The terms Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality have gained popularity lately thanks to devices like the VR headsets, smart lenses, AR glasses, and HTC Vive sets, social media features like the one made famous by Snapchat, and games such as Pokemon Go.
But what is the real difference between these two technologies?
Even when the concepts intersect in some ways, they have very different characteristics that make them unique with quite diverse uses and potentials.
While virtual reality replaces reality, augmented reality adds to it. As its name implies, it enhances the way we experience the world around us, adding information to what we can see, either overlaying information or even creating a holographic reality in front of your eyes.
Even though both concepts have a lot of potential, and we are yet to see how much they will change the way we use computers, AR has the advantage of offering a full immersion experience.
Augmented reality industry leader VRMedia provides solutions to increase production and effectiveness, showing how much potential augmented reality has in the world of work.
But it goes way beyond that: augmented reality can be used to improve criminal investigations, enhance the customer experience in a shop, as Ikea does, make sightseeing easier, materialize projects, boost educational activities, and it makes multitasking a more interactive and dynamic experience.
The potential applications of both these technologies are still in its starting period and it can be expected to revolutionize the way we see reality, how people work, shop, move, and learn.
How are Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality different?
We have already established that virtual reality and augmented reality are different, so here we discuss their characteristics in detail to properly understand how they are diverse and how can they improve the way we use computers in innovative ways.
First of all, since virtual reality creates a simulated digital world, which can either look realistic or completely artificial, sometimes it becomes difficult to differentiate what is real and what is not.
Virtual reality surrounds you 360 degrees and offers a tridimensional experience. On the other hand, augmented reality is an enhanced view of the reality we can see in front of us and therefore it lets people interact with both realities, the virtual and the real one, making it easy to separate one from the other.
Another difference is the type of devices used for each of these technologies.
Virtual reality devices usually come in the form of goggles or a helmet. These head mounting displays isolate the user from the reality around and help them immerse in a completely virtual world in which people can navigate and even move objects. While the first devices had to be tethered to a game console, the latest ones offer an almost cordless experience, including the electronics in the headset or a companion device.
Instead, augmented reality works holding a phone in front of you, though some companies have developed interesting options with glasses. These devices allow you to see additional information on top of what can already be seen.
This means that the objects you can see with augmented reality occupy a significant space and people can interact with them.
Both virtual reality and augmented reality directly affect the perceptions and processes of the human mind.
VI and AI are completely different from all other technologies in an obvious way, they are the only ones offering a package experience and making a real significant change compared to anything else till now.
It remains to be seen the applications and uses these technologies will have in the future.