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The projector and the camera are connected to the mobile device in the user’s pocket. The
projector projects visual information on physical surfaces such as walls and other objects. The
camera recognises and tracks the user’s hand gestures with the help of computer-vision
techniques. Google Glass, created in 2013, is an example of a wearable AR interface. It helps the
user remain focussed on the work. It displays information on the user’s glass screen through a
small projector. It responds to voice commands to activate an application at any time.
AR enters the lives of most people through
smartphones and tablets. Vito Technology’s Star
Walk app lets a user point their phone or tablet
camera at the sky and see the names of stars
and planets superimposed on the image.Another
app, called Layar, uses the GPS location of the
smartphone and the camera to collect
information about the user’s surroundings. The
app then shows information about the nearby restaurants, stores and places of interest.
Disney Research developed a colouring book app with AR.
After the user colours in a character in the book, he/she
launches the app on the device. The app uses the camera to
detect the character that was coloured. The app also uses AR to
recreate the character in a 3D form on the screen.
VIRTUAL REALITY
In Virtual Reality (VR), we create a virtual world that users can interact with. In this world, the
user cannot easily distinguish between what is real and what is virtual.
In both VR/AR, people must wear HMD (Head Mounted Displays) or
a VR Headset like Oculus Rift or the Google Cardboard. The headset
has two small video display screens one for each eye. This creates
a sense of three-dimension. You can also wear headphones and
gloves to experience VR and AR. The headphones play stereophonic
sound or even 3-D sound so that you can feel that you are hearing
sounds not only near the ears but also in various places around you. The gloves have sensors to
collect data about your hand movements. This equipment and the software give you interactive
sensory feelings, similar to real-world experiences.
Both AR and VR provide an immersive experience to the user. These technologies find the greatest
use in entertainment, sports/gaming, close interactive eye-to-eye communication and aided
shopping experiences.
Imagine sitting at home and browsing through a store in London, where you can see and feel the
merchandise you wish to buy. This technology is also used in education. Imagine being an active
participant in a historical battle or a student of anatomy in medical school. You can really feel the
battle or touch the organs.
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