Virtual reality
VR is most commonly used in entertainment applications such as gaming and 3D cinema. Consumer virtual reality headsets were first released by video game companies in the early-mid 1990s. Beginning in the 2010s, next-generation commercial tethered headsets were released by Oculus (Rift), HTC (Vive) and Sony (PlayStation VR), setting off a new wave of application development. 3D cinema has been used for sporting events, pornography, fine art, music videos and short films. Since 2015, roller coasters and theme parks have incorporated virtual reality to match visual effects with haptic feedback .
Liquid Image
In 1997 the MRG6 monocular system, priced at $3495, was launched to focus on the wearable computing market. Development of personal wearable systems like those demonstrated by Dr. Steve Mann had demonstrated that practical systems could be developed. The MRG6 was one of the first commercially available wearable computing displays that has since taken over 16 years to finally move to the multiple examples of sunglass-sized devices including the Google Glass. The next monocle, the award-winning M1, was released in the fall of 1997.
By 1997 the demand for VR game systems had almost stopped and the company had not shifted sufficiently to sustainable revenue from sales of wearable computing devices. The original company was sold and was rebranded "TekGear" becoming mostly a reseller of other virtual reality and wearable computing technology. Both David Collette and Shannon O'Brien had left Liquid Image prior to the transition to "TekGear" while Tony Havelka continued to manage and grow TekGear.
A 1997 book, "Training's Future?: Perspectives on Virtual Reality and Related Emerging Technologies (Defense Research Series)" by Robert Siedel describes the system developed by the Royal Canadian Navy to train naval officers on how to be the officer on watch for ships at sea.