Table of ContentsIntroductionThe BasicsExtended RealityVirtual RealityAugmented RealityMixed RealityGetting Started with VR360 Degree VideosVR Headsets and Cost ComparisonsReal World ApplicationsVR in EducationGoogleVR in HealthcareConclusionIntroductionVirtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) ), mixed reality (MR)) are immersive technologies that advance the quality and level of human-computer interaction by skillfully blending the real and virtual worlds. Virtual reality has moved from science fiction to the gaming industry and now to mainstream everyday applications. The purpose of this article is to say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayUnderstand and distinguish the concepts VR, AR, MR and ERDescribe the technology/devices required to develop and consume the contentAffordability and cost comparisonsApplications in retail, automotive and hospitality with a deep view of education and healthcare as use cases. The Basics While the terms virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality refer to a unique experience defined by its hardware, new platforms are emerging that are capable of combining more than just immersive reality technology. As Clay Bavor, head of AR and VR at Google, said, these are not separate terms but labels for different points on a spectrum (Bavor, 2017). Extended RealityExtended Reality (XR) XR is an umbrella term that refers to anything real and real. virtual environments and includes the full spectrum from complete real environments to complete virtual environments. Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) technology creates a realistic three-dimensional environment that can be perceived as real and even allows us to interact in a very realistic way (Lacoma, 2018). ). VR uses head-mounted displays (HMDs) to simulate realistic sounds and images and provides an immersive experience by replicating a real-world environment. The experience can be created from real content, computer-generated content, or a mix of both. Virtual reality is best used to convey experiences and applications. Augmented Reality Augmented reality (AR) is an overlay of computer-generated content on the real world where a live view of a physical environment is augmented with sensory input such as sound, video or graphics. Augmented content, however, does not recognize real-world objects. Mobiles and tablets with their cameras have become the most common medium for AR. Pokemon Go and Instagram face filters are popular examples of AR. While the technology to overlay information exists, what differentiates it from technological advancements today is the amount of information that can be retrieved from the real world (April 2, 2018). Mixed Reality Mixed reality (MR) is where the real and virtual worlds merge and produce new environments in which images placed on a real world can interact and react to some extent with the physical world. Although Google has not included the term Mixed Reality in its spectrum, it is instead a choice of branded term that companies such as Google and Microsoft are adopting. Microsoft uses "mixed reality" as an umbrella term to cover its entire lineup of upcoming hardware, from tablet-based AR headsets to VR headsets to Hololens. Mixed reality is a term used by others in AR and VR, not just Microsoft (Stein, 2017). First steps with VR To get started with VR, the conditionsPrerequisites are the content and the headsets. The two main types of VR content are 360-degree videos and 3D animation. 360 Degree Videos 360 degree video is used when real images need to be captured. 360 videos are a cost-effective but effective way to create VR content. This requires a spherical camera with a 360-degree lens and tripods or drones to capture the video. 360Heroes, RICOH THETA, Samsung Gear 360 are some cameras used to capture 360 ​​videos. Special editing software such as videostitch is used to edit and put together all the visuals in high quality resolution. 3D Animations: There are many tools and platforms available to create 3D environments. Game engines like Unity also need the Google VR SDK, a headset, and an Android phone. They can create 3D animations, models and interior designs. YouVisit's ENTiTi Creator platform and Experience Builder make it easy for users without programming experience to create VR apps (2018). VR Headsets and Cost Comparisons Once content is created, the basic item required to play the content is a VR headset. VR headsets were developed as early as the 1990s, but were not commercially successful due to the limited technology available to support them at the time. A commercially successful headset prototype was developed in 2010 and later evolved into Oculus Rift. This is a virtual reality headset with integrated headphones offering 3D audio effect, rotation and position tracking designed for use with custom-configured computers that support it and controllers primarily used in gaming industry. It was soon followed by other products such as HTC Vive and Sony Playstation VR. Priced at less than $10, the Google Cardboard is a very affordable and widely available head mount that provides a limited VR experience. It can be used with mobile phones whose content can be downloaded. It is not very immersive compared to the experience offered by high-end VR equipment, but achieves its goal of encouraging interest and development of VR applications. Google also offers other VR platforms such as Daydream which uses Google and specific Android smartphones which support it. Daydream allows players to use virtual reality applications, including YouTube, Google Maps Street View, Google Play Movies & TV, and Google Photos, in an immersive view (Mogg, 2015). Daydream headsets cost around $100. Samsung Gear VR and Microsoft HoloLens are other products that use the smartphone as a display and processor that cost hundreds of dollars, more economical than high-end models. There are a growing number of apps available for download on the Android and iOS app stores, ranging from 3,600 photographs and games to documentaries. Discovery offers a set of content that allows the user to experience travel adventures using a mobile phone app and any HMD such as a Google Card or Oculus. Although Google Glass, a non-gaming AR headset launched in 2013, has not been as successful as expected, it has been used in many industries, including healthcare, media, construction and design. The wired headset for the professional category is led by VR A-listers, such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Sony Playstation. These devices support lateral movement and deliver exceptional quality visuals. However, it