Techtalks – Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
In the image above, that is the guy from Time magazine’s cover of August 2015 and one of the possibilities of what he might be experiencing in the Virtual Reality he was experiencing through the VR headset.
Let’s divide the further discussion in the form of questions for a better understanding.
1). What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality is one of the two major altered realities where you are at another place and maybe in another time looking at something which isn’t exactly in your living room.
Let’s simplify this even further and take an example of a mobile VR headset such as google cardboard.
Download the Google Cardboard app.
Then the app will calibrate itself according to the headset with the help of the QR code usually printed on the headset.
You put your phone in it and you are ready to go.
This combination of your phone(VR ready) and VR headset is what enables you to explore a 3D environment either Computer Generated or in the form of real-life 360-degree pictures and videos.
The Computer Generated content is mostly used in Gaming or for general experiences as it makes most sense over there.
Nowadays, they use it in the Gaming section of malls for Horror or Roller-coaster experience.
The 360-degree part is mostly used to just show the capability of Virtual Reality as it allows you to visit a real place while being in your bedroom or living room.
Many 360-degree pictures and Videos of tourist places are there so that you can see if that place is actually worth visiting or not or experience it if you can’t visit it for some reason.
Apart from this, Virtual Reality(both CG and 360-degree) is used in almost industry for training and simulation purposes.
It basically blinds us and our visionary senses of the current world and take us to another world.
2). Limitations of the current VR systems?
It is simply missing the feel.
It feels fake.
Yes, we are combining the VR headsets with motion chairs for a much better experience but it still feels virtual.
If you watch anime and had watched Sword Art Online, you know what I am talking about.
If you don’t, go watch it and you’ll get a glimpse of what the future of VR might look like.
Coming down to the future, let’s talk about that as well.
3). What is in there for the future of Virtual Reality?
From what I think and probably someone is already working on it right now.
if not, please do it as it’ll take the VR to another dimension, towards the perfect altered reality scenario.
Yes, I am talking about allowing the VR headset to interact with our central nervous system.
Our nervous system acts upon signals generated by the five senses we have to react accordingly.
If we somehow generate those signals artificially, we can send them directly to the nervous system without actually experiencing the real thing.
Integrate this with your VR system and there you go.
Sounds dangerous? Yes, it is.
Am I starting to sound like a mad scientist planning to take over the world by getting people under his control? Probably.
But what if used for good, this thing can do wonders.
Yes, most of my thoughts are Sci-Fi inspires, but the way we are progressing technically, I can see all that happening for real one day.
I hope you got the idea.
Virtual Reality can help people achieve/experience something which they couldn’t for whatever reason.
Which, in my opinion, is priceless.
Now, coming down to the other spectrum of the altered realities.
4). What is Augmented Reality?
Let’s understand it this way.
In Virtual Reality, you travel somewhere else, to a different place, a different dimension.
In Augmented Reality, you bring that dimension here, where you are sitting. Overlapping your current environment.
Th best example to explain the concept of Augmented Reality is the world-famous game, Pokemon Go.
But let’s clear the misconception here. The gaming isn’t an example of an AR game.
But there is an AR component used in the system which helps you click the picture of Pokemon in the actual world like in the image below.
Yes, yes. I know where the mind of Snapchat and filtered selfie addicted people are running to.
The dog filter you use over your selfie is actually an example of augmented reality.
You put a thing which isn’t there over there to make it look like it was there the whole time.
Simple Enough.
5). Limitations of the current Augmented Reality Scenario?
To be honest, I think that in terms of evolution, Virtual Reality is far more advanced than Augmented Reality.
Augmented Reality is in its very initial phase but we sure are making progress.
Just like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality is missing the feel. The feel which can make it a reality.
Augmented Reality isn’t very interactive right now.
Pokemon Go does include the AR plus mode for iPhone X users which provides the variable depth scenario so you can now actually move forward and backward to get near or far from the given object in the AR scenario, but that’s about it.
We need more motion and movement involved to make it feel more real.
Are VR and AR connected?
Well, yes.
They are two ends of a single spectrum known as altered reality by many.
we are moving towards the center to create what we call a “Mixed Reality”.
Mixed reality is when AR and VR would be so blended into each other that we won’t be able to differentiate.
That’s what we aspire to achieve. That is what our ultimate goal considering altered realities should be.
7). How to experience the altered realities right now?
In case of AR, it’s simple.
Download Pokemon Go and go outside or put those dog filters on your face.
They are being used for education purposes as well in various schools and organizations.
How?
They make books and an app accompanying the book. You open the app and hover the phone over the images in the book to see it come to life.
I have personally seen it in action and I can say that kids do enjoy learning this way.
Check NexGen Innovators’ website linked here to get a better idea of the whole learning in the AR environment scenario.
For VR, the options are limitless.
You can get a VR headset(get a cardboard one. It’s sufficient for a phone) for your VR ready phone and start exploring or you can go for more dedicated VR system like an Oculus Rift/ HTC VIVE/ Playstatio VR( I will be discussing every one of them individually as soon as I get some hands-on on them).
I have linked all the products’ Amazon link with their names, check them out.
Yes, they are expensive and I am not even sure if the prices are justified. I will have to see that for myself and only then I will be able to tell you.
Till then, buy them at your own risk( won’t if you can hold your horses as they’re kind of untested by the general public).
If you have any questions or doubts, feel free to drop them in the comment section below. I will try to answer them as soon as I can.
See you in the next one.
Altered Realities Augmented Reality Education Entertainment Future Futuristic Gadgets gaming Health Mixed Reality Reality Technology Virtual Reality
22 Responses
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I want to add a great example, startAR – augmented reality books, it can be also an awesome example for your blog
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Yes, definitely.
I’ve seen the books, they’re amazing and will help kids a lot.
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