Virtual and Augmented reality
“Technology like art is a soaring exercise of the human imagination.”
Embarking on a discourse about the technology-driven world. As it is rightly said, ‘It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.’ One can’t mask the fact that technology has surpassed every possible human expectation. Have you ever thought how the world looked like a decade ago? The more one tries to walk at the same pace as the tech-led world is the more one finds itself in a place where numerous ways open up to new information.
The term virtual reality comes into the picture when we fixate on real-time experience by dint of technology. “The technology you use impresses no one. The experience you create with it is everything.” VR is definitely a whole new experience in itself. The early attempts of virtual reality started from the panoramic paintings in the nineteenth century but despite this development in virtual reality, there still wasn’t an all-encompassing term to describe the field. This all changed in 1987 when Jaron Lanier, founder of the visual programming lab (VPL), coined the term “virtual reality”.
What comes to your mind first when you hear the term virtual reality? Does it sound like a completely different world experience?
When we think of this term the first thing that comes into our minds is hypothetical scenarios or science fiction films but the reality is different, this technology completely blends us with our daily lives. Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel they are immersed in their surroundings. A person using virtual reality equipment is able to look around the artificial world, move around in it, and interact with virtual features or items. This environment is perceived through a device known as a Virtual Reality headset or helmet. There are many forms and methods like simulation-based, avatar image-based, projector-based, Desktop-based. Virtual reality is most commonly used in entertainment applications such as video games, 3D cinema, and social virtual worlds. Taking about the growth of VR, in early 2017, a decline was starting for the public interest in Virtual Reality due to the low accessibility for general consumers. With the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, VR is experiencing an enormous rise. According to Grand View Research, the global VR market will grow to 62.1 billion dollars in 2027. Over the past 5 years, the popularity of Virtual reality technologies has been on a steady increase and is striving as new technology.
Other distinct types of VR-style technology include augmented reality and mixed reality is sometimes referred to as extended reality or XR. Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are both considered immersive technologies, but they aren’t the same. Mixed reality is an extension of augmented reality that allows real and virtual elements to interact in an environment.
Many believe that Augmented Reality is a technology of the 2000s. Yet, this is years off from the truth. Although, the term “Augmented Reality” was first coined in 1990 by Boeing researcher, Tom Caudell.
What exactly is AR and how is it different from VR? Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory, and olfactory. AR can be defined as a system that incorporates three basic features: a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects. AR technology is categorized into two types, each having its own benefits and limitations — marker-based AR and markerless AR. The major applications of augmented reality are in archaeology, architecture, urban design and planning, stem education, industrial manufacturing, etc. AR’s rapid growth invited substantial investments from venture capitalists as well as leading technology companies.
Drawing the attention towards the current scenario and the term on which everyone is talking about — METAVERSE.
The metaverse is a shared virtual space that users will be able to access via the internet. Again, this is something that VR headsets obviously already allow you to do. In comparison to VR which is now used for education, therapy, and sports. But it is still arguably best known as a type of entertainment. The metaverse, at least in terms of scale, sounds a lot more like a new and improved version of the internet. Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has popularized the term ‘metaverse’. Have you seen the video where Mark Zuckerberg explained about how it would be like if one is trapped in the metaverse? In Zuckerberg’s definition, the metaverse is basically a virtual world where people can interact, hold meetings, buy property and do even more.
From this, we can clearly make out why these technologies are important, it can be used to make simulations where training can be safe and free of consequences. It can also help enterprises develop their employees’ soft skills and expertise. These technologies are ideal for developing soft skills and practice-based learning.
