Blends digital elements with the physical world around you

VR Definitions & Terms: A Guide to Virtual Reality


Like any emerging technology, extended reality (XR) – including virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) – comes with its own jargon. This XR and VR glossary will give you a better understanding of the words and phrases you’re likely to encounter on your XR journey and how to use them effectively.

You’ll also find plenty of links to follow if you want to know more.

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

A computer system capable of replicating human intelligence and cognitive abilities, such as decision-making, problem-solving, learning, reasoning, finding meaning, and analyzing.

Augments

Digital objects that users can anchor to physical spaces, such as a virtual picture frame fixed to a wall or a virtual grocery list that lives on a refrigerator door, visible every time you step into mixed reality.

Augmented reality (AR)

Combining real and virtual environments, AR allows you to interact with digital elements such as text, audio, and graphics, which enhance your experience of the physical world.

Automation

The use of machines and computers to reduce the need for human input. Automation can help with almost any repetitive

Augmented Reality vs Virtual Reality (AR vs VR)


In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, augmented reality and virtual reality have become more than just futuristic concepts—they are transforming how we live, work, and play. These immersive technologies are no longer confined to science fiction; they are now integral to industries ranging from gaming and entertainment to education, healthcare, and even remote work.

While AR and VR often get mentioned together, they offer fundamentally different experiences. AR overlays digital content onto the real world, enhancing your perception of reality, while VR creates a completely virtual environment that immerses you in a different reality altogether. Understanding these differences is crucial for anyone looking to leverage these technologies, whether for business innovation, educational purposes, or enhancing remote collaboration.

In this blog, we’ll explore what AR and VR are, how they function, and the unique benefits and challenges each presents. We’ll also delve into their applications across various industries, with a special focus on how they’re revolutionizing remote work environments.

What is Augmented Reality (AR)?

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Blend virtual objects with the physical environment


Updated: Dec 17, 2024

Using passthrough, users can see their physical surroundings through a video feed from the Meta Quest’s cameras. These mixed reality experiences blend digital objects with physical environments.

Passthrough is not a simple video feed displayed to the user. To deliver realistic, comfortable, and natural viewing experiences, it is essential that passthrough provides realistic depth and proper distortion. Simple monoscopic video (i.e., seen from a single viewing angle) fails to convey a sense of depth, and can be uncomfortable or unsafe for users.



Figure 1:
Virtual content in the physical environment



Why is passthrough important for mixed reality?


Passthrough is a crucial element of mixed reality because it provides a video feed of the physical environment that can be combined with digital objects. Being able to use the physical environment around the user opens up exciting new possibilities for designing content and interactions. For example, a digital recipe can be overlaid on a physical surface in a kitchen, or a movie can be watched while a user is interacting with their family.


How can pas

What Is Augmented Reality?


Augmented reality (AR) is a type of technology that shows you an enhanced version of the real world around you by overlaying a digital augmentation. For example, if you are looking at an empty field, AR may show you a rendering of your dream house in the field.

How Does Augmented Reality Work?

Augmented reality is a growing technology trend that is already available on many smartphones (think Snapchat lenses and shopping apps). AR brings an interactive 3D experience to users by enhancing their real-world view. A camera-equipped device is required as computer vision first processes the real-world surroundings. The augmented reality program then adds digital elements that create the illusion that the holographic content is a part of the physical world in front of you. AR can add objects, sounds, videos, and graphics to your current real-world view.

Augmented Reality vs. Virtual and Mixed Reality

The key difference between AR and virtual reality (VR) is that AR uses the existing real-world environment as the foundation for what the viewer sees, while VR completely creates a self-contained, computer-generated virtual environment. Mixed reality blend