December 6, 2024, 11:12 am | Read time: 4 minutes
While virtual reality is now well known, augmented and mixed reality are still new terms for many people. However, there are many similarities between the different types of augmented reality.
When it comes to virtual reality (VR), there is often some confusion. This is because terms such as augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are now also getting involved in the discussion. These three terms are not always easy to distinguish from one another, as there is some overlap. TECHBOOK explains how you can tell VR, AR, and MR apart.
Virtual reality
Virtual reality is completely computer-generated, with the aim of immersing the user in another world. In principle, every computer game is virtual reality, but nowadays, the term describes a “real” 3D environment. Modern VR headsets are portable, which means that you can move around with them. Not only turns but also walking, pushing, and taking side steps are transferred to the virtual world. In addition, individual limbs and accessories such as guns or tennis rackets can also be recognized. This is thanks to special controllers and modern sensor and camera technology.
VR headsets are available in different versions. The most expensive devices, which deliver the most convincing immersion, are wired headsets that are connected to a PC (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive) or a console (PlayStation VR). However, there are also more and more standalone devices that do not require expensive PCs or consoles. These still offer a similar VR experience. Mobile headsets that can be plugged into a smartphone are also an inexpensive entry-level solution.
Augmented reality
The best example of the use of augmented reality is the popular game Pokémon Go. The game is installed on millions of iPhones and Android smartphones. In AR, the real environment is displayed on the screen by the camera(s) and supplemented with digital content. In the case of Pokémon Go, it is, of course, the little monsters that are caught with the Pokeball. Augmented reality is also used in many modern cars in the form of a head-up display (HUD). This transparent screen displays information such as navigation, speed, and speed limits without obstructing the driver’s view.
However, AR on smartphones and in cars is only the simplest type of augmented reality. As with VR, there are also special AR headsets, but instead of a completely digital image, they are a mixture of transparent glasses and a small screen. The first headset of this kind would have been the already discontinued Google Glass glasses. However, new developments are moving more in the direction of VR headsets. These AR glasses have two openings at the front, through which you can see the outside world and two small transparent screens that superimpose a digital image over the “real” reality.
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Mixed reality
As the name suggests, mixed reality is a mixture of virtual reality and augmented reality. However, a distinction is made between MR glasses that are based on the real world and those that are based on a completely digital image.
Mixed reality based on the real world: The basis for this type of MR is similar to that of AR. Digital objects are superimposed on the real world. However, these virtually added objects are anchored in the three-dimensional real space. This means that the real and virtual worlds practically merge into one coherent world. As a result, the user can not only see the superimposed virtual objects, but also interact with them in the three-dimensional space.
Mixed reality based on the virtual world: This type of MR transports the user into a virtual world, whereby the outside world can be completely hidden. Although this sounds like VR at first, there is a serious difference. While VR only takes place in the virtual world and is not based on the real world, with MR every step and every hand movement is transferred to the computer-generated world. Some VR headsets, such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, can also do this, but only in a space limited by sensors. MR goes one step further and allows the user to move freely, so that freedom of movement is only restricted by the real environment.
This type of MR opens up even more possibilities than VR and AR. So far, Microsoft, in particular, has invested in this technology with Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) and has already achieved success. This technology not only allows the real world to be blended with virtual objects, for example, to see what a new couch would look like in the living room, but the real world can also be completely faded out to create a purely virtual world.