DataSuit]]''' || Full-body tracking suit || • 30+ joint sensors for measuring movement<ref name="proto"/><br/>• Tracked arms, legs, and trunk in real time<ref name="wikipedia"/><br/>• Developed circa 1989<ref name="vrarwiki">VPL Research - VR & AR Wiki</ref><br/>• Tailored for male and female anthropometrics || N/A

The complete VPL system, including the computers required to run it (typically [[Silicon Graphics]] IRIS workstations), cost upwards of $250,000.<ref name="wikipedia"/><ref name="flashbak">Jaron Lanier's EyePhone: Head And Glove Virtual Reality In The 1980s - Flashbak</ref>

Body Electric was a [[visual programming language]] used to control and program all other VPL components as part of the whole VPL virtual reality experience.<ref name="vrs"/> It was created by [[Chuck Blanchard]].<ref name="vplsoftware">VPL Software Lives! - jaronlanier.com</ref> According to Jaron Lanier, it was "a rare example of a successful visual programming language that is seductive at first approach, but also scales and has been used for industrial strength applications."<ref name="vplsoftware"/> The software allowed designers to prototype interactive worlds rapidly using gesture-based programming.<ref name="acm1991">Virtual Reality on Five Dollars a Day - ACM SIGCHI</ref>

"Reality Built for Two" (RB2) was described as the first commercial multi-user VR system.<ref name="wikipedia"/> It was developed by Young Harvill along with Jaron Lanier and Chuck Blanchard.<ref name="ixdf">Author: Young Harvill | IxDF</ref> RB2 was marketed as a complete off-the-shelf VR system that linked Silicon Graphics IRIS renderers with Ethernet networking for shared virtual experiences.<ref name="streettech">VPL Research, Inc. - streettech.com</ref>

* '''[[Thomas G. Zimmerman]]''' - Co-founder and inventor of the DataGlove.<ref name="wikipedia"/> Co-authored the 1987 paper "A hand gesture interface device" presented at Graphics Interface 87.<ref name="researchgate">A hand gesture interface device - ResearchGate</ref>

* '''[[Ann Lasko-Harvill]]''' - Chief designer of data suits at VPL Research.<ref name="awexr">Ann Lasko-Harvill Chief Designer of Data Suits at VPL - awexr.com</ref> Led development of wearables, tailoring the DataSuit for both male and female anthropometrics.<ref name="awexr"/>

* '''[[Jean-Jacques Grimaud]]''' - Co-founder, President, and VP of Engineering.<ref name="grimaud">Jean-Jacques Grimaud LinkedIn Profile</ref> Engineer who worked on multiple VPL patents including motion sensors and position tracking systems.<ref name="patents">Patents Assigned to VPL Research Inc. - Justia Patents Search</ref>

* '''[[Timothy Leary]]''' - After his release from prison, worked with VPL as a consultant to explore consciousness through virtual reality.<ref name="leary">Timothy Leary VPL Research - Virtual Reality History</ref>

* '''Medical institutions''' - Used VPL technology for surgical rehearsal and medical visualization<ref name="computerlaw">The Law of Virtual Reality - Computerlaw Group</ref>

* Motion sensors for detecting hand and body movements<ref name="googlepatents">US5097252A - Motion sensor which produces an asymmetrical signal - Google Patents</ref>

VPL licensed the DataGlove technology to [[Mattel]], which used it to create the [[Power Glove]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]].<ref name="wikipedia"/> Based on VPL's $10,000 DataGlove, Mattel rushed its $90 Power Glove to market, becoming "one of the hottest gift items of the 1989 holiday season" and selling 1.3 million units worldwide.<ref name="wikipedia"/> The Power Glove introduced affordable motion input to millions of gamers, albeit with limited functionality.<ref name="powerglove">Power Glove - Wikipedia</ref>

The VPL DataGlove was brought to market in 1987, and in October of that year it appeared on the cover of [[Scientific American]].<ref name="britannica">VPL DataGlove | device | Britannica</ref> This mainstream scientific publication coverage helped legitimize VR as a serious technology rather than science fiction.

* '''Patent lineage''' - Sun's 1998 acquisition folded VPL IP into Java 3D, influencing successors such as OpenVR, WebVR, and modern VR standards<ref name="hpcwire">Sun Acquires VR & Networked 3D Graphics Patent - HPCwire</ref>

<ref name="patents">Patents Assigned to VPL Research Inc. Justia Patents Search. Retrieved from https://patents.justia.com/assignee/vpl-research-inc</ref>