Table of contents
2. AR augmented reality (Augmented Reality)
3. MR Mixed Reality (Mixed Reality)
4. XR Extended Reality (Extended Reality)
Nowadays, with the continuous development of various 3D technologies and AI technologies, and the rise of the concept of "Metaverse", words such as VR, AR, MR, and XR frequently come into view. What is AR? VR? What are MR and XR?
1. VR (Virtual Reality)
VR is the abbreviation of the English phrase Virtual Reality, which is translated as "virtual reality" in Chinese. It uses equipment simulation to generate a completely virtual world, and enters the virtual world through the wearing of VR equipment to achieve an immersive experience. For example: you put on a VR glasses, you can immediately enter a virtual world generated by the computer, immersive, omnipotent life, work, entertainment.
VR has been developed for some time, and now both hardware and technical software are relatively mature. VR technology and VR equipment are also widely used in education, medical care, entertainment, military, art and other fields.
Pros: Total flexibility, true immersion, and the possibility to create endless virtual scenarios and experiences.
Cons: Isolated experience that separates the user from the real environment.
2. AR augmented reality (Augmented Reality)
AR is the abbreviation of the English phrase Augmented Reality, and the Chinese translation is "augmented reality". To put it simply, it is to superimpose virtual information into the real real world, combine the real scene with the virtual scene, and experience it through electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. For example: when you are visiting a real museum and see a calligraphy and painting, through AR technology or equipment, you can observe the whole process of the formation of the calligraphy and painting, hear the artistic explanation, and even participate in the interaction.
AR technology and applications have become more common, and the ultimate experience brought by AR can be experienced in many physical stores, art galleries, amusement parks, and tourist attractions. The difference between VR and AR: The pictures displayed in VR are all fake, while the pictures displayed in AR are half real and half fake.
Pros: Wireless, low cost, portable, can interact with surrounding reality; great for describing simple content like information overlays.
Disadvantages: holographic, enhanced not realistic enough, narrow field of view, no sense of immersion.
3. MR Mixed Reality (Mixed Reality)
VR and AR haven’t reached the extreme yet, but there are already signs of fusion. This is mixed reality (MR), that is, MR=VR*AR. The current definition of MR is: mixing the real world and the virtual world together to generate A new visualization environment, which contains both physical entities and virtual information, and must be "real-time". The relative position of the virtual object of the AR device will move with the movement of the device, but MR will not. Ideally, the virtual objects created by AR devices are obviously virtual, while the virtual objects and real objects seen by MR device users are almost indistinguishable.
After reading this definition, it seems that there is not much difference between AR and VR. In fact, there are still differences between them. First, whether the relative position of the virtual object moves with the movement of the device. If yes, it is an AR device; if not, it is an MR device. Second, whether virtual objects can be distinguished from real objects in an ideal state. The virtual objects created by AR devices are obviously virtual, such as the virtual information projected by Google Glass that moves with you; while MR devices directly project the entire 4-dimensional light field to the retina, and the virtual objects seen by the user are consistent with the real ones. Objects are almost indistinguishable.
For example: the same "visiting the zoo", AR technology is that you enter a virtual zoo through AR equipment; and MR technology application is that you can see "animals" are alive and kicking in the real world around you, and you can interact with them , almost completely integrated into the real world.
Pros: Immersive experience that matches reality, good for any simulation that needs to reflect a real scene. Mixed reality offers the complete flexibility of the virtual world with the reliability of the real world.
Cons: Pricey, wired, bulkier than AR glasses.
4. XR Extended Reality (Extended Reality)
XR extended reality is a new concept, which refers to a real and virtual combined human-computer interaction environment generated through computer technology and wearable devices. Extended reality includes augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and many other forms. There is also an explanation that the "X" letter represents a variable, which can represent any letter.
In other words, in order to avoid conceptual confusion, XR is actually a general term, including AR, VR, and MR. There are several levels of XR, from virtual worlds with limited sensor input to fully immersive virtual worlds. By integrating the three visual interaction technologies of VR, AR, and MR, it brings the "immersion" of seamless transition between the virtual world and the real world to the experiencer.
From the perspective of technology and market, the technology and market maturity of the four are respectively: VR>AR>MR>XR. With the joint support of capital technology, market application and other parties, the VR/AR industry has developed relatively rapidly.
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