Disruptive Technologies in Computer Graphics: Past, Present, and Future

The history and famous landmarks of computer graphics hardware are well known. Starting with Ivan Sutherland’s Sketchpad system in the early 1960’s, the first generation of computer graphics hardware consisted of calligraphic (vector) displays capable of drawing complex three-dimensional wireframe models at interactive rates. In the early 1970’s expensive color frame buffers with the capability for displaying static color images were introduced. Although more and more intelligence was added to these frame buffers, Jim Clark’s geometry engine and the first graphics workstations were not introduced until the 1980k. During the 1970’s, only the very costly and specialized hardware used for military and aerospace simulations was capable of real-time surface color display.