HTC has announced “Vive”, allows users to experience “virtual reality(VR)” games. Nintendo and Niantic has announced “Pokemon Go” game that users may experience the augmented reality. Microsoft “HoloLens Glasses” allows users to experience “Mixed Reality (MR)”. But, do you know what’s the difference among the three most popular visual effects?
❐ Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual Reality employs the display technology to establish a three-dimensional and emulated virtual world that the user may feel he is in an environment as reality. Currently, most VR technologies are to design a pair of special eyeglasses to completely enclose the space around both eyes.
❐ Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented Reality is to make the virtual image augmented to a real space. AR is different from VR which established a completely virtual space around user’s eyes to replace the real space. AR is not to replace the real space, but to add virtual objects in the real space, so the user may see a world mixed with virtuality and reality.
❐ Mixed Reality (MR)
Mixed Reality is a technology combining virtual and augmented reality, which may also generate the virtual image to be augmented into a real space. The difference is that MR enables the virtual image in the real space to have more interaction with the user.
In general, most of the AR, VR, and MR technologies that everyone knows are used in the game industry. Actually, they are already used in other industries.For example, AR has another important application for automotive industry. The real image in front of our eyes when we are driving is seen through the front windshield. During nighttime driving, if there were pedestrian or small animal suddenly showing up, we might not make the appropriate response in time. However, we might have a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) with high sensitivity to capture the image in front and use a processor to calculate the “virtual image” of pedestrian or small animal from the dim background; then, using a Digital Light Processing (DLP) projection technology to project the image onto the front windshield to be overlapped with the “real image”. With this kind of VR technology, the driver needs not to look down to watch the screen, but look ahead through the front windshield as usual during driving to ensure the driving safety.
After all, new technologies definitely can change our life and our world in a good way, we can look forward to more good inventions and applications which may make our life quality better.
Sources:
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611051/this-vr-point-and-shoot-camera-will-let-you-rewind-your-life-and-relive-your-memories/
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611197/hololens-can-now-guide-the-blind-through-complicated-buildings/
