The Role of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Digital Media
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are becoming game changers in the development of the New Age media and digital content. They not only provide a new level of entertainment, they change the way industries function including marketing, education, medicine, real estate, and many others. Therefore, let us discuss the influence of AR and VR on the processes of creation and perception of digital content and its application in many industries.
1. Transforming the Entertainment World
AR and VR are providing solutions for the problems of entertainment consumption. This includes video games and other forms of entertainment where users are transported to the virtual land. Nowadays, devices like Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR have given gamers a level of immersion and interactivity which was not possible with traditional games. Likewise, AR platforms like Pokemon Go provide great entertainment by allowing users to interact with virtual characters while in a real world.
2. Marketing and Advertising Disruption.
In terms of marketing, AR and VR present the new opportunities for brands to reach their audiences. By using AR, businesses can develop interactive advertisements that let users test products virtually before purchasing. One of the best examples is IKEA, where AR is used on the app and customers can visualize furniture in their homes while shopping. In comparison to AR, VR makes it possible for companies to develop fully captivating branded experiences. There are numerous means such as virtual sales tours, promotional products and branded virtual reality games through which the companies are enhancing deeper engagement with the consumers using VR.
3. Improving Educational Outcomes.
AR and VR can greatly enhance education through enhancing engagement and embedding learning into experience. With VR, students can interact with historical sites through virtual field trips, view the human anatomy in 3D, or even practice performing experiments in a safe setting. In contrast, AR adds layers of information to real objects, enhancing their meanings and making learning more interactive. For example, AR can facilitate the students’ understanding of books by enabling them to manipulate 3D models and engage with animations.
4. Promoting Healthcare Technology
In the field of healthcare, AR and VR are contributing to a new dimension of patient care and education of medical practitioners. For example, AR allows overlaying computer-generated images on the patient’s body in order to help reduce errors during the procedure. VR is used in real-life scenarios to prepare students for performing surgical procedures in future. Furthermore, VR therapy is also being explored as a form of mental health treatment, for example strategies dealing with fears and anxiety for people suffering from PTSD, by surrounding patients with environments where they can face and conquer their phobias.
5. Enhancing the Real Estate and Architecture Industries
Real estate and architecture industries already use AR and VR to showcase properties for sale and give 3D previews of future developments. VR allows a speculative buyer to tour a site without being physically present, which eliminates the need for both buyers and sellers to waste time and effort. With the use of augmented reality, architects are better able to envision building projects while the construction is taking place and clients can better appreciate what the building will look like within its surroundings once it is fully constructed. Not only do these technologies expedite the purchasing process but also facilitate interaction among architects, builders, and clients.
6. Constructing the Future of Social Media
More and more social media applications are adding AR and VR components for better user interaction. For example, Snap and Instagram enables users to create AR filters that provide a more interactive aspect whenever a photo or video is taken. Facebook is heavily expanding into VR through Oculus so that socialization, work, and entertainment can be experienced from a deeper level in virtual settings. With these technologies graining more commercial availability, one can expect that social media will continue to progress towards a more active and engaging experience.
7. Issues and Future Perspective
As far as their potential is concerned, there are issues which AR and VR will need to overcome. The reality of these technologies is still hindered by high construction costs, technical challenges as well as dependency on specific devices. In time however, as those technologies are being developed and become relatively cheap, these factors of the future will still be present but less influential.
What is more, the practice on AR and VR will gradually expand and these technologies will be incorporated with digital media in different ways. The division between the real and virtual spheres will definitely not be so distinct, giving birth to numerous opportunities. In relations to the future, these technologies are going to be major in the evolution of all the other technologies in the fields of media interactivity, immersion and customization.
Conclusion
Despite being perceived as trends, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are advanced technologies with an impact on the current and the future digital world. As with any significant technological progress, AR and VR drive change across the whole spectrum of human activities, including entertainment, marketing and even education and medicine. The increasing interactivity of these technologies will not simply add more advanced AR and VR into the devices people already use, but completely change the way we engage with the world. Therefore, adopting these technologies in the business will be of a great significance in the future.
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