Augmented/Mixed Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are transformative technologies that bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds by layering virtual elements onto the real environment in a way that enhances or interacts with the user’s surroundings. While often used interchangeably, they have distinct differences in terms of how they integrate virtual content with the physical world.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digital content onto the real world. Unlike VR, where the user is completely immersed in a virtual world, AR enhances the physical world with interactive, computer-generated elements. AR is commonly experienced through mobile devices (smartphones or tablets) or AR glasses (such as Microsoft HoloLens or Magic Leap), which use cameras and sensors to track the physical environment and render digital content accordingly.

Use Cases:

• Mobile AR Apps (e.g., Pokémon Go, AR navigation apps)
• Interactive shopping experiences (e.g., trying on clothes virtually using AR filters)
• Medical applications (e.g., surgery simulations or overlays during surgeries)
• Education (e.g., interactive learning apps that show 3D models of historical artifacts or biological structures)

Mixed Reality (MR)

Mixed Reality (MR) is a hybrid of VR and AR that blends real and virtual worlds in such a way that both physical and digital objects can interact in real time. MR technologies track and respond to both the real-world environment and virtual content, allowing for a more dynamic interaction. Users can interact with virtual elements as though they exist in the real world, and virtual elements can react to physical environments and objects.

Use Cases:

• Collaborative environments (e.g., remote teams working together using holograms)
• Industrial applications (e.g., engineers using MR to visualize complex data overlaid on real-world machinery)
• Gaming and entertainment (e.g., interactive games that combine physical surroundings with virtual characters)
• Medical and design applications (e.g., surgeons viewing 3D models of anatomy during procedures)

Enable Augmented/Mixed Reality

All examples in this section require the WebXR experience to work. Be sure to provide the xrDefaultExperienceOptions with at least the minimal configuration outlined to set it up correctly.

<Scene
    xrDefaultExperienceOptions={{
        uiOptions: { 
            sessionMode: "immersive-ar"
        }}
    } 
/>