The difference between Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

Virtual Reality: fully immersing yourself in a virtual world

Virtual means that something does not exist physically – it has been generated by a computer. Reality
is the physical world around you – the one you can see, touch, taste, feel and smell. Virtual Reality
(VR) allows a user to interact with a computer generated image, as though it were a physical system.
VR enables users to become completely immersed within the digital experience of a virtual 3600
world which they can view from all sides, move around in, and even interact with.

A key feature of VR is that users no longer perceive their real

environment. They are completely autonomous within their
digital environment. Furthermore, users can experience
complex applications such as VR games or special VR
applications. Apart from individual uses, innovative ideas for
VR are being created in the automotive industry, the medical
profession, the tourism sector, and elsewhere. These
institutions often create prototypes, or models, for their VR
and AR hardware, which can then be tested and modified.

Augmented Reality: enriching the real world with virtual content

Augmented Reality (AR) is a digital technology in which reality – i.e. all the things around you – are
supplemented with additional information in the form of texts, images, animations, videos, and static
or moving 3D objects. These items act as a kind of overlay, or cover, over the reality of the users
Surroundings.

When using AR, users perceive virtual elements in their

real environment. There are many uses for AR: It can
allow book readers to see what a character actually looks
like by using a QR code on the page of a book; It can
provide city and tourist information on places of interest; It
can offer training opportunities for companies, It can
make it possible to plan interior design by virtually placing
chairs and tables in your own living room. In contrast to
VR, which requires expensive VR glasses, AR can be
accessed via smartphones, tablets, and holographic
systems.

Adapted from: Mangold, M. (2015). “The difference between virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)”. Retrieved from
https://magic-holo.com