Beyond medicine

Virtual Environments (VE) are simulation systems in which the subject (user) is to a large extent immersed in the apparent environment of a simulated, multidimensional reality. VE is the term used by researchers to describe the form of computer-human interaction where the human is immersed in a world created by the machine, which is usually a computer system. The term is derived from the term virtual reality (VR). We use the term VE to emphasise the immersion of the subject in the virtual environment synthesised by the machine. Other terms in use for indicating this type of interface are cyberspace, telepresence, mirror world, artificial reality, augmented reality, wraparound compuvision, and synthetic environments. The article looks at the potentials and limitations of VEs, with a focus on applications in medicine.