Several reports have recently been published, confirming that the technology giant Apple is on its way to develop its own technology to catch up with the growing interest in virtual reality, but the leaks have not yet confirmed whether this technology is VR technology or a platform of augmented reality AR.
Google is also one of the companies that are rumored that it will not content with its own virtual reality technology in the cardboard, but that the company aspires to develop a new technology to compete with the Oculus Rift for Facebook, and Microsoft technology in Microsoft glasses HoloLens, but what is the difference between reality technology Default virtual reality and Augmented Reality augmented reality?
What is virtual reality VR ?
In VR, a user can experience a battle battle or a match but in the heart of the house, where this technology can produce simulation of the experience of combat games or wars using computers that create a 3D perimeter that the user can be part of this experience, and can navigate in it, Interaction is also through special devices that support it to integrate more into the experiment, which are often virtual reality glasses or motion sensing controllers.The VR experience is based on the basic elements of hardware and software, where the devices can support the display of virtual reality scenes to the user through software that simulates video games a major difference is that you are part of the game events, where the user can enjoy the experience through VR glasses headset, and download virtual reality apps VR app to enter the integrated experience.
However, the VR experience is a limited experience focused primarily on the world around the user, the user can not go to a larger environment than the scenes set in virtual reality, and can not be separated from the VR user only by closing the application, or raise the glasses of VR, so no The user can break away from the experience and go out for a quick browsing of the phone, for example, unless you want to get out of the experience completely and take off the glasses of virtual reality, where the virtual reality surrounds the user fully in the experience, that is, do not show any scenes from the actual reality surrounding the user.
Examples of the VR experience
A few years have passed since the advent of virtual reality technology, where during this period developed many virtual reality technologies at varying prices to the consumer, and the VR glasses Oculus Rift was the latest technology introduced recently.Oculus Rift needs PCs for consumers to enjoy the VR experience, unlike the experience offered by many other companies, including Google, which preferred to use smartphones to support the VR experience for consumers, so that the VR experience is finally available to all levels in the industry. Consumers.
One of the virtual reality glasses available in the market now is Oculus Rift, the technology for Facebook, and it is a unique technology, which can connect to DVI ports or USB port also in computers, and it provides tracking of the movement of the user's head to transfer 3D scenes to their screen Technical.
The latest model of Rift glasses, 360-degree viewer, 1080p resolution, with low OLED display, also improved the tracking technology in the glasses, and became lighter in the latter model, with stereo audio experience to enhance the experience of virtual reality, Also there is Oculus Share, a special content of Rift glasses that can be shared, and will start shipping glasses to the consumer at the end of April at a price of $ 599, and orders do not exceed more than one glasses per user.
Samsung Gear VR by Samsung, which uses Samsung technology in the display and processors as well, to push the technology of VR in the glasses VR Gear, where you can use the phone Note 4, for example, to display the experience of virtual reality by pairing Gear VR with Micro USB port for charging, where Users can then enjoy virtual reality technology with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels Super AMOLED, with a refresh rate of 60 Hz, and a 96-degree view, available at $ 199, which dominates the markets in the current period.
What is Augmented Reality AR ?
It is a computer simulation experience, but it transports scenes with 2D or 3D view in the user's environment, where these scenes are combined with a view that integrates with the realistic scenes surrounding the user, to create a composite reality.
The consumer can use AR technology, to show information or data through layers of scenes shown to the user in virtual reality, where the user can explore for example the locations of restaurants located in the surroundings, and appears as a 3D view of the user in real time in conjunction with the user's Roads.
Augmented Reality also requires software to support the operation of this technology, as well as the power to drive the viewer view in Augmented Reality, where Augmented Reality itself is a game or software applications designed by developers, but it is a technology that integrates with reality and not It completely separates the user from his surroundings and is thus different from the virtual reality technology, which does not show any scenes from the actual reality, but separates the user completely from reality.
Augmented reality technology has been used in some Hollywood movies, for example in Avatar, Minority Report, Iron Man as well as Wall-E, and the technology giant Microsoft has entered into augmented reality technology by developing HoloLens AR, which is scheduled To be launched in 2016.
Unlike virtual reality, Microsoft's technology in HoloLens AR is different from Oculus Rift or Sony Morpheus.Microsoft technology will allow users to walk on Mars, for example, and see the ocean around it with a 3D view, but you will also see the people around you in real life. Holographically-printed lenses, which support the system to reveal the user's surroundings as well.
Microsoft Hololens, a holographic computer in the glasses that support the user to see and view the scenes in the heart of the real environment of the user, in addition to that Microsoft technology does not need to be paired to any of the computers via wireless, where the lenses for the glasses can Creates an immersive experience of 3D environment with high-tech acoustics to support the user in getting an exciting interactive experience.
Microsoft's HoloLens also comes with a high-end CPU and a graphics processor chip, but it's not yet released to the consumer, but the version is under development for $ 3,000.
Google Glass, which was launched in 2012, is an augmented reality technology, which can be traditional glasses for the user as well, and although the technology is not widespread in the consumer sector, but some of the leaks that came out recently indicate that Google is continuing to develop glasses Again.