VR, AR, MR – all these abbreviations refer to the interaction between real and digital reality. Each of these technologies can be used for business development, education, production, and other areas. Virtual, augmented and mixed reality provides their own unique opportunities. In this article, we will talk about how these technologies work and how they can be useful for business.
The meaning of VR and its features
VR is an artificial digital environment. In it, users see, hear and move as if they are inside another reality. An example of using VR is Google VR Services. It is a platform that allows you to connect VR devices and use virtual reality applications. According to Statista experts, sales of virtual reality devices will double in two years. Growing demand is an indicator that it is worth thinking about the VR business.
This technology is the most famous of the three: back in the nineties, developers presented it to the world, although it was poorly developed. Now the situation has changed: people are well aware of what VR is. Over the years, virtual reality is becoming less and less distinguishable from the real one. The main application of VR products in the entertainment industry, but over the years they have become more detailed and better. This allows them to be used in other, more serious areas.
Where VR technologies are applied
Movies and series
Probably the widest area of ​​using VR technology is cinema. After all, thanks to virtual reality technologies, everyone can feel like a hero in a movie. Now the technology of filming 360-degree panoramas is just beginning to develop, but such products already exist. Spherical or domed cinemas allow viewers not only to look at the screen but to see what is happening in the film from all sides. This makes watching videos in VR much more exciting and immersive.
Entertainment industry
If a few years ago VR helmets were expensive and bulky, now they are available to a much larger number of people. At the same time, the image quality becomes better, and the level of immersion keeps users in the game for hours. Still: in such a helmet, players can feel like astronauts, ninjas, and anyone else. To build a business in this area, there are different types of virtual reality: from your own development studio to VR space in shopping malls. For now, VR remains uncommon for audiences, so now is the time to take advantage of the high demand. By the way, VR helmets can even be used for casino games – for example, at Bet22 casino. It helps to make the game more realistic and exciting.
Education
One of the main trends of recent years is the introduction of electronic technologies in education. Some are mastering whiteboards and online presentations, while more advanced schools are looking for ways to immerse students in virtual reality so they can experience life-like experiences and better assimilate the material. This can be useful, for example, in teaching driving or surgery.
Healthcare
The matter is not limited to study alone: ​​modern technologies allow real operations to be carried out in virtual reality. Special cameras and sensors allow you to accurately track everything that happens in the body and take the necessary actions to cure the patient. The surgeon puts on glasses and holds special joysticks in his hands for remote control of mechanical devices. The operation is performed by a robot, and the doctor controls its actions.
Design
Building a new house or shopping center is a complex task that requires a lot of resources. Even if the design project looks good, the result may be unsatisfactory. VR technology is a worthy solution to this problem. By creating designs for future buildings in virtual reality, specialists can show customers the final result even before construction begins. Details will vary, but the ability to walk around your future apartment will prevent all possible mistakes and build what the client needs.
AR (augmented reality) and its features
AR is a technology that allows you to add digital content to the real world. For example, it can be used to see how paintings on the wall, sneakers on your feet, or a chair in your room would look. These objects can be in image or video format. Fortune Business Insight predicts that the AR market will grow at a CAGR of 46.8% over the next seven years. Technologies will become more accessible, the level of immersion will increase, and users will begin to trust manufacturers more.
Unlike VR, AR does not involve the purchase of special glasses, although there are also such glasses: just install the application on your smartphone. By pointing the camera at real objects or parts of the room, they will be able to see digital objects on the screen.
MR (mixed reality) and its features
Mixed reality is an environment that is tied to the position of objects in the real world. We can say that it connects VR and AR. In the case of MR, the user is where they were, but the MR objects become more real; you can interact with them. This is due to special sensors that track the position of objects in the real world and transfer them to the virtual one.
Mixed reality technology is more complex than AR, so it’s not as common. Despite this, application and hardware developers are investing in the development of MR products. For example, in December 2018, Zspace Inc. released a laptop designed for teachers, students, and healthcare professionals. The product combines VR and AR technologies through the use of a special 3D screen and lightweight glasses, which makes mixed reality content more accessible.
All these technologies create our future. Already now you can see how fictional objects will look next to you – this is truly amazing. Technologies not only help us improve the field of education and medicine, but also serve to develop business. VR, AR, and MR are technologies on which you can earn good money today if you correctly implement them into your workflow. Therefore, while the demand for them is not very high, experts advise investing in them and developing them.
