Virtual and Augmented Reality

Computer generated 3D environments that allow the user to enter and interact with alternate realities.

In a nutshell ,VR means feeling the imaginary world which is a simulation running in a computer. A form of mental teleportation.

VR dangles in front of our eyes a vision of the media’s future ,changes in the ways we communicate ,and the way we think about communication.

It throw off the shackles of the mundane through a metaphysical transportation to an altered state.

-Matthew Schnipper.

YESTERYEARS

This path was first trodden by cinematographer Morton Heilig in 1957 ,who invented Sensorama .It was an arcade style cabinet with a 3D display ,video ,stereo sound , fan and scent producer – the whole town of senses was invited to the fray .

Furthermore , Ivan Sutherland is regarded as the godfather of VR displays owing to his contribution –THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES ,the first VR headset .

Elements for user immersiveness –

1.Continuity of surroundings

2.Confomance to human vision

3.Freedom of movement

4.Physical interaction

5.Physical feedback

Types

1.Immersive-perception of being physically present in a non physical world

2.Non immersive – majestic display but does not envelopes the user

3.Window on world – desktop based VR which involves displaying 3D virtual or regular desktop display without use of any specialized movement tracking environment

HARDWARE

INPUT DEVICES – Prio VR ,Razer Hydra ,leap motion ,Stem ,Magic Wand ,Control VR

OUTPUT DEVICES – Headset ,3D Audio ,Sensing Gloves ,Helsinki

APPLICATIONS

The mainstream applications are Video games, 3D cinema, and social virtual worlds. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET), a form of exposure therapy for treating anxiety disorders such as PTSD and phobias.

It is also used and studied in primary education, anatomy , military & astronaut training, flight simulators, miner training, architectural design, driver training and bridge inspection.

CAREFUL FOLKS!!

Virtual reality sickness (also known as cybersickness) occurs when a person's exposure to a virtual environment causes symptoms such as seizures or blackouts while using VR headsets.

Data from eye tracking sensors, which are projected to become a standard feature in virtual reality headsets,may indirectly reveal information about a user's ethnicity, personality traits, fears, emotions, interests, skills, and physical and mental health condition.

FUTURE

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.

Virtual reality is the first step in a grand adventure into the landscape of the imagination.

–Frank Biocca

AUGMENTED REALITY

YESTERYEARS

The first properly functioning AR system was developed at USAF Armstrong’s Research Lab by Louis Rosenberg in 1992, called Virtual Fixtures .It enabled the overlay of sensory information on a workspace to improve human productivity .

ABSTRCT

Augmented Reality (AR) ,also known as mixed reality ,is a technology field that involves the seamless overlay of computer generated virtual images on the real world, in such a way that the virtual content is aligned with real world objects, and can be viewed and interacted with in real time.

In a nutshell ,an enhancement of the real world with a set of magical virtual objects in it .

An AR system adds virtual computer generated objects ,audio and other sense enhancements to a real world environment in real time .

AR aims to create a system such that user cannot decipher the difference between real world and virtual augmentation of it .

AR can be defined as a system that incorporates three basic features

combination of real and virtual worlds
real-time interaction
Accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects.

HARDWARE

Display –monitor based and HMD (Head mounted display)

Effects are elevated by leveraging - Chroma keying and depth information

APPLICATIONS

AR has applications in a wide range of ﬁelds, robotics and telebotics ,architecture ,stem education ,literature ,visual art ,video games ,social interaction ,flight training ,military and navigation .

CAREFUL FOLKS!!

In a paper titled "Death by Pokémon GO", it was found that a disproportionate increase in vehicular crashes and associated vehicular damage, personal injuries, and fatalities in the vicinity of locations, called PokéStops, where users can play the game while driving.

The latent hazards might go unnoticed to an introspective sage ,therefore the dark side should be illuminated .

FUTURE

As the technology evolves and gives users more and more accurate renderings of how digital objects look in physical spaces, I expect that more and more brands and industries will hop onto the AR bandwagon.

AR has gone from pipe dream to reality in just over a century. There is an unlimited potential for AR, the big question is - how will it be unlocked?

EPILOGUE

The fact that VR and AR affects the perceptions and processes of the human minds ,places it on a high ground .

The unflinching trust in the human intelligence and its discoveries has paved road for a myriad of minds to manifest the modern framework in terms of prototypes, products, and training and evaluation paradigms.

Every moment, we create a new reality ,and then the earlier reality loses its accountability. You are always in the truth ; and the truth is always in you . - Abhijit Naskar

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