What is AR

What is AR, VR, MR, XR, 360?

It was a few years ago when Virtual Reality or VR started to make its way into mainstream conversations and it was rapidly when this industry is advancing. It can be daunting when you keep up with the terms and acronyms. We have created a glossary of terms extending across the immersive technology spectrum from AR to XR to help keep you in the loop.

Virtual Reality

Several different definitions have emerged most of which significantly overlap with one another as virtual reality has evolved and found different uses in different sectors. There are the existences of discrepancies. The following are a few of the elements that VR offers:

• The user was entirely surrounded by the computer-generated stereo visuals by entirely replacing the real-world environment that is around them. This is the definition that rightly excludes 360 videos from some true VR.
• From a viewer-centric perspective, the content is consumed and experienced.

Augmented Reality (AR)

On top of the actual world, Augmented reality is the overlaying of digitally-created content. For interacting with both the real world and digital elements or augmentations, Augmented reality or ‘AR’ allows the users. Through the headsets like Microsoft’s Hololens or through the video camera of a smartphone, AR can be offered.

XR

For the combination of virtual and real-world environments and realities, technology-mediated experiences are used. Though it also represents an undefined or variable quality or quantity, the X can be seen as a placeholder for V(R), A(R), or M(R).  The hardware, software, experience, and methods that make virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality, cinematic reality, and other realities are all covered by XR. Users can take the digital objects into reality or conversely see the physical objects as present in a digital scene is the most definition of XR that is encompassed in the platforms and content.

Mixed Reality (MR)

The one that seamlessly blends the user’s real-world environment and digitally created content where both the environments can coexist and interact with each other is what mixed reality is. It can be understood to be a continuum on which pure VR and pure AR are both found as it can often be found in VR experiences and installations.

360 Video

360 videos are video recordings that one can view in multiple directions is recorded simultaneously and are frequently called spherical videos or immersive videos. The use of a specialist omnidirectional camera or a collection of separate, connected cameras mounted as a spherical array is how they are shot.