Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are both technological experiences that change how digital technology interacts with the physical world. AR and VR are often lumped together, but each has its way of interacting with the virtual environment.
Augmented Reality :
AR overlays video or images onto a display of the physical world, typically through a smartphone. The overlaid image creates an interaction between the user, the digital, and the physical worlds, allowing them to make connections or have new experiences. AR and CGI allow for the visualization of objects in the real world.
To create an AR experience, you need a device with a camera and software that uses the 3D elements with the AR application. Some popular examples of AR include entertainment-related options like Snapchat filters and the mobile video game Pokemon Go, but it also has implications for business training.
AR — Uses :
AR’s primary functions include visualization, instruction, and interaction because of the ways virtual information adds to the physical world. Let’s take a look at AR’s three main functions:
- Visualization: AR allows users to see deeper into difficult aspects of the human body and mechanical systems by superimposing live images of human veins for blood drawing procedures or how parts come together in mechanical environments.
- Instruction: AR-enhanced instruction and training change how you learn and work by providing real-time information and diagrams while working to save time referencing video or 2D diagrams.
- Interaction: AR changes the way interaction between humans and machines occurs by bypassing the need for physical controls in the future through the use of virtual control panels.
AR — Advantages :
The advantage of augmented reality is its ability to combine the physical world with a digital interface, creating a new experience of the world. Doing so also creates new ways of experiencing the world, from how you monitor manufacturing machines to how surgeons learn about the human body. AR also provides new ways for you to interact within the digital environment.
AR — Disadvantages :
The disadvantages of AR include the cost of implementing the technology in education. Future consideration must ensure equitable access across a diverse range of schools. AR also requires a reliable internet connection and access to smartphones or other connected devices to use. On the programming end, it requires skills and technology to produce, which can put it out of the budgets of small businesses.