UNIT 1- Introduction to Augmented and VIrtual Reality || AKTU Notes

History of Virtual Reality   

Virtual and augmented reality (VAR) is not a new concept, but over the past couple of years, these technologies have become more accessible to the public, and libraries are at the forefront of this access.

Virtual reality is described as an experience that encompasses most of the senses, including sight, hearing, and touch, and represents an alternative to reality. The concept of virtual reality has made appearances in media going back almost a half century, usually shown as a futuristic plot device in books such as Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, or films like The Matrix. Thanks to advances in technology, the fictional virtual reality is coming close to actual reality. While virtual reality has been used in the private sector for a while, it has just recently become available to the more general public through a variety of devices for home use that have been released onto the market.

The origins of the concept of virtual reality are debated, mostly because there is no definitive time line that determines what an attempt at virtual reality would look like. In fact, one of the reasons why pinpointing an origin is difficult is that those who were trying to create a virtual reality didn’t have a cohesive term to use when describing their work. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Jaron Lanier of VPL (visual programming lab) Research coined the term. So though it did not have an established name until the mid-1980s, work was being done in this field far earlier.

 Some people look at the panoramic paintings of the 1800s as the first attempt at virtual reality. By creating larger works that could be spread around a circular room, panoramic paintings allowed the viewer a more immersive experience than a flat scene. Although they lacked the complete sensory displacement that is associated with modern virtual reality, panoramic paintings gave viewers an experience that they would not have received by looking at a flat piece of art.

 Most of the current headsets available for consumer purchase are primarily geared toward the gaming community; however, these devices are being used more and more for educational purposes. Every day, applications covering a wide variety of disciplines are released, giving educators and librarians the tools to improve the experiences of their users.

 

 History of Augmented Reality

Augmented reality is a crucial, but often overlooked, relative of virtual reality. Instead of surrounding the senses of the user, it presents additional information to supplement or augment the real surroundings. Whether through apps, headsets, or QR codes, augmented reality is more prevalent in our everyday life than most users think.Many of the advances made in augmented reality stem from the same foundations as virtual reality. People like Ivan Sutherland created the blueprints not only for virtual reality, but also for augmented reality. In the 1970s, Myron Krueger created what he termed an “artificial reality” called Videoplace that surrounded users with silhouettes.It was done with early computer graphics, but the ideas exhibited went on to have a larger impact in creating modern augmented reality devices.

Like virtual reality, the term augmented reality was not coined until after significant technological steps had been made. The term itself was created by an airplane researcher named Tom Caddell in 1990. Since then, also like virtual reality, many of the technological advancements were initially created to help the military, mostly to improve the virtual fulfillment of tasks.Also like virtual reality, augmented reality reached the mainstream by becoming incorporated into entertainment venues.Many don’t realize that when analysts draw on their screens during sporting events or when graphics are displayed live, it is a form of augmented reality. 

 
Augmented reality can be achieved by putting a computer graphic overlay onto an image, which makes it easier to create than virtual reality and therefore more easily accessible. Because of this accessibility, developers have used the newest technologies to create paths to augmented reality. While there are augmented reality devices out there, such as the Microsoft HoloLens and the now defunct Google Glass, the most successful augmented reality has come through applications that are developed for smart devices. These applications can do anything from helping you to fix your car and learning about national parks to capturing Pokémon. Snapchat, in particular, uses high-quality filters that are created using augmented reality technology. 

Virtual reality and augmented reality are important technologies that continue to evolve, grow, and integrate into the lives of library users. By understanding what each technology is and its history, we can work to improve the education and experiences of our users.