History of virtual reality and its use in medicine

Abstract

Virtual Reality can be defined as an advanced interface between man and machine, that simulates a realistic environment and allows participants to interact with such ambience. This Science has its origins in the military academies and in the entertainment industry, and experienced great impulse in the second half of twentieth century. Using techniques like stereoscopy, it is possible to use human senses and to emulate experiences with much fidelity. Models of Virtual Reality became more and more important for medicine. Today, we can find many applications in this field, such as preoperative planning, assistance, surgical training and teaching. For the study of neuroanatomy and neurosurgery in particular, the technology of Virtual Reality has shown great effectiveness and utility, despite of high costs and low quality of visual information. Virtual Reality is now definitively included in the context of medical education.