The Next Frontier for Virtual Reality: Courtrooms

Twenty-five years ago, a California jury took a brave leap into the future by donning headsets to watch a virtual reality-like accident reconstruction scene.

The three-dimensional defense presentation lacked interactivity, a current hallmark of virtual reality. But, even so, the presentation helped persuade the jury that a motorcyclist had chosen to ride on dangerous terrain, and that Honda Motor Co. was not responsible for the accident.

Since then, the technology has become accepted in a broad array of industries, including gaming (Pokemon Go), architecture, property sales, and medicine.

Virtual reality has been nonexistent in U.S. courtrooms, however, burdened by logistical ...