Speaker 1: Hey everyone, today we are going to talk about the mind-blowing technology which is revolutionizing the present and the future, that is, none other than immersive technologies. Immersive technologies comprising of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality are amongst the fastest-growing and fascinating technologies today. So what is immersive technology? To put it in a nutshell, immersive technologies create or extend reality, and this is done by immersing the user in a digital environment having applications in different domains. This technology is gaining momentum with every passing day and hour, transforming and helping us reimagine the future. Let's start with Virtual Reality. Virtual reality uses VR headsets to create a simulated environment and helps an individual to immerse into it to experience an entirely different reality. However, the historical journey of virtual reality began back in the 1800s. This marvelous idea has been evolving from the time practical photography came into existence. Morton Heilig invented the first VR device called Sensorama in 1957. His multimedia device, the Sensorama, is considered one of the earliest VR systems. However, the term virtual reality was coined later by Jaron Lanier in 1987 during his intense research on this evolving technology. A lot of companies are investing billions of dollars in the VR sector. Some of the best VR products are Oculus Quest, Nintendo Labo VR Kit, Sony PlayStation VR, Lenovo Mirage, and many more. These gadgets enable an individual to immerse in a digital environment to experience a world which is different from reality. You might think VR is all about gaming, isn't it? But the potential of VR doesn't stop there. It is revolutionizing many other industries like education, military, medicine, and sports to name a few. Here are some examples of VR in real life. Class VR is an innovative new concept in the educational industry which uses VR tech to raise the engagement and knowledge retention for students of all ages. Class VR uses VR headsets with a user-friendly interface for both students and teachers, gesture controls, and embedded educational resources. Facebook is coming up with a new idea called Facebook Horizon, which is an ever-expanding VR community where you can explore, play, and create. It helps you to defy physics and reality and experience the impossible. And we also have VR 316, which is a 360-degree audiovisual simulation. It allows the user to look around in any direction, just like how they look and observe things in real life. You can experience anything from standing on top of a pyramid to enjoying Tomorrowland sitting at home. Isn't that wonderful? We can't end the topic if we didn't highlight the role of VR in gaming. A great take on this is the movie Ready Player One by Steven Spielberg. The film is set in the year 2045 when the world is on the brink of chaos and collapse. But humans have found salvation in a virtual reality universe where they could make the impossible possible. Let's hear what Steven himself feels about the VR universe.

Speaker 2: Next up is AR.

Speaker 1: Augmented reality is a technology that projects computer-generated augmentations on top of reality, helping us perform tasks better and efficiently. AR, which falls in between reality and virtual reality, is a method used to render real-world data and present it intuitively so that virtual elements resemble the present reality to an extent. The revolution doesn't stop here. Have you ever tried to catch Pokemon using Pokemon Go or fit any furniture using the Ikea app? These are made possible by the technology called augmented reality. Augmented reality has seemed raging in popularity over the past few years, and the revolution is not stopping anytime soon. AR is giving brands the power to provide their customers with unique experiences that can prove to be the difference between purchase and dropout. Let's have a quick look at the history of AR. So you might think AR is a new technology. Well, on the contrary, it has been around for numerous decades. Ivan Sutherland developed the first AR gadget called Sword of Democles during 1968. This system used computer graphics to show users simple wireframe drawings. From Pokemon Go to training future surgeons, augmented reality is starting to infiltrate many industries of our society today. But what exactly is augmented reality? Looking into the most popular applications of AR, first up we have location-based AR apps like Google Maps, which place digital directions on top of the real world and shows you where to walk. Next, we have Google Lens. It is another application that enhances the search experience. With Google Lens, you don't have to type your query anymore. Just open the app and aim it at what you want to learn about. Google Lens will identify the object and give you all the essential details about it. Then, we have the Snapchat filters. These are one of the best examples of AR, and as you know, Snapchat has become a trend among the younger generations. Did you know that Mysterio couldn't have fooled Spider-Man without his AR technology? But thanks to his spider-sense, Spidey dodged all the drones, destroyed them all and gave us a good ending. Even Facebook has plans to build AR glasses to create 3D maps of the world. If you are still skeptical about AR, check out what Mark Zuckerberg has to speak about AR.

Speaker 3: Because it's going to make it so that we can create all kinds of things that until today have only been possible in the digital world and we're going to be able to interact with them and explore them together.

Speaker 1: Next in this line of immersive technologies is MR. If virtual reality and augmented reality impressed you, get ready for the best of both worlds i.e. mixed reality MR. Mixed reality is all about blending the real world with virtual reality. Unlike augmented reality, users can interact with virtual objects in mixed reality. What was nearly impossible a few years ago and was limited to our imagination, like interacting with your favourite Marvel superhero, is now possible because of MR technology. Does it seem similar to AR? Well, you can call it AR 2.0. MR is still in its early stage and it'll take a while for it to reach the consumers. However, the investment in MR and AR is expected to reach $4 billion by this year and the future of MR is not so distant. MR's applications are vast and its main uses are in the field of education, training, sports, healthcare, space missions and even construction. Though many use cases are in the testing phase, this idea isn't far-fetched by any means. The best example of MR is the Microsoft HoloLens, which is just a pair of MR smart glasses. It allows you to experience 3D holograms that meld seamlessly into the real environment. You can interact with those augmentations using your bare hands and get all the information you need. Let's now hear what Alex Kipman, the designer behind the HoloLens, thinks about mixed reality.

Speaker 4: In the real world, we're finding great success in mixed reality from education to healthcare to manufacturing, which is why you see a lot of the cases happening here.

Speaker 1: Here's a quick recap of what we know so far. So augmented reality adds digital elements to a live environment, whereas virtual reality implies a complete immersive experience that shuts out the physical world. On the other hand, a mixed reality experience combines elements of both AR and VR where you can interact with both the real world and the digital elements. Immersive technologies are quickly becoming a part of our daily lives and they are here to stay, not only enhancing human experiences, but helping brands market their products effectively and successfully to attract their target audiences. From gaming to buying furniture, immersive technologies are taking the world by storm. So what do you think is next? Comment your ideas in the comment section below and stay tuned for more from SimplyLumi.