Culture - MR 수정3

[황보성]

[Culture]

What is Mixed Reality?

by, Hwang Bo-sung, Culture Editor, khby44@mju.ac.kr

Alice chased the rabbit and began to run across the field. This is the very first line of the all-so-renowned story “Alice in Wonderland”. At the time of its first publication, while the volume and length of this book were substantial, it incorporated only a handful of illustrations, which were also completely black and white. No doubt, the reader’s imagination did all the work as only so much information can be obtained from these limited visual aids and monotonous words on paper. In 1951, 86 years later, Disney adapted the novel into a full length animated film of 1 hour and 15 minutes. However, there was no space for audiences to squeeze themselves into the story as they just simply gaze upon a two-dimensional plane and unilaterally enjoy the content that was projected. In 2018, 67 years later, after the Disney film, people are now able to experience the story firsthand and watch a white rabbit dash through right in front of their own eyes and then trail the rabbit as it disappears into the rabbit hole. Everyone can literally become Alice from the novel. Through mixed reality (MR), one of the most remarkable technologies of the recent years, these interactive stories can be created that allow users and virtual characters to coexist in the same space.

MR is not something that has suddenly appeared out of thin air, but rather, it is a batter of contemporary technologies, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). AR is an interactive experience with a real world environment whereby objects that reside in the real world are "augmented" by computer generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities. The overlaid sensory information can be constructive and is seamlessly interwoven with the physical world that it alters user’s ongoing perception of the real world environment, which allows users to create new experiences by stacking virtual content on the real world. In the film “Iron Man,” the display installed in the Iron-Man suit that provides imperative information for fighting enemies is an example of practical application of AR technology. VR, on the other hand, is an interactive computer generated experience taking place within a completely simulated environment that incorporates mainly auditory and visual stimuli, but also uses other types of sensory feedback, such as haptic stimuli. To maximize the experience of the created digital world, everything taking place in the virtual space, completely blocked off from the real world. However, in order to experience the virtual space, the use of supplementary equipment, such as a headset or head-mounted display (HMD) designed to fixate your visionary perception only on the VR required.

MR is a more advanced technology that combines the elements of both AR and VR. MR, either as a standalone concept or used to refer to the entire spectrum of situations between actual reality and virtual reality, attempts to combine the best of both virtual reality and augmented reality. When both real and virtual worlds are merged together, new environments and visualizations become possible where physical and digital objects can coexist and interact in real time. In the movie “Kingsman: Golden Circle,” it was thanks to MR technology that the secret agents could congregate in a private office in London even though they are not physically present.

The most significant advantage of VR is that it does not specifically require additional machinery to exhibit authentic images. In 2016, the mobile game “Pokémon Go,” a game founded on AR technology was in the mainstream for all genders and ages around the globe. A virtual two-dimensional Pokémon pops out when you wander around on the real road on your smartphone. However, with MR, you can also experience 3D images through 3D graphics. What is more, unlike VR and AR, you do not need to use a device like a headset. You can experience it without an intermediary medium much like a movie, whereas VR can be experienced only through a device such as a headset, and AR must have a medium such as a smart phone.

As of today, MR is not as widely commercialized as VR or AR. This is because the amount of data required to process it is too massive to handle, and there are equipment and technical constraints. For example, in order to use MR on a mobile device, tons of arduous technology are required, including camera position recognition technology attached to a device, a technology for representing virtual digital information in a real space, an interaction technology for reality combined with a virtual space in which to be immersed, and so on.

Nevertheless, MR technology on a smartphone is not so far off. More and more companies are showing great interest in MR technology which has spurred technological development. The automobile manufacturer, BMW, intends to introduce MR into the automotive design development process. After integrating MR into this process, designers and engineers will be able to see final versions of their cars using a variety of materials before manufacturing the actual automobile. Microsoft has taken MR and used it to make a portable device called a HoloLens (holographic lens). HoloLens is essentially a holographic computer built into a headset that lets you see, hear, and interact with holograms within an environment such as a living room or office space. Microsoft has built the headset without the need to be wirelessly connected to a PC, and used high-definition lenses and spatial sound technology to create an immersive, interactive holographic experience. The company Magic Leap has also developed their own MR display technology. This technology uses glasses that project 3D computer-generated imagery over real world objects by sending a projected digital light field into the user's eye, involving technologies that are potentially suited to applications in augmented reality and computer vision. At present, companies are putting effort into developing technologies that can recognize physical objects such as tables, hands, floors, and ceilings, and immediately process computer graphic (CG) effects. This allows users to step further into experiencing life-like holograms, such as a virtual whale jumping up out of the floor of a school gym.

Predictions as to what future of AR, VR, and MR will bring are interrelated. These technologies are distinguishable from each other, but simultaneously developing in ways that correspond to each other. Although these three reality technologies are closely intertwined, some factors will take a toll as competition is fabricated among these technologies due to their distinct characteristics and diverse uses. Nonetheless, as we step into the future with more of these state-of-the-art technologies, none of them seem able to trigger deterioration of each other nor does seem to loom as more distinctive technology. However, it can be stressed that as of today, MR is receiving the greatest attention and there are massive expectations for its prospects from all over the world.

Culture-MR.docx