Can you define Immersive?
We often read or hear words that we presume to have understood. Frequently we ignore whether we have correctly grasped a word or term in an article or even in a conversation with friends and go along with the topic anyway. As we enter a new era of digital engagement both culturally and in our personal lives, digital hybridization and subsequent vocabulary are becoming more popular and widely used. Especially in the technology sector, new terms are always emerging and developing, and although they are understood at a glance, what do they really mean? One term often misunderstood is ‘Immersive’.
Most people will understand immersive to imply anything that completely encompasses and engages an individual beyond surface level. This might be a gripping novel or film or (on a rare occasion) an anecdote told extremely well. If I was to say that an escape room was highly immersive, it is easy to understand that the falsely constructed maze was presented to me as true reality. But how does the term immersive translate in conjunction with technology?
To put it simply, the term immersive technology has encompassed various technologies throughout the years, primarily including AR, VR, and MR. At its core, immersive is used to describe an experience that augments your experience of a world. The goal of immersive is to completely absorb you into place, time, or environment completely, using all your senses. From 360-degree video to immersive installations with light, smell, and sound — the definition of immersive technology encapsulates and envelopes an array of experiences.
Now we understand what the term means, what sort of technology is categorised as immersive? For the simplified purposes of this post, immersive technology incorporates XR experiences such as AR, VR, and MR. AR (augmented reality) provides a digital or live element to a user’s surroundings; this is often created using a mobile application or digitized screen, which alters or projects an image onto the user’s surroundings. VR (virtual reality) creates an impression of a three-dimensional world around the user often achieved through a headset. The mixing of real and virtual worlds to create new habitats and visualisations where physical and digital items co-exist and interact in real time is known as mixed reality (MR).
Predictions and trends for the rapidly increasing sector are difficult to traverse, but the sector’s progress implies that the use of immersive technologies will become as common as mobile phones. The metaverse continues to expand as immersive design advances. The future of Immersive technology depends on how well it integrates with our daily life. How can technology advance our lives, and what can it provide us beyond a gamified or digitalised reality?
As consumer demand for immersive technologies develops, the future of the cultural institutions depends on their adoption of these technologies. Developing new digital strategies and implementing technology can often be overwhelming. One solution is Musemio. Musemio is an award-winning cultural education platform for kids which utilizes Immersive technologies to make culture accessible to all. Through their mobile XR app Musemio allows children to adventure on immersive quests featuring co-created narrative content from partner institutions around the world. Musemio has assisted museums across the world to produce educational and enriching, and immersive content for family audiences. Contact Musemio at musemio.com to book a free immersive workshop for you and your team and discover more about immersive design.
Next week: Exploring the benefits of Immersive technology…
