Augmented Reality v/s Virtual Reality
Posted by. Disrupt Tech. August 22, 2021
How many of us haven’t heard the name of Pokémon Go AR headsets, such as Oculus Quest?
Most of the millennials and Gen Z are obsessed with these things nowadays. With that being said, terms such as “Virtual Reality” and “Augmented Reality” are commonly used in today’s time.
Oculus Quest or Valva index is the most common VR headsets, where Pokémon Go is the most popular AR game. Although AR and VR sound similar, they are different from each other. Throughout the article, we will see the distinct characteristics of these two concepts –
What is Virtual Reality(VR)?
With the term Virtual Reality, the name of a very popular movie, The Matrix, comes in. The film is about a deceptive reality that is very similar to everyday life. In this movie, we saw how the main character believes everything is real when it was not.
So, what’s exactly Virtual Reality?
Virtual reality is a simulation of a computer-generated alternate reality. VR is primarily used in 3D movies and video games to create simulations. It takes the viewers into a world similar to real-life using sensory equipment such as gloves or headsets.
Using the following devices, VR can replace users’ field of vision completely.
- HTC Vive,
- Oculus Rift, and
- Google Cardboard
Apart from 3D movies and games, Virtual Reality is being used in training, education, and science for a long time now.
Example of Virtual Reality
VR can make you feel like doing something that you are not doing. For example, walking through a jungle, performing an industrial task, and fighting a war. All you need to do is wear some bulky equipment such as headsets to experience it.
During the VR film festivals, it was noticed that viewers tend to enjoy the VR experience, even though the procedure sometimes takes more time. People don’t mind wearing a heavy headset when it is worth it.
This is why Virtual Reality is being used for Training employees in Walmart, as well as in gaming and high-concept art realms.
What is Augmented Reality(AR)?
Where Virtual reality replaces your vision, Augmented Reality adds to it. The followings are some typical types of augmented reality devices.
- Microsoft HoloLens
- Smart glasses.
- Headsets
- Google Pixel’s Star Wars Stickers
- L’Oréal Makeup App
You can see everything happening in front of you through these devices. Moreover, you can access Augmented reality using your mobile phone. Augmented reality can create superimposed images, which users can use to build video games and movies.
Augmented reality combines computer-generated elements with the real world. These elements interact with one another and change people’s field of vision.
Example of Augmented Reality
Pokémon Go was launched in 2016 and became the first big thing for augmented reality. It became the most popular game of that time. The idea of Pokémon Go was to capture monsters using the location and cameras of a user’s smartphone. In addition, the user will search for virtual loot and collect characters through the game.
It became a highly addictive game for its powerful marketing, which added to the revenue immensely. But, most importantly, this game got users out of their homes and connected them to the outer world.
When it comes to augmented reality, Walmart and Lego have set examples as well. They have built an app to let consumers see how the Lego toys would look after assembling. Here, you can scan the barcode of an unassembled Lego Star Wars toy to see how it looks after assembling.
You will experience it fighting right in front of you on the floor.
With that being said, many other industries are developing augmented reality solutions. Such as –
a. Aviation,
b. Automotive,
c. Healthcare, and
d. Travel
Applications of Augmented Reality
The followings are some essential uses of augmented reality-
AR applications can be used to embed text, images, and videos.
The advertising industry is using AR technology to create digital content and display them in top magazines.
AR can help you to interpret text messages in other languages.
Using 3D tools, AR is helping to develop 3D games.
Applications of Virtual Reality
• VR is being used to enhance fictional reality for building video games.
• It can be used in military flight simulation and battlefield simulation.
• It can be used as a digital training device. For example, a sports person’s performance can be evaluated through VR.
• Virtual reality is being used for treating post-traumatic stress.
• VR is popular among medical students for practicing different procedures.
• It helps students to build various skills.
• While discussing the differences between AR and VR, there is one example we all should look into.
Honeywell has taken the initiative to deal with its aging workforce. In order to train millennial workers, they are using AR headsets to record and narrate tasks. Through this, they will be able to skip the hassle of writing training documents. Upon implementing this process, they claimed employees were able to retain 80 percent of their training material. However, employees could retain only 30 percent from a manual. Big differences!
On the other hand, Johnson & Johnson Institute has developed VR software to improve training for nurses and doctors.
What the Future Holds
AR and VR are emerging faster than any other technology. Within the next five years, these will be applied in multiple sectors. As the technology emerges, it will serve different purposes for different value propositions.
Now that we are at the end of the write-up, it can be said that despite two of the system sounds the same, there are considerable differences between them. Both have different uses and different applications.