MIXED REALITY

Mixed reality (MR) blends virtual and augmented reality together thereby presenting the coexistence of the real and virtual objects in a single environment. Mixed reality combines the element of virtual reality and augmented reality to create an immersive experience. Mixed reality blends the components of the digital world with the real world in real time to the extent that one can interact with digital elements as if they were real objects.

There are several types of mixed reality and they are; marker-based mixed reality, markless mixed reality and spatial mixed reality.

Marker-based mixed reality uses markers or codes to trigger virtual content.

Mark less mixed reality uses sensors and cameras to track the environment and display virtual content without markers.

Spatial mixed reality uses spatial mapping to create 3D models of the environment and display virtual content.

Mixed reality system consists of several key components that work together to create an immersive and interactive experience. These components are categorized as hardware and software components.

The hardware components of a mixed reality system are as follows; display device, sensors, tracking system, processors and input devices.

The display device of a mixed reality system is a display device such as a head mounted display (HMD), smart glasses and any other devices that are used to display the mixed reality environment.

The sensors of a mixed reality system such as cameras, lidar and depth sensors are used to track user’s movements and environment.

The tracking system of a mixed reality system such as optical or inertia tracking or other tracking system is used to track the users head and body movement.

The processors of a mixed reality system such as the CPU and GPU are used to render and process the mixed reality environment. Mixed reality systems require more processing power than virtual or augmented reality systems.

The input device of a mixed reality system such as controllers and motion tracking technologies such as gloves, that track hand movements so they can interact with digital objects in the mixed reality environment.

The software components of a mixed reality system are as follows; mixed reality engine, spatial mapping, object recognition, gesture recognition and content creation tools.

The mixed reality engine such as unity or unreal engine is used to create and render the mixed reality environment.

The spatial mapping software is used to create a 3D model of the environment and track the users movements.

The object recognition software is used to recognize and interpret the users’ gestures,

The content creation tools such as 3D modeling and animation software are used to create virtual objects and environments.

The advantages of mixed reality systems are as follows; mixed reality provides an immersive experience that combines the physical and digital worlds. Mixed reality can increase productivity by allowing users to interact with virtual objects in a real world environment. Mixed reality can enhance learning by provide interactive and engaging experience.

The disadvantages of mixed reality systems are as follows; mixed reality hardware and software can be very expensive. Mixed reality requires advanced technical capabilities such as spatial mapping and tracking. Mixed reality content is still limited and more development is needed to create engaging experiences.

The application of mixed reality systems are diverse and extends to the following areas of  human endeavor; mixed reality is used in education, gaming, health care, architecture, real estate , engineering and so on. Examples of mixed reality systems are; Microsoft holo -lens, magic leap one and pokemon go to name a few.

The future of mixed reality system depends on the trends and development in the following technologies; improvement in hardware such as better displays and tracking systems will enhance the mixed reality experience. Increased adoption of mixed reality systems in various industries including, education, gaming and health care will no doubt reduce their cost. it is expected that in the future more content will be developed and available for mixed reality systems including games, educational experiences and interactive stories.

 

SOURCES:

• Mixed reality: A guide to MR applications by Robert Scoble.
• The MR handbook by Daniel Wagner.
• Understanding mixed reality by Kristian T. Simsarian.
• Beginning windows mixed reality programming: for holo lens and mixed reality headsets by Sean Ong.
• The immersive reality revolution: how virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) are changing the world by T.P Fiske.