The AR VR Technology is taking us to the whole new WORLD | Sanjay Pasari

Do you recall how popular Pokémon GO got in 2016? Finding new Pokémon characters and checkpoints occupied everyone's time. Because of the hype, it occasionally caused havoc in public spaces throughout the globe and was even outlawed in certain areas. The game was distinctive in that it made use of the phone's GPS and camera to enable real-time Pokémon capture. It needed one to travel and discover new characters while moving one's avatar on the phone's screen.

It was the first significant mobile Augmented Reality (AR) game. The first AR headgear was developed in 1968 at Harvard by Ivan Sutherland, which is when AR first became a reality. However, the first augmented reality application debuted in 2008.

Contrarily, the history of virtual reality (VR) dates back to Sir Charles Wheatstone's 1838 description of the stereopsis idea. The term "stereopsis" refers to the sense of depth and three-dimensional structure that results from visual information being sent from the eyes to the brain.

Morton Heilig developed the Sensorama, the first VR device, in 1956. It combined a number of technologies, including sensory stimulators, music, and 3D screens. Since then, Google Maps, virtual rides at amusement parks, and video games have all made extensive use of virtual reality.

What is the science underlying AR and VR and how do they vary from one another?  

In real time, virtual items are added to the real-world dimension in a system known as augmented reality (AR). Various camera filters employed by social media platforms, where a virtual figure is either placed in the actual landscape or the face filters that offer varied looks by reading the facial geometry, would serve as a simplification of the concept.

AR relies on processing power to run the graphics, photos, objects, etc. smoothly as well as a geographical datum (a starting point for the virtual object to be put) and a surface to project the virtual object. A camera is also necessary for the AR system to track movement, which allows the virtual object to move in sync with the real thing.

Three technologies now underpin the use of AR technology:

1: SLAM (Simultaneous Location and Mapping)

Gyroscope, accelerometers, and other sensors are localized using SLAM, which then generates virtual objects and pictures over actual environments.

2: Marker-Based

The item is marked by marker-based camera sensors, which subsequently superimpose the virtual picture and object on top of it. The 3-D virtual picture is utilized to provide the consumer a rich experience.

3: Location Based

This technology uses GPS, gyroscopes, and other location-based sensors to display augmented reality representations. Directions are mostly mapped out using this method.

On the other hand, virtual reality (VR) is an interactive, immersive technology that places the user in a digitally produced, three-dimensional environment that also includes sensory experience.

Devices for input and output are necessary for VR to operate. The user can engage in the virtual, simulated environment with the use of input devices like the mouse, keyboard, joysticks, etc. Additionally, tracking sensors are used, which record physical movement and reflect it in the virtual environment.

Users that employ output devices can experience things with their eyes, their hands, their noses, or any other sense. The most well-known output types are VR glasses, haptic devices that stimulate touch, and VR headgear.

While these two technologies have been most frequently employed in the genre of video games, they have also begun to acquire popularity in a variety of other fields, including surgery, manufacturing, aerospace, military training, remote project execution, e-commerce, and education.

Research predicts that between 2020 and 2024, the worldwide AR & VR industry would grow at a 35 percent CAGR, or USD 125.19 billion. Although still in their infancy, the technologies have begun to gain root in India as well.

Technology use has increased significantly in the post-COVID era. The use of AR and VR will be essential. Utilizing cutting-edge technology to navigate the new normal is crucial for industries.