What’s the difference: AR, VR, & MR
Prior to this week’s module, I did not know the distinction between AR, VR, and MR, as well as only seeing a few examples of AR and VR in real-life. Since these terms can be loosely interchanged but are different, lets’ define all three digital reality forms. Augmented Reality (AR) is the use of a camera on a mobile device to display digital graphics live on-screen (Gupton, 2017). I would describe AR as the more accessible option of digital reality for people in terms of affordability and easy use. The most common forms of AR are camera filters (e.g. Snapchat, Instagram) and AR video games (e.g. Pokemon Go). Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of special VR devices to create an immersive digital world that blocks out the visuals of the surrounding environment. Some examples of VR headband-style devices (such as the one pictured above) are Oculus and Sony Playstation VR; the high price range ($600+) of these devices creates limited accessibility for the public. The final of the three main digital reality devices is called Mixed Reality (MR), the blending of the AR and VR elements of real-world and digital elements. This is the newest form of the three and is considered even more inaccessible due to its’ limited exposure and high price in this market currently.
Another new finding from this week’s resources was the history of Virtual Reality development. More specifically, I did not realize how long ago virtual reality began to appear in society; I assumed it didn’t become prevalent or developed until the past decade. Technically, the first appearance of initial VR occurred in 1838, but the earliest appearance that more closely resembles the VR we see today occurred in 1956 (Barnard, 2019). This was cinematographer Morgan Heilig’s (and the world’s) first VR machine he called the Sensorama. The Sensorama consisted of a four-person-sized both that used scent producers, vibrating chairs, audio speakers, and a 3D screen to create an immersive “cinema of the future”.
Similar to video games, these digital reality forms can get a bad reputation. However, they are being found to provide great benefits for children, teenagers, and young adults. First, there are the educational benefits these devices can provide with appropriate use and platforms. I have personally observed AR platforms being used to provide further enrichment and a deeper understanding of academic topics. For example, there are ways for teachers to lead AR field trips; this can be especially helpful during this pandemic as real-life field trips or physical activities/experiments are harder to incorporate into the digital classroom. It is important to note a large barrier with incorporating AR (even though it is the most accessible form of the three) is the school’s technology resource availability, since not schools provide a device for each student let alone advanced enough technology to support AR classwide use.
Research has found that VR and AR devices can actually provide many benefits for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Since “children with autism are often affected by social difficulties and an impaired understanding of the way objects interact”, these devices and AR-based toys can support understanding of object interaction and social interactions with peers, provide a sense of control for individual, create less isolation between individual and others/surrounding world, and can act as therapeutic support (Roderick, 2017).
