The word Virtual Reality has a number of meanings, and some are very long and complicated. Let me simplify it for you: virtual reality is an artificial digital experience that fully replaces the real world.
With VR, users hear artificial sounds and sights and feel like they’re in a digital world. Imagine opening your eyes and seeing a computer-generated world around you; you can walk around and even communicate with it. That is what it is like to have virtual reality.
When you hear the word virtual reality, what is the first industry that you think of? Possibly gaming is it. This technology has already been adopted by the gaming industry; for example, you can connect the PlayStation VR headset to a PlayStation console and enjoy VR experiences there.
However, gaming is not the only area where it is possible to use virtual reality technology. Take a peek at my list of VR’s most significant applications.
The content of VR learning will revolutionize education, making learning immersive and more engaging. And interactive experiences, apart from schools and colleges, can also help companies train their employees. As an example, you can check out Unimersiv. It is offering VR educational content to several companies and organizations.
For decades, photographs have been used by real estate agents to advertise properties. But now, for this reason, agents can use virtual reality. Unlike images, VR is interactive, so before visiting in person, prospective buyers will take three-dimensional walkthroughs and better appreciate what each property has to offer.
Matterport already uses 360-degree video showcases in order to help agents connect with their customers better.
In addition, VR will help architects show customers their designs, as virtual reality allows customers to see what their future property is going to look like.
Virtual reality, being immersive, will provide an in-depth insight into human anatomy, helping doctors understand the needs of their patients better. For surgical training, VR technology also comes in handy. To train future surgeons, a platform developed by Medical Realities uses 360-degree videos and virtual anatomy.
New innovations have always been rapidly embraced by the travel industry, and it’s not shocking that consumers want to know what they’re paying for. Digital tours can assist travel companies to encourage and draw visitors to destinations. VR is also a perfect way to discover the world for individuals who have a difficult time travelling around.
The best example of how VR technology can be used in the travel industry is Google StreetView. While panoramic views can be displayed directly on a screen, users can also enable Google Cardboard mode for a virtual reality experience.
拡張現実技術の応用ーApplications of Augmented Reality Technology
In mobile games, while Pokemon Go was a major innovation, augmented reality technology has a lot more to offer.
In reality, AR is helpful in a number of fields, from advertisement to medicine. Let’s look at what ways in which virtual reality technology is being used.
Manufacturing is an area where a competitive edge can be created by emerging technology. Augmented reality aims to increase efficiency and quality for businesses. What? How? To minimize human error, save time and improve productivity, manufacturing workers can get support from AR gadgets.
For instance, for industrial applications, Upskill offers an augmented reality platform. Some of the largest companies in the world, such as General Electric and Boeing, also use AR in their production processes.
On the internet, millions of people choose to make transactions. Online shopping is easy, saves time, and saves money. But what if when it arrives, the purchase is not exactly what the buyer expected? AR apps are a great solution to this issue as they allow customers to digitally view or even try online items.
Try IKEA Place to play with AR in online shopping.
This iOS augmented reality technology enables users to check whether a piece of furniture from the catalogue of IKEA suits their home.
For navigation, augmented reality is particularly useful. Overlapping the physical world, virtual objects will display directions and guide people to places. In order to draw people to their shops, many companies use AR; for example, Yelp has a Monocle feature that shows you the nearest cafes and restaurants.
Imagine that you need to fix something and you don’t know how. You will either spend a lot of time on the internet watching DIY videos or simply ask a professional to do it for you. There is now a third way, you can use a special augmented reality application to help you carry out a patch.
If you assume that this is something from the future, then you are really wrong. A company called Cyient has already created an AR Application to do just that!
To conduct maintenance and repairs today, businesses and individuals will use augmented reality solutions. It is an incredible technology already!
Now that you know the difference between VR and AR, it’s time to take a closer look at MR. Virtual content is not only superimposed on the actual world (as in AR) in mixed reality (sometimes called hybrid reality), but it is anchored to and interacts with that environment.
Simply put, you can see virtual objects in mixed reality, just as you can in augmented reality, but these objects can also communicate with the physical world. In a way, a more immersive and interactive form of augmented reality is mixed reality.
However, when users see and communicate with a fully simulated environment overlaid on the physical world around them, there may be a different type of mixed reality. Think about it this way, if it sounds confusing: imagine that you are communicating with a fully digital world, but you are still in your room. What if you’re strolling through a physical object in your room? A headset must be able to monitor the real world and change the virtual environment accordingly to avoid this issue. VR is closer to this form of mixed reality than AR; in fact, some VR headsets still have sensors to monitor the physical environment.
Needless to say, to experience these two forms of mixed reality, different types of devices are required:
These headsets have translucent glasses that allow you to see your surroundings perfectly. With the assistance of holograms, virtual environments are developed. This is how HoloLens 2 from Microsoft works.
These headsets have non-translucent screens that block out the real world entirely (just like VR headsets) and use tracking cameras. Acer and HP’s Windows virtual reality headsets work this way.
複合現実はどのような機会を作り出しますか？ーWhat Opportunities Does Mixed Reality Provide?
When you read a book on SF, you will most likely encounter a device resembling hologram technology. Mixed reality takes human society one step closer to the science fiction-described future.
So in what fields will Mixed reality be used? Let me show you one industry with tremendous MR potential.
MR technology allows interactive experiences of communication that help people communicate more effectively. Without being blocked off from the real world, workers can put on headsets and start cooperating. If you can’t imagine how it works, check out Microsoft HoloLens for Skype.
コミュニケーション
MRテクノロジーは、人々がより効率的にコラボレーションするのに役立つ没入型のコミュニケーション体験を可能にします。従業員は、現実の世界から遮断されることなく、ヘッドセットを装着してコラボレーションを開始できます。これがどのように機能するか想像できない場合は、Skype for MicrosoftHoloLensをチェックしてください。
