What is artificial reality

 

Artificial reality is a term that refers to the creation of immersive and interactive environments that simulate or augment the real world. Artificial reality can be experienced through various devices, such as head-mounted displays, smart glasses, projectors, or mobile phones. Artificial reality can be used for various purposes, such as entertainment, education, communication, and medicine. In this blog post, we will explore some of the concepts and applications of artificial reality.

What is Artificial Reality?

Artificial reality is a broad term that encompasses different types of technologies that combine the real and virtual worlds. According to Wikipedia¹, artificial reality can be defined as "a system that incorporates three basic features: a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects". Artificial reality can be classified into two main categories: virtual reality and augmented reality.

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that creates a completely simulated environment that replaces the real world. VR users wear devices that block out their senses from the real world and immerse them in a computer-generated world. VR can create realistic or fantastical scenarios that allow users to experience things that are impossible or difficult in the real world. For example, VR can be used to play games, watch movies, travel to distant places, or train for dangerous situations.

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that enhances the real world with digital information, such as images, sounds, or texts. AR users see the real world through devices that overlay digital content on it. AR can create interactive and engaging experiences that add value to the real world. For example, AR can be used to play games, take selfies, scan objects, visualize products, or learn new things.

How Does Artificial Reality Work?

Artificial reality works by using devices that sense the real world and generate digital content based on it. These devices use sensors, cameras, and software to detect the real world and overlay digital content on it. The devices also track the user's position, orientation, and movements to adjust the digital content accordingly. The devices also provide feedback to the user through various modalities, such as visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory, and olfactory.

Some of the devices that can deliver artificial reality experiences are:

• Head-mounted displays (HMDs) are devices that are worn on the head and cover the eyes. HMDs have screens or lenses that display digital content in front of the eyes. HMDs can be used for both VR and AR applications. Some examples of HMDs are Oculus Rift², HTC Vive³, Microsoft HoloLens, and Google Glass.
• Smart glasses are devices that look like regular glasses but have built-in cameras, speakers, microphones, and displays. Smart glasses can be used for AR applications. Some examples of smart glasses are Snap Spectacles, Nreal Light, Vuzix Blade, and Bose Frames.
• Projectors are devices that project digital content onto surfaces or objects. Projectors can be used for AR applications. Some examples of projectors are Sony Xperia Touch, Lightform LFC Kit, Rokid Vision, and Lenovo Smart Cast.
• Mobile phones are devices that have built-in cameras, speakers, microphones, and touchscreens. Mobile phones can be used for AR applications by using apps that access the camera and display digital content on the screen. Some examples of mobile AR apps are Pokemon Go, Snapchat, Instagram, Google Lens, and IKEA Place.

What are the Applications and Benefits of Artificial Reality?

Artificial reality has many applications and benefits across various domains, such as entertainment, education, communication, and medicine. Artificial reality can make our lives more fun, convenient, productive, and meaningful by providing us with new ways of experiencing and interacting with the world.

Some of the applications and benefits of artificial reality are: 

Entertainment: Artificial reality can provide us with immersive and engaging entertainment experiences that stimulate our senses and emotions. We can play games that interact with our surroundings, watch movies that transport us to different worlds, listen to music that adapts to our mood, or create art that expresses our creativity.

Education: Artificial reality can enhance our learning outcomes by providing us with interactive and personalized education experiences that cater to our needs and preferences. We can learn about historical sites by seeing virtual reconstructions, learn about scientific concepts by performing virtual experiments, learn about languages by conversing with native speakers, or learn about skills by practicing in realistic scenarios.

Communication: Artificial reality can improve our communication efficiency and quality by providing us with new ways of expressing ourselves and connecting with others. We can chat with our friends using 3D avatars, share our experiences using live streams or stories, collaborate with our colleagues using shared spaces or documents, or attend events or meetings using virtual or augmented reality.

Medicine: Artificial reality can enhance our health and well-being by providing us with better diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and prevention of diseases and disorders. We can see how a surgery is performed by overlaying anatomical models, see how a medication works by visualizing its effects, see how our health is improving by tracking our vital signs, or see how we can prevent illnesses by following healthy habits.

Conclusion

Artificial reality is a fascinating and innovative technology that has the potential to transform the way we interact with the world. Artificial reality can provide us with immersive and interactive experiences that simulate or augment the real world. Artificial reality can be used for various purposes, such as entertainment, education, communication, and medicine. Artificial reality can make our lives more fun, convenient, productive, and meaningful. By following the trends of artificial reality based on Google Trends data, we can stay updated on the latest developments and opportunities in this exciting field.