ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Science Time XR – The Merging of Augmented Reality AR, Virtual Reality VR and Mixed Reality in 2020
Imagine it’s the year 2025. You start your day sipping coffee in Paris, visit your parents in India, battle aliens on Mars during lunch, and attend a business meeting in New York—all without leaving your office in Zurich. This futuristic scenario is made possible by extended reality (XR), a groundbreaking advancement in how we interact with computers and our environment.
Extended reality, or XR, is a broad term that encompasses various technologies that blend the physical and virtual worlds. It includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Each of these technologies offers unique experiences:
While XR technology has been around for some time, it is now poised to transform our interaction with the digital world in ways previously seen only in science fiction. The gaming industry has already embraced VR, with titles like “Half-Life: Alyx” showcasing its potential. However, XR’s applications extend far beyond entertainment, impacting industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and the military.
Microsoft has been a significant player in the XR landscape with the introduction of HoloLens in 2016. This device was the first fully self-contained holographic Windows computer, allowing users to interact with high-definition holograms. The latest HoloLens model enhances these capabilities, offering a more immersive experience supported by Microsoft’s cloud and AI services.
The XR market is expanding rapidly. According to Visual Capitalist, the market is expected to grow eightfold, reaching over $209 billion by 2022. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2020, a Chinese startup unveiled lightweight and comfortable MR glasses, marking a significant step forward in XR technology.
Apple is also venturing into XR, developing a combined AR and VR headset. Meanwhile, Magic Leap remains a formidable competitor to HoloLens. The company plans to refine its next-generation device with customer feedback, aiming for a 2021 release.
As XR technology continues to evolve, devices will become more immersive and holographic. A key question for businesses is how they will define and utilize reality in the coming years.
Thank you for exploring the exciting world of XR! Stay tuned for more updates and innovations in this rapidly advancing field.
Visit a local VR arcade or use a VR headset to immerse yourself in a virtual environment. Reflect on how the experience compares to traditional media and consider the potential applications of VR in various industries.
Create a simple AR application using platforms like ARKit or ARCore. Focus on overlaying digital objects onto the real world and think about how this technology could be used in educational or commercial settings.
Participate in a workshop that explores MR technology. Use devices like the HoloLens to understand how digital and physical objects can interact in real time. Discuss the challenges and opportunities of MR in professional environments.
Conduct a market analysis of the XR industry. Research current trends, major players, and future projections. Present your findings in a report, highlighting potential career opportunities and business applications.
Investigate a case study where XR technology is applied in healthcare. Analyze the benefits and limitations of using XR for medical training, patient care, or surgery. Share your insights in a class discussion or presentation.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music] It’s the year 2025, and you begin your day by enjoying your morning coffee in Paris. You visit your parents in India, engage in a battle against aliens on Mars during your lunch break, and attend a business meeting in New York—all from the comfort of your office in Zurich. This is made possible by extended reality, the next evolution in human-computer and environment interaction.
Extended reality, or XR, is an umbrella term for all combined physical and virtual environments and human-machine interactions. Different types of technologies fall under XR: virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). While virtual reality enables a fully immersive experience and blocks out the physical world, augmented reality places digital objects as holograms as if they were really there. A limitation of AR is that you cannot directly interact with these digital objects. This is where mixed reality comes in. Devices such as Magic Leap 1 utilize this technology and present information mapped to specific physical contexts. In contrast to AR, MR technology enables physical and digital objects to coexist and interact in real time, requiring significantly more processing power.
XR technology has been around for a few years, but in the decade we have entered, it will finally blend the real and digital worlds in ways that were only seen in science fiction movies two decades ago. The buzz around “Half-Life: Alyx” brought VR into the spotlight of mainstream gaming, which can only be played with VR headsets. However, XR technology isn’t solely about entertainment and games; other significant industry use cases include healthcare, manufacturing, and military applications.
A key player in the business field is Microsoft, which unveiled HoloLens in 2016—the first fully self-contained holographic Windows computer that enables interaction with high-definition holograms. Furthermore, the tech giant developed an MR capture camera to aid in the visualization of holograms. The wearer of a HoloLens device sees from a first-person perspective. The next-generation HoloLens, released last year, expands these capabilities and provides a more immersive experience enhanced by the reliability, security, and scalability of cloud and AI services from Microsoft’s HoloLens platform.
Here is how an interactive visualization of the Apollo 11 lunar landing looks. The field of XR headsets is rapidly growing, and Microsoft faces competition. According to Visual Capitalist, XR is expected to grow eightfold, reaching an estimated market size of more than $209 billion by 2022. XR devices were showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2020, where a Chinese startup presented its MR glasses, claiming to be the first ready-to-wear mixed reality glasses that are both lightweight and comfortable.
Apple is also investing in extended reality and is working on a combined AR and VR headset that could launch soon. However, the biggest competition for HoloLens remains Magic Leap. According to the founder and CEO of Magic Leap, they plan to work closely with customers throughout 2020 to perfect the next-generation Magic Leap, which will also ship in 2021.
In the coming years, holographic devices will become more immersive, and immersive devices will become more holographic. One question that remains is how businesses will define reality in the next five years.
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XR – Extended Reality, an umbrella term that encompasses virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technologies. – The development of XR applications is revolutionizing the way we interact with digital content in education and training.
Virtual – Relating to a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way. – Virtual reality headsets are becoming increasingly popular in the gaming industry for providing immersive experiences.
Augmented – Referring to technology that overlays digital information on the real world, enhancing the user’s perception of their environment. – Augmented reality apps are being used in retail to allow customers to visualize products in their homes before purchasing.
Mixed – Involving the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments where physical and digital objects coexist and interact in real time. – Mixed reality is being utilized in medical training to simulate complex surgical procedures for students.
Reality – The state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them, often enhanced or altered by technology in the context of XR. – Advances in reality technologies are enabling new forms of interaction and visualization in scientific research.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry, including the development of tools and systems that enhance human capabilities. – The rapid evolution of technology in artificial intelligence is transforming industries across the globe.
Microsoft – A multinational technology company known for developing, manufacturing, licensing, and supporting a wide range of software products and services. – Microsoft has been investing heavily in AI research to improve its cloud computing services and software solutions.
Gaming – The action or practice of playing video games, often involving complex narratives and interactive environments enhanced by AI. – The integration of AI in gaming has led to more adaptive and personalized gameplay experiences.
Devices – Electronic equipment designed for a specific function, often used in computing and communication, such as smartphones, tablets, and VR headsets. – The proliferation of smart devices has increased the demand for seamless connectivity and interoperability.
Market – The arena of commercial dealings, particularly in technology, where products and services are bought and sold, often influenced by trends in AI and digital innovation. – The AI software market is projected to grow significantly as more industries adopt machine learning solutions.
