Virtual reality and what its future?

Virtual reality is a technology that allows a user to interact in a simulated environment. This could be a real environment such as flying a plane or an imagined one such as a fantasy role.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality

Usability within these environments can vary from natural environment to anything the designer sees fit. For example when pilots use simulators they are presented with standard technology that would be identical to the real aircraft, if this were to differ this would not make it a reliable simulation environment.

I found a variety of information on the Internet relating the usability of virtual reality systems but they tend to ask for payment to read the publication. Such as: http://www.resna.org/ProfResources/Publications/ATJournal/Volume19/Volume19.1/VRDriving.php?quiz=quiz

What i find interesting about virtual reality is what could be done, the film the 'Matrix' depicts a world where everyone is strapped into a virtual reality, with the twist they believe its real and the users can feel pain, download information to their brain and break rules. Obviously the matrix is only a science fiction but science fiction can quite often shape the future.
The website - http://www.technovelgy.com/ looks at how science fiction has become reality.

The idea of 'plugging' out bodies into a computer to allow interaction with computers does sound very interesting but how viable actually is this? If it were possible could this be the ultimate Human computer interaction think pick up the apple and the application to accessibility could be extremely powerful.
An interview carried out with Dr Michio Kaku (http://www.mkaku.org/) professor of theoretical physics discusses the possible technologies used in the matrix and looks at where we are an how long it may take us to get there.

http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/features/43489/The_Matrix_vs_Reality.html
Interestingly when discussing virtual reality and the possibility of reaching something like the matrix Dr Kaku, M introduces how complex the human anatomy is and the possibilities of interfacing with it.

"There are huge problems. It's extremely difficult to hook a computer into the brain. The wiring of the spinal cord is basically unknown. At best, on cats, we've been able to hook into their optic nerves, to see what a cat can see. And in blind people, we can stimulate a handful of pixels in their brain, but that's about it. The brain is still a black box. At best, scientists have, in stroke victims who are paralyzed, placed an electrode in their brain and connected it to a laptop so the paralyzed can move the cursor on the screen by sheer thought."

Kaku, M 2003

There are some very interesting prospects from the use of virtual reality especially if we extend this usage to incorporate using our own anatomy.

What do others think about the prospect of interacting with a n environment, 'matrix' style?

Gavin