Every day, as technology gets better, the line between our real world and the virtual world blurs. Augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are two technologies that help merge these worlds. Though they’re similar, they can be confusing. In this article, we’ll explain the differences between AR and MR and give some examples of each.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that mixes digital content with the real world, making it look like it’s actually there. A popular example of AR is the Pokémon Go game. With this game, you use your phone to find and catch Pokémon in real-world locations. Thanks to AR, the Pokémon appear as if they’re really in front of you.
Another example is when you’re shopping for furniture. Imagine you want to buy a chair from IKEA but aren’t sure how it will look in your room. The IKEA Place app uses AR to help. You can use your phone or tablet to see how the chair would look in your room before you buy it. In short, AR lets us see digital objects in the real world.
We’ve learned the basics of AR technology with some simple examples. Now, what kind of devices do we need to experience AR?
The most accessible devices for AR are smartphones and tablets. These devices come equipped with the necessary software and hardware to enable AR experiences. For instance, in the Pokémon Go game, you see Pokémon on your phone screen, showing just how easily AR can be accessed with these devices. Another type of device for AR is smart glasses. These glasses add digital objects to the real world, blending the physical and digital worlds together for an AR experience.
AR technology isn’t just for games like Pokémon Go or shopping apps like IKEA Place. It’s also used in advertising to present interesting ads to specific audiences and in education to make learning more interactive. The uses of AR technology are growing every day.
Mixed Reality (MR)
Mixed reality (MR) technology is often confused with augmented reality (AR) because they are quite similar. Both blend digital objects with our physical world, making it seem like these objects exist around us. However, the key difference is the “ability to interact.” In mixed reality, you can interact with and manipulate the digital objects that appear in the real world. In augmented reality, digital objects appear in the real world but you can’t interact with them.
If the interaction explanation seems a bit confusing, let’s make it simpler with a real-life example. Imagine having a virtual keyboard that you can place anywhere and type on as if it were real. This is a basic use case of mixed reality (MR) technology. With MR, virtual objects like keyboards and screens can be used as if they were part of the real world.
A prominent example of MR technology in action is seen with the automobile manufacturer FORD. FORD uses MR to create vehicle prototypes. This technology allows them to produce prototypes quickly and at a lower cost, saving both resources and time compared to traditional prototyping methods.
We’ve learned the basics of MR technology with some examples. Now, what kind of devices do we need to experience MR?
You can experience mixed reality on two types of devices: holographic devices and immersive devices. Holographic devices have translucent glasses that allow you to see the real world while overlaying virtual objects. The most well-known example of this is the Microsoft HoloLens. These devices combine virtual objects with the real world, making the MR experience possible.
On the other hand, immersive devices do not have translucent glasses, so you don’t see the real world directly through them. A prime example of an immersive device is the Samsung HMD Odyssey+. These devices use cameras and sensors to provide a view of the outside world. Both types of devices enable you to experience mixed reality.
Although mixed reality (MR) is newer compared to augmented reality (AR), its real-life applications are quite extensive. For instance, medical students can use MR devices to view holograms of human anatomy or the heart, enhancing their learning experience interactively. An application like “Insight Heart” allows users to explore the human heart with features like real-time heartbeat displays and the ability to zoom in and out of the heart hologram.
MR technology isn’t limited to education. It’s also being used effectively in the production sector, design, architecture, and many other areas. Its applications are expanding every day.
Summary
We’ve learned the differences and examples of AR and MR technologies in detail. To briefly summarize, augmented reality (AR) combines digital content with the physical world, making it appear as if it exists in our real world. Mixed reality (MR), on the other hand, not only adds digital content to the real world but also allows us to interact with and manipulate this content.
For more information, you can also read our articles about smart glasses, virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.
