Augmented Reality

The human race has been trying to capture the emerging technologies for a very long time now. The 1950s saw the kids playing with famous peer-through toys and confined flight simulators made their debut in the 1960s, but the actual idea of AR-VR is dated back even further.

In late 1930, sci-fi writers, tinkerers and inventors dreamt of a world where they could make an easy escape from reality through machines and art. The writings of the yesteryears sci-fi writers are a part of the real-time world, all thanks to the breathtaking AR-VR developments. These emerging technological advancements have helped us create high-tech frontiers which act as a catalyst for acceleration and change for several industries. As mobile, Big-Data Analytics, social, cloud technology and IoT(Internet of Things) even-up information access and the computing power, AR, VR and MR(Mixed Reality) continue to strengthen B2B and B2C interactions in the enterprise world.

In the present day scenario, technology has come at par with fiction, and experts predict an unprecedented growth in the AR-VR and MR(Mixed Reality, the newest kid in the block) industry.

When AR-VR meet MR

First thing first, let’s simplify the nomenclature. Virtual Reality, on the whole, can be referred to as an umbrella term for several technologies which fall under a similar category, but are different from the real-time virtual reality experience. But how are AR-VR-MR different from each other? Here’s a little snippet about each one of them-

Virtual Reality

Out the whole group of emerging technologies, this one is the most popular one.

VR, casually referred to as computer-generated simulation of a 3-D image or ambiance which can be connected using a seemingly physical or real way.  

It’s deeply engaging, this is what tricks your senses to diverge into a whole new world. With the help of the Head-Mounted Displays(HMD) or VR headsets, you can experience a virtual world filled with imagination and sound-effects through which you can manipulate things and make movements using haptic controllers while being connected to a PC or console.

Augmented Reality

AR, is a technology which super-imposes digital information on the real-world elements, therefore providing us with a composite view. AR gives the center stage to the real-world but also enhances the complete experience by adding intricate digital details, adding new strata of perception, and enrich the environment or the real world. The AR trend is growing leaps and bounds in the past few years, tech giants
Google ,
Facebook , Microsoft, Apple Snapchat etc. have committed themselves to make tactical moves towards AR.

Mixed Reality

This hybrid form of reality is basically an amalgamation of real-world and digital elements. It’s a blend of AR-VR with IoT(internet of things), making environments in which physical objects and virtual gadgets interact-using next-gen imaging and sensing technologies. Mixed reality allows you to give the virtual gadget in the users’ hands and gauge their feedbacks. It gives you the ability to keep one foot(or hand) in the world of reality and the other in the imaginary world, offering us an experience which can the way we work and play today.

Converging the boundaries between the real and the virtual world, MR offers a blend of all, offering us a completely hi-tech reality experience.

• Human and Digital Communication

• Human and real-world interaction via conventional reality

• Computer and environment alliance using insight

Real-Life Uses Of Mixed reality technology

Mixed reality has affected several areas for good, few of them are-

Education

MR technologies have found some great uses in the education industry, they are used to enhance the abilities of the students to learn and grasp the information while providing them the opportunity to customize the way of learning. Wherever and whenever space becomes a constraint in learning and education, Mixed reality comes to rescue. With the use of 3D simulations and projections, learners can interact with and also manipulate virtual things to study them in a way which is relevant to them and their studies. This replication built learning is the perfect way for students who always keep exploring, but have a space constraint i.e everything cannot be created or brought to the four-walled classroom but can be made accessible via a MR device. For instance in universities(the ones which are using MR gadgets) around the world use Microsoft Hololens, the coolest and the most-used MR gadget, to teach anatomy as well as enable the teachers to teach and interact with their students despite being thousands of miles apart.

Aircraft Industry

MR technology has found a place in the aircraft industry curriculum where the training engineers can use it to repair engines easily. How? They don’t need to pull out the whole engine while undergoing training to rectify all its problems. With the help of special headsets they can easily view the complete holographic image of the aircraft’s engine and with several verbal and image features, it can be used to learn to get the in-depth knowledge of the engine.

Designers/Architects

Even before making the designs, designers can use MR tech to intermingle with the upcoming products. They can go through the digital prototype and understand the areas that are risky or the ones that may be difficult to create as well as identify all the missing links. This will help them to speed up the complete process of designing and developing the whole product.

Construction Industry

 

Mixed Reality technology can help the senior management in the construction industry to help figure out the specific problems in machinery, design etc. and convey it in real-time. The workers in-return, using their headsets, can look out for the technical diagrams and work on the solution for the same.

Team Communication

Teams spread across thousands of miles away can leverage MR technology by having simulated video meetings wherein they can see the complete 3D version of the product which is in making or is made, also they can enjoy features like language translation and lots more.

Medical Industry

Mixed Reality is a huge breakthrough for the medical industry, doctors can perform various activities using this tech be it be a simple check-up or a complex surgery or teaching the medical students using real-time patient cases.

Logistics & Supply Chain Management

Using this technology, connecting it to the smart glasses or the smartphones, the complete detail about the supply lots can be procured, all the issues can be resolved, and the solutions can be displayed to all.

Virtual Attendance

Virtual events are an in-vogue around the world. Remote or virtual attendance can now be marked in virtual hall or events during actual conferences or sessions being held. Visitors or participants can interact with vendors, speakers or participants spread across the globe during given times.

Holographic Wearables

Users can use this MR device to map imagery with real-objects via the sensors in the wearables which can map the physical world and present us with a holographic display.

The Future Awaits…

Mixed Reality is not just about hype. The newest kid the tech arena has been proving its mettle by presenting the world with the best of AR and VR. The handful of MR apps available in the market are really amazing and offer the users a one-of-its-kind experience. Invention and imagination know no limits and that’s what technologies like Mixed Reality prove. The possibilities are infinite and technologies like these will dominate the future.

So, staying updated and accepting the emerging technologies is the only way to make a difference.

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Tags: AR-VR, AR-VR-MR, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Virtual Reality