is connected to a powerful PC by a four-meter cable and requires custom configurationa powerful graphics card and enough hard drive space to run apps and games ("The Pros and Cons of Mobile and Connected VR", 2018). To provide a more immersive experience, these are also paired with hand controllers and base stations which as a set would cost thousands of dollars. With the evolution of the VR and AR platform, the prices of even the most advanced equipment are decreasing significantly every year, making them more accessible to a wider user base. Real-world applications VR, AR and MR applications are evolving across industries and business domains. Here are some real-world examples: Ford uses virtual reality to test elements of new cars, saving around $8 million per year. Audi uses virtual reality to allow customers to configure and personalize their vehicles. BMW uses virtual reality to build prototypesAirbus uses virtual reality to demonstrate aircraft to customers.The Weather Channel used mixed reality to good effect in its reporting on Hurricane Florence, showing how water can rise and swallow up buildings and cars in its path. Sotheby's International Realty uses VR to hold open houses to sell luxury homes The North Face takes users to virtual Yosemite National Park Marrio has designed a temperature-controlled virtual phone booth that allows its clients to tour its properties in Hawaii and London. Ikea Place app that allows users to test potential furniture in their home before purchasing. Gap's Dressing Room AR app that lets customers try on clothes. Live Nation allows customers to stream concerts through VR headsets, allowing more people to be present during live events. American football quarterbacks are using virtual reality to practice reading defensive schemes before the game and reacting to blitzes. While VR finds its place in a diverse set of applications, this article takes an in-depth look at education and healthcare as two use cases and how VR is transforming these spaces. VR in Education Researchers at the University of Maryland conducted one of the first in-depth analyzes of the educational use of VR and found that people remember information better if it is presented to them in an environment virtual (“People Recall Information Better Through Virtual Reality, Says New UMD Study”, 2018). Virtual reality offers students new ways to interact, gain hands-on experience, and enhance learning by transforming education. Virtual reality allows students to experience places, objects and situations that would otherwise have been impossible to access. Education is made more interactive, immersive and engaging, especially in learning about planets, animals, human anatomy, engineering, architecture, etc. The characteristics of virtual reality offer the opportunity for increased student engagement by augmenting the learning experience with immersive scenarios that students are unlikely to experience otherwise. .GoogleExpeditions is a commonly used immersive educational app that allows teachers and students to explore the world through more than 800 virtual reality (VR) tours and 100 augmented reality (AR) tours. It allows students to swim with sharks, tour space, turn the classroom into a museum and much more without leaving the classroom. This way of learning can spark new interest in the subject,providing a shared experience for better classroom discussion and improving overall engagement (Ferriter, 2016). The use of virtual reality is not limited to its use in school classrooms. It is evolving to play a key role in higher and continuing education. Online education allows educators and students to expand their reach. Despite this, there are still limits to the interaction and engagement with professors and other students that traditional classroom learning offers. VR promises to fill the gaps and bring the best aspects of traditional and online learning into one platform. With digital representations of themselves, faculty and students can be in the same room, improving student engagement and networking. To provide distance learning students with a more immersive experience, Penn State engineering students developed an immersive virtual reality (IVR) system using the Oculus Rift, a haptic glove, and interactive 3D simulations. The haptic glove prototype was developed by the students and allows users to manipulate and interact with virtual objects. It was found that students could complete a task in the IVR environment in less than half the time as in the non-immersive online environment (Meyer, 2015). Online virtual reality courses are not limited to subjects such as engineering and medical fields, but are being explored by business schools as well. MIT's Sloan School of Management, using AvayaLive Engage technology, went virtual: students created customizable avatars and teleported to class during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when they were unable to travel on campus. Stanford University's Graduate School of Business created its own virtual campus for LEAD students to immerse themselves in a 360-degree learning environment, also thanks to AvayaLive Engage (EDTECH, 2018). Medical schools are using virtual reality in medical training with the goal of transforming health education by providing clinical training exercises and surgical skills training in realistic simulated environments. Body VR is one of many medical training apps that offers students the experience of traveling through the bloodstream and discovering how blood cells work to distribute oxygen throughout the body (BodyVR, n.d) . Cancer surgeon Shafi Ahmed performed an operation at The Royal London Hospital using a VR camera connected to the Medical Realities website which gave real-time access to all interested parties wishing to take part in the operation. Such virtual reality medical applications allow students to view procedures and gain hands-on experience alongside classes. With a growing number of use cases in education, there is a renewed interest and adoption of VR technologies in education. The results of using virtual reality in education are promising. For broader adoption, the current barriers are the professional skills needed to create and support the content, the affordability of creating the content and the affordability of the tools needed to use it, such as headsets, and the power computing needed to run applications. With the evolution of technology, the cost of implementing and applying virtual reality in education is becoming more and more affordable and will in turn contribute to the implementation of reality applications and services virtual in the years to come..