The development of extended reality is already changing the way we work, live and play, and it’s just getting started. Extended reality (XR) covers immersive technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality . From gaming to virtual production to product design, XR enables people to create, collaborate and explore in computer-generated environments like never before.
What is XR extended reality?
Virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality are all elements of XR technology.
Virtual reality places users in a virtual environment. VR users typically put on headsets that transport them into a virtual world, where one moment they are standing in a real room and the next they may be immersed in a virtual world. The constantly updated and iterative VR technology continues to break the door between virtual reality and the physical world, making the virtual world and actions more realistic and immersive. Now VR also adds support for other senses, including touch, sound and smell.
With VR, gamers can be fully immersed in video games, designers and clients can review construction projects to finalize details before construction, and retailers can test virtual displays before moving forward with physical ones.
Augmented reality refers to the overlaying of rendered images onto the real world. The mobile game Pokémon GO is known for bringing AR into the mainstream, showcasing computer-rendered monsters standing on lawns and sidewalks as players roam neighborhoods.
AR graphics are visible through mobile phones, tablets and other devices, bringing users a new interactive experience. For example, navigation directions can be improved through AR. Rather than following a 2D map, the windshield can overlay directions onto one's view of the road, with simulated arrows indicating exactly where the driver should turn.
Mixed reality is the seamless integration of the real world and rendered graphics, creating an environment where users can interact directly with the digital and physical worlds together.
With MR, real and virtual objects are blended and presented together in a single display. Users can experience MR environments through headsets, phones, or tablets and can interact with digital objects by moving them around or placing them in the physical world.
There are two types of MR:
• Blending virtual objects into the real world – For example, the user sees the real world through a camera in a VR headset, and virtual objects are seamlessly blended into the real world.
• Blending real-world objects into the virtual world – For example, blending a VR participant’s camera view into the virtual world, like watching a VR gamer play a game in the virtual world.
The history of XR extended reality
To understand how far XR has come, you must first understand its origins in VR. VR originated in the U.S. federal sector, primarily for training personnel in flight simulators, but the energy and automotive design industries were also early adopters.
But these simulations and visualizations in VR require large supercomputers, and it also requires dedicated space, including ultra-high-resolution displays and VR CAVEs (empty rooms that project VR environments on every surface from walls to ceiling). In addition, VR is not cheap for most users, and the small VR ecosystem is mainly used by large institutions and academic researchers, so the threshold for ordinary people to use VR is not low.
However, in the past ten years, several key technical bottlenecks of VR have been broken through. Once the technology has a breakthrough, the performance can be greatly improved and the price can be reduced. Suddenly, millions of people can use VR, and a huge Ecosystems quickly emerged.
With the launch of all-in-one (AIO) headsets, a new wave of VR innovation has begun. Previously, a fully immersive VR experience required a physical connection to a powerful PC. The HMD cannot function as a standalone device because it has no operating system and no ability to compute images.
With the AIO headset, users can access a dedicated device with simple setup, delivering fully tracked VR anytime and anywhere. Coupled with innovations in VR streaming technology, users can now experience powerful VR environments even on the go.
The latest trend in XR extended reality - cloud-based XR
High-quality XR is increasingly accessible. Consumers around the world are buying AIO to experience XR, from immersive gaming to distance learning to virtual training. Large enterprises are adding XR to their workflows and design processes, and digital twins leveraging XR technology are also greatly improving design and manufacturing processes.
A major trend in XR extended reality is streaming XR experiences from the cloud ( cloud streaming ) through 5G. This eliminates user device usage restrictions and makes XR applications more lightweight and portable. Through cloud streaming technology, people can obtain and transmit interactive data from the cloud. The powerful computing power of the cloud allows more people to access XR immersive, high-definition, and low-latency applications anytime, anywhere, and from multiple terminals.
AR augmented reality applications are also becoming increasingly common. After Pokémon GO became a household name, AR appeared in many other consumer-focused areas. For example, many social media platforms have developed filter functions that users can superimpose on their faces. Some companies use AR to display realistic 3D rendering products, making products 3D and visual, allowing customers to browse products anytime, anywhere, regardless of time and location.
Additionally, businesses in various industries including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and more are using the technology to improve workflows and create unique interactive experiences. For example, architects and design teams are integrating AR into construction project monitoring so they can see on-site progress and compare it to digital designs.
Real-time Rendering Cloud-Cloud Streaming Solution
3DCAT real-time rendering cloud is based on the concept of cloud computing and deploys XR applications to run in the cloud. Cloud resources perform real-time calculation and output of graphics data, and push the running results to the terminal for presentation in a "streaming" manner. End users can Interactively access various XR applications anytime and anywhere. You can break the shackles of time and space and enjoy the virtual world anytime and anywhere.
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