Augmented Reality v/s Virtual Reality

In this article, we are going to discuss the comparison between augmented reality and virtual reality. Both of the terms are important, so first, we will see a description of them.

Hope it will be informative and knowledgeable to you in order to make you familiar with the terms Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. So, without any delay, let's begin the topic.

Augmented Reality

The word "Augmented" means to add. It is created by using the technology by adding digital information to an image or something. Augmented reality is an important concept and impacts our lives deeply. It provides an improved version of reality as it uses different tools to make the environment existing and real. Augmented reality gives you an interactive experience of the real-world environment. It keeps you in your place and superimposes the technology in the form of text, sounds, and images.

Augmented reality merges the physical world with computer-generated virtual elements. It is accessed using common equipment such as mobile phones. There are nearly uncountable possibilities with the Augmented Reality. With the smartphone's camera, AR adds the digital elements to a live view. It uses the smartphone's camera to present the real world's view in front of us and then put a layer of information that includes the text or images on the top of that view. Some of the examples of Augmented Reality are the Pokemon Go game, Snapchat lenses.

Now, let's see the benefits and limitations of augmented reality.

Advantages of Augmented Reality

The advantages of Augmented Reality are listed as follows -

• It increases accuracy.
• It offers innovation, continuous improvement, and individualized learning.
• It helps developers to build games that offer real experiences.
• It enhances the knowledge and information of the user.

Disadvantages of Augmented Reality

The limitations of Augmented Reality are listed as follows -

• Projects based on AR technology are expensive to implement and develop.
• Excessive use of augmented reality technology can lead to eye problems, obesity, etc.
• It can cause mental health issues

Now, let's see the description of Virtual reality.

Virtual Reality

It is a very important and interesting term. The terms 'Virtual' refers to something conceptual that does not have its physical existence, and the word 'reality refers to the state of being real. So, virtual reality means something that is almost real. It is defined as the creation of a simulated environment by using computer technology. Viewing virtual reality means viewing a completely different reality than the one in front of you. It can be artificial, like an animated scene or a place which is photographed and integrated in a virtual reality app. It enables us to move around and look in every direction - up, down, sideways, and behind, as we are present there actually.

Virtual reality apps allow us to explore the places that we have never been to, such as the Mars surface, the top of Mt. Everest, areas deep under the sea, and many more things that we can imagine only. It uses three of our senses: hearing, touching, seeing, to trick the brain into thinking that we are at a different place.

Now, let's discuss the benefits and limitations of virtual reality.

Advantages of Virtual Reality

The benefits of virtual reality are listed as follows -

• It creates an interactive environment.
• It helps us to explore the world by creating a realistic world using computer technology.
• It makes education comfortable and easy.
• It allows users to do an experiment in an artificial environment.
• It increases the work capabilities.
• Virtual reality is helpful for medical students to do practice well. It will be helpful for patients, too, as it offers a safe environment to them by which a patient can come into contact with the things they fear.
• Virtual reality helps to measure the performance of sportsperson and analyze their techniques.

Disadvantages of Virtual Reality

The limitations of virtual reality are listed as follows -

• Using VR, people start ignoring the real world. They started living in the virtual world instead of dealing with the issues of the real world.
• Training in the virtual environment does not have the same result as training in the actual world.
• It is not guaranteed that a person has done a task well in the real world if he/she has performed that task well in the virtual world.

Augmented Reality v/s Virtual Reality

Now, let's see the comparison chart between Augmented reality and Virtual reality. Here, we are showing the comparison between both terms on the basis of some characteristics.