| Purpose | Industrial, military and scientific applications |
| Developed | Early 20th century |
| Controversial issues | Privacy • Ethics • Control |
| Technology evolution | Continual innovations and applications in alternate history |
| Alternate applications | Media • Communication • Entertainment |
| Home use popularization | Decades later with advanced haptic interfaces and affordable displays |
| Ubiquitous media and communication | Popularized video phones and videoconferencing |
