School of PE Blog

Imagine being able to virtually tour your dream home before it's built or see how a new piece of furniture would look in your living room before you buy it. How about watching your favorite band perform up close in a simulated concert or traveling to exotic locations without ever leaving the comfort of your own home? With augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), these imagined scenarios are now far closer to reality than fiction. These exciting technologies are changing the way we interact with the world.

What Exactly Is AR and VR?

First things first, what exactly are AR and VR? Augmented reality overlays digital information and objects onto the real world that you see through a device. For example, you could look at a menu through your smartphone camera and see menu prices and reviews overlaid right on the menu. Virtual reality, on the other hand, is a fully immersive, computer-generated simulation of an environment or scenario. With a VR headset on, you're transported into a digital world where you can look around and interact as if you were really there.

Simply speaking, as the name suggests, augmented reality adds to the reality that we see, while virtual reality is an entirely simulated reality to interact with.

From Entertainment to Education

Both AR and VR are being embraced in entertainment and education spaces. Amusement parks have already included AR/VR rollercoaster experiences and VR gaming has become increasingly popular, allowing you to battle monsters or aliens from the comfort of your living room. Museums are using AR to bring exhibits to life with additional digital content about artifacts, and students have been offered fully immersive virtual field trips with the use of VR and interactive detailed models of historical sites and objects have been made possible through AR.

Healthcare has also begun adopting these revolutionary technologies for training surgeons and treating phobias and anxiety disorders.

The technology is still emerging, but huge players like Meta, Microsoft, and Google are investing heavily into AR and VR, and furthering their development. More affordable consumer devices such as the Meta Quest 2 VR headset (as of 2024, priced under $300) deliver high-quality experiences and accuracy that rival its pricier competitors. As the technology continues to improve and costs come down, mass adoption will skyrocket; soon, AR and VR will become the norm.

Endless Possibilities Await

With enhanced online shopping experiences, instant interior design, and fully interactive virtual travel, AR and VR are opening up tremendous new opportunities. As the technology advances, new industries will start to sprout and existing ones will begin to incorporate it into their products and services. We've only scratched the surface of what this emerging field can achieve—the possibilities are expansive.

Although these ideas existed in our imagination at first, people are now able to have their own holodecks like in Star Trek, witness their homes be redecorated with an infinite amount of options, and enable those who are financially constrained to explore the world without restriction. Innovations in AR and VR are turning imagination into reality. The possibilities these technologies provide are limited only by our creativity. Get ready, enjoy the explosive development, and welcome to the future!

The Rapid Pace of Innovation

The capabilities of AR and VR technologies are continuously evolving as new techniques and hardware innovations emerge. Just look at how far we’ve come in a few short years. Early VR headsets were bulky, expensive, and had major limitations, but thanks to rapid advancements, consumer-grade devices today provide stunningly realistic visuals and movement tracking that rivals systems costing thousands more just 5-10 years ago.

With some of the top technology companies engaged in fierce competition to improve AR and VR, the pace of innovation shows no signs of slowing down. Major investments in research and development are further driving breakthroughs across several key areas:

• Display Technology – To enhance realism, headsets are implementing higher display resolutions, faster refresh rates, and wider fields of view. New types of advanced displays like micro-LEDs will push visual fidelity even further (Sprigg, 2023).
• Tracking Systems – More precise and responsive sensors, computer vision technology and deep learning algorithms will continue to refine a headset’s ability to track the position and movement of a user’s head, hands, and body (Mechatech Embrace Technology, n.d.).
• Expanded Applications – Engineers are finding new ways to integrate AR and VR across more fields like healthcare, design, training, and manufacturing. The possibilities for transformational use cases are endless.

Real Life Application

The implementation of augmented reality (AR) technologies like Integrated Visual Augmentation Systems (IVAS) in the military shows promise for enhancing combat capabilities through improved situational awareness, targeting, and decision-making. However, there are some significant challenges regarding human factors, overreliance on technology, data integrity, electromagnetic signatures, environmental durability, and vulnerabilities to disruption that could render AR ineffective or even counterproductive on the battlefield if not properly addressed.

A balanced approach is required that leverages AR's advantages while mitigating limitations through rigorous testing and evaluation across diverse conditions and echelons. Network connectivity, cognitive overload, basic skill retention, and adversarial spoofing must be considered to prevent over-dependence and lack of flexibility. AR adoption must be done methodically, identifying and prioritizing risks and limitations for mitigation before full-scale deployment, so these technologies can serve as force multipliers that augment soldiers’ capabilities without detracting from their core combat competencies and resilience. With prudent implementation, AR can deliver enhanced tactical advantages and effectiveness to the military (Kallberg et al., 2022).

Conclusion

As with any groundbreaking technology, there are challenges to address on the road ahead. Most consumers still view AR and VR as intriguing but cost-prohibitive novelties. As more people get exposure to affordable mobile-based AR experiences, and standalone VR headsets like the Meta Quest 2 lower financial barriers, adoption will accelerate. Increased adoption will then fuel further innovation in a positive feedback loop.

Motion sickness and potential health risks from overuse are also valid concerns. However, solutions are in development - like wider fields of view, eye tracking, and body position monitoring. Responsible use guidelines will also be important. There’s no doubt we’re just scratching the surface of how AR and VR will transform our lives. The future looks bright.

References

Kallberg, D. J., Beitelman, V., Mitsuoka, V., Pittman, J., Boyce, D. M. W., & Arnold, T. W. (2022, May - June). The Tactical Considerations of Augmented and Mixed Reality Implementation. Army University Press. Retrieved August 7, 2023, from https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/PDF-UA-docs/Kallberg-UA.pdf

Mechatech Embrace Technology. (n.d.). How do common virtual reality tracking systems work? Mechatech. Retrieved August 7, 2023, from https://www.mechatech.co.uk/journal/how-do-common-virtual-reality-tracking-systems-work

Sprigg, S. (2023, February 6). MIT engineers invent full-color micro-LEDs for AR & VR devices. Auganix.org. Retrieved August 7, 2023, from https://www.auganix.org/vr-news-mit-engineers-invent-vertical-full-color-microscopic-leds-for-use-in-ar-and-vr-devices/