Thomas A. Furness III is an American inventor, professor, and virtual reality pioneer based in Seattle, Washington.

[1][2] Known for his contributions in developing human interface technology, he has earned the title, "Grandfather of Virtual Reality.

In addition to being a professor at the University of Washington, he is also the general manager and owner of the RATLab (Rocking and Thinking Laboratory), an engineering research and development company.

He spent much of his childhood disassembling and building electronics in a lab he built in the basement of his parents’ home.

Furness arrived at the University of Washington in the fall of 1989 and founded the Human Interface Technology Lab (HITLab).