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No one would claim that there is an abundance of opportunities in virtual
reality. The jobs advertised each year could be counted on the fingers of
one hand. There is, however, a small, young industry in Britain devoted
to producing and distributing VR products and employing about 700 people.
And it is an industry that appears to have enormous potential for growth;
both the sophistication and applications of this technology are bound to
increase in the future.

What is VR? Researchers describe it as an enabling technology which
allows users to participate directly in three-dimensional environments generated
by computers (‘Did reality move for you?’, ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ, 23 May 1992).
Applications are as diverse as design, animation, medicine, the oil industry,
teaching and games. The best-known application is the simulated cockpit
for training pilots.

According to Virtual Reality Market Place, a directory published by
Meckler of London, there are 134 organisations worldwide involved in VR.
Some are working on products while others are providing consultancy, publishing
or organising conferences and exhibitions relating to VR. The directory
lists 11 organisations in Britain. The US, with 114, is the leader in this
fast-developing technology, but there are also organisations in Germany,
France, Sweden, Canada, Japan and Australia. Most have been established
for less than five years.

The academic community interested in VR is also small but growing. Edinburgh,
Glasgow Caledonian, Hull, Middlesex, Nottingham and Salford Universities,
and Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, all have groups
researching VR. There are few courses available, but several universities
are putting together modules for inclusion in their courses. Meckler says
it will soon be publishing a directory of current VR research and development
projects, which will be useful to anyone wishing to undertake postgraduate
research in this field. So if you think that VR might be the career for
you, start here and plan for the future.

Workers in VR span a vast range of subjects from those with computer
expertise to psychologists, ergonomists, engineers and teachers. Bob Stone,
team leader of the UK Advanced Robotics Research Centre at Salford, says:
‘I started with a first degree in psychology and then a masters in ergonomics.
Those involved in VR come from a range of backgrounds including computer-aided
design and computer graphics. My prime requirement is for electronics
engineers and software specialists, particularly those competent in languages
such as C or C++.’

Object programming languages, such as C++, allow users to define objects
in software terms through a few lines of computer programming. Subsequently
these objects can be given characteristics such as ‘gravity’ or ‘colour’,
be manipulated, or send and receive messages.

A good career step for anyone wishing to get into VR might be to start
in a programming field where they can develop an understanding of these
technologies, and then move into a role which includes developing VR products.
W Industries, which is a market leader in VR games, advertised last November
for ‘software engineers experienced in C with experience in writing games’
and engineers with ‘a solid understanding of 3D graphics principles’.

VR is also about perception, which is where psychologists and ergonomists
come in. They are concerned with optimising situations in which people work
to make them less stressful and more efficient. VR technology needs their
assistance in setting up the best way of working in this novel environment.
In addition to the computer, they need to think about numerous peripheral
devices including goggles, handgear, special clothing and 3-D viewers.

‘There is absolutely no doubt that VR is a growing field,’ says Ian
Andrew of Dimension International, which devised the virtual reality for
Cyberzone, the VR game show on BBC₂. In this, two teams each
move a model human shape around a series of rooms, corridors and spaces
by running on some pads. ‘We employ programmers and designers who use virtual
reality tools,’ says Andrew. ‘Our designers come from a background in computer
– assisted design, presentation graphics or computer games. VR can be used
for animation in films, as a sales aid in interior design and for data visualisation.

Many more applications are emerging. ‘We employ programmers working
in C to write applications which allow the scientific visualisation of fluid
flow in natural oil deposits,’ says Seamus Morley, sales manager of Division.
Such tools are used by scientists and engineers, and some knowledge of physics
or engineering is an asset.

Other applications include training personnel for the oil industry by
allowing them to experience what it is like on an oil platform through a
VR experience. The techniques are being used in medicine, allowing surgeons
to simulate operations. In education, deaf children are being taught sign
language and students are using VR to help them to learn to speak French.

Those wishing to learn more should visit the Virtual Reality Conference
and Exhibition which is to be held at the Olympia Conference Centre, London,
on 6-7 April.

Neil Harris is deputy director of the University of London Careers Advisory
Service and head of the Careers Service at University College London.