First-generation Interactive Headsets - Text 4
Sutherland, however, introduced two essential innovations. Whereas Bradley’s system was still electro-magnetic, Sutherland’s was already computerized. And while Bradley’s images were natural, captured by a video camera, in Sutherland’s case they were synthetic, being generated by a computer. When magnified, these images took simple, geometric and transparent “wireframe” forms in a forty-degree field of view.
Next, Sutherland’s system made it possible to move one’s head, not only in accordance with the usual three degrees of freedom – the rotational movements of roll, pitch and yaw – as in Bradley’s system, but also in accordance with three supplementary degrees of freedom – the movements of transference: surge, heave and sway. This headset system followed the movements of the head but also to a certain extent those of the body. The user had a “field of motion” of six feet (180 cm) in diameter by three feet (90 cm) high. He or she could approach the visual form, look at it from every point of view, see every side of it – above, below, left and right – and also turn around and look in every direction. For that was Sutherland’s program: “Eventually we would like to allow the user to walk freely about the room.”[6]
