The Future of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) - Essay Sample

Introduction

In the current era of digitalization, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are some of the most widely-debated topics especially with regards to their position and roles in people's lives. Human beings are, arguably, used to interacting with physical or live objects at school, work, entertainment and other social settings. However, a technology that does away with the physical environment by immersing its users into a simulated space, which arouses one's senses of touch and feel, is a fascinating prospect. This idea is what VR and AR are all about. For instance, in a cinema hall, there are some gadgets that one can put on and get engrossed in a completely new world and interact with the objects in that world. VR depicts a computer-generated milieu controlled by sight and sound and which the user can feel as if it is an actual experience (India par 2). Conversely, AR is an advanced VR that integrates aspects of the virtual sphere and the real world to enhance the sight, sound and visual experiences of the surrounding objects (India par 3). These technologies attract much discussion on how they will shape or blend in with our future life. In this regard, this paper attempts to demystify the future of VR and AR and, thereby, respond to the question of whether they will replace gadgets such as televisions, computers and cell phones.

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Before exploring the future of VR and AR, it would be prudent to understand their past and present applications or developments.

Past Developments and Uses of VR and AR

Gobbetti and Riccardo (1) state that the concept of VR originated from Ivan Sutherland's paper of "The Ultimate Display," which brought forth the idea of immersion in a virtual setting. To this end, the task was to create a domain that appears, feels, sounds and acts real through a screen. Based on this idea, subsequent researches were conducted to eradicate setbacks that people encountered within normal human-computer interfaces and lay the basis for novel applications that utilized the potential of presence simulation (Gobbetti and Riccardo 2).

With regards to the advancement from VR to AR, Cipresso et al., (3) point out Philco's work on the first head-mounted displays, which incorporated Sutherland's Sword of Damocles to update the simulated visuals by monitoring the user's body angle and head position. Later on, in the 1970s, the University of Carolina designed VIDEOPLACE, a cybernetic reality that captured the user's physique using cameras and flashed them onto a screen. Through this tool, multiple users would interact in a two-dimensional virtual environment. In the 1980s, the first aeronautical simulator was designed that would enable pilots to control their paths and targets through a head-mounted display.

It is also in the 80s when commercial VR and AR applications such as the Binocular-Omni-Orientational Monitor (BOOM), the Eyephone and DataGlove surfaced (Cipresso et al. 3). DataGlove was capable of recognizing hand gestures as well as checking fingers' position and flexion. BOOM, on the other hand, provided a more constant body simulation and faster responses to physical movements compared to head-mounted displays. By integrating the concept of BOOM and DataGlove, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created a computer-generated wind tunnel that assisted them in studying and controlling airflow in a virtual spacecraft.

In the 1990s, closer to the 21st century, the Boing Company developed an AR device that demonstrated to the company's staffs the procedure of setting up a wiring tool. In 1993, Loomis created a GPS gadget based on AR that would enable blind people to navigate through a virtual setting by adding acoustic elements. Still, in the same year, Julie Martin designed an AR movie house called "Dancing in Cyberspace" where thespians would interact with simulations. After this invention, a mobile AR device was developed that would supplement cybernetic details about touristic structures. After this AR system, there have been several developments in this virtual domain within the modern-day digital era as discussed below (Cipresso et al. 3).

Current Developments and Applications of AR and VR

In the contemporary world, AR and VR are increasingly being used in social settings and recreational purposes. Cipresso et al., (3) purports that a majority of videogames companies have developed VR systems such as HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, which offer a lower dormancy and an extensive field of view for a projected image. Furthermore, head-mounted display tools can now be integrated with tracking equipment such as the HTC Vive. These devices boost user experiences when watching a movie or interacting with other things within a cinema hall. Similarly, mobile AR videogames such as Wikitude have also been designed, which runs via GPS, internet or a mobile camera to supplement info on user's experiences and surroundings.

There are other AR systems SiteLens and AR Toolkit that have also been developed in the 21st century. Unlike Wikitude that augments the virtual environment, these systems enhance simulated components in the physical context. Nonetheless, AR applications continue to provide new methods of submitting info. Alkhamisi and Muhammad (28) argue that AR has become common owing to the use of smartphones that have in-built cameras and sensors and which allow the transmission of exact contextual details within a virtual sphere. Due to this capability, doctors can collect their patients' information, identify and demonstrate curative actions.

