The technology of AR and VR dates as far back as 1968, with scientist Ivan Sutherland creating the “Sword of Damocles”
Everyone has heard about Virtual Reality- a 3D simulated virtual surrounding, approximating reality, which allows users to experience and interact with it. VR is a completely immersive environment that engages multiple sensory outputs by showcasing realistic situations, accompanied by sound, which makes a person feel they are experiencing that situation.
On the other hand, Augmented Reality means exactly what its name suggests, it augments one’s reality.AR enhances one’s experience in the real world through visual, auditory and other sensory information with the help of technology. Pokémon Go and Snapchat filters are some of the most common examples of AR. Unlike VR, which creates an environment, AR modifies reality. The two concepts go hand in hand.
History and Development of AR & VR
The technology of AR and VR dates as far back as 1968, with scientist Ivan Sutherland creating the “Sword of Damocles”, which was a head mounted pair of glasses that allowed one to view images in 3D. As the device was heavy and the assembly of the device required it to be suspended from the ceiling (therefore, owing to its name after the parable “Sword of Damocles”), the contraption was put out of order.
AR and VR have come a long way since the Sword of Damocles. Several improvements have taken place, with the most recent trend being the Apple Vision Pro. It uses cutting-edge technology, which is basically a computer for your eyes, and they have termed it a “spatial computer”.
These technologies are used in various fields, with the most prominent being gaming, aviation, healthcare, education, marketing, etc. However, AR and VR are also enhancing other fields such as: –
Real Estate
AR is also used in real estate and architecture. Through architectural visualization, AR allows the developer to provide a picture for prospective clients to visualize what their future home could look like according to their requirements. Usually, it is very difficult to visualize a house that is in the works. This proves to be a challenge for real estate developers to sell them or put them on the market. Rather than going 100 miles away to see a house, potential buyers can visualize their future homes at a distance, proving to be cost-effective and time-saving.
A VR headset also allows clients and maintenance crews to understand issues right from plumbing to all other sorts of maintenance. Clients can get a feel of the flooring and it eliminates errors as they can purchase properly fitting furniture at one time with the exact floor plans and measurements.
Billboards and Advertisements
One current trend is the use of AR and VR in the advertising market. The Nike 3D Billboard campaign unveiled in Japan was the first of its kind using 3D Image technology that creates an optical illusion for the viewers.
AR and VR technology is used for OOH (out-of-home) advertising for individuals who are constantly on the go. It provides an immersive experience for customers, thereby making the product more attractive.
Besides promotional purposes, AR billboard ads are also used to spread public awareness of various relevant issues. For instance, in the UK, to spread awareness about blood donation, The NHS made an advertisement of a fictional sick person and an empty blood bag near the patient. Passerbys, on downloading an AR app, could donate blood, and as the bag got filled the virtual patient got better. Besides this, many games also use AR and VR mobile ads to promote their products.
AR and VR to Help the Visually Challenged
According to the World Health Organization, India is estimated to have 15 million blind people and around 135 million people with some form of visual impairment. AR and VR assist senior citizens and those who are visually challenged.
One of the major challenges visually impaired individuals face is orienting and navigating the space around them. VR headsets allow images and texts to be magnified according to the users’ requirements. The colors and gradients can also be modified. This technology also allows such changes to be made for each eye. Therefore, it stimulates human vision by tapping into required sensory damaged areas.
Dr.Shroffs Eye Clinic (Delhi), very recently launched smart vision glasses which projects images that are accompanied by an earpiece to provide walking assistance to those who are visually challenged.
Conclusion
AR and VR are the trending technologies of this decade. Even though AR and VR are accompanied by various advantages, their utilization is not seen as much in the Indian market. This is perhaps because of the high cost of devices and the lack of education in the Indian market. It is a growing market, with many startups in the country focusing on this technology. Therefore, India is in a good position to ride the AR and VR wave and emerge as a strong market player in this domain.
