What is VR/AR?

An in-depth look at VR/AR

What is VR?

Virtual Reality (often referred to as VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an immersive experience instead of viewing a small screen in front of them. By stimulating vision, hearing, touch and sometimes even smell, the user is pulled into a computer-generated world of technology.

There are many different companies that create devices that which allow you to interact with virtual worlds, most commonly in the form of a headset. Popular brand names include Oculus, HTC, and Sony. While most are drawn to VR due to its ability to create breathtaking gaming experiences, VR has many uses beyond satisfying gamers. This technology can also be utilized in military training, sports practices, mental health therapy and much more.

For a more detailed explanation, you can watch the following video from MKBHD.

What is AR?

Augmented Reality(AR) is an interactive experience with the real-world environment, where objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information. AR allows us to view the real-life environment right in front of us, in our devices — trees swaying in the park, dogs chasing balls, kids playing soccer — with a digital augmentation layer overlaid on it. An example of AR is Pokemon Go: digital Pokemon are drawn on top of the real world to make it seem to players as if they are catching Pokemon in real life.

Here is a video by Reality School that explains this technology more in-depth.

What’s the difference between VR and AR?

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are two sides of the same coin. You could think of Augmented Reality as VR with one foot in the real world: Augmented Reality simulates artificial objects in the environment, whereas Virtual Reality creates the entire environment and puts the user through the full experience.

With Virtual Reality, the computer uses sensors and math to generate a virtual environment for the user to interact. If the user’s head turns, the graph and thus environment react accordingly.

In Augmented Reality, the computer uses mathematical algorithms and sensors to determine the position and orientation of a camera. AR technology then renders the 3D graphics as they would appear from the viewpoint of the camera, superimposing the computer-generated images over a user’s view of the real world.

Here is a video from Intellipaat describing the differences in more detail.

In Summary

Virtual reality and augmented reality are different and they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Virtual reality puts the user through a piece of software in full, whereas augmented reality overlays the real world with a virtual one.