Augmented Virtuality and Reality

## Augmented Virtuality

Augmented
virtuality, also referred to as mixed reality, refers to the fusing of real world
objects into the virtual worlds.

As a lower
case subject in the virtuality continuum it refers to virtual spaces where physical
elements and physical objects or people are dynamically integrated and can
interact with the virtual word in real time. This integration is achieved with
a several of techniques. Often by streaming videos from physical spaces via
webcam. Or using a 3-dimensional digitalization of physical objects. The use of
real word sensor info to control a virtual environment is an additional form of
augmented virtuality in which external inputs provide context for the virtual
view

## Augmented Reality

Augmented
reality is a live direct or indirect view of a physical real word environment
whose elements are augmented by computer generated sensory input. Such as
sound, video, graphics or GPS date. It is related to a more general concept
called mediated reality in which a view of reality is modified by a computer.
As result the technology works by enhancing the current perception of reality
by contrast. Virtual reality replaces the real word with a simulated one.
With the help of advanced AR technology such as adding computer vision and
object recognition. The information about the surrounding world of the user
becomes interactive and digitally manipulatable. Artificial information about the
environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real word.

### Hardware and techniques used in augmented reality

Components we
use for augmented reality are: Processors, Displays, Sensors and input devices.
Smartphones and tablets contain these elements which mostly include a camera
and sensors like accelerometer, GPS and a solid state compass making them
suitable platforms for augmented reality.

#### Spatial

Spatial
Augmented Reality (SAR) augments real world objects and scenes without the use
of special displays such as monitors, head mounted displays or hand-held
devices. SAR makes use of digital projectors to display graphical information
onto physical objects. The key difference in SAR is that the display is
separated from the users of the system. Because the displays are not associated
with each user, SAR scales naturally up to groups of users, thus allowing for
collocated collaboration between users.
A SAR system can display on any number of surfaces of an indoor setting at
once. SAR supports both a graphical visualization and passive haptic sensation
for the end users. Users are able to touch physical objects in a process that
provides passive haptic sensation.

#### Display

There are
many technologies we use in augmented reality rendering. Such as monitors, hand
held devices, display systems & optical projection systems.

#### HUD

These are
devices that can augment only a part of the user’s field of view like a Google
Glass. they are intended for an augmented experience. Crowd Optic technology can be
used by Google Glass users to learn where to look at a given point in time.

#### Virtual Retinal display

A virtual
retinal display (VRD) is a personal display device currently under development. With this
technology, a display is scanned directly onto the retina of a viewer's eye.
The viewer sees what appears to be a conventional display floating in space in
front of them.

Eyeglasses

Augmented
displays can be rendered on devices resembling like eyeglasses. Those versions
include eyewear that employ cameras to intercept the real world view and
re-display its augmented view through the eye piece.

#### Handheld

Handheld
displays are small displays that fit in a user's hand. The two main advantages
of handheld AR is the portable nature of handheld devices and omnipresent nature
of camera phones. The disadvantages are the physical constraints of the user
having to hold the handheld device out in front of them at all times as well as
distorting effects of classically wide-angled mobile phone cameras when compared
to the real world as viewed through the eye.

#### Head mounted

A head
mounted display is just a display we pair to a headset such as a harness or
helmet. Place images of both the physical word and virtual objects over the
user’s field of view. Now the head mounted devices have a six degree of freedom
monitoring that allows the system to align virtual info to the physical world
and adjust it with the movements of the user.

#### Tracking

Modern mobile
augmented reality systems use one or more of the following tracking
technologies: digital cameras and/or other optical sensors, accelerometers,
GPS, gyroscopes, solid state compasses, RFID and wireless sensors. These
technologies offer varying levels of accuracy and precision. Most important is
the position and orientation of the user's head.

#### Input Devices

Techniques
include speech recognition systems that translate a user's spoken words into
computer instructions and gesture recognition systems that can interpret a
user's body movements by visual detection or from sensors embedded in a
peripheral device such as a wand, stylus, pointer, glove or other body wear.

#### Computer

The computer
analyzes the sensed visual and other data to synthesize and position
augmentations.

## Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed\_reality (to be changed)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented\_reality