Now it seems that, in addition to roads, education
and all the other advantages listed in "Monty Python's Life of
Brian", the Ancient Romans gave us another modern boon -
Virtual Reality!
Famed for their passion for theatre, the
Romans depicted stage-sets in extravagant wall paintings that
decorated their homes. These complex works of ancient art suggest
3-D architectural structures on 2-D surfaces, and are the Roman
version of virtual reality.
Researchers at the University
of Warwick are transforming ancient Pompeiian wall paintings into
the 21st century version of virtual reality, using 3-D digital
models to interpret early Roman versions of perspective painting
and allow viewers to tread the boards of long-lost Roman
theatres.