Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality are revolutionizing various industries like e-commerce, marketing, gaming, education, medical, entertainment, etc. The top 5 technology giants Facebook, Google, Instagram, Amazon, and Microsoft are investing in AR and VR technologies to use in research & development, developing high-end software and hardware, and focusing especially on a mobile display. These technologies assist in enhancing the user experience. As per MarketsandMarket estimate, the AR market will be worth 77 Billion USD and the VR market will be 20.9 Billion USD by 2025. Everyone is familiar with AR and VR terms. However, people often mistake these words and use them interchangeably. Read on to learn the difference between AR and VR.
What is AR?
We are surrounded by Augmented Reality technology. Face filters are a popular example of this innovative technology. If you want to see how AR works. Open your Google lens and search for anything to want to see. Make use of this feature only on your mobile. Google will give you an option to view it in 3D animation. Google lens will bring a penguin, spaceship, or even a cute dog into your space right now. Augmented Reality captures the physical world and adds virtual effects to it. It places the virtual layers on top of the existing world. IKEA, a popular furnishing brand, is using AR technology to offer an enhanced and personalized experience. People can download the IKEA place app and see how the various articles of furniture are looking in their living space. In every example, we can see how AR is experimenting with the real world by attaching visual, sound, and other sensory elements.
What is Virtual Reality(VR)?
Have you seen a movie with 3D glasses in a theatre? The objects flying towards you from the screen feel absolutely real. You interact with a 3D environment by using those special glasses. The person wearing them transports to a fictitious world and experiences a stimulating environment. The light and sound effects in a 3D movie make us believe that everything is happening in front of us, although nothing exists in the real world. This is called Virtual Reality(VR). The term VR consists of two words, that is Virtual and Reality. Virtual means almost or nearly as real with the use of technology. A software generates images and creates a virtual world for a viewer who wears hardware devices like HMD (Head-Mounted Display device), goggles, headphones, etc. The user becomes the viewer and interacts with the virtual world.
VR is used in various fields of entertainment, gaming, sales, education, and as a training instrument. With VR technology, we can even play tennis in our living room. Another example of VR is 360 degrees VR videos on Youtube. Have you ever seen any of them? Check this VR film of Lions by National Geographic. A person wearing an electronic device can view up, down, left, and right, whichever way s/he wants.
Let’s compare AR and VR with each other.
1) AR captures the physical world and adds sensory effects to the existing environment whereas VR creates an illusionary environment that stimulates our senses.
2) AR uses a real-life setting while VR generates a fictional world.
3) AR can be used with a smartphone but VR is used with expensive headset devices.
4) AR enhances the real world whereas VR enhances the image-generated world.
5) AR is an extension of reality whereas VR is the replacement of reality.
6) Popular examples of AR are Pokemon go and Face-filters where a famous example of VR is 3d movies and games like Microsoft flight simulator, Batman Arkham VR, and many more.
These are the few differences between AR and VR technologies. We hope now you have understood how both of them work.
AR and VR technologies have hidden potential in the near future. Stay updated with the latest technology for experiencing astonishing results.
Sign up for Awesome Sauce Creative for interesting blogs and follow us on Instagram. Tell us in the comment box some examples of AR & VR technology.
Written by - Arunima Sharma and Rishi Singh
Powered by - AwesomeSauce Creative Pvt. Ltd. (Awesome Sauce Creative)
