WHAT IS MIXED REALITY?
INTRODUCTION TO MIXED REALITY:-
Mixed reality is used as an independent concept or classifies the spectrum of reality technologies, as referenced in the reality-virtuality continuum.
M.R. is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce a new environment and visualizations where physical and digital object co-exist and interact in real-time. Mixed reality takes place not only in the physical world or the virtual world but is a hybrid of reality and virtuality, encompassing both augmented reality and augmented virtuality via immersive technology.
As an independent concept, mixed reality combines the best of both virtual reality and augmented reality. When used to classify the large scope of reality technologies, it refers to the coverage of all possible variants and compositions of real and virtual objects.
This is the latest-well known of the trio right now, but ironically might have the easiest road to mainstream consumer adoption-if the tech works as advertised.the key team for mixed reality, or MR is flexibility. It tries to combine the best aspects of both VR and AR, wrapped up in a marketable term that sounds marginally less geeky than its cousins.
In theory, mixed reality lets the users see the real world( like AR) while also seeing believable, virtual objects(like VR) . And then in anchors, those virtual objects to a point in the real space, making it possible to treat them as "real", at least from the perspective of the person who can see the M.R. experience.
ENVIRONMENTAL INPUT AND PERCEPTION:-
Over the past several decades, the relationship between human and computer input has been well explored. It even has a widely studied discipline known as human-computer interaction or HCI. Human input happens through a variety of means, including keyboards, mice, touch, ink, voice, and even Kinect skeletal tracking.
Advancements in sensors and processing are giving rise to a new area of computer input from environments. The interaction between computers and environments is effectively environmental understanding or perception. Hence the API names in Windows that reveal environmental information are called the perception APIs. Environmental input captures things like a person's position in the world (e.g. head tracking), surfaces and boundaries (e.g. spatial mapping and spatial understanding), ambient lighting, environmental sound, object recognition, and location.
Now, the combination of all three--computer processing, human input, and environmental input--sets the opportunity to create true mixed reality experiences. Movement through the physical world can translate to movement in the digital world. Boundaries in the physical world can influence application experiences, such as gameplay, in the digital world. Without environmental input, experiences cannot blend between physical and digital realities.
THE MIXED REALITY SPECTRUM:-
Since mixed reality blends both physical and digital worlds, these two realities define the polar ends of a spectrum known as the virtuality continuum. For simplicity, we refer to this as the mixed reality spectrum. On the left-hand side, we have physical reality in which we, humans, exist; on the right-hand side, we have the corresponding digital reality. As you can see, the experiences enabled between these two extremes is the mixed reality:
Starting with the physical world, placing a digital object, such as a hologram, as if it was really there.
Starting with the physical world, a digital representation of another person--an avatar--shows the location where they were standing when leaving notes. In other words, experiences that represent asynchronous collaboration at different points in time.
Starting with a digital world, physical boundaries from the physical world, such as walls and furniture, appear digitally within the experience to help users avoid physical objects.
The mixed reality spectrum
Most augmented reality and virtual reality offerings available today represent a very small part of this spectrum. They are, however, subsets of the larger mixed reality spectrum. Windows 10 is built with the entire spectrum in mind and allows blending digital representations of people, places, and things with the real world.
There are two main types of devices that deliver Windows Mixed Reality experiences:
Holographic devices.
These are characterized by the device's ability to place digital content in the real world as if it were really there.
Immersive devices.
These are characterized by the device's ability to create a sense of "presence"--hiding the physical world, and replacing it with a digital experience.
TYPE OF MIXED REALITY:-
This spectrum (i.e. Mixed Reality Continuum) covers all possible variations and compositions of real and virtual objects. On the spectrum, beginning from far-left is the natural world where nothing is computer generated. The most-right point on the spectrum is the virtual environment where everything is computer generated. Below, we explore the various types of reality technologies that make up this spectrum:
Mixed Reality (Independent)
Mixed reality, either as a standalone concept or used to refer to the entire spectrum of situations between actual reality (i.e. real world) and virtual reality, attempts to combine the best of both virtual realities and augmented reality. When both real and virtual worlds are merged together, new environments and visualizations become possible where physical and digital objects can coexist and interact in real-time.
Real Environment
Real environment (also called “natural environment”) refers to the natural world we consume every day. This natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth. Consequently, most virtual environments are modelled after real environments. Re-creating virtual representations of real environment objects (e.g. people, natural landscapes) allow for deepened levels of immersion into virtual worlds.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality brings the aspect of the virtual world into the real world. It is closer to the real environment, as opposed to virtual environments, in the spectrum of reality technologies. This is because augmented reality users remain in the real world (i.e. natural environment) while experiencing enhanced virtually created visuals, aural, and feelings. Augmented reality does this by layering virtual information and/or graphics on top of a user’s view of a real-world scene.
