A look into AR and VR so far

If you could play inside your favorite video game, which character would you be?

This used to be a fun mental exercise, thinking about what you wanted to do and who you wanted to be if you were to be inside a video game. That was the case in the 90s until augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) started making it somewhat possible.

What are AR and VR?

Virtual reality is a technology that allows you to see or be immersed in a virtual world through the use of a headset. The headset is equipped with a head-tracking feature that allows you to see a 360-view of said world. Basically, you are transported to a different world once you wear the headset.

Now, augmented reality works a little differently. Some AR devices use a headset, but instead of playing a different world, it layers digital images in the real world that you see. AR can also be used on devices like smartphones.

What are their main uses?

If you have used your camera to translate a text written in a different language, you used AR. The same goes for apps that identify logos, constellations, or try-on features on fashion websites. Some industries use AR for training and designing products.

For VR, some of its practical uses heavily relate to its ability to transport people into a world where they could practice something virtually. VR is used in training medical students to decide quickly in tough medical situations. 

Technically, VR and AR have practical uses that slash the cost of physically experiencing a situation or handling real equipment.

And of course, one of their most popular uses is in gaming! Think Pokemon Go and all other immersive video games you have gotten your hands on.

When did AR and VR start?

Multiple accounts trace the history of Ar and VR to as early as 1838. That was so long ago. It was when Charles Wheatstone invented the stereoscope, a device that uses different images for each eye to form a 3D vision.

This device was further developed and more technologies such as a flight simulator and a wearable device that allowed head-tracking followed it. It was in 1987 that the term virtual reality was first coined. Three years later, augmented reality followed. And in 1991, these technologies were first used in gaming.

What is the future of AR?

With the hundreds of things you’re now capable of doing thanks to these technologies, you might wonder where all of this is headed. The consensus on the forecasts is that these technologies, like others that preceded them, will eventually become more affordable and widely used in normal human activities. 

The goal is to strengthen training possibilities and other practical uses of AR and VR. Eventually, it might even be capable of creating a different virtual world based on a series of actions of the user.

All in all, a bright future awaits AR and VR technologies and the world will greatly benefit from further development that is for sure