What Is Augmented Reality (AR)?Augmented reality (AR) is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli and delivered via technology. It is a growing trend among companies involved in mobile computing and business applications in particular. Show
Amid the rise of data collection and analysis, one of augmented reality’s primary goals is to highlight specific features of the physical world, increase understanding of those features, and derive smart and accessible insight that can be applied to real-world applications. Such big data can help inform companies’ decision making and gain insight into consumer spending habits, among others. Key Takeaways
Understanding Augmented RealityAugmented reality continues to develop and become more pervasive among a wide range of applications. Since its conception, marketers and technology firms have had to battle the perception that augmented reality is little more than a marketing tool. However, there is evidence that consumers are beginning to derive tangible benefits from this technology and expect it as part of their purchasing process. Some experts have long speculated that wearable devices could be a breakthrough for augmented reality. Smartphones and tablets show a tiny portion of the user’s landscape, but smart eyewear, for example, may provide a more complete link between real and virtual realms if it develops enough to become mainstream. Examples of Augmented RealitySome early adopters in the retail sector have developed AR technologies designed to enhance the consumer shopping experience. Augmented reality has been incorporated into store catalog apps, which allows consumers to visualize what different products would look like in different environments. For example, when buying furniture, shoppers point the camera to the appropriate room and the product will appear in the foreground. Augmented reality’s benefits can also extend to the healthcare sector, where it can play a much bigger role. AR apps enable users to see highly detailed, 3D images of different body systems when they hover their mobile device over a target image. This use of AR has become a powerful learning tool for training medical professionals. Augmented Reality vs. Virtual RealityAugmented reality and virtual reality are often confused, so let’s clarify. Augmented reality uses the existing real-world environment and puts virtual information—or even a virtual world—on top of it to enhance the experience. For example, think of Pokémon Go, where users are searching in their real-life neighborhoods for animated characters that pop up on their phone or tablet. In the NFL, broadcasters use AR technology to better analyze plays. In contrast, virtual reality immerses users into an entirely different environment, typically a virtual one created and rendered by computers. For example, virtual reality users may be immersed in an animated scene or a
digital environment. Virtual reality can also be used to photograph an actual local location and embed it in a VR app. Through a virtual reality headset, someone can walk around Italy as if they were actually there. Skip to main content This browser is no longer supported. Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support. What is mixed reality?
In this articleMixed reality is the next wave in computing followed by mainframes, PCs, and smartphones. Mixed reality is going mainstream for consumers and businesses. It liberates us from screen-bound experiences by offering instinctual interactions with data in our living spaces and with our friends. Online explorers, in hundreds of millions around the world, have experienced mixed reality through their handheld devices. Mobile AR offers the most mainstream mixed reality solutions today on social media. People may not even realize that the AR filters they use on Instagram are mixed reality experiences. Windows Mixed Reality takes all these user experiences to the next level with stunning holographic representations of people, high fidelity holographic 3D models, and the real world around them.  Mixed reality is a blend of physical and digital worlds, unlocking natural and intuitive 3D human, computer, and environmental interactions. This new reality is based on advancements in computer vision, graphical processing, display technologies, input systems, and cloud computing. The term "mixed reality" was introduced in a 1994 paper by Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino, "A Taxonomy of Mixed reality Visual Displays." Their paper explored the concept of a virtuality continuum and the taxonomy of visual displays. Since then, the application of mixed reality has gone beyond displays to include:
Image: mixed reality is the result of blending the physical world with the digital world. Environmental input and perceptionIn recent decades, the relationship between humans and computers has continued to evolve by means of input methods. A new discipline has emerged that's known as human-computer interaction or "HCI". Human input can now include keyboards, mice, touch, ink, voice, and Kinect skeletal tracking. Advancements in sensors and processing power are creating new computer perceptions of environments based on advanced input methods. This is why API names in Windows that reveal environmental information are called the perception APIs. Environmental inputs can capture:
Image: The interactions between computers, humans, and environments. A combination of three essential elements sets the stage for creating true mixed reality experiences:
As we move through the physical world, our movements are mapped in a digital reality. Physical boundaries influence mixed reality experiences such as games or task-based guidance in a manufacturing facility. With environmental input and perceptions, experiences start to blend between physical and digital realities. The mixed reality spectrumMixed reality blends both physical and digital worlds. These two realities mark the polar ends of a spectrum known as the virtuality continuum. We refer to this spectrum of realities as the mixed reality spectrum. On one end of the spectrum, we have the physical reality that we as humans exist. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the corresponding digital reality. Augmented vs. virtual realityMost mobile phones on the market today have little to no environmental perception capabilities. The experiences these phones offer can't mix physical and digital realities. The experiences that overlay graphics, video streams, or holograms in the physical world are called augmented reality. The experiences that occlude your view to present a fully immersive digital experience are virtual reality. The experiences that can transition between augmented and virtual realities form mixed reality, where you can:
When a user is in virtual reality, the physical obstacles in their immediate surroundings, such as walls and furniture, are represented digitally within the experience so that the user can avoid colliding with those physical obstacles. Image: The mixed reality spectrum Most augmented reality and virtual reality experiences available today represent a small subset of the larger mixed reality spectrum. Windows 10 is built with the entire spectrum in mind, and allows blending digital representations of people, places, and things with the real world. Devices and experiencesThere are two main types of devices that deliver Windows Mixed Reality experiences:
Note Whether a device is tethered to a separate PC (via USB cable or Wi-Fi) or untethered doesn't reflect whether a device is holographic or immersive. Features that improve mobility often provide better experiences. Holographic and immersive devices can be either tethered or untethered. Mixed reality experiences are the result of technological advancements. There aren't any devices today that can run experiences across the entire spectrum. Windows 10 provides a common mixed reality platform for both device manufacturers and developers. Any given device today can support a specific range within the mixed reality spectrum. In the future, new devices with more expansive range are expected: holographic devices will be more immersive, and immersive devices will be more holographic. Image: Where devices exist on the mixed reality spectrum As an application or game developer, what type of experiences do you want to create? The experiences will typically target a specific point or part on the spectrum. You'll need to consider the capabilities of devices you wish to target. Experiences that rely on the physical world will run best on HoloLens.
Next Discovery CheckpointYou're in the beginning of the discovery journey we've laid out for you, and exploring the basics of mixed reality. From here, you can continue to the next foundational topic: FeedbackSubmit and view feedback for What is a technology that connects individual devices to other parts of a network through radio connections?A radio access network is a technology that connects individual devices to other parts of a network through radio connections. It is a major part of modern telecommunications, with LTE and 5G network connections for mobile phones being examples of radio access networks.
What isolates corporate applications from personal applications on a device?Containerization. This approach, also known as application sandboxing, isolates an app or group of apps from other apps on a device.
What administers and delivers applications to corporate and personal smartphones and tablets multiple choice question?LANs allow sharing of files, printers, games, and other resources. administers and delivers applications to corporate and personal smart phones and tablets. An important feature of MAM is that it provides corporate network administrators with the ability to wipe corporate mobile apps from an end user's device remotely.
What is the set of processes and procedures involved in writing software for use on wireless devices?Mobile application development is the set of processes and procedures involved in writing software for small, wireless computing devices, such as smartphones and other hand-held devices.
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