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How did Myron Krueger's VIDEOPLACE system respond to a participant's movements?

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early head-mounted display device — virtual reality Early head-mounted display device developed by Ivan Sutherland at Harvard University, c. 1967.

Myron Krueger’s VIDEOPLACE system functioned by processing interactions between a participant’s digitized image and computer-generated graphical objects. Rather than requiring the user to perceive a pre-generated world, the system reversed this dynamic: it used cameras and projectors to perceive the user's actions in the real world and translated those movements into interactions within the virtual environment.12

The system analyzed and processed a user's physical motions and gestures, converting them into compositions of objects and space. This allowed for various preprogrammed modes of interaction, such as "finger painting" and "digital drawing," where the participant could manipulate virtual objects directly. By shifting the focus to responsiveness and the rapidity of the system's reaction to sensory input, VIDEOPLACE enabled the human body to serve as an interactive device, effectively blurring the boundary between the user and the computer.12