Reality Virtuality Continuum
Virtual Reality in a simple definition is a “3 dimensional, computer generated environment”. This is an environment that is not real but can be interacted with through physical interfaces such as controllers or motion trackers. This is one of the fastest growing technological systems that many different companies are working to advance. Nowadays VR headsets are becoming more and more advanced and less and less expensive as well as more accessible. You no longer need a whole dedicated high end computer to run a VR headset. With the innovation in smartphones you can even use them as a makeshift VR headset where you put it into a little Google Cardboard accessory. (https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/what-is-virtual-reality.html)
A lot of smartphones have started taking advantage of their sensors such as IR, camera modules, and even Lidar sensors to generate 3d environments around the user. A lot of social media apps have also started to use the front facing cameras to make different type of face filters and effects. This type of technology is AR technology which stands for augmented reality. This means that it is a combination of base reality and rendered virtual assets. (https://www.fi.edu/what-is-augmented-reality)
Mixed reality is almost like augmented reality in the sense that it mixes both physical objects along with digital objects, but the difference is that the digital objects try to replicate the geometry of the real world. But it can also be a holographic type of object that does not actually exist in the real world but only appears to do so. The one thing that I can think of is the Michael Jackson hologram in Vegas.(https://www.fi.edu/tech/what-is-mixed-reality)
Extended reality is basically the term that encompasses all of the systems and processes that fall under virtual and augmented realities. Because there is so many different people working on different aspects of extended and augmented and additional realities there is not always a single term that can be used to describe the innovation. (https://www.qualcomm.com/research/extended-reality)