Augmented Virtuality
Augmented virtuality describes the environment in which real objects are inserted into computer-generated virtual environments. It is best described as the inverse of augmented reality, where real-world objects are layered over virtual environments. An example of augmented virtuality is the kitchen remodelling scenario. By utilizing augmented virtuality technology, a homeowner could visualize and interact with virtual appliances and easily manipulate different layouts, in a digital representation of their current kitchen.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality seeks to provide users with the greatest level of immersion: total-immersion. This deepened level of immersion is distinct from other types of reality technologies. The total immersion experienced in virtual reality requires stimulation of all of the user’s senses in a fully immersive virtual experience, to the extent that the brain accepts the virtual environment as a real environment. In a virtual reality environment, users inhabit a completely synthetic world may or may not mimic the properties of a real-world environment.
APPLICATION OF MIXED REALITY:-
IPCM – Interactive product content management
Moving from static product catalogues to interactive 3D smart digital replicas. The solution consists of application software products with the scalable license model.
SBL – Simulation-based learning
Moving from e-learning to s-learning—state of the art in knowledge transfer for education. Simulation/VR based training, interactive, experiential learning. Software and display solutions with scalable licensed curriculum development model.
Military training
Combat reality is simulated and represented in complex, layered data through HMD. One of the possible applications of mixed realities is for training military soldiers. Training solutions are often built on Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies. Examples of technologies used by the Army are Virtual Battlespace 3 and VirTra. As of 2018, the VirTra technology is being purchased by both the civilian and military law enforcement to train personnel in a variety of scenarios. These scenarios include active shooter; domestic violence; military traffic stops, etc. Mixed reality technologies have been used by U.S. Army Research Laboratory scientists to study how this stress affects decision making. With mixed reality, researchers may safely study military servicemen and women in scenarios where soldiers would not likely survive.
As of 2017, the U.S. Army was developing the Synthetic Training Environment (STE). STE is a collection of technologies for training purposes that have been estimated to include mixed reality. As of 2018, STE was still in development without a projected completion date. Some recorded goals of the simulation were to increase simulation training capabilities, and the availability of the environment to other systems, and to enhance realism. It was claimed that training costs to be reduced with mixed reality environments like STE. For example, using mixed environments could reduce the amount of munition expended during training. It was reported in 2018 that STE would include representation of any part of the world's terrain for training purposes. STE would offer a variety of training opportunities for squad brigade and combat teams, including, but not limited to Stryker, armoury, and infantry. It is estimated that STE will eventually replace the Army's Live, Virtual, Constructive – Integrated Architecture (LVC-IA).
Remote working
Mixed reality allows a global workforce of remote teams to work together and tackle an organization's business challenges. No matter where they are physically located, an employee can strap on their headset and noise-cancelling headphones and enter a collaborative, immersive virtual environment. Language barriers will become irrelevant as AR applications can accurately translate in real-time. It also means a more flexible workforce. While many employers still use inflexible models of fixed working time and location, there is evidence that employees are more productive if they have greater autonomy over where, when, and how they work. Some employees prefer loud workspaces; others need silence. Some work best in the morning, others at night. Employees also benefit from autonomy in how they work because of everyone processes information differently. The classic model for learning styles differentiates between Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic learners.
Machine maintenance is also a subject that can be executed with the help of mixed reality. Larger companies that have multiple manufacturing locations with a lot of machinery can use mixed reality to educate and instruct their employee. The machines need regular checkups and have to be adjusted every now and then. These adjustments are mostly done by humans, so these employees need to be informed about every small adjustment that needs to be done. By using mixed reality, employees from multiple locations can put on a headset, and get live instructions about the changes. Instructors can operate the representation that every employee sees and can glide through the production area, zooming in to technical details and explain every change of a machine. It has shown that a five-minute training session with such a mixed reality program has the same results as the employees reading a 50-page training manual.
Functional mockup
Mixed reality is applied in the industrial field in order to build mock-ups that combine physical and digital elements. With the use of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), mock-ups can interact with the physical world to utilize features such as object permanence.[citation needed]
Consciousness
It has been hypothesized that a hybrid of mixed and virtual reality could pave the way for human consciousness to be transferred into digital form entirely — a concept known as Virternity, which would leverage blockchain to create its main platform.
Medical
Mixed reality combines smart glasses with surgical processes.
Shopping:-
Mixed reality provides us with a new type of shopping experience. Now you can try each and every dress and choose whichever suits you the best while sitting at home by just creating your own hologram using an MR headset.
EXAMPLE OF SOME REAL LIFE USES OF MIXED REALITY:-
BAMZOOKi
EyeToy
FightBox
Magic Leap
Microsoft Hololens
Nokia Point & Find
ZSpace
CONCLUSION:-
The new MIXED REALITY ecosystem might not happen in all the ways foreseen but it definitely will happen in some of those ways. This next big thing in marketing is sure to render obsolete many existing marketing and advertising business models and replace them with new ones. It is reasonable to conclude that marketers must be ready to adopt this new ecosystem or see competitors gaining brand recognition and market share at their expense if they don’t do it first. Every forward-thinking marketer must bring a healthy curiosity and willingness to experiment and adjust their content and marketing strategies to take the best advantage of this energetic, wild and wonderful new ecosystem. Marketers, business owners and fundraisers and others challenged with creating persuasive digital marketing campaigns must embrace MIXED REALITY and discover new ways to develop creative, engaging, effective and memorable messages.
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