Is Augmented Reality better than Virtual Reality?

Is Augmented Reality better than Virtual Reality?

Both augmented reality and virtual reality are earning a lot of media attention these days with their computer-generated presentations and are promising tremendous growth.

Virtual Reality:

Virtual reality is an artificial, computer-generated recreation of a real-life situation. It mesmerizes the user, by making him feel as if he is experiencing reality. It is accomplished by sporting a technology equipped headset. It is used prominently in different ways, for example, to enhance an imaginary reality for gaming, entertainment, and play video and computer games, or for 3D movies.
Here are some of the applications of virtual reality:

  • Army, Navy and Air-force are using VR for training purposes – combat situations or other dangerous settings where they must learn how to react in an appropriate manner. This has proven to be safer and less costly than traditional training methods.
  • VR has been adopted in education for teaching and learning situations. It enables large groups of students to interact with each other. The students can also interact within a three-dimensional environment.
  • The medical field is one of the biggest adopters of VR. Surgery simulation, phobia treatment, robotic surgery, and skills training are some of the adopters.
  • VR enables business people to test a product prototype. It enables them to detect design problems at an early stage, otherwise it can be time consuming and expensive.
  • Virtual reality has a coding language – Virtual Reality Modeling Language. It can be used to create a series of images that let the user know about what types of interactions are possible for them.

Augmented Reality:

Augmented reality works on recognition programs. It increases sound, video, graphics and other sensor based inputs on real world objects using the camera of your device. It is a good way to render real world information and present it in an interactive way. So, the virtual elements become part of the real world.
Augmented reality displays combined information on the place of view. It can take you into a new world where the real and virtual worlds are tightly coupled. It is not just limited to desktop or mobile devices.
Here are some of the applications of augmented reality:

  • Google Glass is a wearable computer.
  • AR applications are being developed which interpose text, images, and videos, as well as real–world curriculums.
  • Printing and advertising industries are developing applications to display digital content on real world magazines.
  • AR helps travelers to access real-time information of historical places just by pointing their camera’s viewfinder to the subjects.
  • Translation apps are being developed to interpret text in other languages.
  • Location based AR apps let users access user’s reviews about the nearest places relative to the current location.
  • AR is being used to develop real-time 3D Games with the help of Unity 3d Engine.

Similarity:

    1. Both provide the same types of technology, and that gives the user enriched experience.
    2. Both technologies are enticing the entertainment industry in a huge way. The technology greats are ready to invest in and develop new apps and products to bring more and more customers.
    3. Both the technologies have increased the possibility of great changes in the medical field like remote surgery.

 
 

Difference:

  1. Virtual reality provides a digital re-creation of a real-life setting, while augmented reality provides virtual elements in the real world.
  2. Augmented reality adds virtual components like digital images, graphics as a new layer of interaction with the real world whereas virtual reality creates and presents computer generated reality.
  3. Augmented reality is being used more in mobile devices to show the interaction between the real world and digital images.

Blending:

Virtual reality and augmented reality can be blended together to generate deep experience and more lifelike through touch.
Alone or blended together, they are undoubtedly opening new worlds-both real and virtual alike.

Conclusion:

AR technology is practically more sound. VR/AR is expected to infiltrate across various industries as they are realizing the impact and the value.
Facebook and Snapchat have recently announced to add AR functionalities to their platforms.
 
 

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