VR vs AR vs MR
Augmented Reality: With Snapchat and Instagram, we have all been exposed to augmented reality without necessarily realizing that those filters we hold so dear, is actually an augmented reality feature. Augmented reality references the blend of digital features to the real world altering the live world through a device. Just like in PoKemon Go.
Virtual Reality: Virtual reality is referencing a completely immersive experience. This is when the viewer or participant is surrounded by the digital work entering a virtual world. This software can place the participant virtually anywhere. – no pun intended
Mixed Reality: Mixed reality just as its name suggests, mixed. This branch of extended reality offers a blend of augmented reality and virtual reality creating digital aspects to the real-life world like projecting a holograph in the room or changing the room while maintaining aspects of the real world.
Virtual Reality-VR is not Only for Games and Entertainment
For most people outside of the world of technology, majority of the advertisements they’ve been exposed to for virtual reality are in reference to a virtual reality headset you can place your phone into and play a VR game, other more high tech VR Games, or the VR establishments that can be found at downtown Disney or other theme parks and tourist attractions. Most people have also heard of virtual reality in use for cinematic reasons giving the viewers an experience as if they are actually in the movie they are watching.
Journalist, Nonny de la Pena, Uses VR to Create Comprehensive Stories
In the spirit of viewers having an immersive experience of watching a movie, Journalists are also implementing virtual reality to create a place for their audience to experience their stories with audio and visuals to create a comprehensive understanding of what they would otherwise only be reading about. Nonny de la Peña, founder of the Emblematic Group is known for her immersive journalism. She has created an experience for participants to be “present” in Syria during a rocket blast and experience a refugee camp. Imagine the impact of the story if the audience could not only read about an event but experience it.
VR in the Heavy Industrial World
For those that are not in the heavy industrial world, the heavy industry usually incorporates high tech, expensive tools, and many diverse resources. The scale of some of these facilities is just incredible. Even without experience in heavy industries, anyone could imagine the impact of a small design flaw and the potential cost associated with fixing it. Well, that’s where VR comes into play. Kinemagic has a software, Stratus, that is designed to catch these issues by creating what they call a “digital twin” of a facility before production saving companies’ money and time.
Outside of the benefits of using this for production, these virtual “twins” of facilities provide a more cost effective way to train new employees allowing them to “visit” a facility without having the company accrue travel costs to send their new workers for onsite training. This also cuts down the training time for when they workers actually move to working onsite.
Artists Creating in Virtual Reality
Artists have been exploring the place of Virtual Reality in the art world. Painters have been exploring the concept of being able to create a three-dimensional piece, but with “paint” versus creating an actual sculpture. For the painters reading this, image the ability to actually walk through your brush strokes, seeing exactly what you’re doing and the history of the dynamics of what you’re creating. It can transform the approach and understanding of the painting process. There are videos here of artists of different mediums trying the Google Tilt Brush.
Virtual Reality is continuously entering different industries and influencing the adapting world. Most of us are using some part of the extended reality world without even realizing it has become a part of our lives. What was initially a rare experience is slowly becoming commonplace in our daily lives.