Defining AR-MR-VR devices.
It is not about defining realites but about defining those devices which enables us to do these realites.
I will come straight out and say that there is only two type of realites which are Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Augmented Reality implies seeing digital objects in real world in real time. Virtual Reality implies seeing a digital world all together which completely occludes the reality.
The debate of AR-VR-MR heated up when Microsoft released it’s Hololens device and become even more confusing when Microsoft called there occluded headsets Mixed Reality headsets as well.
Many users admits that only Hololens is a Mixed Reality headsets and devices like Odyssey from Samsung are just Virtual Reality devices. Then there is ARkit and ARcore on mobile devices to confuse users even more. Some users say that Hololens is like AR on steroids and use Mixed Reality term with Hololens to justify its advance features in comparison to mobile AR or Google Glass.
Between all these devices and varying level of experiences these devices offer us we forgets that at the basic level all these devices perform only two task, either they put a digital object in the real world or show us a completely new world of digital objects.
I would like to point out that the confusion arises when the experiance of either of the realites is enhanced considerably. Like switching from a mobile AR device to a device like Hololens. But then again, both the systems are doing one same thing of putting digital objects in real world. Same goes with virtual reality devices like gear VR, HTC vive and mixed reality headsets like Samsung Odyssey. They all offer us virtual reality.
Until before all these devices, the definition of AR and VR were quite plane and simple. Visit old archive of Wikipedia page for AR and VR definitions. Back in 2008, the AR and VR were being defined in three simple lines but now they have a complete paragraph as a definition with the most advanced vocabulary and terms. What I am trying to say that up until now, on the basis of the advancement of features of these devices we keep iterating the AR and VR definitions. Which is completely wrong in my view because definitions are used to define different things, not that the others things define what a definition should be. If this continues, with each advancement of the devices these definitions will keep on changing and there will never be a correct definition.
So what is the solution? How can we define these realites with ever changing devices which offer us enhanced level of either of the realites with each advancement in there feature set?
My answer to this question is that we should stop defining realites and start defining devices which enables us to do these realites.
Defining Devices
One thing with which everyone will agree that either a system is used for AR or VR it is still a computer at its very basic level. And to define the devices I will use three very basic terms of computer which we all learnerd in the first computer class ever of our life. Try to Recall what you learnerd in the first computer class of your life ever. I remember mine and it was about three basic units of computer. And you are right, it was about Input unit — Output unit — Processing unit.
And yes, I will use these very basic terms of computer to define all these devices.
First I will explain how these devices can be categorised on the basis of the respective input and output units these devices have.
To explain my criterias I will present two different cases in front of you and you will have to make either an AR device or a VR device with the components I provide in each different case. Keep in mind that you can use any type of processing unit and softwares you want to make up your device.
So two cases are as follows:
Case I:
You are given a tool box which has following components in it:
- An LCD touch screen
- A RGB camera
- Infrared cameras
- Depth cameras
- 3DOF sensors like gyroscope
Case II:
You are given a tool box which has following components in it:
- An OLED screen
- Pair of Fresnel lenses
- High quality 3D audio headsets
- 3 DOF sensors like gyroscope
So what device will you make in case I and case II?
I will make an AR device like iPhone 8 in case I and a VR device like Samsung Gear VR or Google cardboard in case II
You can try to make any device you want but one thing is clear that you can’t make a VR device in case I and an AR device in case II. It is because case I doesn’t have Fresnel lenses and OLED screens which are essential for a good VR experience. And case II doesn’t have RGB camera or depth and infrared cameras which are essential to know about the environment to do a good AR experience.
In the above two cases, you should have noticed that case I have some high quality input sensors like depth cameras and infrared cameras. On the other hand, case II have high quality output units like OLED screen and Fresnel lenses.
My only motive to put such cases was to prove that when it comes to AR vs VR it’s all about Input vs Output.
From the above two cases it is quite evedient that an AR device relies more on the input units of the device and a VR device relies more on the output units of the device.
This very basic idea that an AR or VR experience is not possible if the device doesn’t have certain input or output units, is the simplest way to define a VR and AR device.
My basic idea would be to put forward what could be the basic threshold of the input unit and output input for a device to qualify as an AR device and as a VR device.
Now that I have explained the basics of my criteria I will put forward the key points to define the devices.
Augmented Reality Device:
- Capable of tracking its position in 6 DOF.
- Capable of understanding the environment around it like horizontal and vertical surfaces.
Virtual Reality Device:
- Capable of showing digital objects either in immersive or non immersive environment with 3D depth prespective.
Keep in mind that I am not defining the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality with my key points here. I am defining the Augmented Reality “device” and Virtual Reality “device” here with my key points.
Now when AR and VR devices are defined it’s time take on the Mixed Reality device.
After I figured out that an AR device is about input units and VR device is about output units, defining a Mixed Reality device was the simplest thing to do. By now even you can guess what it is. Can you?
Mixed Reality Device:
- Capable of all the key points mentioned for a device to be an Augmented Reality Device and a Virtual Reality Device.
Wasn’t it simple to do so?
My sole idea of defining an AR-MR-VR device is based on the capability and features of the device rather then what the device is doing in a particular application for it.
I also want to stress out that we should stop changing AR and VR definitions on the basis of the every new device which comes out and stick with a very simple definition for them. Simple definition is the best definition. Using complicated words only gets good marks not the true meaning which everyone can understand.
Let’s categories the devices!
Now that we have defined the criterias its time to categories different device according to the key points which I mentioned earlier.
Augmented Reality Device:
- iPhone with ARkit support
- Android phones with ARcore support
- Any other kind of mobile AR which doesn’t require markers
Virtual Reality Device
- Samsung Gear VR
- Vive
- Rift
Mixed Reality Device
- Hololens
- WinMR Headsets
If you are wondering why I have placed WinMR Headsets in Mixed Reality Device category, then it is because WinMR Headsets have same cameras as present in Hololens which are used to track there position and in theory they can detect planes. Though this feature is not enabled yet on them.
If you know more about these devices and think that they have more capabilities, feel free to share it and add up to this conversation.
One More Thing
There is another experience in VR where a user can transport his body image into VR environment through RGB cameras and green screen. What kind of reality is that? Some users say that this the true form of Mixed Reality. But then again, to keep it simple we should try to put it in one of the two categories. And I think we can place it under Augmented Reality itself, because at the very basic level we are just augmenting the virtual reality environment by putting our 3D image in it, the same thing we do in Augmented Reality. Just so as to make it a little different, we can call it Augmented Virtuality. Keep in mind that “Augmented” is a general term and is used as an adjective to present that the experience of reality is enhanced. The same thing is going here, the virtual reality experience is being enhanced. The use of word “Augmented” can’t be limited on the basis of its use with AR in general. It still has its own meaning and can be used to define an enhanced experience of VR.
True objective
My true objective for this article was to focus on all the aspects of a device to define if it’s an AR-MR-VR device. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are just the experiences these devices offer us but they are the not terms to define a piece of hardware. A hardware must be defined on basis of its true capabilities in all respects.
If you are still confused here, then keep in mind that “AR-VR-MR” are totally different terms from “AR-MR-VR Devices” .
There is always a room for improvement in everything and if you have anything to share, pls provide comments. But don’t try to define the realites again, define only devices;”)
