Mixed Reality - what it is?

We talked about VR and AR. Now, think of MR as a hybrid of VR and AR. Using MR, a user can view the real world just like in AR, but can also view virtual objects as in VR. The difference with MR is that those virtual objects are referenced or anchored with the real space. That means that the virtual object is interacting within the real world.

For example, suppose you have a physically real table in front of you, and now using MR you are viewing a virtual ball; if you drop a virtual ball object on a table, in MR, that virtual ball will interact with the physical table. This means that it will bounce on the physical table, and roll off from the table to the ground.

The immersive experience of the virtual world with the real world is so strong in MR that it is very hard to break that illusion.

A user viewing a MR object in real space

At the time of writing this book, there are very few MR devices available on the market; Microsoft HoloLens is one of them. This book is focused on developing the MR experience, using HoloLens.

Mixed Reality in the field

MR is still evolving, and lot of different industries are still exploring possibilities with it. The following are some of them, which represent early progress:

• Education and training: MR has already started transforming the way education and industrial training are delivered. Companies have started using MR as a medium for delivering readiness/training content to participants.
• Exploring new markets: MR is giving an opportunity to enterprises to rethink their marketing strategy and target new customers. Few popular automobile companies have started using MR device in their specialized car showrooms. With this, they can target consumers early in the sales cycle, even before the first model of the car is available.
• Healthcare: The possibilities for MR in the healthcare industry are enormous. Physicians can use MR devices to visualize consolidated reports, and these devices can also be used as a guidance device during operations or diagnosis.
• Gaming: The gaming industry may become one of the biggest consumers of MR devices. There are so many possibilities for MR games that can interact with the real world.