THE EMERGENCE OF VR & AR

Within just the past couple years, two breathtaking technologies emerged that revolutionize how society consumes content and entertainment. These technologies are known as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR).  While these two game-changing realities may seem similar to the less informed, they do have drastic differences.

VR completely replaces the real world with a computer generated environment. Meaning that your field of view is completely locked into a virtual environment that often takes place in games or fictional worlds. VR devices use haptic feedback to make it feel more lifelike and captivate senses other than just vision. There are trackers that can track the motion of one’s body and mimic it in their virtual world too.

AR on the other hand, keeps the user in the real world with supplementary computer-generated elements. Digital screens and windows are layered on top of the person’s physical view through AR glasses. AR typically is highlighted for productivity uses via AR glasses.

The entertainment field serves as the pioneer for both AR and VR technology. VR gaming has revolutionized how gamers experience storytelling and immersing themselves into fictional worlds. And similar to traditional gaming, VR titles offer a wide variety of experiences to players. Want to experience being a DJ for a crowd of thousands? Or journey through apocalyptic settings with diverse characters? VR gaming allows these experiences to be more lifelike than ever.

AR makes waves primarily through mobile gaming via smartphone technology. Viral sensation “Pokemon Go” is one of the largest games to blend digital and real worlds. It has captivated millions of players and many of them don’t even know it uses AR technology! AR is also used heavily for marketing purposes, such as eyepopping movie posters or silly Snapchat filters.

FANTASIES ARE BECOMING REALITIES

AR and VR technology are not just for entertainment purposes either! They both have great potential for raising the quality of life for various fields and industries! Believe it or not, VR and AR are revolutionizing healthcare as we know it. VR is being used for pain management, exposure therapy and treatment for PTSD. While AR has greatly benefitted surgeons to complete more precise and safe procedures.

Education is also greatly benefitting from the breakthrough of VR and AR. Students of many fields use VR and AR technology to enhance the learning experience from hands on labs. VR allows students to visit monumental historic sites and virtual fields to volcanoes. Meanwhile, AR even enhances the traditional textbook learning experience by overlaying additional content.

As time goes on, VR and AR will only improve and increase the quality of life in multiple fields and industries. Thanks to them, the way we learn, entertain, experience and receive healthcare will continue to improve.