EXTENDED REALITY (XR)
Extended Reality or XR is an emerging umbrella term given to all computer-generated environments that either merge the physical and virtual worlds or create entirely immersive experience for the user. To understand XR further, below are the definitions of three of its main components: virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR).
Virtual Reality (VR) applications use headsets to fully immerse users in a computer-simulated reality. These headsets generate realistic sounds and images, engaging all five senses to create an interactive virtual world. Immersive headsets enables a user to experience a computer-simulated or a 360 degree view of reality in a virtual world.
Computer generated graphics overlaid on the physical world. AR relies on a device- like your camera in your phone or tablet- to overlay digital graphics and sounds into a real-world environment. Pokémon Go and Snapchat filters are commonplace examples of this kind of technology.
Mixed Reality (MR) lies somewhere in between VR and AR. It blends real and virtual worlds to create complex environments where physical and digital elements can interact in real time. Like AR, it overlays synthetic content in a real-world environment; and like VR, this content is interactive, and users can manipulate the digital objects in their physical space.
