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In recent years, technological advancements have given rise to immersive experiences that blur the line between the real and virtual worlds. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have emerged as two prominent technologies revolutionizing a wide range of industries and transforming how we interact with and consume digital content. As these technologies continue to progress in their development cycles and gain more popularity, it’s essential to understand what each of these technologies are, how they function, their differences and how they are applied in the real world.

What is AR?

Augmented reality integrates digital content into the real-world environment, enhancing the user's perception and interaction with their surroundings in real time. AR technology overlays computer-generated elements such as images, videos or 3D models onto the user's view of the physical world. This seamless integration opens possibilities for creative and practical applications while enhancing the user’s interaction with the physical world around them.

The primary goal of AR is to provide contextual information and enrich the user's experience by augmenting physical reality with virtual elements. AR technology prioritizes interaction with the physical world, helps identify real-world issues and offers solutions with digital overlaying.

What is VR?

Virtual reality (VR) is a fully-simulated environment that immerses users in a computer-generated, three-dimensional world, completely replacing the awareness of the real-world environment. VR technology often involves the use of specialized headsets, which track the user's movements and provide a fully immersive experience.

The primary objective of VR is to create a sense of presence, transporting users to a different reality and allowing them to interact with the virtual environment. VR focuses on engaging multiple senses such as vision, hearing, and touch, to foster an immersive experience where users can interact with new virtual worlds and simulate real-world situations.

Key Differences between AR and VR

Often enough, AR and VR are referenced interchangeably. However, there are a few key differences that separate these technologies such as:

• User Experience: AR blends virtual content with the real world, enhancing the user's perception of reality in the physical world. VR completely immerses users in a simulated environment, totally disconnecting them from the physical world.
• Interaction With the Environment: AR enables users to interact with virtual and physical objects in their immediate surroundings. VR restricts interaction to only the virtual environment by requiring specialized controllers or hand-tracking devices to interact.
• Level of Immersion: AR provides a partially-immersive experience, allowing users to perceive virtual and real-world elements simultaneously. VR offers a fully-immersive experience, placing users in a virtual environment with minimal external stimuli.
• Hardware Requirements: AR experiences can be accessed through smartphones, tablets or specialized AR glasses. VR experiences can often only be accessed through a dedicated VR headset with controllers and other sense-tracking devices.

Common Uses of AR and VR

While AR and VR have several differences, their uses, functionalities, and roles do often coincide with one another, offering many similar solutions and experiences in various industries. Some of the most common uses of and industries leveraging these technologies include:

• Gaming and Entertainment: Popular games and apps like Pokémon Go and Snapchat leverage digital image layering AR technology. VR is often found in virtual theme park rides and simulations and used for interactive gaming and storytelling.
• Education: AR applications overlay informative content onto real-world objects, fostering a learning experience tailored towards student engagement. VR creates interactive learning experiences like showcasing a fully-virtual environment. For example, a historical geographic site can be studied and enables remote collaboration between students. You can explore more about the innovative research in this field through the at SMU.
• Retail: Retail customers can use AR applications to visualize products when shopping online, which improves decision-making and enhances the customer experience. VR allows brands to showcase their products and services interactively to help improve customer engagement and brand awareness.
• Healthcare: Surgical planning and training AR applications help healthcare professionals by overlaying medical imaging data onto patients for real-time guidance. and can help with other healthcare treatments like exposure therapy and rehabilitation. 

AR and VR technologies are often found in similar industries, but with different roles and functionalities. Companies and organizations are responsible for identifying which technology is most useful and relevant to their processes and goals before integrating them into their business model.

Industry Outlook

Economic and cultural disruption from the coronavirus pandemic have helped propel AR and VR technologies and products into the market. According to , the global extended reality (XR) market that includes augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality (MR) reached $29.26 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to rise to over $100 billion by 2026.

Businesses have steadily been incorporating AR and VR technologies into their business models to optimize their operations. Apple recently announced its , which is poised to be the next high-profile competitor to other XR products like the and the . According to , the gaming and entertainment industry is predicted to be the biggest demand generator for AR and VR technology in the global market.

Earn an Education in Creative Technology

The expected growth in demand for AR and VR technologies and experiences means companies will need people with the skills to help develop and improve these products and services. A new breed of technology professionals will need to align themselves with the creative technology needs of the future. SMU’s M.A. in Creative Technology is a new program that combines creative and design disciplines with core and emerging digital technologies to generate innovative solutions that are growing in demand across industries. This program merges the arts with technology to help develop creative tech-focused individuals who desire a deeper understanding of AR and VR.

Begin your academic journey towards AR and VR today by empowering yourself with a new approach to creative technology education. and experience the SMU difference.