A beginner’s exploration into the world of VR
The emerging field of virtualizing realities is encompassed within a continuum developed earlier than you’d think (1994!). The Reality-Virtuality continuum starts with reality, moves on to Augmented Reality (AR), then Augmented Virtuality (AV), and at the far end is Virtual Reality or Virtuality (VR). Anything on the continuum between reality and VR is mixed reality (MR). ALL of this, the whole idea of augmenting reality or creating a virtual reality can be encompassed by the term XR (which may stand for extended reality).
Augmented reality and augmented virtuality both exist in the mixed reality realm, they include elements of reality and virtuality. Augmented reality is closer to reality on the continuum. AR is the real world environment augmented (to make better) with virtual objects (think Pokemon go or the Snapchat dog filter). The user is experiencing reality with virtual objects superimposed into reality. Augmented virtuality is a virtual environment supplemented with real objects (think Xbox Kinect or Nintendo Wii). The user controls the augmented reality with real world movements.
Both AR and AV exist as mixed reality (MR). MR is anything between full reality and full virtuality. The classifications within mixed reality tech is the extent of world knowledge (EWK), the reproduction fidelity (RF) and the extent of presence metaphor (EPM). The extent of world knowledge measures how much of the real world is modeled in the tech. Does the tech scan the room and bring it into the MR or part of the room, or just the users hands, or none of it? The reproduction fidelity refers to whether the user is looking at wire-frames within the MR or video similar to HDTV. The extent of presence metaphor is the measure of user immersion. Head mounted displays show a high presence while monitors present a low extent of presence.
The far end of the continuum is virtual reality, which is where the user is fully immersed in virtual elements (think more like the Oculus Rift headsets). Ideally this would encompass all 5 senses in the virtual environment, but that is not always possible. Which is why these terms exist on a continuum, there’s general criteria to fit the terms, but at what point are we classifying this tech as full virtual reality?
As a design student, I see this tech, and compare it to the beginning of the web. Web Designers didn’t really become web designers until there was some structure to what was considered a good website, so what constitutes good XR design? That falls under what we could call immersive experience design. Immersive Experience design is starting to answer and explore the questions XR designers have, like how to successfully design an in game menu, or what are the best function controls, just as early web designers had to figure out that menus go at the top or the right of a web site and everyone knows something underlined it 95% of the time a link.
