The rapid and constant improvement of virtual reality technology has unlocked an infinite amount of possibilities in the world of technology. Perhaps one of the most interesting and promising of these possibilities, is the idea of merging virtual reality with physical reality, otherwise known as augmented reality.
Unlike virtual reality, where the real world fades away completely to give way to a fully digital virtual world, augmented reality inserts virtual objects and elements into the real world. In other words, it modifies and adds to our current reality instead of entirely replacing it.
Augmented reality has a nearly endless variety of practical applications that we already make use of in our daily lives.
Seamless integration of real and virtual elements enable us to see and interact with things that would otherwise be incredibly dangerous or impossible, such as wild animals or dinosaurs. There are many applications that allow for these kinds of interactions, including a project that is currently in development at our offices. It is yet to be released but will feature interactive projections of animals both alive and extinct. This type of technology will be the ideal education experience, as it is much easier to learn from something that is visually present and interactive than it is to learn from a regular book.
Whilst being an excellent educational tool, augmented reality will also be remarkably useful to those who simply wish to learn more about a product they are interested in purchasing. By creating a digital projection of the product, a customer will have a detailed view of whatever they wish to purchase, along with important information such as scale, colour and function all taken into account by the augmented reality projection.
While all of this technology definitely seems like something that would be limited to the realm of science-fiction, a lot of people have been working endlessly to realise those science-fictional ideas and turn them into real, fully-functional devices that exist within the real world.
Microsoft, one of the largest tech companies in the world, has made an immense amount of valuable progress in the world of augmented reality, primarily with the Microsoft Hololens, an augmented reality headset that fits over the user’s head much like a pair of goggles. The device was completely independent from any external computers and could operate entirely on its own, not unlike a regular handheld smartphone.
While the creation of the Hololens is considered a groundbreaking achievement and a leap forward in the evolution of mankind’s relationship with technology, even greater, more revolutionary discoveries and developments are being made that might permanently change the way we perceive technology.
Microsoft has recently announced a collaboration with Volkswagen to implement augmented reality in the world of automobiles. This collaboration takes the form of a new mode on the Hololens 2 named Moving Platform mode. Very few details have been released relating to how exactly this mode will function, but there are some hints regarding what we can expect. According to Microsoft, Moving Platform will give drivers the ability to learn how to adapt to challenging and hazardous conditions on the road. It is speculated that this Moving Platform mode will not be meant for regular drivers, but rather for those who drive commercial vehicles such as bus drivers or truck drivers.
Mojo Vision recently announced a new prototype for an augmented reality device that will not only revolutionise the way in which we interact with technology, but also the way we function as a society. The Mojo Lens is an incredibly small device that closely resembles a regular contact lens. Users will place the device onto the surface of their eye and be able to operate it by simply only moving their eyes. While still in the early stages of its development and far from being available to the general public, the Mojo Lens already proves itself to be a groundbreaking piece of technology, sporting nearly microscopic equivalents of the major components of most regular headsets and computers, such as a gyroscope, magnetometer, low-power batteries and even an incredibly small monochrome display screen at the centre of the lens.
It is certainly a very interesting and exciting time to live in, where the line between the digital world and the physical world is becoming increasingly more blurred every day, and where the evolution of technology and of humanity itself might one day become one and the same. It may seem frightening to some, but such is the case with all technology. There was even a time when the device you might be using to read this very article was also once considered to be nothing but science fiction. But now such devices are considered to be normal. Augmented reality, and the devices we use to access it, will not be any different.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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