Virtual Reality vs Augmented Reality
Almost without exception, everyone has heard the terms augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
The two concepts are similar, yet serve two completely different purposes.
To put it simply, while in virtual reality you can walk around a furniture store using special VR headset, in augmented reality you can use your phone's camera to see how a sofa would look in your living room.
In virtual reality (VR), many of you probably have heard about Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, HTC Vive, or Samsung Gear VR. These VR headsets allow you to enter a virtual space where you can visit a city, climb a mountain, educate, fight mummies or aliens, play baseball or even rob a bank.
Virtual reality technology was already used by the US Air Force Super Cockpit programme in 1986-89.
The idea behind the programme was to simulate fighter jets as perfectly as possible. The device was an imitation of a cockpit, the three-dimensional space was generated by the most advanced computers of the time and instead of a monitor, a device very similar to today's VR helmet was used.
Pilots could practice flying and combat without taking off.
The best example of this in Hungary is the Reptár Aviation Museum in Szolnok: https://www.reptar.hu/elmenyelemek.html#repulogep-szimulator
Today, many VR parks and playgrounds around the world use similar simulators, where you can try it out or even play in a team without having to buy the expensive equipment yourself.
Today, the only limit to what we can do with them is our imagination.
In augmented reality, on the other hand, we stay in the same space, the present, and can project the elements of the application to the real-life world from our phones or tablets. Just as with virtual reality, augmented reality can be used in education, home decoration, or even for an exciting game such as planetary defense projected into your living room. You will all remember the great Pokémon hunter craze of 2016, where the game projected Pokémon characters onto the camera of a mobile phone, blending real and virtual reality.
Virtual reality and augmented reality, while similar in many ways, is completely different. Both have great potential in science, medicine, entertainment, and everyday life.
Our team is constantly working to bring these virtual and augmented reality experiences to the highest level of user experience.
