AR Long Before VR
Why I Believe Augmented Reality Will Thrive and Dominate Before We Fully Embrace Virtual Reality
When worlds collide and realities divide, the landscape of technology is poised for a transformative shift. While Virtual Reality (VR) seeks to replace the physical world with a digital one, Augmented Reality (AR) enhances and overlaps the two, offering unparalleled flexibility, multi-tasking capabilities, and a seamless blend of the digital and physical realms.
Scalability, Flexibility and Multi-Tasking
AR’s ability to overlay digital information onto the physical world allows users to interact with both simultaneously, enabling effortless multi-tasking. Imagine a surgeon using AR to access real-time patient data while performing an operation, or a student using AR to visualize complex scientific concepts in their classroom.
In contrast, VR’s immersive nature requires users to disconnect from their surroundings, limiting their ability to engage in multiple activities. This inherent flexibility makes AR a more practical and versatile tool for everyday use.
Natural Integration: Transcending Time and Space
AR breaks barriers between the digital and physical realms, enabling users to access information and interact with virtual objects in their immediate environment. This convergence of realms transcends traditional boundaries of time and space, enabling users to access information and connect with others across the globe in real-time.
Say you’re at a museum, and as you walk through an exhibit on ancient Egypt, AR glasses overlay historical facts and interactive 3D models onto the artifacts. You can see the hieroglyphs come to life, hear the stories of the pharaohs, and even manipulate virtual objects to better understand their significance.
In contrast, VR’s immersive nature requires users to disconnect from their surroundings, limiting their ability to engage in multiple activities. Now, if you were using VR instead, you’d be transported to a completely digital replica of the museum, losing the tactile and sensory connection to the real artifacts. While the VR experience might be visually stunning, it lacks the authenticity and context provided by real-world settings.
The Google Glass was one of the best attempts in recent years to have pushed the envelope of Augmentation, before it decided to shut down this huge project, much like the death of its many other hyped projects like Google Shopping, Checkout and Reader. (PS: check out https://killedbygoogle.com/ to see the hundreds of projects killed by Google). I guess the Google Glass was so far ahead of its time, it launched back in 2014, got pulled in 2015, relaunched in 2019 and is due to be removed again in the coming months.
Overlapping vs. Replacing
AR’s strength lies in its ability to enhance and overlap the digital and physical worlds, rather than replacing one with the other. This approach fosters a more natural and intuitive user experience, as users can seamlessly transition between the two realms. For example, an AR-enabled shopping experience allows customers to visualize products in their own space before making a purchase, blending the convenience of online shopping with the tactile experience of in-store shopping.
On the contrary, VR’s replacement of the physical world with a digital one can lead to disorientation and disconnect, making it less suitable for extended use in everyday scenarios. As it stands, the use of Virtual Reality tools are best known for their gaming capabilities, or other hobbies and interests related use-cases. However, the need for social connectivity could push for more Augmented tools to bridge the gaps of VR.
I foresee a world where friends can stimulate multiple environments as they explore and traverse both the physical and digital landscapes together (I refuse to use the term ‘phygital’), as they crave more in-person connection over online-gaming with 3D virtual avatars.
The Future of Immersive Technologies
As AR continues to evolve, its potential applications expand exponentially. From revolutionizing industries like education and healthcare to transforming the way we interact with information and each other, AR’s flexibility, multi-tasking capabilities, and seamless blending of the digital and physical realms make it the superior choice for those seeking to harness the power of immersive technologies.
As we continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible, AR will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping our future, until future barriers can be broken further by Virtual Realities.
*Update: As of 2024, The Apple Vision Pro combines both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), as a ‘mixed-reality’ headset. Things are getting really innovative, and as we progress I reckon we would see more smaller, compact devices that will be released (perhaps from Google too) that can actually rival the Google Glass in time to come.
