ABSTRACT
Although this handbook largely focuses on the current status and future vision of virtual environment (VE) technology, it would be unjust to develop such a work without providing acknowledgment to the pioneers whose vision and innovativeness laid the groundwork for the science, technology, and applications described here. This chapter provides a very brief historical overview of some of the key people and major milestones that led to the current state of the art and describes recent trends over the past decade that are likely to continue in the near future. In addition, readers of this handbook may be left wondering where they can gain more information about the VE profession. This chapter provides a number of such references, including websites, associated periodicals, major conferences and trade shows, major organizational players, and general and historical references.
