Human imaginations are always awesome. Starting from the invention of the Computer in 1822 to 21st century, life is becoming easier, faster and technological. Various inventions proved to be revolutionary. For instance, Uttama Lahiri and her team at the Indian Institute of Technology in Gandhinagar, and their collaborators at AIIMS in New Delhi and AMRI in Kolkata, have now developed virtual reality (VR) based exercises for such patients, and have been able to show that these have the potential to offer a motivational exercise environment, thereby, bringing in effective rehabilitation. Artificial hand for physically handicapped ones is a recent invention works as per the commands of person’s mind by codifying the thoughts of that person! How far we’ve come! It looks like a wonder. In all those wonders, Virtual reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed reality are some sensational innovations. Let’s dive into their details and explore what, why and how of all three of them head on head.
Virtual reality is one of the modern technologies which was introduced a few decades back and has taken an important place in the field of technology in a very short time.
Image Source: Pixabay
It makes use of an artificial environment generated by the computer in which simulates the real environment. Besides gaining an immediate acceptance in the world of computer games, it is now being used in many fields of life including architecture, medicine, military and aviation. Scientists and researchers are expecting to explore a lot in this modern technology than what we know about it today. It is a great leap in the field of 3D and a lot of work is still under progress. The discussion below is an insight into the details of this technology, its uses, advantages, disadvantages and social impacts.
There are three main types of virtual reality technology:
We all know that necessity is the mother of invention. That’s why for overcoming all these cons of Virtual reality, techno experts have introduced an update called Augmented Reality.
Augmented reality is a technology enriching the real world with digital information and media. It adds graphics, sound, feedback, and smell to the natural world as it exists. It blurs the line between what’s real and what’s computer-generated by enhancing what we see, hear, and feel. It may be called as an add-on pack to the VR i.e. Virtual reality. In simple words, Virtual objects overlaid on real environment in augmented reality.
Image Source: Google
It is the integration of digital information with the user’s environment in real time. Unlike virtual reality, which creates a totally artificial environment, augmented reality uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it. Mankind never satisfies. And the concept of augmented reality itself begins with dissatisfaction with the way the world appears before us. It creates a world which is special to each one of us as if the God has listened to our wishes. SketchAR, Mondly, Pokemon Go , AutoCAD for android, Asian paints colour selection app and Snapchat are the few AR based applications which are very popular and widely used in general.
Augmented reality is basically divided into four different categories as follows:
Despite of having these advantages, augmented reality also have some cons mentioned below:
Well, there is a solution for every problem available in the world. And to these cons of augmented reality, that is MR.
MR stands for Mixed Reality. Term ‘Mixed’ gives us a hint that there is something in it which is combined. Let’s explore MR further.
Mixed reality is the combination of what is best in VR and AR respectively. It’s a blend of best features of Virtual reality and augmented reality. Mixed reality indicates videos where VR-content is integrated into a real time linear video. Mixed reality (MR) not just overlays but anchors virtual objects to real world objects and allows the user to interact with combined virtual/real objects.
Image Source – Microsoft
Simply, mixed reality is a type of hybrid system that involves both physical and virtual elements. Many experts describe mixed reality as the sliding scale between a fully physical environment with no virtual elements, and a completely virtual environment. For instance, while it uses a headset just like VR, seeing through a translucent viewport or glass, it also projects visuals on top of our environment.
Microsoft CEO sees mixed reality as the key technology that would shape the future in the decades to come.
We have gone through the basics of VR, AR and MR and their benefits as well as their limitations. It is said that newer and updated technology makes some difference in the existing one. So, on that note we should have some comparative study of these three as well.
In the augmented reality v/s virtual reality issue, panoramic videos are really important as they should attract viewers’ attention from the very beginning. More exciting and believable content will be watched more.
In case of virtual reality, your screen becomes your world whereas in case of augmented reality, your real world becomes your screen.
VR is 75% to 80% imaginary but AR incorporates the same percents of real world instead.
VR is exclusively used for entertainment industry and education industry. AR is useful in real world problems such as construction, automobiles and navigation.
VR transports the wearer to another environment. In case of AR, wearer remains engaged in real world and keeps hands free.
According to Digi-Capital report, VR is expected to be 30 billion USD business in 2020 whereas AR is expected to be 120 billion USD business in 2020.
CCS Insight expects that slightly less than 8 million AR and VR devices was sold in 2018, growing to 14 million in 2019 and to 52 million in 2022.
In general, both mixed reality and augmented reality involve placing virtual objects in a “real” visual field. However, in some cases, people use the term “augmented reality” to specifically describe a virtual overlay, such as a digital overlay on a car windshield, while using the term “mixed reality” to describe specific situations where virtual objects are instead integrated into a physical view individually and fixed in that view.
In addition, many other mixed reality projects experiment with adding virtual phenomena to the physical world. For example, some mixed reality projects involve adding digital avatars or holograms, or other virtual images and displays to a physical installation to innovate human experience. Other types of mixed reality projects include building devices and technologies that simulate physical human senses that are more difficult to simulate, such as taste, touch and smell.
Virtual reality is completely imaginary but mixed reality is around 70-80% real and 20-30% imaginary.
In case of virtual reality, user just has to set back and watch whatever comes on the VR device, but MR totally involves the user in itself. MR is much more interactive than that of VR.
Virtual reality has a limited usage in the sectors like training, medical etc. VR is perfectly suitable for entertainment industries. Whereas, MR is having multiple applications ranging from entertainment to skill development and health sectors.
As you can see, VR vs AR vs MR technologies are quite complex and different from each other. These technologies will allow brands and advertisers to attract the attention of consumers. Thanks to immersion in virtual worlds, users can experience incredibly strong emotions. If you know how to give these emotions to your audience, you can increase the recognition of your brand.
Let’s compare these three side by side in tabled form:
As you can see, VR v/s AR v/s MR technologies are quite complex and different from each other but they quickly gain the market and attract the attention of businessmen. These technologies will allow brands and advertisers to attract the attention of consumers. Thanks to immersion in virtual worlds, users can experience incredibly strong emotions. If you know how to give these emotions to your audience, you can increase the recognition of your brand.
Trying to implement these technologies to your business, you should pay much attention to the software. If you want to get high-quality tools and apps, first of all, you need to find an experienced and qualified team of developers.