Moreover, the medical industry continues to benefit from AR through mobile technology. A case in point is that medical practitioners can install an application, on their cell phone, which has a list of clinical procedures to choose from (Alkhamisi & Muhammad 28). Another interesting trend in the use of AR can be seen in the commercial scene. In the current world, e-commerce is a widely-used way of doing business. In this line, AR applications have come in handy to assist e-commerce establishments in transacting their businesses. For instance, in line clothing shopping, customers are likely to encounter difficulties when predicting their cloth sizes. However, with the introduction of AR in the line clothing business, buyers can easily identify apparel that will fit them thereby simplifying their shopping process. Furthermore, the clothing line also benefits from a high competitive ability due to an enhanced quality of customer service (Alkhamisi & Muhammad 29).

Consumers in the current commercial realm consider it vital to experience services outside the physical business environment. Additionally, projecting computer-generated information onto the physical world, undoubtedly, enhances the significance and depth of their experiences. For example, Lowe's Home Improvement technology has propelled the development of the Lowe's Holoroom application, an AR system that refocuses clients' experiences on in-store business settings. To this end, sellers put more emphasis on their VR and AR utilization to match their customers' expectations (Ali & Mohammed 787).

VR also continues to offer numerous applications in education and training facilities whereby students learn how to run complex machinery such as aircraft addition to working in perilous sites such as seismic areas. In the field of entertainment, applications like visualizations and videogames enable users to stroll through structures that are yet to be put up. All in all, a majority of the above applications have their own limitations due to the minimal research aimed at improving interaction mechanisms and user interfaces in immersive devices. This shortcoming, thus, limits the devices' usability. As opposed to the VR applications in the classroom and entertainment contexts, its applications the manufacturing sector is attracting more users due to its usability and affordability (Ali & Mohammed 784).

The Future of VR and AR

With the above past and current trends in VR and AR in mind, it is now imperative to explore what the future holds for these technologies. The discussion below focuses on whether AR and VR will replace various aspects such as mobile phones, computers, televisions and human beings in its operation.

Human beings. As stated above, some of the VR and AR immersive systems used in entertainment and education have setbacks in their user interfaces and interaction mechanism. Moreover, Gobbetti and Riccardo (17) argue that most of the visual and tracking devices continue to be plagued by impediments in their usability. Even with high-level 3D interaction systems, it has proven to be problematic to create an application that seamlessly matches human sensory abilities. Interactive applications must create bidirectional communication with their users. Due to this drawback, it is highly unlikely that VR and AR systems will completely phase-out the role of human beings in their operation.

Like in the field of artificial intelligence, programmers and scientists are yet to design automated systems with social skills that can perfectly match those of a human being. Currently, the interactive devices have to allow users to manipulate information and, in return, present it in a comprehensible manner to highlight the modifications performed and how to do them. This situation will likely remain in the forthcoming years going by the current trend of exploring the incorporation of social and linguistic concepts into the VR and AR development and operation. For instance, Gobbetti and Riccardo (18) posit that an understanding of semiotic concepts such as metaphors is crucial for the AR and VR designers to create more effective communication channels between these systems and their users from diverse backgrounds or societies. For that reason, humans still have an important role in the running of the immersive tools and, thus, they cannot be replaced in the future.

Computers. Away from the aspect of human beings in the operation of AR and VR devices, another important thing to assess is the use of standard computers. To bring this issue into perspective, it is not surprising to note that people have begun replacing their PCs with AR tools such as smartglasses for several reasons. Leswing (par 1) introduces a common term in the technology realm known as dogfooding, where institutions ask their staff members to use the hardware and software products that they create to identify errors and rectify them before releasing them into the market.

The use of AR has attracted sustained interest from leading tech-companies in Silicon Valley in a bid to advance their products. Proponents of these simulated systems believe that gadgets such as the smartglasses will supplant the need for having screens normally used in mobile phones and computers. However, this possibility will probably require thorough testing of every computer product before selling it to consumers (Leswing par 3).

One of the tech companies that is already embracing AR in its operation is Meta, which has designed an AR headset that its workers use, instead of PCs, to perform their duties. The adoption of these AR headsets has yielded positive feedback owing to the positive experiences that employees have when using them. Additionally, the creation of the Workspace program to run the headsets implies that the company can, arguably, phase-out desktop-use in the near future (Leswing par 9).

This Workspace application will allow employees to navigate through numerous windows concurrently. Furthermore, other features of this application include its ability to form and place cybernetic sticky notes, computerized houseplants and snapshots of one's friends around the desk. Essentially, it will be possible for a user to build their pers...